The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-12-24
CHAPTER VIl.-Continued.

CHAPTER VII.-Continued.
I kept up a rapid fire of talk, but
listened only to the engines regular
beat. The launch was now close to
the Italians boat, and having nearly
completed the semicircle | was obliged
to turn a little to watch him. Sud
denly he sat up straight and lay to
with the oars, pulling hard toward a
point we must pass in order to clear
the strait and reach the upper lake
again. The fellows hostile intentions
were clear to all Of us now and we all
silently awaited the outcome. His
skiff rose high in air under the i'm
pulsion of his strong arms, and if he
struck our lighter craft amidships, as
seemed inevitable, he would undoubt-
eddy swamp us.
lima half rose, glanced toward the
yacht, which was heading for the
strait, and then at me, but | shook my
head
Mind the engine, Ijima," | said
with as much GOODNESS as | could mus
ter.
The margin between us and the
skiff rapidly diminished, and the Ital-
ian turned to take his bearings with
every lift of his oars. He had thrown
off his cap, and as he looked over his
shoulder | saw his evil face sharply
outlined. | counted slowly to myself
the number of strokes that would be
necessary to bring him in collision if
he persisted, charging against his
progress our own swift, arrOW-like
flight over the water. The shore was
close, and | had counted on a full
depth of water, but lima now called
out warningly in his shrill pipe and
our bottom scraped as l veered Off
This maneuVer cost me the equivalent
Of ten of the Italians deep strokes,
and the shallow water added a new
element of danger.
Stand by the oar, Ijima," called in
a low tone; and l saw in a flash Miss
Pats face, quite calm, but with her
lips set tight.
Ten yards remained, I judged, be-
tween the skiff and the strait, and
there was nothing for us now but to
let speed and space work out their
problem.
lima stood up and seized the oar.
/ threw the wheel hard aport In last
hope of lodging, and the launch listed
badly as it swung round. Then the
bow of the skiff rose high, and Helen
shrank away with little cry; there
was a scratching and grinding for an
instant, as lima, bending forward,
dug the oar into the skiff's bow and
checked it with the full weight of his
body. AS we Tended off the oar
snapped and splintered and he tum-
bled into the water with great
splash, while we swerved and rocked
for moment and then sped on
through the little strait.
Looking back, l saw lima swim
ming for the shore. He rose in the
water and called Cali right" and |
knew he would take excellent care of
himself. The Italian had shipped his
oars and lay where we had left him,
and l heard him, above the beat of our
engine, laugh derisively as we glided
out of sight.
Miss Holbrook, will you please
steer for me?'-and in effecting the
necessary changes of position that |
might get to the engine we were all
able to regain our composure. | saw
Miss Pat touch her forehead with her
handkerchief; but she said nothing.
Even after st. Agatha's pier hove in
sight silence held us all. The wind,
continuing to freshen, was whipping
the lake with sharp lash. and |
made much of my trifling business
with the engine, and of the necessity
for occasional directions to the girl at
the wheel.
My contrition at the danger TO
which had stupidity brought them
was strong in me; but there were
other things to think of. Miss Pat
could not be deceived as to the animus
OF our encounter, for the Italians
conduct could hardly be accounted for
on the score of stupidity; and the
natural peace and quiet of this region
only emphasized the gravity of her
her plight. My first thought was that
l must at once arrange for her re-
moval to some other place. With !
Henry Holbrook established within a
few miles of st. Agatha's the school
was certainly no longer a tenable har.
borage.
AS tended the engine l saw, even
when tried to avoid her, the figure of
Helen Holbrook in the stern, quite in.
tent upon steering and calling now
and then to ask the course when in