The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-12-23
NUMBER 81.

Shorty issued his cali. Come on. ne
roared. tumble out. you sieepers..
Here's your coffee. Kick into it.
We're goin' to make start
Grumbling and complaining. Slime
and Sprague were forced to get under
way tWS hours earlier than ever he
fore. II anything. the gale was still
| er. and In short time every mans
face was iced up. while the ours were
heavy with ice.
Three hours they struggled. and four.
one man steering, one chopping ice.
two toiiing at the oars and each TAX
ing his various turns. The northwest
| shore loomed nearer and nearer. The
gale blew ever harder and at last
Sprague pulled In his oar in token of
surrender. Shorty sprang to it. though
his relief had only begun.
Chop ice." he said. handing
sprague the Ratchet.
But what's the use?" the other
whined. We can't make it. We're
going to turn back"
Were goin' on" said Shorty. "Chop
spell me-"
| 1t was heartbreaking toll. but they
gained the shore. only to find 1t com.
posed Of surge beaten rocks and cliffs.
with no place to land.
Nobody spoke. and Kit held the boat
into the sens as they skirted the for
bidding shore. Sometimes they gain
ed no more than foot to the stroke.
and there were times when two or
three strokes no more than enabled
them to hold their own. Another hour
they lahored and a second
A few minutes later Sprague drew
In his oar again. I'm finished" he
said. and there were tears in his voice
Stine had ceased rowing. and the
boat was drifting backward.
Turn around. Smoke Sprague or
dered
And Kit. who never in his life had
cursed any man. astOnished himself.
"I'll see you In h. first" he replied.
Take hold Of that oar and pull
Sprague jerked Off n mitten. drew his
revolver and turned 1t on his steers
man. This was new experience to
| Kit he had never had Il gun presented
Mt him In his life. And now. to his sur
prise. it seemed to mean nothing at all
If you don't put that gun up" he
said, "I'll take 1t away and rap yon
over the knuckles with It.
IF yon don't turn the boat around
| I'll shoot you." Sprague threatened
Then Shorty took hand He ceas-
ed chopping ice and stood up behind
Spragne. go on an shoot" said
Shorty. wiggling the Ratchet. "I'm
just achin' for chance to brain you.
Go on an start the festivities"
"Sprague." Kit said, "fll give you
just thirty seconds to put away that
gun and get that oar out
Sprague hesitated. gave short hys-
terical laugh. put the revolver away
and bent his hack to the work.
For two hours more. inch by inch.
they fought their way along the edge
Of the foaming rocks until Kit feared
be had made mistake And then.
when on the verge OF himself turning
hack. they came abreast OF a narrow
opening not twenty feet wide. which
led into landlocked inclosure where
the hercest gusts scarcely tiawed the
surface. It was the haven gained by
the hoats OF previous days They
landed on shelving beach. and the
two employers lay in collapse in the
boat. while Kit and Shorty pitched the
tent. bnilr fire and started the cook
ing.
A cup of coffee. set aside to cool and
forgotten. few minutes later was
found coated with half an inch OF ice.
At s o'clock. when Sprague and Stine.
already rolled in their blankets. were
sleeping the sleep Of exhaustion. Kit
came back from look at the boat.
Its the sreezeup. Shorty" he an
nounced. There's a skin of ice over
the whole pond already. The rapid
current OF the river may keep it open
for days. This time tomorrow any
hoat caught in Lake Labarge remains
there until next year"
"Yon mean we got to get out to-
night: Now?"
Kit nodded.
Tumble out you sIeepers." was
Shorty's answer. couched In a roar. as
he began casting of the guy ropes of
the tent
They broke their way through .he
thin Ice In the little harbor and came
out on the lake. where the water
heavy and CLASSY. froze on their oars
with every stroke. The water soon be-
came like mush. clogging the stroke of
the oars and freezing in the air even ~
1t dipped. Later the surface began
to form skin. and the boat proceeded
slower and slower.
4 Often afterward, when Kit tried Il
remember that night and failed I,
| bring up aught but nightmare recol
! iections. he wondered what must hav,
| been the sufferings of Stine ant
Sprague. His one impression of him
, self was that be struggled through bit
ting frost and intolerable exertion for
thousand years. more or less:
{ Morning found them stationary
Slime complained Of frosted fingers
and Sprague of bis nose. while the pai
e In Kits cheeks and nose told him tha
e be. too. had been touched. With eac
accretion OF daylight they could Sc
e farther. and as far as they could sc
s was Icy surface. The water of the lal,
e was gone.
A hundred yards away was the shor
y of the north end. Shorty insisted ths
It was the opening of the river an
81 that be could see water he and Is
'e alone were able to work. and with the