Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-03-05
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on 1t and after some difficulty l de-
ciphered this message:
the dav Jones is up st francis River.
II was not signed and the writing
showed that its author was in no
sense a scholar. l was pondering over
it when Parlow came in to tell me that
the gasoline launch was ready for my
deEar'.-re whenever ] wished to set
out. I had not really intended going
on cruise. as l thought the boat
would be found In a day or SO. but the
anonymous letter had put the Idea In
my head. l showed the note to Par
low and he became highly excited.
He swore. That's Just what thought
they'd do. They've run out there In
the swamps to pick the boat to pieces
SO that they can find my gold. There
amt no gold aboard II, but them thtev-
Ing river-rats think there Is. and this
amt the first time they've tried to
get at IT.
We lef. about one O'Clock AMI made
raTid time down the river. had Oft
en- seen the Mississippi river during
food but had Eever fully Understood
its Irresistible force until this trip
down 1t in the 30foot launch. We
travelled ut the rate of a rsce.horse.
Parlow wanted to run after nishifall.
and wh,,e was more In favor OF tying
up. he and Wastrow assured me that
travelling was absolutely safe anh. as
they were experienced river men ana
seemed to understand the boat and
the river, too. consented and turned
in trakins a bed on the locker seat OF
the forward cabin. My bed was little
cramped and the situation was novel
one hut I soon dropped asleep and
dlcn't wake until 1t was broad day.
light next morning.
II was close to noon when we turned
a sharp bend in the river, which Par
low told me was 30 miles from the
Mississippi. On tho farther shore there
was depression in the treeline, which
Parlow said indicated that n slough or
lead put out there. and that II 1t were
followed up one would probably nnd
lake back In the timber. ! looked
at 1t curiously. and was on the point
Of asking some question when was
trow. who was steering, became great
ly excited and called Parlow to his
side. He pointed across the river at
the mouth of the slough and seemed
to be endeavoring to show some OBJ
iect TO his companion. Parlow saw II
in an instant, and the boats PROV was
headed for 1t. l couldn't make out
what they had discovered. although l
strained my eyes. as l asked what 1t
was.
Parlow pointed with his long. skinny
arm ut a tree limb which had been
broken half on near the trunk and
which dangled down. hanging by
strip OF bark. l saw. even at that dis
tance, that the break was white and
fresh. My companions seemed to at
tach the greatest weight to 1t, for they
gesticulated and pointed at II, talking
excitedly all the while.
We were now approaching 1t closely.
and suddenly saw Parlow grab up
his rife and point 1t at streak on
the trunk of the tree in which hung
the broken limb. ! saw what he re-
ferred to, and as we ran close beside
1t I saw that 1t was a smudge OF paint
and splinters Of wood as II something
had rubbed against II. Then ! real
lied the purport Of these signs and did
not need the excited explanation that
the rivermen gave me. We slowed the
engine down until its mufIied exhaust
was scarcely audible and stealthily
crept into the narrow slough that ran
back into the timber. The men were
sure that some boat had run up this
slough, and I felt that they were right,
and that It must be the vessel that
we we're after. for no sane pilot would
drive a boat into such a channel un-
less he were endeavoring to find
place OF concealment.
1t was a tortuous course through the
forest, by this narrow slough, or lead,
fringed with stately cypress trees
standing as straight as arrows. Even
my inexperienced eye could detect that
the boat had surely passed along
the channel ahead of us. The drift
was disordered and willows and sap
liugs were broken of here and there.
As we proceeded. the rivermen
eripped their rifles nervously and
peered ahead through the open win
dow Of the cabin with baleful glare OF
panthsrs. They swept every bit OF the