The daily Alaskan., 1905-12-13
A CHANCE OF
 PARTNE RS
Ioriginal.l

burg. They were two pairs of lovers, John Baron and Lille Beck. Barue Farr and Margaret Ferris. If any onS would have told them that within a very short time there would be trans position among them as dances they would not have believed 1t. Neverthe less such a change came to pa9s.
 John Baron was one of those phleg matic, taciturn, undemonstratiye fel' lows who usually choose their oppo' sites, and In Lille Beck he found ex' actly the girl to attract him. Bartls Farr was gay, devil may care young man, who found In MNrgarat Ferris those steady qualities that q man of his character seemed to need. Every body said that both couples would make an admirable match.
 It was in the days when nltroglyc' erin was supplied from above Pitts burg on the Allegheny to the oil fields ln Pennsylvania, flOated down In sti- letto-llke boats some thirty feet long by four feet wide. Each boat carried enough nltroglycerin to blow anything 1t struck to the clouds. It was run by two men, who had strict orders to lie up at nightfall. In daytime they could be seen far enough ahead to enable such craft as they came across to get out of the way, and, since they did not run at night, there was no necessity for accident.
 The party In the skin had pulled far up the river during the afternoon, in- tending to drift down leisureIy with the current in the twilight. B0rtle Farr, who never took thought for the future. insisted on rowing up much farther than was intended. Margaret Ferris had endeavored to check his enthusi- asm, but on this occasion was unequal to the task, C., rather, she permitted him to have his way, only warning him that in case they were caught out on the river In the dark and anything happened she would hold him respOnsi- ble
 Twilight was fading into night, and they were still several miles above tho city drifting down with the current. Margaret proposed that the men should take to the oars and was sec onded by Baron. Whereupon Farr de clared that they were having the best part Of their excursion and as for him. self be proposed to enjoy It. Baron took q pair of oars and began tO row. At this Farr made a curt remark about his timidity at being out after dark without a protector. Baron made no reply. but kept on pulling.
 When the night settled down upon them Farr and Miss Ferris were in the bow, Farr with his back between the two gunwules, Miss Ferris sitting on the foremost seat facing him. Miss Beck was at the tilleC, Baron on the stroke" seat rowing. Suddenly some thing black on the river appeared within a few yards of them, and a voice shouted, Get out of the way for your llvesT' and two splashes followed as of persons jumping into the water.
 In another moment John Baron rec ognlzed the dim outline of a nitrOglyc- erin boat coming straight for the skin. At the same moment Farr, who had risen to see what was coming, rec ognlzed the danger. He plunged into the water and dived to avert the com ing explosion. Baron, putting all his strength into one supreme effort, gave two strokes with the port oar, and be- fore he could give q third the nose of the nitroglycerin boat rubbed the stern of the skin. For q few seconds the side of the explosive craft slid along the stern of the skin, then the danger had passed.
 Baron took in the situation at once. The men on the boat had been running her too late into the night, and on com ing upon the skiT, after shouting a warning, had jumped overheard. The situation after the danger had passed was this: Farr was swimming for the skiff, Miss Beck was lying in a faint in the stern. Baron was resting on his oars, while Miss Ferris was sitting quietly on the forward seat. Her cheeks famed at the cowardlCe of her lover, who had left her to die while he saved himself.
 Baron knew that the nitrOglycerin boat being without guidance would go on down the river, liable at any mo- ment to cause great loss of life and property. He was a good swimmer and resolved to catch 1t. Plunging Into the water, he swan lustily, gaining on 1t all the while till at last he caught It. Pulling himself upon the deck, he seized a rope fixed to the bow, tied the line around his body, and, plunging again Into the water, swam for the shore.
 In this be ran a fearful risk. A rock or a root ot a tree if struck would blow up the boat and him with 1t. Landing on a point, he allowed the boat to swing downstream with the current then fas- tened his rope to a stump.
 The next morning John Baron's feat was known in Pittsburg and Allegheny, and he became a hero. As for the two men who deserted the boat neither ever showed his face In that region again. The day after the party reached home Miss Ferris wrote Farr note breaking their engagement. Baron had noticed bis fiance's collapse and that Miss Fer ris retained her equanimity. From that