Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-21


swung the boat's nose round. By
chance he used the starboard oar. All
unknowing he spun n coin for life or
death, and life won. They crashed
through some dropping foliage and ran
into a crumbling bank. Gray unship-
ped the oar and jammed it straight
down. 1t stuck between stones at q
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 sin
lister hiss of some monstrous snake.
Everybody happy?" Gray demanded
coolly.
81 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
that?'
"Quite we'll"
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 rope around
1t.
"Now, silence and listen!" said Gray.
| They soon detected 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 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 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. Al
the worst we can skate back the way
i we came and take our chance. But II
will soon be broad daylight, and III
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 t.
l 1nt L hi
propose that our friend in the bows bt
asked to shin up the cliff and prospect
a bit. He ought to know how to craw
; through this underground. Fifty fee
higher he will be able to see some dis
; lance"
Suarez was very reluctant to leave
, the boat, but the American adopted q
; short cut in the argument, offering hin
the alternative of climbing ashore Of
, Of being thrown overheard.
], So the Argentine adopted the les.
hazardous method and climbed to tn,
bank. A splash and a scramble and ;
: slight exclamation from Elsie told tina
t the dog had followed. Soon the swisl
OF leaves and the cracking of rettel
: wood ceased. Snarez might be out o
! earshot or merely hiding for time, in
3 tending to return with news of an i'm
: passable precipice. There was cruml
= Of comfort In the absence of the ter
5 rier. Joey would either go on or com
back to them at once.
i Gray felt that the girl was too heart
j broken to talk. He listened to tn
' rhythmical chorus of that witches
! caldron in the heart Of the defle an