The Opelousas courier., 1898-08-20
Oh. you may trust the tickle var
That only points to veer again,

lowered. 1t was one chance in a hun
dfS NUT lack Brayton took that
cbanco fioated down the river.
The ligh the steamer receded in
the darknesA not a sound broke the
stiffness saveNe plash, plash of his
paddle. Bendil forward, straining
his eyes to CATCHY e first glimpse of
danger in whatever iaSm tie current
bore him on ~
"Only for her. er and tha<ehil-
dren," he mutteredA Under his breRS
while his eyes grew moist. He wiped
them hastily, as thougb@nyone could
perceive his weakness:
On-on! The water undulated
greatly under the boat as he tioated
on it's broad, dark bosom. Now the
current set in near tie shore, and mys-
FERROUS sounds wera borne out to him
from those wild forest depths-sounds
neither man nor beast could make. A
lone owl hooted dismally from a tree
top. Instantly the woods seemed
alive with strange responses. He felt
awed and heaved a 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 a good turn it was doing him.
All day he lay concealed in the vicin-
ity, not a moutEfaI of food entering
his lips. With the gathering darkness
he was soon aioat, bound for "down-
river" and the old Missouri home.
He could scarcely tell the number
of days after a while; he did not
care to keep account. All he desired
was to escape those who were doubt
less pursuing him. Wandering In
dams gave him food when he dared
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 ce his
heart could be heard ON either shore.
eff Elviry knowed how it war;" he
said to himself, "she might be
a-prayin' fur me, as she uster."
The thought gave him renewed
courage. He bent to the paddle with
a giants strength, and the bull-boat
went along faster than the current, yet
could not keep pace with his impa-
thence.
At length he began to chuckle grim
~ with satisfaction. Hour by hour
he felt that he was nearing home. In
dian wigwams no longer dotted the
plains. 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 avoid
ing them, although few ever remained
out in the river late at night. Still he
chuckled, for every hour lessened the
danger. They would never look for
him so far down river, surely-they
would think he had fed toward the in
terror.
Tomorrow night" he assured him
self, 'I'll leave the river and tramp
for it,"
His face Frightened; the sky, the
the plain took up q new express
Of hopefulness, and the remainder
Of that night his paddles dipped un-
ceasingly.
"P'r'haps she amt quite so bad off
as the doctor thinks, arter all, an I
kin take a r of her now; an I'd just
work for her," He dropped the pad
dies a moment as a pleased smile
crept over his bronzed face.
"Ah! the chillern has growed like
sixty, in course"
The heavens seemed to don an an
swering smile, the east bursting into
rosy glow, while the distant hills
and rolling prairies assumed new and
delicate tints Of beautiful summer
life.
cit amt the wust 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 flood. The
"June rise" was sweeping down from
the northern mountains; the unsightly
lay concealed beneath the
.ashing 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 away with his paddle.
GLOW they must a. growed!" he re-
peated to himself, cheerily. It seemed
though he had been away a cen
Jury. His head dropped, as a success
sion Of homely incidents passed
his quickened brain.
A village, with it's white .spired
rose from the nearer bank.
The boat, carried around in an abrupt
bend and suddenly DETECTED from it's
by a strong eddy, headed di-
for that shore. The wary voy-
ger, yielding for one instant to a sud
len sense Of security and repose, sat
With dropping face and made no re-
istance.
There was a sudden shock. The lit
lie boat bumped violently against a
nag, and some one cried out from the
of a steamboat at that moment
preparing to push out into the stream.
The startled soldier lifted his head
nd sat as though petrified. A detach-
nent Of United States troops met his
,ewildered gaze. |.
Suddenly he seized the paddle with
rantic haste. Would Elviry never
now how he had tried?
An officer was standing on the lower