Willmar tribune., 1905-06-28
D'ri and |
...: b IRVING BAcaEllER
Author Of "Eben Holden. !" Darrell a.
s the Blessed Isles, Etc. ssss$
loop,r,sht 1901, ~ Lotalop Publishing Company
CHAPTER XIV,

- +.
D'ri's narrltive was the talk OF the
garrison. Those who heard the tell
Ing, as I did not, were fond Of quoting
its odd phrases, and of describing how
D'ri would thrust and parry with his
jack-knife in the story of the bouts.
The mystery of that plunge into
darkness and invisible water was %
trial to my nerves the like of which
l had never suffered. After they had
pulled his lOrdship out of the grave,
and knew there would be no more
fighting, / began TO feel the strain he
had put upon me. y He was not so
strong as D'r1. but had never stood
before a quicker man. His blade was
as full of life and cunning as cats
paw. and he tired me- When I went
under the water I felt sure it was all
over, for was sick and faint. had
been thinking Of D'ri in that quick de-
scent. I wondered If he was the man
who had got away and gone down the
slide. was not the less amazed, how
ever, to feel his strong hand upon me
as came up. I knew nothing for
time. D'ri has told me often how he
bore me up in rapid water until he
came into an eddy where he could
touch bottom. There, presently, l got
back my senses and stood leaning on
his broad shoulder awhile. A wind
was blowing, and We could hear boat
jumping in the ripples near by. We
could see nothing, it was so dark, but
D'ri left me, feeling his way slowly,
and soon found the boat. He whistled
to me, and l made my way to him.
There were oars in the bottom of the
boat. D'ri helped me in, where lay
back with Almighty sense of relief.
Then he hauled in rope and anchor,
and showed of. The boat, overrunning
the flow in moment, shot away rapid
ly. D'ri had a plausible theory of the
slide. He said that if we had clung
to the sides of it to break our speed
we'd have gone down like a plummet
and shattered our bones on a rocky
shore. Coming fast, our bodies leaped
far into the air and fell to deep water
How long l lay there thinking, as l
rested, have no satisfactory notion.
Louise and Louison came into my
thoughts, and a plan of rescue A rush
of cavalry and reeking swords, dash
for the boats, with flying horse under
each fair lady, were in that moving
vision. But where should We find
them? for knew not the name of that
country out of which we had come by
ways of darkness and peril. The old
query came to me: If had to choose
between them, which should I take?
There was as much of the old doubt
In me as ever. For verify, loved
them both, and would die for either.
I opened my eyes at last, and, rising,
my hands upon the gunwales, could
dimly see the great shoulders of D'rf
swaying back and forth as he rowed.
The coming dawn had shot an arrow
into the great, black sphere Of night,
crackin8rsit from to core,
and floods of light shortly came pour
Ing in, sweeping down bridges of dark
ness, gates of gloom, and massy: walls
OF shadow. We were in the middle of
a broad river-the St. Lawrence, we
knew, albeit the shores were .unfa-
>miliar to either of us. The sunlight
stuck in the ripples, and the breeze
famed them into flowing fire. The
morning lighted the green hills Of my
native land with a mighty splendor.
A new life and great joy came to me
as filled my lungs with the sweet air.
D'ri pulled into a cove, and neither
could speak for little He turned,
looking out upon the river, and
brushed a tear OF his brown cheek.
''No use talkin'," said he, in low
tore. as the bow hit the shore, "ain'
no country LUX this 'un, don care where
ye go.'. '..'> 80.
AS the oars lay still, we could hear
In the far timber a call of fife and
drum. Listening, We heard the faint
familiar strains of Yankee Doodle ''
We came ashore In silence, and
hugged the nearest tree, and was not
able to say the THANK God!" that fell
from my lips only half spoken.