Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-16

ems. lie Killed half dozen and in the
excitement began to forget the fool
hardness of the trip
BivenS shot Il dozen times. missed,
got diS~uSted and began to fret and
complain. He said:
Jim, would you mind telling me the
mental process by which YOU rejected
my offer? You're the only man I've
struck on this earth that didn't have
his price"
Perhaps we have different ways OF
fixing values. You are not yet fifty
years old and Il wreck What's the
use? What can you do with your
money now?"
1t brings luxury. ease, indulgence.
power, admiration, wonder and the
envy of the world"
whats the good of luxury If you
can't enjoy ii, ease if you never take
it, indulgence when you have lost the
capacity to play, power if you're too
busy getting more to stop and WELD
it?'
Jim. you're the biggest fool ever
knew, without a single exception"
Stuart glanced anXiouSly toward the
yacht. 1t was O'Clock. The tide had
ebbed half out and there was barely
enough water on the flats now for the
tender to cross. 1t was showing hard
er and the wind had begun to inch in
toward the north.
NO more ducks today. Cal" Stuart
said hriSkiy. returning to his tone of
friendly comradeShip. We've got to
get away from here. Its getting colder
every minute. 1t will he freezing be-
fore night"
peevishly. What do we care? It's
just ten minutes run when the tender
comes"
To Stuart'S joy he saw the men start
the tender.
ITS all right; they're coming now"
he exclaimed We'll have another
crack or two before they get here"
He crouched low in the blind for five
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 oars?"
'"They cant move her against this
wind
will they 20 to sea-" Bivens asked.
with some anxiety.
mo; they'll bring up somewhere on
a mud fiat or marsh In the bay on this
low water, but God help them if they
can't fight their way back before flood
tide"
"Why?" BvenS 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 ut 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
vi
but could see no sign of the disa bled
tender
He had gone perhaps 200 yards when
the boat grounded on the flats. He
saw at once that it was impossible to
make the yacht until flood tide. The
safest thing to do was to get out and
push to the island marsh 200 or 300
yards away. There they could take
exercise enough to keep warm until the
tide came in again. 1t would be a
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 co.
II could walk it, but you couldn't"
why mott" Bivens asked angrily.
Because you haven't the strength"
Nothing of the Sort Bivens pro-
tested viciouSly.
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