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


threw it overheard. Then silence be-
came imperative. If aught were said,
they must speak In the merest whis-
per.
The canoe darted forward again with
stealthy haste The night was clear,
though dark The stars helped them
to distinguish the outlines of the shore
now coming rapidly nearer. AS they
crept round the southern cheek Of
Point Kansas the Argentine ceased
padding and placed warning hand
on Gray's arm. The cliff was so high
and steep that its shadow plunged into
deepest gloom the water at its base.
Suarez, however, had imbibed a good
deal Of savage lore during his enforced
residence on the island. He stretch
ed well forward over the bows, held a
paddle as far in front as possible and
thus not only guided the drifting canoe
by an occasional dip of the blade, but
trusted to it for warning of any I'M
i seen rock.
| There was a cold breeze on the sur
face Of the bay, but the dog was the
only one that shivered, and his tremors
arose from excitement At last they
felt slight bump. The Argentine had
found the reef he was searching for.
By watching star it was easy enough
to follow the southerly bend taken by
the canoe in skirting this barrier, while
their ears caught the murmur of the
swift current amid the numerous tiny
channels of the rocks. Suddenly this
swirl and hum of fast flowing water
ceased. Elsie and Gray became aware
that Suarez was cautiously drawing
himself inboard again. Then his pad
die dipped with a noiseless stroke. The
canoe was inside the Alaculof harbor.
The midnight blackness was now
something that had sense of actual
obstruction in 1t. 1t seemed that a
hand put forth would encounter a
wall. The tide was here, but no per-
ceptible current. For all they could
tell to the contrary, they might have
been floating in Charon's boat across
some Stygian pool
For a minute or two Elsie's brave
heart failed her. Here was a diff
Guilty which desperate courage could
not surmount. There might be dozens
of canoes moored ON all sides, but to
discover them in this pitch darkness
was so obviously impossible that she
almost made up her mind to abandon
this part of her enterprise. Yet the
narrow beamed Fuegian craft she was
lin would hold only four more occu-
lpants. and that with certain risk and
lunwieldiness.
She was as determined as ever to
lcross the bay and endeavor to commu-
Inicate with the imprisoned men. But
she recognized the absurdity of the
Thought that ,Courtenay and Tolle-
mache would consent to escape in the
lcanoe and leave the others to their
fate, even if such a thing were practi-
Icable. Oddly enough. the one person
whose daring might reasonably be sus-
lpected gave no signs of the pangs OF
doubt. Suarez pushed forward reso-
Iiutely. He knew what Elsie had for
lgotten-that in each canoe used by the
Indians there was a carefully pre-
Served fire, whose charcoal embers re-
tanned some heat and glow all night.
The first intimation of this fact was
revealed by the pungent fumes which
environed them. Elsie could not help
uttering a little gasp of relief. There
was slight movement IN front. Gray
leaned back and touched her hand.
'Suarez says" he whispered, that
you are to be ready with your tow
ropes. AS he secures each canoe he
will pass it along to ME. You will be
able to see its outlines by the dim
glimmer Of the fire. But how will you
manage about the dog? He may cause
an alarm"
Much to Joey's disgust, he was forth
with muzzled with piece of rope-not
that this device would stop him ef-
fectually from barking, but Elsie
thought he would so resent the indig-
nifty that he might pay less heed t.
outer circumstances. She needed n,
warming that Indians were near. Th'
Argentine miners description of tn
community which dwelt on Otter creel
made her understand that there wer
hundreds within hail.
a great joy leaped Up in her whel
, the first canoe came under her hand
3 1t was quite easy to manipulate tn
: painter rope. The stem had a notche,
4 knob provided for this very purpose
: and there was a sternpost agains
which a steersman might press pad
q die and thus swerve the canoe In an.
direction. But 1t was slow work. TIL
! craft were moored without any sem
: blance of order, yet Suarez was force,
to secure them In a definite sequenc
: or string of half q dozen would be
come unmanageable.
: When the second canoe was mad
fast Gray bent toward the girl ono
more.
ST have been listening to the tick @
9 my watch" he breathed against he
u ear. 81 reckon it has taken ten mir
o utes to collect two dugouts. Unless W
mean to remain all night we must le
r up on the cutting adrift proposition"
Z 81 agree" she murmured. But W
q must have two more"
n He told Suarez of the new develop
q ment, which was essential, though
added to the danger of the enterpris
u Rv shaer poOd fortune hOyyavpr tho