The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-19
The Root
Of Evil
By THOMAS DIXON
Copyright. 1911, by Thomas
Dixon

minutes without getting a shot rose
and looked for the tender To his hor-
ror he saw her drifting helpless before
the wind. her engine stopped and both
men waving frantically their signals of
distress.
My Cod he exclaimed. The ten
der's engine is broken down"
why don't the fools use the oarsE"
They can't move her against this
wind
''Wnl they go to sea?" Bivens asked
with some anxiety.
mo; they'll bring up somewhere on
a mud fat or marsh in the bay on this
low water, but God help them if they
can't fight their way back before food
tide
"Why?" Bivens asked incredulously
They'd freeze to death in an open
boat tonight"
Norwegian sailors? Bosh! Not on
your life! They were born on ice
bergs."
Stuart rose and looked anxiously at
the receding tide. He determined to
try to reach the yacht at once. He put
the guns into their cases, snapped the
lids of the ammunition boxes. slowed
the ducks he had killed under the stern
of the boat and stepped out into the
shallow, swiftly moving water. He de
cided to ignore Bivens and regard him
as so much junk He pulled the boat
out of the blind, showed it among the
decoys and took them up quickly.
The snow had ceased to fall. and the
cold was increasing every moment.
Stuart scanned the horizon anxiously,
but could see no sign of the disabled
tender.
He had gone perhaps 200 yards when
the boat grounded on the flats. He
saw at once that it was impossible 10
make the yacht until flood tide. The
safest thing to do was to get out and
push to the island marsh. 200 or 800
yards away. There they could take
exercise enough to keep warm until the
tide came i'm again. 1t would be
wait of two hours in bitter cold and
pitch darkness
Bivens sat up and grOwled
whats the matter? Can't you hur-
ry up? I'm freezing to DEATH
1--WE can't make it on this tide We
will have to go to the marsh"
Cant we walk over the fats and let
the boat go?''
Il could walk it, but you couldn't"
"Why nOt?" Rivens asked angrily.
Because you haven't the strength"
Nothing of the sort" Bivens pro
tested yiciouSly.
He stepped out of the boat and start
ed wading through the mud. He had
made about ten steps when his boot
stuck fast and he reeled and fell.
Stuart picked him up without com
ment and led him back to the boat
Bivens was about to climb in when
the lawyer spoke quickly:
You can't sit down now You've got
to keep your body in motion or you'll
freeze. Take hold of the stern of the
boat and shove her"
Muttering incoherent curses, the little
man obeyed while his friend walked in
front. pulling on the bow line
In fifteen minutes they reached the
marsh and began the dreary tramp of
two hours until the tide should rise
high enough to float their boat again.
"Why can't we walk along this marsh
all the way to where the yacht lies?"
Bivens asked fretfully. I'VE can fire
a gun. and the doctor can help rs on
board"
I'VE can't go without the boat. The
marsh is string of islands cut by
three creeks. The doctor has no way
to get to US, Both tenders are gone
Stuart kept Bivens moving just fast
enough to maintain the warmth of his
body without dangerous exhaustion.
The wait was shorter than expected
The tide suddenly ceased to run ebb
and began to come in. The reason was
an ominous one The wind had hauled
squarely into the north and increased
its velocity to forty miles an hour. and
each moment the cold grew more ter
rible Stuart found the little boat
aloat on the food tide, jumped in
without delay and began ,fgo desperate
battle against wind and tide.
1t was absolutely necessary for Div
ems to keep his body in motion, 50
Stuart gave him an oar and ordered
him to get on his knees and help shove
her ahead. He knew it was impossible
for him to keep his feet.
Bivens tried to do rs he was told
and made a mess of it. He merely sue
ceeded in showing the boat around.
Stuart saw they could never make
Roadway by that method, turned and
shot back into the marsh.
Get OUT" he shouted sternly. You
can walk along the edge. l can shove
her alone"
Bivens grumbled. but did as he was
| ordered
Don't you leave the edge of tina:
marsh ten feetr' Stuart shouted cheer
fully Il think Wen make it now"
1t was question whether one man
| had the strength to shove the little
boat through the icy. roaring waters
and keep her off the shore He did it
successfully for a hundred yards. and
the wind and sea became so fierce he
was driven in and could make no
| headway He caIle,. 7ivens, gave hin
an oar and made him walk in the
edge Of the water and hold the boat
| of while he placed his oar on the
mud bottom and pushed
IL took two hours of desperate bat
fling to make half a mile through the
white. binding. freezing. roaring wa
| tiers. The yacht now lay but 800 feet
away from the edge Of the marsh
Say, why do we stop so much =
| PiyenS crrowIed I'm f~paZiuu 70