The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-02-03
CHAPTER XVI.
The Bio Raft.


cigar-shaped monster that meant so
much to Sandry and the fortunes OF
the D%illingworth from its moorings
out to the narrow, deep neck Of the
bay that would take it to the sea.
Sandry for the first time in his life
felt The slow, sliding motion as the
great oval floor responded to the
screeching tug and the ebb tide.
On board with Sandry were Daily
and eight Indians, all armed and wait
ing for anything that might develop.
But Hampden had no notion of meet
ing John Daily in his present mood
and it seemed as if all was to go
smoothly. AS the raft drew males
tically abreast of the mill at Toledo
the Yellow Pines owner was conspicu-
u on the dock, though he did not APP
pear to see anything beyond the pile
of raw, bright lumber he was marking.
His horid face wore a sardOnic grin.
Wait till yer damned little gasoline
bObtail gets down to tn water!" he
said under his breath, lest wait!"
And just as the raft swung slowly
into the straight canallike mouth of
the bay, which it almost filled, the
little tug faltered, coughed, sent up
a protesting iutter and was dead as
death.
The Portland scaler was running it,
and he spent two blasphemous hours
alternately working at the engine and
shouting to the men on the raft.
IT'S a mighty good thing we got her
headed out before this happened" said
Daily, cor we'd never a-got her turned
straight in Gods world. | bet Hamp-
den's done somethin to tn tug. She
hain't gone dead before"
AS the strong %outrunning tide drew
them along the little town receded,
the low banks gave way to the trees,
and the hills rose sharply about them,
ending, as the waterway cut through
the ridges.
Sandry saw what an ideal holding
the DillingwOrth was, with its I'M
bounded revenue of forest, it's deep
natural harbor, its strong tide suction
for the RATS.
The scaler lOosed his useless cable,
worked the drifting tug to the side
with a couple of heavy paddles, finally
edged her clear, lassoed a passing
snag and let the raft go by.
Tell them III be up by train to-
morrow" he called, and I'll send
someone down for the tug with a
dray.'
John" said Sandry, its a wonder
Hampden didn't do something surer to
hinder us-jam the bay with logs or
tie US up some way
Might, only I've had John Teeter-
pole an klamath Sam walkin' tn
shores fer five days-an' they're the
two worst Siwashes on tn reservation.
Hampden knows they're workin' fer
S'letz, an that when | said shoot or
cut they'd shoot or cut-ef it took four
years an a dark night to do it,"
That first day drifted by very swift
ly, soft and sunny between showers,
and by four o'clock the ebb of the tide,
grown slower and slower, had ceased
altogether. Daily and the rest tied up
the raft, head and tail on both sides,
using heavy steel ropes and chains, to
which they gave plenty of slack. They
cooked supper ashore and Sandry
thought he had lever tasted better
fare. Afterward they lay about the
fire all together, smoking, and only
the silence of the Siletz marked the
line Of color. Triumph filled the heart
of the young f~inancier and his last
drowsy thoughts were Of the steamer
that was even now blowing down from
Portland to meet them, the huge check
that would follow his delivery of the
logs-how he would lift a certain
mortgage of the load that hung upon
the Dillingworth, it's greatest menace
in point of time.
He walked to see the heavy chains
drawn taut, to hear the mass of tim
bers creaking and grumbling as it
strained upstream, and knew that the
tide was in. The Siwash cook walked
the men by moonlight for breakfast.
They must be ready to take advantage
OF the first motion toward the sea.
The casting loose, the slow start.
he moving Of the night shores-San'
dry wished Miss Ordway might see
tit might be a bit of local color in
the mysterious book she was writing
in the little south room. His mind
went over hat little He saw
the stand with the ancient Bible. He
shuddered a bit with the night chill
as he saw again the words, "Oh, Alb
salon! My son, my son!"
Those were the last words that the
mind Of the Fastener were to know
for many days. The nose Of the raft
where he was landing suddenly rose
under him like a thing of life. The
night opened, flame shot upward from
the dark waters, Unreasonable sound
smote his eardrums to silence, pain
that was uncomfortable stretched and
tora his limbs. He sailed away into
night and the world was not.
When the thing was over John Daily
.---- - fuN-. rha.a he hod