Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-03-26
CHAPTER TX,

While Chip, bound, gagged and help
less in the half-breed's canoe, was just
entering the alder-choked outlet of this
lake, 20 miles below and close to
where the stream entered another
lake, four men were launching their
canoes.
ut was here Martin was saying to
Officer Hersey, lone moonlight night
a year ago, that a friend of mine and
myself saw a spectral man astride a
log, just entering that bed of reeds, as
| told you. Who or what it was, we
could not guess; but as that spook
canoeman went up this stream, we fol-
lowed and discovered our hermit's
home"
Nighttime and moonshine play
queer FRANKS with our imagination"
Hersey responded. I'm not a whit
superstitious, and yet I've many a
time seen what | thought to be a
hunter creeping along the lake shore
at night, and I once came near plug
gig a fat man in a shadowy glen. I
was up on a cliff watching down into
it, the day was cloudy, and way below
| saw what l was sure was a bear
crawling along the bank of the stream.
l had my rife raised and was only
waiting for a better sight, when up
rose the bear and I saw a human face.
For a moment 1t made me faint, and
since then l make doubly sure before
shooting at any object in the woods"
And now these four men, Levi WELD
ing the stern paddle of Martins canoe,
and Hersey's deputy that of his, en-
tered the broad, winding stream. The
tall spruce-tops meeting darkened its
c%urrentless course, long filaments of
white moss depended from every limb
and as they twisted and turned up this
somber highway, the air grew sitting.
Not a breeze, not a sound, disturbed
the solemn silence, and except for the
swish of paddles and faint thud as
they touched gunwales, the fall of a
leaf might have been heard, So dense
was this dark, silent forest, and so for
bidding Its effect, that for an hour no
M scare spoke, and even when the
two canoes finally drew together, con-
verse came in whispers. Another hour
of steady progress, and then the banks
began to outline themselves ahead, the
trees opened more, a sign of current
was met, and the sun lit UP their path
way.
BY now the spectral beard had IAN.
ished from the trees, white clouds
were reflected from the still waters,
and the CLEAN of sandy bottom was
seen below. The birds, inspired per.
haps by the absence Of gloom, also
added their cheering notes. Nature
was smiling one more, and not a
hint or even intuition Of the fast-near-
ing tragedy met those men.
And then, as a broad, eddying bend
in the stream held their canoes, by
tacit consent a halt was made.
Martin, his paddle crossed on the
thwarts in front, dipped a cup of the
cool, sweet water and drank. Levi
wiped the sweat from his face, and
Hersey also quenched his thirst. The
day was hot. They had padded ten
miles. There was no hurry, and as
pipes we're drawn forth and filled, con
versation began. But just at this mo-
ment Lewis ears, ever alert, caught
the faint sound of q paddle striking a
canoe gunwale. Not as usual, in an in.
termittent fashion, as would be the
case with a skilled canoeist, but a
steady, rhythmic thud.
Hist" he said, and silence fell upon
the group.
And now. from far ahead, came the
steady tap, tap, tap. It soon increased,
and then 1t assured those waiting, lis
tening men that some canoe was being
urged down stream.
Without a word they glanced at one
another, and then, as IL an intuition
came to both ak the same time, Martin
and Hersey reached for thar rifles.
On and on came the steady thump,
thump.
And then. as those sterH-faced, watch.
ing. listening men, rides IA hand, al