The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-11-19

fingers flew, his bow quickened, th'
notes seemed to whirl and scurry
light-footed as a rout of fairies Mean
while the toe Of his right boot counted
the increasing tempo until 1t came III
and down like ratchet.
Darius Olin was mostly of slow ant
sober manner. TO cross his legs
and feel fiddle seemed to throw his
heart open and put him in full gear
Then his thoughts were quick, his
eyes merry, his heart was fountain
OF joy. He would lean forward sway.
ing His head, and shouting "Yip." as
the bow hurried D'ri was a hard
working man, but the feel of the fd-
die warmed and lilnbered him from
! toe to finger. He was over-modest
making light of his skill " he ever
/ sroke OF it, and had no ear for a com
| pljment While our elders were dane
ing | and others of my age were play
games with rush and tumble in them
uss-in-the-corner, hunt-the-squirrel
and the like. Even then thought
was in love with pretty Rose Mer-
riman. She would never let me kiss
her, even though had caught her and
had the right.
My mother gave me all the school
Ing | had that winter A year later
they built schoolhouse, not quite a
mile away, where found more fun
than learning. After two years
shouldered my ak and went to the
overland with the choppers every win
ter morning
My father was stronger than any of
them except D'ri, who could drive his
AK to the bit every blow, day after day.
He had the strength of giant and
no man | knew tried ever to cope
with him By the middle of May we
began rolling in for the raft AS soon
as they were floating. the logs were
withed together and moored in Sec
tons. The bay became presently a
quaking, redolent plain of timber.
When we started the raft, early in
June, that summer of 1910, and worked
ed poles, was aboard with D'ri and
six other men. bound for the big city
of which | had heard so much. was
10 visit the relatives of my mother
and spend year in the College de St
Pierre. We had a little frame house
on a big platform, back of the middle
section of the raft, with hunks in it
where we ate and slept and told
stories. Lying on the platform there
was a large fiat stone that held our
fires for both cooking and comfort
D'ri called me in the dusk of the early
morning, the first night out, and said
we were near the Saut | got up,
rubbed my eyes, and felt a mighty
thrill as | heard the roar of the great
rapids and the creaking withes. and
felt the lift Of the speeding wa-ers.
D'ri said they had broken the raft
into three parts. ours being hindmost
The roaring grew louder until my
shout was as whisper in hurricane.
The logs began 10 heave and fall and
waves came rushing through them.
Sheets of spray shot skyward. coming
down like a shower We were shaken
as by an earthquake in the rough wa
ter. Then the roar fell back of us, and
the raft grew steady.
Gin us a tough twist" said D'ri,
shouting down at me-"kind nv a twis.
o the bit n a kick n the side"
1t was coming daylight as we sailed
into still water. and then Dri put his
hands to his mouth and hailed loudly.
getting an answer out of the gloom
aheas
"Gol-dum ef il hain't the power NV
a thousan painters!" Dri continued,
laughing as he spoke Never see
nolhin' jump n kick n spit like tibet
air less II he'd fur oh-never n all
my born days"
D'ri's sober face showed dimly now
in the dawn His hands were on his
hips. his faded felt hat was tippeo
His boots and trousers
were quarreling over that disputed ter
ritory between his knees and ankles
His boots had checked the invasion.
Smooth water now" said he
'houehtfully. Seems terribly still
Hain't a breath NV air stirrin'. Jeru-
shy Jane Pepper. VIVA does tibet
meant"
He stepped aside quickly as some
bits Of bark and a small bough of hem
lock fell at our feet. Then a shower
IF pine needles cane slowly down
over US and hitting the tim
Der with a faint hiss. Before we could
look up a dry stick as long as a log
ell rattling on the platform.
Never seen no sccb doin's afore.
said D'ri. looking upward. Things
iont seem L me = be actin eggzsc1y
jest es I'd like { see EN-
As the light came clearer. We saw
LIQUIDS hesped black and blue over the
ree-tops in the southwest We stood F,
/ moment looking The clouds were
Hesping higher. pulsing with light.
roaring with thunder. What seemed &c
be a flock of pigeons rose suddenly
above the far forest. and then fell as
Z they had sill been shot. A gust OF I.
Tind coasted down the still ether. fiut .
ering like a rag and shaking out .
'ew drops OF rain.