The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-07-09

"Cteer up, Miss MarWell," said he.
swung the boats nose round. By
chance he used the starboard oar. All
unknowing he spun a coin for life or
death, and life won. They crashed
through some dropping foliage and ran
into crumbling bank. Gray unship-
ped the oar and jammed it straight
down. It stuck between stones at a
depth Of three feet, and the lifeboat
was held fast for the time. The ca
noes hurtled against each other, but
were swept aside instantly. When the
noise ceased they plainly heard the
swirl of the water. In their new en-
vironment 1t had the uncanny and sin
lister hiss Of some monstrous snake
Everybody happy" Gray demanded
coolly.
II am clinging to tree trunk" an
swered Elsie.
"Bully for you. Make fast with a
piece of rope. But be careful to pro-
vide slipknot in case we have to
sheer off in a hurry. Can you manage
thatY'
"Quite WELL"
Elsie was fully aware that the lead
ership Of the expedition had gone from
her. She was not sorry. 1t was in
strong hands. Suarez, too, secured a
stout branch and passed a rope around
It.
"NOw, silence and listen!' said Gray.
They soon detected a curiously sub
dued clamor from the inner recesses OF
the cleft At first almost indistinguish-
able, 1t gradually assumed the peculiar
attribute Of immense volumes Of dis
tant sound and filed the ear to the ex-
clusion Of all else. 1t was like nothing
any of them had heard before. Now 1t
recalled the roar of a mighty waterfall.
and again its strange melody brought
memories Of river in food. But the
dominant note was the grinding noise
OF innumerable millstones 1t cowed
them ALL Even the dog was afraid.
"Guess we tied up just in time," ex-
claimed Gray, feeling the need of
speech. A little sob answered him.
Elsie was beginning 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 came and take our chance. But It
will soon be broad daylight, and I'll
answer for it that If Captain Courte-
nay 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,
propose that our friend in the bows be
asked to shin up the cliff and prospect
bit He ought to know how to crawl
through this underground. Fifty feet
higher he will be able to see some dis
.ance."
Suarez was very reluctant to leave
he boat, but the American adopted a
short cut in the argument, Offering him
he alternative Of clim bing ashore or
II being thrown overheard.
So the Argentine adopted the less
hazardous method and climbed to the
'ank. A splash and scramble and a
light exclamation from Elsie told that
he dog had followed. Soon the swish
Il leaves and the cracking of rotten
wood ceased. Suarez might be out of
arshot or merely hiding for a time, in
ending to return with news of an i'm
'assable precipice. There was a crumb
+ comfort in the absence Of the ter
Ter. joey would either go on or come
'ack to them at once.
Gray felt that the girl was too heart
roken to talk. He listened to the
hythmical chorus Of that witches
aldron in the heart of the defile and
7atched the gray light slowly etching
path through the trees until it touch
d the fast running water with
himmer Of silver.
To be continued neyt week