The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-15
THE LAST OF THE RED-EYES
By A. V.

likely mood, / decided to pool my
business in town and pursue my hunt
for the Iast Red-Eye.
Customarily, / walked to the bridge
that crosses Neuse river on the So
called new road, some seven country
miles from where / sleep in town;
when | got there I recollected my
more tortuous than periIous trip on
n former occasion down the river
bank, and the numerous, eXasperatlng
quits that had to be crossed; there
fore, / espied, what l
noticed before, a pile Of old pine logs
about 20 feet long l~ayingz(not eggs)
close to the river bank.
/ thought then. how easy to reach
my destination with fun, riding three
miles down the river instead of walk
ing four miles CT was tagged out),
and there would also be a little dan
ger mixed with the fun, everything
begins with fun, even the 4th OF july;
fighting and pursuit of freedom.
[ was about to lose my logs, think
ing on the thrill thai would attack
me while floating down river, over
dangerous and stubborn rocks,
through swifts, circling eddies and
shooting pool tails.
l readily fell into the scheme, and
rolled a couple of eligible logs into
the water where it was standing still.
luGU l. uhcu lISii toSCthCi ~ uSiAS
my gallowses to tie the little or for
ward ends. intending to sit astride the
big ends aft, hold them together and
thence guide the raft. All / had to do
was to ride anG guide the logs; they
would do the work. No paddle be-
ing handy, I QUILTED with a piece
Of timber that might serve as paddle,
pole or rudder.
This arrangement occupied less
than hale an hO1gr whom with NO an-
coutrements to lose, except something
breakable, I got down to business and
showed my ark out into the stream,
sensitive to nothing but air and water;
yet full of hope and a little anxious
to put the three miles of rough water
behind me.
knew that I might expect some
trouble at the falls where there is
the remains Of a hundred year old
fish dams, which consists of rocks
tered clear across the river, with a
slue here and there that seems to
be mighty anxious to get past the
rocks.
My floating had been placid, even
mOnotonOus, until / was warned of
the exciting part Of my journey by
the noise the tumbIing and swift wa
ters made just ahead.
A little %unusua discretion crept into
my composition, and l eased the ark
over to a bank where tieing up, I
landed and r~ecOnnoitred to find Which
was the most desirable or otherwise
slue to shoot.
L picked out my route, got on top
OF my pilot house and steered for the
biggest crack in the dam.
There was no use pushing because
n rapid had contracted to move me
and 1t was rapidly doing it. I steered
for the hiOpnSt cranL ond T hit tho
opening all right but the outlet was
another matter. I had taken the pre-
caution to lift my legs out Of the wa
ter in Difference to the shins which
might not come into contact with
rocks on equal terms; SO that, I stood
up, one foot on each log. pole in hand
acrobat like. All went we'll except at
the critical moment, and there are
always a plenty Of such moments,
when an unseen rock shcckingly foul
ed the bow Of my raft, split the gal
lows binding, the logs separated and
SO did /. My stride was destroyed
in a jfy and 1 dropped into the
down between the logs. [ lurched to
one Of them trying to catch on. I
caught on. but with too little circum-
spection for l heard something about
my hip pocket rash. My bottle was
broken; and the prospect of a chill
iAA1 CoSSd. JIG IOS Udu got Clean
away. but I a secured the other,
and being thoroughly wetted, only
somewhat u~ndaunted, I got astride
the middle Of that log without a pole
and resolved to let the river carry me
on forever. sure it would be down
stream. / was gay no more, how
ever
There was considerable excitement
and some *t0e unappreciated fun
trying to balance myself on that log
without a balancing stick such as
tight-rOpe walkers use.
The log would not stay steady but
would role first one way and then
the other, sometimes turning broad
side to the stream and riding me
sidewise; SO hat it not only chafed
my pants into a hole. but unloaded
me at inconvenient places and too
frequent intervals.