The Huttig news., 1916-02-12

l screeching tug and the ebb tide. 9
 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 maies- tically abreast of the mill at Toledo the Yellow Pines owner was conspieu- ous on the dock, though he did not ap- pear to see anything beyond the pile of raw, bright lumber he was marking. His florid face wore a sardonic grin.
 Wait till yer damned little gasoline bobtail gets down to tn water!" he said under his breath, jest 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 1utter 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 mighty good thing we got her headed out before this happened" said Daily, "or we'd never a-got her turned straight in Gods world. bet Hamp- den's done somethin' to tn tug. She hain't never 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 un- bounded revenue of forest. it's deep natural harbor, it's strong tide suction for the rafts.
 The scaler loosed his useless cable. worked the drifting tug to the side with couple of heavy paddles, finally edged her clear, lassoed a passing snag and let the raft go by.
 Tell them I'll be up by train to- morrow" he called, "and I'll send someone down for the tug with l dray."
 "John," said Sandry, "its 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 Sletz, an that when I said shoot or cut they'd shoot or cut-ef it took four years an 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 III the raft, head and tail on both sides using heavy steel ropes and chains. t which they gave plenty of slack. The cooked supper ashore and Sandr, thought he had never 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 financier 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 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 grumblng 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, the moving of the night shores-San. dry wished Miss Ordway night see it-it might be bit of local color in the mysterious book she was writing in the little south room His mind went over that little room He saw the stand with the ancient Bible. He shuddered a bit with the night chill as he saw again the words, "Oh Ab- 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 standing suddenly rose under him like a thing of life. The night opened. flame shot upward from the dark waters, immeasurable sound smote his eardrums to silence. pain that was uncomfortable stretched and tore his limbs He sailed away into night and the world was not When the thing was over John Daily picked himself up from where he had been blown clear of the raft and the water, landing in a tangle of blueberry vines, and screamed curse at the serene heavens.
 "Oh. God damn his soul to heli!" he cried, half after the manner Of prayer; "he's blowed her up at iast." | In the awful silence that fell in tho first moments there set up a great grooming of the timbers. The wrecked and opened brow of the raft slowed to the right. damned into the shore. and waa holdipc bo vo1f while fla.