Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1902-04-03

The event Of the season was over In
the little Texas village of Cypress
Bayou. All the San Jacinto bay
try had furplshed the dancers, and
among Their had come Henry Mitchell.
Just home after seven years absence in
remote Alaska. Success was written
in his face. and success meant wealth
with the Mitchells. hence the people
fell to wondering II Henry Mitchell
would be true to his b%ay-country
sweetheart Of seven years ago, for Car
oline Wells was poor.
The man. however. did not reveal
his feelings. He danced and talked
with other old friends as with Caroline
Wells. But in her face, and not in
the others, there might have been seen
a faint glow as Of hope. The rekin-
died light Of a forgotten love still
shone in her eyes the second day later
as she stood upon the shore Of the San
Jacinto, contemplating the leaden
waste Of water in the late afternoon.
An east wind blew and the girls wavy
brown hair was strewn out upon it, or
swept down In a bunch of curls to hide
the red that the wind was painting
over the tan Of her cheeks. The
changing lights in her face we're very
beautiful TO look upon, like the varied
shadows that hurrying clouds some
times reflect in a restless sea. There
was coming into her eyes a look Of
anxiety as she regarded the river be-
fore her.
AS from habit, she shaded her eyes
with her hand and looked out across
the stream to an island in which for
over fifty years that early pioneer and
gentleman and officer of the second
British war, Col. Smith, had chosen to
make his home. His wife had shared
the island home. Their house had
once been all but carried away by one
Of the devastating river floods. Mrs.
Smith was now alone upon the island.
In the event of a flood she would be in
great danger.
AS Caroline Wells looked at the
heavy, threatening sky, and the curl
Ing waters, steadily creeping toward
her, she gave way to a SILVER of dread,
and turned toward her house, through
q field Of half-picked cotton. But a
look of determination had settled into
her c~ountenance. Shortly she returned
with a great storm coat, which she
flung into a long, low boat that lay
restlessly Juggling at its chain. She
cas- a sorry eye out to midstream,
where the strong wind had raised the
water into perilous ridges. But, know
ing that she was the only help for
Mrs. Smith within six miles, unless it
be from across the river, she reached
out to pull the boat toward her.
Carried away by the wind, it seemed
to resist her, but with some effort she
succeeded, and after a hurried glance
back at her home, she jumped into the
boat. Before she thought 1t possible,
the wind had caught the boat and car
ried it far upstream, across the inner
bay. But Caroline wal used to the
river, and, controlling the boat. she
was soon pulling with long, steady
strokes toward the point where she
could best cross the mid-current for
Smith island. She made some prog
ress, but such was the force of the
wind that after half an hour she had
only reached the point of the peninsula
from which she intended to cross the
main current to the island. She had
still her hercest struggle before her.
Strong as the girl was from her river
life, her wrists ached and her arms felt
heavy from the exertion. The wind
had now grown to a gale. The spray
dashed over her in sheets. But the
stout heart OF pioneer ~fore-fathers yet
urged her to the relief of the old lady
upon the island.
With the boat headed downstream
against the wind and tide, she pulled
slowly, surely, out; drenched anC
painting, and with a face as white al
the foam crests of the black waves
that swept in walls against her boat.
She had passed the channel posts
and was now well out in midstream
and saw, as she instinctively gaugeC
har oonrqa NV a narafmmOu tree uDOf