Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-17
name him, and wen fix things up

ready"
choked little, and n sense of nv
utter desOlation amid this crew of
savage men afloat upon mighty river
swept over me; then the spirit of my
youth and independence arose again.
Il have no friend, and will fix things
for myself. Get your chair, and come
to the rear of the raft. We will pick
out the logs and fasten them together,
and then you can call Nicholson" and
turned away.
But you'll have some one to act for
you-to see fair play!'
No" cried, sharply-'no one! If
my knife cannot win for me fair play
I'll not look for it among this gang.
Get your cllain!"
The man looked ut me an instant rs
If dazed, then, he left me. to rejon me
a moment later, near the stern of the
raft, with a short chain aud two iron
staples in his hands,
"Select your log" said I.
He did SO. and selected n some
what smaller one, with coarse bark.
"A few blows of an axe released botn
logs from the withcs which bound
them to the others, about them, and,
uniting our strength, we dragged them
across the raft and launched them mt
the stern. Then with the staples we
fastened the iron chain end and end
to the logs, binding each near the mid
die.
When pushed free from the raft,
they flonted some twenty-five feet
apart, each following It's own motion in
the current and eddies, occasionally
swinging SO close as almost to touch,
and again separating until restrained
by the chain.
They'll do" said my companion.
"1'll go for Nicholson"
l felt that had ben hunted down,
and fierce desire to kill intlamed me.
Had prayed. it would have been for
success in the coming combat, not for
simple safety.
A sound ut my side caused me to
turn. The man had returned, and nv
antagonist was with him. n thrill Of
Joy ran through me as noted the pal
lOf OF NlchOSonS face.
HE is afraid! shall kill him!'
whispered to myself.
Now strip to your shirts and
breeches. take your knives in your
teeth. and, when l give the word,
jump and swim for the logs. Either
man to either log" said the third party
to this strange encounter.
Silently we obeyed, disrobing our
selves, and standing, moment later,
side by side upon the edge of the raft.
care you ready? Coz
Two plunges that were but as one,
two dark heads above the muddy foam
of the river, and, an instant later, two
men astride of two floating logs faced
each other, each with murder In his
eyes!
l had secured the smaller log. per-
haps by change, perhaps because my
antagonist had sought the other one,
but l felt 1t to be IN advantage.
could move my support more rapidly
and easily than he could his-could at
tack or retreat with less exertion.
Each held his knife in hand and set
tied himself on his log; then Nicholson
began with his unarmed hand to pad
die slowly toward me.
Perhaps this motion of our logs af-
fected our relative position to the raft
perhaps some eddying current seized
us, but whatever the cause, just as
my enemy was almost within reach,
and both were preparing with tense
nerves for the coming contest, a sud
den plunge of the logs forced us both
to look to our individual safety, and
noticed, to my establishment that in
stead of following III. the wake of the
great raft, we had drifted to one side,
and were now abreast of 1t, moving
with much greater speed than the raft
itself, and evidently bound upon an
Independent journey to the gulf:
The sight startled me, and cried
out:
1--WE are being swept awayw
Nicholson half-turncd, then, care
less OF all else, looked back at me-
and our logs now ranging side by side,
leaned toward me, his knife hand half
outstrctched. bent backward to
avoid him, when n sudden plunge of
the log upon which l rode threw me
almost into my antagonists arms, and
his cleaning blade shot downward.
could not ward the blow, for had
almost lost my balance; but one thing
remained to do, and did 1t. Slipping
from my log and diving, the knife
missed me, but Nicholson, overborne
by the force of his stroke, followed me
headlong into the muddy stream.
Neither of us feared the plunge, but
as came to the surface, Il sudden hor-
ror shot through mel mad dropped
my knife! AT the same instant the
head of my enemy appeared at my
side, followed by his sinewy arm and
the shining blade. He threw himself
upon me, and raised his hand to strike.
1 was lost!
But even rs closed my eyes in the
horror Of despair, sudden rush
sounded in my ears, dark something
passed close by me, the knife that had
sought my throat sank glittering
through the water, and with a groan,
and quivering outstretching of his
hands, Nicholson, a lifeless body, fol-
lowed it.
The log upon which he had ridden
had been thrown by the current end
on against his head crushing it like IN
egg-shell. was saved!