Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-25

Come outside and I'll show you, then.
These damn FOOLS" thrusting a thumb
over his shoulder at the two Scots, played
smash when they located here. Fill your
pipe hrst-this is pretty good plug-and en-
Joy yourself while you can. You haven't
many smokes before you"
The policemen vent with him wonder
ipgly, while Donald and Dsvy, having over
heard, dropped their cards and followed.
The Minock men noticed Montana Kid
pointing now up the river, now down, and
came over
whats up?' Sutherland demanded.
Nothing much" Nonchalance sat well
upon the Kid. Gust a case Of raising hell
and putting a chunk under. See that bend
down there? That's where she'll Jam mill
lions of tons Of ice. Then she'll jam in the
bends up above. millions of tons. Upper
jam breaks first, lower Jam holds, pouf!"
He dramatically swept the island with his
hand. Millions Of TONS" he added reiec-
lively.
"And what Of the woodpiles7" Davy ques-
toned.
The Kid repeated his sweeping gesture,
and Davy walled, THE labor Of months!
1t Gamma be! Ma, ma, lad, II Gamma be.
l doot not it's a jowk. Ay, say that 1t Is"
he appealed.
But when the Kid laughed harshly and
turned on his heel. navy flung himself
upon the piles and began frantically to toss
the eordwood back from the bank.
Lend a hand, Donald!" he cried. Can
ye no lend a hand? It's the labor Of
months and the passage homel"
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 sweepit clean"
"%Straighten yeFsel' up, man." said DON
aid. ITS a bit flashed we are"
But Davy fell upon the cordwood. Dom
aid stalked back to the cabin, buekled on
his money belt and DAVIS and went out
to the point of the island where the ground
was highest and where a huge pine lowered
above its fellows,
The men before the cabin heard the ring
ing OF his axe and smiled. Greenwich re-
turned from across the island with the
word that they we're penned In. 1t was
impossible to cross the back channel. The
blind Minook man began to sing, and the
rest Joined in with:
Wonder II it's true?
Does it seem so to you?
Seems to me he's lying
o, l wonder II it's true.
TITS ay sinful" Davy moaned. lifting
his head and watching them dance in the
s~lanting rays of the sun. And my guild
wood a going to waste"
o, l wonder II it's true?
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
floating higher on the surface of the river,
which was rising. Up 1t came, swift and
! gAIanN 20 urnnNr 81 AN Aka k.V., aIn
rubbed softly against the crest of the bank.
The tail of the island. being lower, was
overrun. Then, without effort, the white
food 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 hun
dreds of tons. were shot into the air like
peas, The frigid anarchy increased its riot
and the men had to shout into one another's
ears to be heard, Occasionally the racket
from the back channel could be heard above
the tumult,
The island shuddered with the impact of
an enormou cake which drove In squarely
upon its point. 1t ripped a score OF pines
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
cabin, slicing tina bank and trees away like
q gigantic knife, 1t seemed barely to Craze
the corner of the cabin. but the erihbed
logs tilted up like matches and the struc-
ture, like a toy house, fell backward In
ruin.
THE labor OF monthsl The labor OF
months and the passage home!" Davy
walled, while Montana Kid and the police
man dragged him backward from the wood.
piles.
You'll ave plenty o. hopportunity all
In good time for yer passage ONE" thS
policeman ~growled, elouting him alongside
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, the ioe-foeC
quickly dropped to its old level and begaI
TO slaoken its pace. The noise likewis,
eased down, and the others could heaI
Donald shouting from his eyrie to looI
down stream. As forecast, the Jam haC
come among the islands In the bend, an(
the ice was piling up in a great barrie,
which stretched from shore to shore. Tht
river came to a standstill, and the water
finding no outlet, began TO rise. 1t rushed
up till the island was awash, the mel
splashing around up to their knees. ant
tne uoBs swimming TO the ruins OF tn
cabin. At this stage 1t abruptly becam,
stationary, with no pereeptible rise or fall
Montana Kid shook his head, TITS Jam
med above, and no more's coming down"
And the gamble Is, which jam will breal
frst," Sutherland added.
Exactly" the Kid afhrmed. "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 IN
quiet air, TO be followed by "The orang
and the Black" Room was made In III
circle for Montana Kid and the police
man, aud they quickly caught the ringin
rhythm OF the choFuses as they dritted o
from song to song.
20, Donald, will ye no lend a hand?
Davy soboed at the foot OF the tree int
which his eomrade had climbed, 90 Don
aid. man. will ye no lend a hand?" he sob
bed again, his hands bleeding from val
attempts to scale the slippery trunk.
But Donald had liked his gaze up rive
and now his voice rang out. vibrant wit
fear;
GOD Almighty, here she eomes!"
Standing kneedeep In the icy water, tn
Minook men. with Montana Kid aud III
policeman, gripped hands and raised the
|, voices In the terrible Battle Hymn Of n
p / RaNnh1ic - nnt ~ uUn9l. -