The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-08-21
"Chcer up, Miss MaraOell," said he.

"Chcer up, MISS M0TlCett," sdad ne.
swung the boats nose round. By
chance he used the starboard oar. All
unknowing he spun coin for life or
death, and life won. They crashed
through some dropping foliage and ran
into q crumbling bank. Gray unship-
ped the oar and damned it straight
down. 1t 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 it had the uncanny and sim
lister hiss of some monstrous snake.
Everybody happy?" Gray demanded
eoolly.
81 am ciinging to a tree trunk" an
swered Elsie.
"Bully for you. Make fast with a
piece of rope. But be careful to pro-
vide a slipknot in case we have TO
that?"
"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
4.
"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, it 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 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. Gall 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 II
will soon be broad daylight, and I'll
answer for it that If Captain Courte-
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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
a bit He ought to know how to crawl
through this underground. Fifty feet
higher he will be able to see some dis
lance"
Suarez was very reluctant to leave
the boat, but the American adopted a
short cut In the argument, Offering him
the alternative Of climbing ashore or
Of being thrown overheard.
So the Argentine adopted the less
hazardous method and climbed to the
bank. A splash and a scramble and q
slight exclamation from Elsie told that
the dog had followed. Soon the swish
Of leaves and the cracking of rotten
wood ceased. Suarez might be out Of
earshot or merely hiding for time, in
tending to return with news of an i'm
passable precipice. There was crumb
Of comfort in the absence of the ter
rier. Joey would either go on or come
back to them ut once
Gray felt that the girl was too heart
broken to talk. He listened to the
rhythmical chorus Of that witches
caldron in the heart of the defile and
watched the gray light slowly etching
path through the trees until 1t touch
ed the fast running water with a
simmer of silver.
Neither of them knew how long they
remained there. At last a straining
and creaking Of the boat warned them
that the water level was rising and the
ropes needed readjusting. 1t was now
possible to see that Elsie had made
fast to fallen tree. Its branches were
locked among the gnarled roots of the
l0wermost growth above high water
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