Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-08-21

But there was now no escaping that
ordeal. The canoe was already spin
ming between walls where the water
ran deep and fast with a CLASSY sur
face.
The next instant II was in the laws;
and the man settled down to work
with grim determination, pitting cour-
age and strength and experience
against the ravening waters that tore
at the canoe on every hand whose
mad clamOr beat back and forth be-
tween the walls of the gorge like vast
bellowtngs of Internal mirth.
He fought like one possessed.
There was never an instant's grace
for Judgment or execution; the one
must be synchronous with the other,
both instantaneous, or else-destruc-
ton.
The canoe wove this way and that
like an insane shuttle threading some
satanic loom. Now it hesitated, nuz-
cling a gigantic boulder over which
the water wove pale green and
glistening hood, now In the space Of
heartbeat it shot forward twice its
length through a sea of Dreaming
waves, now plunged wildly toward
what promised instant humiliation
and cheated that only by the timely
plunge of paddle, guided by luck or
instinct or both.
The one ray Of hope in Alan's mind,
when he surveyed before committing
himself and the woman he loved to
that hideous gauntlet, sprang from
the fact that, however rough, the
rapids were short Now, when he had
been in their grasp a minute, he
seemed to have been there hours.
His laborings were tremendous, I'M
believable, inspired In the end they
were all but successful The goal of
safety was within thirty seconds
more Of quick, hard work, when Alans
paddle broke and the canoe swung
bAouaeAdO W q pOuluCly tul ubu
and precipitated both headlong into
that savage welter
AS the next few minutes passed he
was fighting like mad thing against
overwhelming odds Then, of sud
den, he found himself rejected, spewed
forth from the cataract and swimming
mechanically In the smooth water of
a wide pool beyond the lowermost
eddy, the canoe floating bottom up
near by, and Rose supporting herself
with one hand on 1t.
Her eyes met his, clear with the
sanity Of her adorable courage.
He tioundered to her side, painted in
structions to transfer her hand to his
shoulder, and struck out for the
nearer shore.
Both found footing at the same
time and waded out, to collapse, ex.
hausted, against the bank.
Then, with sickening qualm, Alan
remembered the pursuit. He rose and
looked up the rapid just in time to
view the last swift quarter of the
canoes descent. Judith In the bow,
motionless. rifle across her knees, in
the stern an Indian guide kneelng
and fighting the waters with scarcely
perceptible effort In contrast with
Alans supreme struggles.
Like living thing the canoe
seemed to gather itself together, to
poise, to leap with all its strength;
1t hurdled the eddy in bound, took
the still water with mighty splash,
and shot downstream at diminished
speed, the Indian furiously backing
water.
AS though that had been the one
moment she had lived for, Judith
lifted her rife and brought 1t to bear
Upon her sister.
With a cry Of horror, Alan flung
himself before Rose, living shield,
anticipating nothing but immediate
death This was not accorded him.
For breathless instant the woman In