Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-01-05


morning, the first night out, and said
we were near the Sault. | 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 waters.
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 to 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 va
ter. Then the roar fell back of us. md
the raft grew steady.
Gin us a tough twist" said Dri,
shouting down at me-"llind Nv twist
o. the bit n kick n the side
1t was coming daylight as we sailed
into still water, and then D'ri put his
hands to his mouth and hailed loudly,
getting an answer out of the gloom
ahead.
"GOl-dum ef it hain't the power NV
a thousan' painters!" D'ri continued,
laughing as he spoke Never see
nothin' jump N kick n spit like thet
! air, less it he'd fur on-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 tipped
sideways. His boots and trousers
were quarrelng over that disputed ter
ritoTy between his knees and ankles.
His boots had checked the invasion.
Smooth water now" said he,
| thoughtfully. Seems terribly still.
Hain't a breath NV air stirrin Jeru-
shy Jane Pepper! Wha does thet
mean?"
He stepped aside quickly as some
| bits OF bark and small bough of hem
! lock fell at our feet. Then a shower
| of pine needles came slowly down,
scattering over us and hitting the tim
Der with faint hiss. Before we could
! look up a dry stick as long as a log
fell rafting on the platform.
'NCver seen no sech doin's afore,"
said D'ri, looking upward. Things
| don't seem t. me t be actin eggzacly
natral-put jest es I'd like t. see EN-"
AS the light came clearer, we saw
| clouds heaped black and blue over the
! tree-tops in the southwest. We stood
| a moment looking. The clouds were
heaping higher, pulsing with light,
| roaring with thunder. What seemed to
| be flock of pigeons rose suddenly
above the far forest, and then fell as
! if they had all been shot A gust of
wind coasted down the still ether, fiut-
! tering like a rag and shaking out
| few drops of rain.
Look there!" | shouted, pointing
aloft.
"Hark!" said D'ri, sharply, raising
his hand of three fingers.
We could hear far sound like that
of a great wagon rumbling on a stony
road.
"The Almighty's whppin' his hosses,"
! said D'ri. Looks es eff he was plum
| gin 'em through the woods way yen
der. Look a thet air sky"
The cloud-masses were looming rap
idly. They had a glow like that of
copper.
"Tryin' to put a ruf on the world"
my companion shouted "Swingin'
ther hammers hard on the rivets."
A little peak of green Vapor showed
above the skyline. 1t loomed high as
we looked 1t grew into a lofty coll
umn, Teeling far above the forest Be-
low it we could see a mighy heaving
in the tree-tops. Something like an
| i'm mo mir
Ouetting in the air above them. The
tower of green looked now like a great
flaring bucket hooped with fire and
overfiowing with darkness. Our ears
were full of a mighy voice out of the
! heavens. A wind came roaring down
some tideway of the air like water in
| flume. 1t seemed to tap the sky.
Before | could gather my thoughts we
were in a torrent of rushing air, and
the raft had begun to heave and toss.
| felt Dri take my hand in his.
could just see his face, for the morning
had turned dark suddenly. His lips
were moving, but | could hear nothing
he said. Then he lay fiat, pulling me
down. Above and around all the
noises that ever came to the ear OF
mantle beating of drums, the below
ing of cattle, the crash of falling trees
the Shrek of women, the rattle of ma
chinery, the roar of waters, the crack
of rifles, the blowing of trumpets, the
braying of asses, and sounds of the
like of which l had never heard and
pray God | may not hear again, one
and then another dominating the
mighty chorus. Behind us, in the
gloom, | could see, or thought | could
see, the reeling mass of green plough
ing the water, like a ship with chains
of gold flashing over bulwarks of fire.
In moment something happened OF
which | have never had any definite
notion. | felt the strong arm of D'ri
clasping me tightly. l heard the thump
and roll and rattle of logs heaping
! above lis. I felt the water wachino over