Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-12-02

O1-OH! i ne water un0ufaleO great
~ under the boat as he fioated on its
broad. dark bosom Now the current
set in near the shore. and mysterious
sounds were borne out to him from
those wild forest depths = sounds
neither man nor beast could make A
lone owl booted dismally from a tree
top. Instantly the woods seemed alive
with the strange responses. He felt
awed. and heaved sigh of relief when
the current bore him far out into the
stream once more.
With the first flush of dawn the SOL
der guided his primitive craft to the
shore, drew it up out of the water and
managed to hide the unwieldy bulk in
the bushes. He looked at the stretched.
buffalo skin with affection, thinking
what good turn it was doing him. All
day he lay concealed in the vicinity,
not a mouthful of food entering his lips.
With the gathering darkness he was
soon afloat, bound for "down-riyer" and
the old Missouri home.
He could scarcely tell the number OF
days after awhile; he did not care to
keep account. All he desired was to
escape those who were doubtless pur-
suing him. Wandering Indians gave
him food when he dare seek it. He
held his breath when he passed the
forts and settlements on the river
| banks in the night. He even fancied
that the beatings of his heart could
bes heard on the shore.
"If Elviry7 knowed how it war" he
said to himself, ''she might be a-prayln'
| for me, as she uSter."
L. \
age. He bent to 5the paddle with a
giants strength. and the bull-boat went
along faster than the current. yet could
not keep pace with his Impotence.
At length he began to chuckle grim
| ly with satisfaction. Hour by hour he
| felt that he was nearing home. In
| dian wigwams no longer dotted the
| plainss Dark objects doomed up on the
| hills, which he knew to be school
| houses or churches. Steamboats, passed
more frequently, and he was obliged
| to use great caution in avoiding them,
although few ever remained out in the
river at night. Still he chuckled. for
every hour 1essened the danger. They
! would never look for him so far down
the river. surely-they would think he
| had fed toward the interior.
Tomorrow night" he assured him
| self, ''I'n leave the river and tramp
| for it."
| His face frightened; the sky. the
| river, the plain took up a new express
| sion of hopefulness and the remainder
| of the night his paddles dipped I'M
| ceasingly.e
"P'r'haps she amt quite so bad off
as the doctor thinks. arter all. an l
| kin take care of her now; an I'd just
work for her" He dropped the paddles
| a moment as a pleased smile crept over
| his bronzed face.
ts.Ahi the children has growed like
| sixty, of course"
The heavens seemed to don an an
swering smile. the east bursting into
| q rosy glow, while the distant hills
and rolling prairies assumed new and
| delicate tints of beautiful summer life.
cit amt the wurst sort o world. after
| ALT can't be so bad az all that" he
went on, disconnectedly.
| Yet all around him the river rushed
/ in a discolored. rapid food. The June
rise" was sweeping down from the
| northern mountains; the uEsightly
sandbars lay concealed beneath the
| dashing waves; logs. trees, debris of
! various kinds. went whirling past.
Once the carcass of a buffalo-shot
| needlessly by some passenger on an
| up-river boat, doubtless-bore down
against him, and he was obliged to
push it away with his paddle.
| "How they must "a growed!" he re-
! peated to himself. cheerily. It seemed
as though he had been away a century.
His head dropped as succession of
homely incidents passed through his
| quickened brain.
| A village, with it's white-spired
| church, rose from the nearer bank.
| The boat, carried around an abrupt
| bend and suddenly DETECTED from its
course by the strong eddy, headed di-
rectly for that shore The wary voy-
| ager. yielding for one instant to sud
den sense of security and repose sat
with dropping face and made no re-
sistance.
There was a sudden shock. The lit
tie boat bumped against a snag; and
| some one cried soutefrom the guards
of a steamboat at that moment pre-
pairing to push out into the stream.
The startled soldier lifted his head.
and sat as though petrified. A detach-
| ment of United States troops met his
bewildered gaze.
Suddenly he seized the paddle with
| frantic haste. Would Elviry ever know
how he had tried?
An officer was standing on the lower
/ deck.
| "a deserter. by heaven!" he ex-
claimed to the sergeant by his side.
| Then, in stentorian voice. he com
| handed:
| Pull in shore, if you value your life!'
| But the man in the boat paid no at
| tention. He began to push out with