The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-08-14

glared around with an injured air.
This year there's big inducements to
do it. This isn't the year for small
fakes"
AT Prospect point we found Curley
Bowers awaiting us. He was alone,
but explained that his friend was
across in Canada looking at the river.
For myself he had already begun to
seem almost myth, this singular be-
ing who wanted to go over the falls.
We three crossed the bridge and
stopped to gaze upon the view, then
went on down the bank of the Cana
dian side and saw there a lonely figure
seated upon wet rock, staring fiXedly
up at the cataract. Curley approached
and touched him, then, with q graceful
wave of his paw, said, LET me make
you gents acquainted" and did so.
Westerman was, as l now remember
him, a short and very thickset young
man in whom the life lay deep. He
appeared to be somewhat stolid, yet at
the same time interested me. The Gu
rious, absent look in his eyes impressed
preston which is, believe, character
istic of those who love daring ventures.
If you have ever watched a man about
to try, say, high dive you will know
what Westermans constant manner
was. He spoke very little and ap-
peared either sullen or shy, but kept
turning his eyes toward the cataract
could imagine that the waters of all
the lakes were being tipped over upon
one out of the sky, and the clouds above
vanished behind that overhanging
brink.
"Aw," remarked Bowers at last,
''give US something simpler. Better
go down an take swim in the whirl-
pool, Jake, an let her go at that"
do you really Think" l questioned
Westerman, that any man could go
down that place and liver
"Well," replied he thoughtfully, "up
kind of a chance. The American fall
is no good, and, besides, they've spoiled
it drawin' the water off. This fall here
is lower than the American, an there's
lots more water to float in, an that, !
guess, would be my chance. There's a
place up there where the curve is I've
looked at u good deal. Water seems
friendlier somehow, an it keeps a-goin'
over an a-goin' over so easy" He re-
covered himself with an effort and be-
came sullen again. "But I'll tell you
what" he added to Skitters-'you'll
have to get that rubber rig an send it
over first. l want to see how she
stands it,"
"Oh, yes, of course, of course" Skit-
ters replied. He had not been looking
at the falls, but at Westerman and the
rest of US. Presently he drew me
apart.
"Well," said he and cooked his head
on one side like bird.
"Poohw replied L. "Its mere mad
ness. Niagara means DEATH"
"Death?" said he cheerfully. 81
should say it did-death and your bones
mashed up. What's that got to do with
us? Now that we've got the man and
tiiC AidNliiiS III lllC PupllS " lOOh at
all that we need is good management,
and that's where your little friend
comes in. Yes, sir" he cried and swell
ed with the sublime ideal, "just little
good management, and we've got the
fake of fakes"
81 refuse" said 1, with proper sever
ity, 'to become a party to any fraud
upon the public"
"Oh, well,' he replied, still cheerful,
"we'll arrange it some way" Skitters
and l rode back to Buffalo together
leaving the two others to lurk about
the place and enjoy their own society.
That was the last that ! saw for
some little time of Skitters and his
Niagara Navigation company. When
met him again he reported that ar
rangements were being perfected; that
he had rowboat all ready below the
falls and a scheme worked out to put
the supposed swimmer into the river
above.
"And we've tried the rubber suitw he
exclaimed one day. 1--WE sent it over
by moonlight night before last. 1t got
bumped a bit, but stood it pretty well.
Gills, though, is such an old fogy, al
ways afraid that his invention is going
to get hurt. I've got Westerman down
there, learning the ground and prac-
ticing with the suit. All he needs to do
is to seem to get in above the falls and
then seem to get taken out below, and
then-oh, mamma, the world is oursp'
"Tll have some people fixed all right"
he used to hint mysteriously, and the
motto that he gave his followers was,
Remember Steve Brodie."
He began to be afraid, horribly
afraid, that some one would be before
him. There were indeed, as may be re,
memhered, vague rumors of attempts
upon the falls, for such ideas seem at
times to come like a contagion. Skit-
ters got so at last that he would eye
the people who got upon the yellow
cars with a positive hatred. He saw a
rival in every traveller and chafed at
the flight of hours. "Some one will
beat us yet. some one will beat us yet!'
he used to bitterly cry. But for myself
1 had begun to lose all interest in his
scheme, believing that it would end in
nothing.
Then came that day in June, a men,
orable day in the history of Niagara.
On the drowsy hush of noon hour the
telephone bell in the office suddenly
Jared. went to the telephone, expect
Ing some ordinary message, but it was
Il boys voice from far away which was