Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-06-25

through some dropping foliage and ran
Into a crumhing bank Gray unship-
ped the oar and damned II straight
down. IT stuck between stones at
depth Of three feet, and the lifcboat
was held fast for the time. The ca
noes hurtlcd 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 sin
lster hiss of some monstrous snake.
Everybody happy" Gray demanded
coolly.
81 am cllnging to tree trunk" an.
swcred Elsie.
Bully for you. Make fast with a
piece of rope. But he careful to pro-
vide slipknot In case we have TO
sheer OFF in hurry. Can you manage
that?"
quite we'll"
Elsie was fully aware that the lead
prship of the expedition had gone from
her. She was not sorry. II was in
strong hands. SuareZ. too secured a
stout branch and passed n rope around
Il.
Now, Silence ana listen" said Gray.
They soon detected II curiously sub
Gued clnlnor from the inner reCesses OF,
the cleft. At first nlmos; indistinguisl
able, il gradually assumed the peculiar
attribute of immanse volumes Of dis
tant sound and filed the ear to the ex.
cusion Of all else It was like nothing
any of them had heard before Now 1,
recalled the roar of n mighty waterfall,
and again its strange melody brought
memories of n river in food But the
dominant note was the grinding noise
Of innumerable mllstonos It 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. AN the water that is going In
must come out by the same road. AT
the worst we can skate bacl; the way
we came and take our chance. But II
Will soor be broad daylight. and III
answer for It that If Captain Courte
nay is yet alive he Is not between us
and tho mouth of the inlet or he would
have cOntrived some sort of racket to
let ia know his whereabouts. Now,
propose that orr friend In the bows he
asked to shin UP the iff and prospect
bit He ought TO know how to nwl
through this underground. Fifty feet
higher he will be bic to see some dis.
tancc"
Suarez was very reluctant to leave
the boat, hut the American adopted a
short cut In the argument. Offering him
the alternative Of climbing ashore or
Of hcing thrown overheard
So the Argentine adopted the less
hazardous method and cIimb bed to the
bank. A splash and a scramble and a
slight exclamation from Elsie told TINT
the dog had followed Soon the swish
OF leaves and the era ckling of rotten
wood ceased Suarez might be ont OF
earshot or merely hiding for q time. in
tending TO return with news Of IN i'm.
psssa bic precipcc There was crumb
Of comfort In the absence of the ter
rier. 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
rhythrnica chorus of that witches
caldrop in tho heart Of the detile and
watched the gray light slowly etching
a path through the trees until it touch
ed the fast running water with a
simmer of silver
Neither Of them knew how long they
remained there. At last a stra ming
and creakine of the boat warned them
that the water level was rising and the
ropes needed readiusting II was now
possible to see that Elsie had made
fast to fallen tree Its branches were
locked among the gnarled roots of the
lowermost growth above high water
mark. Already there was distinct
lessening In the pace Of the current.
BILE was softe$ 1t would not be many
minute: before the neighboring rocks
were covered. High tide he knew was
at 3:15 a. m. He forbore TO look ct
his watch lest the girl should note his
action. That would imply the utter
Abandonment Of hope
1t might be that his mind was too
taken up with the weird influences OF
the hour or that Elsc's senses were
strung to superhuman pitch. BE that
as 1t may, It was she who sprnng to
her feet, all a-Quiver with agitation.
DO you hearT 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 unusual sound, but he was
not without faith In her.
There" she painted again. Some
one is hailing. Some one cried Elsie
! am sure of IT.
Guess you'd better toot Arthur on
the of chance" said Gray.
Almost the last thing she remember
ed was the sound of her own wild
scream. There came back to her a
stronger shout and the bark Of dog.
She had a blurred consciousness Of a
whole troop Of men scra milling down
the choked ravine. Of glad questions
and joyous answers. Of delirious dog
leaping on board and yelping staccato
! assurances that everything was all
right in most wonderful world. Then
e1, 4 L.