Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-09-17

For a second before taking the
long stride, Lorimer stopped to as
sure himself of his balance.
At this moment, just as he began
to move, the point of the canoe that
was born on the great shoulders of
the half-breed touched his left side
very lightly, yet hard enough to push
him slightly to the right.
Lorlmer staggered and clutched at
the air helplessly. With cry that
was unheard he pitched down thirty
feet into the caldron beneath.
Mashkaugan stepped back quickly
and laid the canoe on the rocky
shelf.
Then he hurried forward and
glared into the forming waters.
For a moment he saw a ghastly.
distorted face struggling in the
flood; then a body helpessly rolled
between rockv spurs.
But now there remained no trace
Of any man; yet the half-breed
searched the foot Of the cliffs with
eager, staring eyes, and peered
through the sudding foam at the bot
tom Of the fall, over the frothy black
waters of the pool, and along the
rugged sides that were deeply worn
by .uncounted ages of whirling flood
and grinding ice,
He did not see the slightest sign Of
Lorimer!
Mashkaugan then sat down and
with trembling hands tried to cut to-
his pocket again and passed his
sleeve over his forehead, streaming
with sweat.
He shivered like one with some
malignant ague. He could not re-
main in that spot. for suddenly it
seemed to him as if out of the roar
OF the crashing water there burst
forth voices that were calling him
murderer and swore vengeance ever
lasting upon him!
In frenzy of haste he carried the
canoe to the end Of the portage.
Dreading the sight of the raging wa
ters, he took long detour over the
cliffs for the remainder of his load,
and returned the same way, Chamber
ing with catlike ease over some aw-
ful going.
Yet when he came to place
where the walking was easy he be-
gan to stagger like drunken man.
He put the canoe back in the wa
ter and loaded it in desperate haste.
After he entered it the swift current
bore him very fast, yet his long, sim
ewy arms piled the paddle as fierce
ly as if some gruesome thing were
following him.
AS he went on he scanned the sur
face of the water, fearing to see an
awful, upturned white face that
might reproach him and hover above
his canoe while he journeyed.
Until after sundown he drove the
canoe with utter recklessness into
the middle of boiling waters, yet al
ways emerging safely; but in the
long dead waters there was no ex-
citement. The wind had fallen, and
the stiffness Of the dark forest
seemed to penetrate his soul with
terror.
1t was so late and dark when he
stopped that he was unable to pick
out fair camping place.
He lighted a tiny fire on poor
ground full of roots and stones and
boiled his tea; but when he tried to
eat, the morsels seemed to cleave to
the roof of his mouth. The scalding
drink alone was grateful.
He did not try to put up his tent
merely rolling himself in his blank
cts; but sleep would not come.
His evil deeds had hitherto been
limited to various pilferings and the
breaking of laws which he considered
unjust. The promises and the threats
of Curran, and the dislike he had for
Lorimer, made him ready tool in
the hands of the chief agent.
But now that the deed was done,
he suffered with agonizing fear. The
consciousness he finally lost was re-
placed by visions in which he saw
the foul fiends Of the Indians and the
evil spirits of the whites leagued to-
gether against him in an appalling
array of grinning, monstrous faces.