Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-09-15

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rrr~---.-> r1E, roar Of the falls the lighter and
sbri,,or raging Of the rapids, had at (
I I lost died out behind the thick masses
n EENH Of the forest as Barnes worked MS
a. -~H"' ,yoy down the valley The heat in the
MINDLESS underbrush, alive with IN
-,,,q was sitting He decided to make once h'o'o
g.. he bank of the stream in the nope tha' 'S
,.,c+r r,igbt by this time have changed so as
ror, him an easier and more open path Press
.- aside TO his left he presently saw the green
,,...,r ,,ahten before him. Blue sky and golden
,. can}o low through the thinning trees; ana
,. clsom Of unruf1cd water. He was nearing
7rc now: and because the underbrush was
e.. rt-& about him he began to go cautiously.
a., o.. orco he felt his feet sinking and the
.,r .- If thick bushes before him leaned away as
= howca by heavy gust Desperately he Gluten
WITH ho., hands at the underground and sap
r-.. on either side; but they all gave way with
,,.,. In smother Of LEAKAGE and binding lash
~ branches he sank downward-at first, as 1t
....ncd slowly. for he had time to think many
,..rcs while his heart was jumping in his throat.
rncn. shooting through the lighter bushy COM
,,afons Of his fall. and still clutchng convulsivey
q those upon which he had been able to lay his
,,agu he plunged feet first into dark water
,rbc water was deep, and cold. Barnes went
down straight and clear under. with a strangiec
..s,, His feet struck with some force upon a
taelol yielding mass, from which ne rose again
with a spring His head shot above the surface
above the swirl OF foam, LEAKAGE and debris; and
,put,eringly he gu!pod his lungs full of air. But
fore he could clear his eyes his nostrls, or
.ccover his selfpossession, he stealthily drag
ID down again. With pang Of horror he real
zed that he was caught By the foot.
powerful swimmer, Barnes struck out might
IT. with his arms and came to the surface again
,, once rising beyond the shoulders. But by so
much the more was he violently snatched back
a-ain, strangling and desperate. before he had
inc to empty his lungs and catch breath. This
time the shock soberei him, flashing the full peril
The situation before his startled consciousness.
9TH tremendous effort Of will he stopped his
Juggling, anu contentei himself with gentle
adding to keep upright. This time he came moro
io'tly to tho surface, clear beyond the chin The
ham, and debris and turbulence of little waves.
eaoled about his lips and the sunlight danced con-
f"aincy in his streaming eyes but he gulped
rosh lungfnl before he again went down.
Padding warily now, he emerged again at once
nd with arms outspread. brought himself to
?rccarious equilibrium. his mouth just clearing tho
'.rface so long as he held his head we'll back.
=, ping very still, he let his bewildered wits COM
.ose themselves and the agitated surface settle to
lu,et.
lie was in deep, tranquil cove hardly stirred
" an eddy. Some ten PAGES farther out from the
hore the main current swirled past sulleny, as II
cary from the turbulence of falls and rapids.
tcress the current little space Of sand-beach.
utting out from the eafy shore, shone golden in
he Up and down the stream. as far as
his extremely restricted vision would suffer him
20 see, nothing but thick, oycrhanging branches.
end the sullen current. Very cautiously he turned
his head-though to do brought the water over
lis lips-and saw behind him just what he ex-
oected The high almost perpendicular bank was
SCARED by a cash of bright, raw, reddish earth,
whore the brink had slipped away beneath his
weight.
lust within reach OF his hand lay half sub
merged, the thick. leafy top of fallen poplar
sapng, its roots apparently still clnging to the