The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09


The girl shook her head. Yet know: Judith
was here until this morning. I tell you know
saw her only . few hours ago. She passed Us In
q canoe with one Of her guides. while We watched
in hiding on the banks. Not that alone, but an
other Of her guides told mine she was here with
you. She had sent him to South Portage for QuL
nine. He stopped there to get drunk-and that's
how my guide managed to worm the information
from him."
Alan passed = hand across his eyes. Il don't
understand" he said DULY. 1T doesn't seem pos
sble she could"
shot interrupted him. the report Of q rife from
= considerable distance upstream. echoed and re
echoed by the cliffs. And at this clutching fran.
ticay At his arm. the girl drew him through the
door and down toward the river.
"Oh, come, come" she cried wildly. There's no
time."
But, why? What was that!"
Judith is returning. l left my guide up the
trail to signal US. Don't you know what Il means
we don't manage to escape before she gets here"
But how?"
According to the guide the rivers the only way
other than the trail"
The current is too strong. They could follow
pot US at leisure from the banks"
But downstream-ths current with us"
Those rapids"
We must shoot them"
Can It be done?"
1t must be!
Two strokes took IT to the middle of the pool
where Immediately the current caught the little
craft in its urgent grasp and sped It smoothly
through more narrow and higher banks. A moment
more and the mouth Of the gorge was yawning for
them.
With the clean balance OF an experienced canoe
man, Alan to his feet for instantaneous re-
connoIssance both forward and astern. He looked
back first and groaned In his heart TO the
sharp prov Of the second canoe glide out from the
banks. He looked ahead and groaned aloud. The
rapids were q wilderness Of shouting waters. white
and green worse than anything he had anticipated
or ever dreamed Of.
But there was now no escaping that ordeal The
canoe was already spinning between walls where
the water deep and fast with 4 CLASSY surface.
The next instant It was in the Jaws: and the
settled down to work with grim determination, pit
ting courage and strength and experience against
the ravening waters that tore at the canoe on
every hand. whose mad clamor beat back and forth
between the walls Of the gorge like vast bellowings
OF internal mirth.
He fought like one possessed There was never
instant's grace for Judgment or execution the
must be synchronous with the other. both IN
Simultaneous or else-destruction.
The canoe wove this way and that like an insane
shuttle threading some satanic loom. Now It hest
tated. nuzzling a gigantic boulder over which the
water wove a pale green and glistening hood now
in the space Of a heartbeat II shot forward twice
its length through sea OF dreaming waves. now
plunged wildly toward what promised instant anni-
hlation 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 q
minute. he seemed to have been there hours
His laborings were tremendous. unbelievable IN
spred. In the end they were all but successful.
The goal of safety was within thirty seconds more
OF quick hard work when Alan's paddle broke and
he IN
turtle and precipitated both headlong into that
age weller
As the next few moments passed he fighting
like mad thing against overwhelming odds Then.
OF a sudden, he found himself rejected. spewed
forth from the cataract and swimming mechanical
ly in the smooth water Of wide pool beyond the
lowermost eddy. the canoe floating bottom up
by and Rose supporting herself with one hand
on il.
Her eye met his. clear with the sanity Of her
adorable courage.
He houndered to her side painted instructions 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. exhausted, against the bank.
Then. with a 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, a rife
across her knees in the stern Indian guide
kneeng and fighting the waters with scarcely per.
struggles.
Like living thing the canoe seemed to gather
itself together, to pose, to leap with all iti
strength; 1t hurdled the eddy in a bound took the
still water with a mighty splash, and shot down
stream at diminished speed. the Indian turiously
backing water.
AS though that had been the moment she
had lived for Judith lifted her rife and brought It
to bear-upon her sister.
With cry OF horror, Alan flung himself before
Rose, living shield anticipating nothing but i'm
mediate death. This not accorded him. For
q breathess instant the woman in the canoe stared
along the sights, then lowered her weapon and.
turning. spoke indistingushably to the guide, who
instantly began to ply a brisk paddle.
The canoe sped on, vanished swiftly round
bend.
After long time, Alan voiced his unmItigated
amazement:
"Why-in the name Of heaven! why
The girl said DULY: Don't you know" And
when he shook his head. Her guide told mine
you had saved her life the dam at Spirit Lake.
Now do you see?"
His countenance was blank with wonder: Graft
tude?"
Rose smiled wearily. Not gratitude alone but
more terrible. She rose