The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-08-03
the plank he pdll,d il toward hin and


without a sound one end went slowly
under water and the farther end ap-'
psared lightly braced against the over
hanging willows, Very carefully then
Duane began to extricate his right FOOT
from the sucking sand. 1t seemed as IL
his foot was incased in solid rock. But
there was a movement upward, and
he pulled with all the power he dared
use. 1t came slowly and at length was
free. The left one he released with less
difficulty. The next few moments ne
put all his attention on the plank TO
ascertain If his weight would sink II
into the sand. The far end slipped on
the willow with a little splash ana
gradually settled to rest upon the bot
tom. But 1t sank no further. However,
as - was manifestly impossible for MIN
to ep his head up for long he care
fully crawled out upon the plank until
he could rest an arm and shoulder upon
the willows.
When he looked up It was to find the
night strangely luminous with nreS
There was bonfire on the extreme end
of the bluff, another a hundred PAGES
beyond. A great flare extended over
the brake in that direction. Duane
heard a roaring on the wind, and
he knew his pursuers had fired
the willows. He did not believe
that would help them much. The
brake was dry enough, but too green to
burn readily. And as for the bonfireS
he discovered that the men, probably
having run out of wood, were keeping
up the light with oil and stuff from
the village. A dozen men kept watch
on the bluff scarcely so PAGES from
where Duane lay concealed by the will
lows. They talked, cracked jokes, sang
songs, and manifestly considered this
- To- An InWNer
as the bright light lasted Duane dared
not move, He had the patience and the
endurance to wait for the breaking Of
the storm, and II that did not come,
then the early hour before dawn when
the gray fog and gloom were over the
river.
Escape was now in his grasp. He
felt 1t. And with that in his mind he
waited, strong as steel in his convic-
ton, capable of withstanding any strain
endurable by the human frame.
The wind blew in puffs, grew wilder,
and roared through the willows, carry
ing bright sparks upward. Thunder
rolled down over the river and light
ming began to flash. Then the rain
fell In heavy sheets. but not steadily.
The flashes Of lightning and the broad
flares played so necessarily that Duane
could not trust himself out on the open
river. Certainly the storm rather in
creased the watchfulness OF the men
ON the bluff. He knew how to wait,
and he waited, grimly standing pain
and cramp and chill. The storm wore
away as desultorily as 1t had come, and
the long night set in. There were times
when Duane thought he was paralyzed,
others when he grew sick, giddy, weak
from the strained posture The first
paling Of the stars quickened him with
kind Of wild Joy. He watched them
grow paler DINNER disappear one by
one. A shadow lowered down, rested
upon the river, and gradually thick
ened. The bonfire on the bluff showed
as through foggy veil. The watchers
were mere cropping dark figures.
Duane, aware of how cramped he had
become from long inaction, began to
move his legs and uninjured arm and
body, and at length oVercame q par
alyzing stiffness. Then, digging his
hand in the sand and holding the plank
with his knees, he edged it out into
the river. Inch by inch he advanced
until clear Of the willows. Looking up
ward, he saw the shadowy figures of
the men on the bluff. He realized they
ought to see him, feared that they
would. But he kept on, cautiously,
noiselessly, with a heart numbing
slowness. From time to time his ell
bow made a little gurgle and splash
III the WdleT. IFy dS ne might ne
could not prevent this. 1t got to be
like the hollow roar Of q rapid filling
his ears with hooking sound. There
was a perceptible current out In the
river, and 1t hindered straight ad-
vancement. Inch by inch he crept on,
expecting to hear the bang OF rifles,
the scattering of bullets. He tried not
to look backward, but failed. The fire
appeared a little DINNER, the moving
shadows a little darker.
Once the plank struck in the sand
and he felt as If 1t were settling. Bring
ing feet to aid his hand, he showed It
over the treacherous place. This way
he made faster progress. The obscur-
ity of the river seemed to be envelop-
ing him. When he looked back again
the figures Of the men were coalescing
with the surrounding gloom, the fires
were streaky, blurred patches Of light
But the sky above was brighter Dawn
was not far off.
To the west all was dark. With in
finite care and implacable spirit and
waning strength Duane showed the
plank along, and when at last he dis
cerned the black border of bank 1t came
in time, he thought to save him. He
crawled out, rested till the gray dawn
broke, and then headed north through
the willows.