Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-01-06

Precipltatlng Both Into That Savage
Welter.
morning. / tell you know saw
her only few hours ago. She passed
us in a canoe with one of her guides,
while we watched in hiding on the
banks. Not that alone, but another of
her guides told mine she was here
with you. She had sent him to South
Portage for quinine He stopped
there to get drunk--and that's how
my guide managed to worm the infor.
nation from him"
Alan passed a hand across his eyes.
Il don't understand" he said DULY.
ut doesn't seem possible she
could"
A shot interrupted him, the report
Of rife from a considerable distance
upstream, echoed and re-echoed by the
cliffs. And at this, clutching fran.
tically at his arm, the girl drew him
through the door and down toward the
river.
"Oh, come, come!" she cried Wild
ly. 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 it means IL 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-the current with
us"
Those rapids?'
I'VE must shoot theml"
"Can it be done?"
1T must bel"
Two more shots put period to
HE doubts and drove It home. He
off1red no further objection, but
turned at once to launch one of the
can oes.
As soon as 1t was In the water, Rose
took her place In the bow, paddle in
hand, and Alan was about to gtep in
astein when a fourth shot sounded
and bullet kicked up turf within a
dozek feet. A glance discovered two
figures debouching into the clearing.
He dropped into place and. planting
paddle N shadows, sent the canoe
we'll out With vigorous thrust.
Two strokes took 1t to the middle
of the pool where Immediately the
current caught the little craft In its
urgent grasp and sped il smoothly
through more narrow and higher
banks. A moment more and the
mouth Of the gorge was yawning for
them.
With tie clean balance of an ex-
perienced sanoeman. Alan rose to bis |
feet for an instantaneous reconnois-
sance both forward and astern. He
looked back first. and 9roaned In his |
heart to see the sharp prov Of the
second canos glide out from the |
banks. He locked ahead and groaned |
aloud. The rapids were a wilderness |
Of shouting waters. white and green. |
worse than anything he had antici- |
pated or ever dreamed OF.
But there was new 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 It was In the Jaws;
and the man settled down to work
with grim determination. pitting cour-
age and strength and experience
against the rayening 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
bellowings of Internal mirth.
he fought like one possessed.
There was never an instant'a grace
for Judgment or execution; the one
must be synchronous with tbs other,
both instantaneous, or else-,iestruc-
ton.
The canoe wove this way ard that
like an insane shuttle threading some
satanic loom. Now It hesitated. nuz.
cling a gigantic boulder over which
the water wove a pale green and
glstening hood. now In the space Of
4 heartbeat it shot forward twice It's
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
Yhen he surveyed before committing
himself and the woman he loved to