Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-04

estuary, and the velocity Of the current
was increasing each moment.
I'VE must endeavor to reach the bank
and hold on to the branches of tree
heads until the boat strikes. and then try
to lay hold of something"
| There was no time for explanation. He
seized an oar; powerful stroke swung
used the starboard oar. All unknowing
| he spun coin for life or death. and life
| won. They crashed through some droop-
ing foliage and ran into crumbling
bank. Gray unshipped the oar and jam
| med 1t straight down. 1t stuck between
| stones at a depth of three feet. and the
| lifeboat was held fast for the time. The
| canoes hurtled against each other. but
were swept aside instantly. When the
| noise ceased they plainly heard the swirl
Of the water. In their new environment
it had the unsanny and sinister hiss Of
some monstrous snake.
Everybody happy?" Gray demanded.
coolly.
It am clinging to tree trunk" an
Bully for you. Make fast with piece
of rope. But be careful to provide a slip
knot. in case we have to sheer of in
hurry; Can you manage that?"
Quite WE'LL
Elsie was fully aware that the leader
ship of the expedition had gone from her
She was not sorry; 1t was in strong
hands. suarez, too. secured a stout
and sten ead Grav
They soon detected curiously subdued
clamor from the inner recesses of the
cleft. At first almost indtstinguishable,
it gradually assumed the peculiar attri-
sound, and filled the ear to the exclusion
of all else. 1t was like nothing any Of
them had heard before: now it recalled
the roar Of mighty waterfall. and again
Its strange melody brought memories of
river in flood. But the dominant note
was the grinding noise of innumerable
mill stones. 1t cowed them ALL Even the
dog was afraid.
Guess we tied up just in time" ex-
claimed Gray. feeling the need of speech.
ginning to admit the sheer hopelessness
of her undertaking.
Now, cheer up. Miss MAXWELL" said
he. "All the water that is going in must
come out by the same road. At the
worst. we can skate back the way we
soon be broad daylight. and I'll answer
for 1t that II Capt. Courtenay Is yet alive
he is not between us and the mouth of
the inlet. or he would have contrived
some sort Of racket to let us know his
whereabouts. Now. l propose that our
friend in the bow be asked to shin up
the cliff and prospect bit. He ought to
know how to crawl through this under
STOWLN. fifty IceL llSNer lie Will De dOle
to see some distance
crushed by the immensely of the diff
culties confronting them. Expedients
which looked simple beforehand were
found lamentably deficient to cope with
this gloomy land. Suarez. too, was very
reluctant to leave the boat. but the
American adopted short cut in the argu-
ment, offering him the alternative of
climbing ashore or Of being thrown over
board.
So the Argentine adopted the less
hazardous method. and climbed to the
bank A splash, and a scramble, and a
slight exclamation from Elsie told that
the dog had followed. Soon the swish of
ceased. Suarez might be out of earshot
or merely hiding for time, intending to
return with news of an impossible preci-
pice. There was crumb of comfort in
the absence OF the terrier. Joey would
either go on or come back to them at
once.
Gray felt that the girl was too heart
broken to talk. He listened to the rhyth
mtcal chorus Of that witches cauldron In
the heart Of the def1le, and watched the
gray light slowly etching a path through
the trees, until 1t touched the fast-run-
ming water with simmer of silver.
Neither Of them knew how long they
remained there: at last. a straining and
the water level was rising and the ropes
needed readjusting. 1t was now possible
to see that Elsie had made fast to a
fallen tree; its branches were locked
among the gnarled roots Of the lower
most growth above high-water mark. AL
ready there was a distinct lessening in
the pace of the current, and Gray fancied
that the distant rumble was softer. 1t
would not be many minutes before the
neighboring rocks were covered; high
tide ha knew WAS S.1S m He fore-
bore to look at his watch. lest the girl
should note his action. That would i'm
ply the utter abandonment of hope.
1t might be that his mind was too taken
or that Elsies senses were strung to
superhuman pitch. Be that as it may, 1t
was she who sprang to her feet all
a-quiver with agitation.
do you hear?" she whispered, and her
hand clutched Gray's shoulder with an
energy which set his heart beating high.
He did not answer. He had heard no I'M
usual sound, but he was not without
faith in her.
"There!" she painted again. Some one
Is hailing. Some one cried Elsie I am
sure of it."
Guess you'd better toot Arthur on the
III chance" said Gray.
Almost the last thing she remembered
There came back to her stronger shout
and the bark of dog. She had blurred
consciousness of whole troupe of men
scrambling down the choked ravine. of
glad questions and joyous answers, of
delirious dog leaping on board and yelp-
ing staccato assurances that everything
was all right In most wonderful world
Then she found herself in Courtenay's
arms. and heard him say in a rapture of
delight:
II owe my life to you. dear heart. That
Is the wonder of it. No need to tell me
you ran away from the ship. know Ona
kiss. Elsie: then full speed ahead for the
Kansas. By the Lord, to think of it! You
here! At the very gate of the inferno!
Well, one more kiss! Yes, it is l, none
other, and fit as fiddle. Never got a
scratch. There. now; I really must see
to the crew. We must be ready for the
turn Of the tide.'
(To be Continued Tomorrow
Personal 70 River Man