The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-09-30


stroyed structure and as yet had not
suffered greatly.
The team was sent flying down a
side road parallel with the stream. In
five minutes Gordon was abreast OF
the swiftly floating bridge. He leaned
out and called at the top of his voice:
Hold fast; I'll get you off somehow
The woman feebIy waved hand to
signify that she had heard him. The
| team went on at the speed OF the
| wind Half a mile down stream he
| jerked his horses to sudden stop and
| sprang out on the spongy sod. A
hundred yards above the bridge had
become entangled in tree top and
was swinging out of the main current
| toward shore. 1t paused dizzily In an
eddying circle. Gordon could see the
woman in the same position that she
had at first occupied. He looked
about for material for an improvised
raft Nothing was in sight and he
was about to pull off his coat and
swim to the rescue when the bridge
/ again swung out and went on.
Gordon sprang back to his vehicle
and followed In pursuit. calling as he
went: Keep up your courage; there
is still hope!"
A half mile farther on, the bridge
grounded against an island of bushes
on slight elevation. In moment 1t
/ swung shoreward and came to dead
stop. Gordon could see the woman
lying face downward across the rough
timbers. He plunged into the seething
waters hundred yards above with
the determination to reach the wreck
age. He had given himself that dis
tance as a Ieeway against being
beaten down by the current. Wading
obliQuely with the current he was
soon waist deep. then shoulder deep In
tk, tumbling. drift-laden waters. He
kept his feet with difficulty and was
in the act of taking long breath for
the final plunge when a section Of
board fence foated against him. He
grasped it with both hands and braced
himself to stop it. 1t swung in be-
low him and bobbed lightly In the less
agitated water. Clinging to the raft
with one hand and holding onto some
bushes with the other he looked about.
He had his raft but he lacked means
of propelling it. Looking up and
down, he saw long fence-stake float
ing nearer shore. Pulling the raft to
where the water was less than knee
deep, he secured the stake, stepped
on the raft and pushed out, polling with
all his might. The raft carried him
safely enough but was being swept
down by the current SO rapidly that
he feared he would miss the bridge
Setting the end of the pole In the soft
ened earth, he braced himself and
sent the frail craft forward at good
speed. He was within a few yards oi
the end of the bridge and was float
ing by at an alarming rate Of speed
Once more he thrust the pole down
His heart almost stopped for he could
not reach bottom. At that instant
there was scraping sound at his feet
and he saw the top branches of 9
sapling raking by. Dropping the pole
he clutched one of the branches and
lying fiat on the raft he held on with
set teeth. The shock of the sudden
stop almost tore the flesh from his
hands. Gradually the strain slackened
and the raft swung against the bridge
He shifted his position quickly and
grasped one Of the bridge timbers
The next moment he was standing on
the bridge. The raft was pulled up
sufficiently to prevent it from wash
ing away.
Gordon then sprang toward the
woman. Poor old SOUL" he ex-
claimed, STOPPING over her. She wore
sunbonnet, which had become wet
and hung over her face, hiding her
features. A faded shoulder shawl had
slipped up about her neck, while a
cheap calico dress clung about her
drenched form. All this Gordon saw
at glance as he stopped to raise
the limp body.
She's probably some poor old
grandmother" Gordon said half aloud
as he staggered along with the body
in his arms toward the raft Placing
her on one of the planks with hel
head lying on one Of the posts which
served as cross-section to the raft
he pushed off, grasping the tops o1
bushes here and there to start hin
shoreward. Then grasping his pole
he worked frantically until the raf
was safe, in shallow water. Jumpine
into the water waist-deep, he picked
up the woman and waded ashore
Reaching grassy plot he gently low
cred her to the ground. and pulling
back the wet folds of the bonnet
which had concealed her face up t
that time, he looked at the still face
Staggering back with blanched face
he cried: MY God. it is Nellie!"
AT first he fell to chatting her hands
and calling her name imploringly
then springing to his feet he ran t
the buggy for the lap robes Wrap
ping her In them he hurried with hel
to the buggy and lifted her In the bes
he could He grasped the lines will
one hand and steadied her with tn,
other. The heads of the horses wer,
turned toward the Stewart home.
They had not gone a hundred yard