Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23

doot not it's ,jowk Ay, say that it is"
he appealed. .s -.
But when the Kid, laughed harshly and
turned on his heel Deyy flung. himself
toss the cordwood back from the bank
Lend a hand, Donald"' he cried. Can
We no lend hand? IT'S the labor Of
months and the passage home.'
Donald caught him by the arm and shook
him. but he tore free. Did ye no hear,
man! Millions of tons and the island shall
be swept clean"
''Straighten yersel up, man." said Dom
aid. It's bit flashed We are"
But Davy fell upon the cordwood. Dom
aid stalked back to the cabin, buckled on
his money belt and Days and went out to
the point Of the island where the ground
was highest and where a huge pine tow
cred above its fellows.
The men before the cabin heard the ring
ing OF his ak and smiled. Greenwich re-
turned from across the island with the
word that they were penned in. 1t was
impossible to cross the back channel The
blind Minook man began to sing, and the
rest joined in with
Wonder If it's true?
Does 1t seem to you?
Seems to me he's lying
o, l wonder If it's true
IT'S ay sinful" Davy moaned. lifting his
head and watching them dance in the
slanting rays of the sun. and nv guild
wood a going to waste
o, 1 wonder If it's true1
was Haunted back.
The noise of the river ceased suddenly.
A strange calm wrapped about them The
Ice had ripped from the shores and was
foating higher on the surface Of the river
which was rising. Up it came. swift and
silent, for twenty feet, till the huge cakes
rubbed softly against the crest of the
bank The tail of the island, being lower,
was oyerrun. Then, without effort the
white flood started down stream But the
sound increased with the momentum and
soon the whole island was shaking and
quivering with the shock of the grinding
bergs. Under pressure, the mighty cakes
weighing hundreds of tons. were shot into
the air like peas. The frigid anarchy in
ere Its riot, and the men had to shout
sionally the racket from the back channel
could be heard above the tumult
The island shuddered with the impact of
upon its point. 1t ripped a score of ninas
out by the roots. then swinging around and
over, lifted its muddy base from the bot
tom OF the river and bore down upon the
a gigantic knife. 1t seemed barely to Craze
the corner Of the cabin. but the cribbed
logs tilted up like matches, and the strnc-
ture. like toy house. fell backward in
ruin.
1.-THE labor of months! The labor ~
months and the passage home!" Dayy
walled. while Montana Kid and the police.
man dragged him backward from the wood.
piles Ii
You'll ave p,sntylq' hoppertunity all in
good time for yer passage 'ome," the police
man growled, Gouti1g him alonsside the
head and sending him flying into safety.
Donald. from, the top Of the pine, saw
the devastating, berg sweep away the cord.
wood and disappear, down stream. AS
though satisfied with this damage. ths ice.
flood quickly dropped to It's old level and
began to slackeh its pace. The noise like
wise eased down. and the others could hear
Donald shouting from his eyrie to look
down stream. AS forecast, the lam had
come among the islands Of the bend, and
the Ice was piling up In great barrier
which stretched from shore to shore. The
river came to a standstill, and the water
finding no outlet, began to rise Il rushed
up till the island was awash, the men
splashing around up to their knees. and the
cabin. At this stage it abruptly became
stationary. with no perceptible rise or fall
Montana Kid shook his head. cts
TANNED above and no more's coming
down."
"And the gamble is, which jam will break
first" Sutherland added.
Exactly the Kid affirmed '.If the up-
per jam breaks first we haven't a CHANCE
Nothing will stand before It,"
The Minook men turned away in silence
but soon "Rumsky Ho.'' foated upon the
quiet air. to be followed by THE Orange
circle for Montana Kid and the policeman.
and they quickly caught the ringing rhythm
Of the choruses as they drifted on from
song to song.
20, Donald. will We no lend hand?"
Davy sobbed at the foot of the tree into
which his comrade had climbed 20. Dom
aid, man, will We no lend hand?" he
sobbed again, his hands bleeding from vain
attempts to scale the slippery trunk.
But Donald had fixed his gaze up river.
and now his voice rang out, vibrant with
fear: =.
God ALMIGHTY, here she comes..'
Standing kneedeep in the icy water, the