Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-05-30

we teave OxlOTO. we are uOt uAc1y "
encounter q worse. The rain keeps peg
ging away. in a steady. unmistakable.
business-like fashion, AZ we draw nearer
to those half-hidden spires among the
trees. The river is quite deserted; there
Is not q single boat out on the swollen
and rushing stream. And 80 we get ON
90 Salters RATS, and secure our moOrinxs
there: while Jack Duncombe gOOd-nat-
uredly volunteers to remain behind and
settle up with Palinurus, and see our
luggage forwarded to the hotel. In
few minutes three Of US are in cab.
and driving through the wan. cold, drip
ping black-gray thOrOughfares. And II II
little that the grave and learned seniors
Of those halls and colleges suspect that .
certain Miss Peggy has arrived In Ok
ford town.
Now, whether It was that the gay
morning that had raised Miss Peggy's
spirits, and thereby in a measure soften
cd her heart, or whether 1t was that she
was bent ON Q little willful mischief at
ter having played Miss Propriety during
these past few days, she was now show
ing herself q good deal kinder to Jack
Duncombe. and he was propOrtionately
grateful, a. he went with the women
from shop to shop and carried their par
GELS for them.
We went to the Canal Company's Of
fee to get our permit, and then walked
along to the first lock-a little toy box
kind Of basin it looked; and there We
loitered abo1t for awhile in expectation
Of the "Nameless Barge" making its ap-
pearance. Time passed, and there was
no sign. OF course 1t was all very well
for those young people to be placidly con-
tent with this delay, and to heed nothing
SO long as they could stroll up and down
in the sunlight and the blowing winds
her eyes from time to time showing that
he was doing his best to amuse her; but
more serious people, who had been read
ing the morning papers Of the hurricanes
and inundations that had recently pre-
vailed over the whole country, and whose
last glimpse Of the Isis was a yellow
colored stream rushing like a mill race,
began to be anxious. Accordingly it was
proposed, and unanimously agreed, that
we should make our way back along the
river bank, to gain some tidings.
When, at length we came In sight Of
our gallant craft and her composite crew,
we found that Captain Columbus was
making preparations for getting her un-
der a bridge, and also that about half the
population Of Oxford had come out to
see the performance. When We looked
at the low arch, and at the headstrong
current, 1t was with no feelings of satis-
faction; nevertheless we all embarked.
to see what was about to happen, and
Murdoch took the tiller, while the <cw-
rope was passed to the Horse Marine.
Now, we should have run no serious risk
but for this circumstance; half of the
bridge had recently fallen down, and the
authorities, instead Of rebuilding it, had
contented themselves with blocking up
the roadway. Accordingly. when, as we
had almost expected, the "Nameless
Earge" got caught under the arch, We
found the masonry just above our heads
displaying a series Of very alarming
cracks; and the question was as to which
Of those big blocks, loosened by the fric-
tiOn Of the boat, would come crushing
dawn upon us. However, the worst that
befell us was that we got our eyes filed
with dust and our hands half hayed with
the gritty stone, and eventually We were
dragged through, and towed to q place Of
seclusion.
And that was but the beginning Of our
new experiences; for when-Columbus
and the Horse Marine having reappeared
we went ON to the first lock Of the
canal, we found the toy basin SO narrow
that We had to detach our tenders before
we could enter. Then came another
bridge that had almost barred our way
10y reason of the lowness Of the arch. And
that again was as nothing to the succeed
ing bridges We encountered as we got
into the open country. Nevertheless, we
managed to get on somehow, and these
rccurrent delays and dinhculties only
served to give variety and incident to ouS
patient progress.
tTo be continued.)