The Elbert County tribune., 1909-03-04


ciphered this message:
the dav Jones is up st francis River.
1t was not signed and the writing
showed that its author was in no
sense scholar. l was pondering over
it when Parlow came in to tell me that
the gasoline launch was ready for my
denar-;--e whenever I wished to set
out. | had not really intended going
on cruise, as / thought the boat
would be found in 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 1t, but them thiev-
ing river-rats think there is. and this
amt the frat time they've tried to
get at it."
We left about one O'Clock AMI made
rapid time down the river. I had oft
en- seen the Mississippi river during
food but / had never fully Understood
its Irresistible force until this trip
down it in the 30-foot launch. We
travelled at the rate of a race-horse.
Parlow wanted to run after nightfall,
and whine was more in favor of tying
up, he and Wastrow assured me that
travelling was absolutely safe and. as
they were experienced river men and
seemed to understand the boat and
rrn
in making a bed on the locker seat Of
the forward cabin. My bed was little
cramped and the situation was novel
one hut / soon dropped asleep and
DIDN'T wake until it was broad day
light next morning.
1t was close to noon when we turned
a sharp bend in the river, which Par
low told me was 80 miles from the
Mississippi. On the farther shore there
was a depression in the treeline, which
Parlow said indicated that slough or
lead put out there. and that If 1t were
followed up one would probably find
a lake back in the timber. I looked
at it 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
ject to his companion. Parlow saw 1t
In an instant, and the boats prov was
headed for it. l couldn't make out
what they had discovered, although /
strained my eyes, as / asked what 1t
was.
Parlow pointed with his long, skinny
arm at tree limb which had been
broken half OF near the trunk and
which dangled down, hanging by
strip of bark. / saw, even at that dis
tance, that the break was white and
fresh. Ny companions seemed to at
tach the greatest weight to 1t, for they
gesticulated and pointed at it, talking
excitedly all the while.
We were now approaching it closely,
and l suddenly saw Parlow grab up
his rifle and point it at streak on
the trunk of the tree in which hung
the broken limb. I saw what he re-
ferred to, and as we ran close beside
it / saw that 1t was smudge of paint
and splinters of wood as If something
had rubbed against 1t. 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 it's muffied 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 felt that they wore right,
and that it must be the vessel that
we were after, for no sane pilot would
drive a boat into such channel un-
less he were endeavoring to find a
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
lings were broken of here and there.
AS we proceeded, the riverinen
gripped their rifles nervously and |
peersd ahead through the open win
dow of the cabin with baleful glare of
panthsrs. They swept every bit of the |