The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-09-16
DALI Y SHORT
STORY
an The CURRENT"

I'm The CURRENT"
With his fathers Ratchet and
saw and draw shave; nails and
rough pine boards, the boy began
to build himtself a boat. All the
long winter months he worked at
it, whistling and singing gayly as
he worked At last, when the first
warm breath Of spring began to
melt the ice in the river. it was fin
ished, carefully caulked and tarred,
and lying bottom side up in the
sun to dry. Then. from a we'll
seasoned stick he whitfield out a
single-bladed paddle, and one
pleasant morning he dragged his
little boat down to the shore of the
inlet and launched it.
| His heart was almost bursting
with pride and Joy OF course it
wasn't much to look at. 1t was
| small, heavy, and unweildly, fat
bottomed and snub-nosed at both
ends, but IT floated and didn't leak
and he had built it all by himself,
so he was satisfied and his cup was
| full.
For a time he contented himself
| with exploring the placid waters of
the inlet until he knew every nook
and Granny of its shore line by
heart. His only companion was
| yellow mongrel dog He seldom
saw his father, who was lumber
man. and his mother was either in
different or too busy with her
household duties and younger chill
dren to pay him much attention, so
he became self-reliant and roamed
at will, exulting in his freedom and
out Of door life. Mother Nature
was his teacher, and he was a will
ing pupil.
The country was wild, and he
grew up with the country. Boy
fashion, he hunted, fished and
trapped, and was happy, enjoying
life with the fullness of youth and
health But soon his restless spirit
craved fresh adventure and excite
ment, and a wider horizon. His
home-the little cabin in the clear
ing-became humdrum and monot-
onous. He was tired of the peace
full and calm little inlet. 1t seemed
cramped and narrow, and great
and irresistible longing possessed
him to try his boat and skill out in
the swift current of the great riv-
err; to explore new shores and be-
hold new scenes.
1t was daybreak. and the morn
ing mists hung thick and heavy
over the water. The boy sat in
the stern of his boat, padding
straight across the inlet towards
| the headland. where the river rush
ed noisily by on its hurried way to-
wards the sea. Startled water
fowl tapped heavily through the
gloom. The dog sat in the prov
of the boat, whining nervously and
shivering with the cold. Fearless
| ly, confidently, and whistling gay
and rollicking backwoods jig, this
boy, light-hearted and bursting with
anticipation, with sturdy strokes
propelled his little craft towards
the center of the river.
Suddenly, without warning, the
mighty current caught the little
boat as bubble, and whirled 1t
down the boiling rapids with a vel
ocity that struck his heart numb
with terror, tearing the paddle from
his craps, and drenching him with
cold, singing spray. Faster and
faster sped the little boat, pitching
tossing and rolling through the
turbulent waters, the boy clinging
to the sides, with white face and
bullying eyes. screaming hysterical-
ly from fright and despair.
| ooh, God! Save me! Save me!
Help! Help! Help!"
A black, ugly rock doomed UP
ahead. A grinding crash. The boy
and the dog and pieces Of the little
boat foundered clumsily in a
| whirlpool for an instant, then were
swept away on the breast of the
mighty current like chaff.
The wild waters roared on, fret
ting and foaming. and leaping high
in the air. sparkling and flashing
gloriously in the bright rays of the
rising sun.