The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-05-25
CHAPTER XXI.
a Rough Voyage.

a Rough Voyage.
An exclamation Of alarm burst from
Jacinta when the sudden plunge OF the
1atboat gave indubitable evidence that
The rope had broken.
"We are afoat! We are afioat!"
.And rushing It, said Medworth.
Are you all right, Jack?" For so large
was the boat, and SO dark the night,
that Arthur did not doubt that his
friend was somewhere on board. But
as no answer came to him out of the
darkness, his heart stood still with
horror.
Jack" he shoused. ARE you on the
boat?'
Loud as he shouted, no answer came
to his straining ears but the mocking
howl OF the storm.
Tempest is lost" he exclaimed.
my heavgas! What shall we do
What can we do, senor?" tearfully
asked Dona Maria. 1T is enough to
drive ones senses from one. Is 1t not
terrific! Nothing can save US In this
awful storm"
And. In truth, there was foundation
enough for her terror.
In the blackness OF the night and in
the rush and swirl Of the water the
great, clumsy fatboat turned and
twisted. groaned and creaked, now
lunging forward as If going over ca
taract, now swinging viciously against
= bit Of high bank or tree standing
deep In the water, but always bounding
on again to continue its fearful way.
At times It would not progress, but
would whirl round and round In the
grasp Of furious eddy; then. like a
Wild beast released from Its cage, It
would plunge on. It was never two
minutes the same, never for moment
under the control Of 1ught save that
overwhelming mass OF water and the
Omnipotent hand that controls even
the torrents and the floods.
A he tremendous rate at which
they were being carried along they
swept past mile after mile of flooded
Ilanos, and their troubled minds did
not know or could not guess we're they
were.
But the stanch old boat did not fail
them. It seemed every minute as II it
must 50 to pieces.
When the long, dreadful hours Of the
night had passed, and the scarcely less
dark morning had come. the valley Of
the Orinoco was undergoing the fourth
day OF that terrible storm. So hard
WAS the downpour that 1t was impossi-
Bile for them to see or even to hazard
! guess where they were.
But the torrent knew It's business,
and carried them on and on out
through the broadening mouth Of the
Coroni unto the turbulent bosom OF the
great Orinoco itself. Here the boat
was beset BY stronger and more venge-
ful waves. and was tossed and tumbled
- Il Il had been plaything, and the
three passengers. now weary and dis
heartened, thought that every moment
would b the last.
4 Hour after hour these unfortunates
endured this horror. hoping almost
Against hope. and % great was their
missry that though they still hoped.
they almost prayed for death rather
than = continuance Of It.
Hunger now added itself 10 their dis
comforts. and truly It seemed as II
death could Be but sweet relief.
An around them now there was
nothing but boiling. raging water.
Far, far out on the Orinoco tho tu-
multnous current had carried them and
they were two miles out from either
hank. And q they journeyed swiftly
down With tho turbulent waters to-
ward the waiting and dsvouring At
lantic. the wind that was coming from
the south kept sending them nearer
and nearer the north slore, 20 that fop
Qyory mile they came nearer to the del
- they drew y least one-twentieth OF
mills toward the northern forest-cov-
erod Shore
Had 4 not been for this friendly
wind. they must assuredly have been
swept ont q seA
Hut the hand Of God was clearly in
Btha storm, and the fate that awaited
thsm was not tho lingering death from
i - V1&4ASA - NAAS oOAsSO0U0 "a Suo
mighty ocean.
Whsn the night of the fourth day OF
~ storm hAd como. they had travelled
not only two hundred miles down the
oeinoco, but they had crossed the great
rixor hmm south % north. and 1t was
Jacintasa quick eyes that saw looming
M a the gathering blackness of night
~ shadow of ! mountain.
Iook!'' she cried. "The Island OF
sfho Clcndsl W. ars saved!
sf3avedi" echoed Medworth. by
|na lsland1 hope -. but doubt it.
n may touch the land, but IN this
snt fhs boat can never pause long
Az ~ - lsave Il
~ you know whers you are!''
- J4cinta I've have left the
Es6s q miles behind. This
I q ~ Clouds. know Il
of land n tho whole
Il - 1SIk And ~ cannot fail