Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-07
.CHAPTER XII.

That would unquestionably have
been the end OF Bob Yancy when he
was shot out into the muddy waters
of the Elk river, had not Mr.. Richard
|Keppel, Cavendish, 4YaEiously@ known az
Long-Legged Dick, and Chills-and-
Fever Cavendish, of Lincoln county,
in the state OF Tennessee. some months
previously and after unprecedented
mental effort on his part, decided that
Lincoln county was no place for MIN.
When he had established this idea
firmly in his own mind and In the
mind Of Polly, his wife, he set about
solving the problem of transportation.
Mr.. Cavenistl's paternal grandparent
had drifted down the Ho1ston and Ten
nessee: and Mr. Cavendish's father,
in his sons yoth, had poled up the
Elk. Mr.. Cavendish now determined
to float down the Elk to its juncture
with the Tennessee, down the Tennes-
see to the Ohio, and II need be, down
the Ohio to the Mississippi, and keep
drifting until he found some spot ex-
actly suited to his taste. Tempera-
mentally, he was we'll adapted to DRIFT
ing. No conception Of various activi-
ty could have been more congenial.
With this end in view he had toiled
through late winter and early spring.
building himself e. raft on which to
transport lis few belongings and his
numerous family: there were six little
Cavendishes. and they ranged In years
from four TO eleven: there was In Jad-
dition the baby, who was always emu
merated separately. This particular
infant Mr.: Cayendish said he wouldn't
take million dollars for. He usually
aeded feeling that he wouldn't give a
piece Of chalk for another one.
T June found him aboard his raft with
all his earthly possessions bestowed
about him. awaiting the rains and
freshets that were to watt him effort
less into a newer country where he
should have white mans chance.
At last the rains came, and he cast off
from the bank at that unsalubrious spot
where his. father had elected to build
his cabin on strip of level bottom
subject to periodic inundation. Wish.
ing fully to profit by the foods and
reach the big water without delay,
Cavendish ran the raft twenty-four
hours at stretch, sleeping by day
while Polly managed the great sweep,
only calling him when some danger
GUS bit Of the river was to be navi
gated. Thus II hapepned that as Muir
relI and Slosson were dragging Yancy
down the lane, Cavendish was just
rounding bend in the Elk, quarter
Of mile distant. Leaning loosely
against the long handle Of his sweep.
he, was watching the lane OF bright
water that ran between the black
shadows cast by the trees on either
bank. He was in shirt and trousers,
barefoot and bareheaded, and his face
mild and contemplative, wore an ex-
preston OF dreamy contentment.
\ Suddenly its expression changed. He
becare alert and watchful. He had
heard dull splash. Thinking that
some tree had been swept into the
flood, he sought to pierce the darkness
that lay along the shore. Five or six
minutes passed as the raft glided
along without sound. He was about
to relaps into his former attitude of
listless ease when he caught sight Of
some object In the eddy that swept
alongside. Mr.. Cavendish promptly
detached himself from the handle OF
the sweep and ran to the edge of the
raft. zt
God Lord-what's that" he gasped,
but he already knew it was a face,
livid and blood-streaked. Dropping