Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-31

funy from the struggle. and Win NO
other thought h my mind except to
keep well out Of sight Of the occu-
pants Of the boat. To be perceived BY
them and overtaken in the water
meant certain death. while II they con-
tinued TO believe that had actually
sunk beneath the surface, some fu-
ture carelessness on their part might
yield me an unexpected opportunity to
serve Rene. The few words overheard
had made sufficiently plain the stu
alton. Poor Sam had already found
freedom In death. crushed between the
two collldlng boats, but the girl had
been grasped In time and hauled unin-
jured aboard the heavier craft. This
had been the object of the attack-to
gain possession Of her. Very evidently
/ had not been seen closely enough
10 be recognized by Kirby. In meas
ure this afforded me decided advan-
tage, provided we ever encountered
each other sClin-and I meant that
we should. w. account between us
was not closed by this incident; far
from IL. There in that black water.
struggling to keep afoat, while being
swept resistlessly out into the river,
with no immediate object before me
except to remain concealed by the
veil of darkness, l resolved soiemnly
TO myself that this affair should never
end until 1t was ended right. In that
moment of decision / cared not at all
for Rene Beaucaire's drop Of negro
blood, nor for the fact that she was a
slave In her masters hands. To my
mind she was but a woman, sweet,
lQyahle, girlish woman, in the unre-
strained power of a brute, and depend
ent alone on me for rescue. That was
enough: cared for nothing more.
With silent strokes l waited patient
~ until the steady chugging Of the en-
CINE grew faint in the distance. and
then finally ceased entirely.
Uncertain which way to turn, and
conscious of a strange lassitude. /
made no struggle to reach land, but
permitted myself TO be borne down.
ward in the grip of the water. Sud-
denly something drifted against my
body, a black, ill-defined object, toss
ing about on the swell Of the waves,
and instinctively I grasped at it, rec
ognizing instantly the shell of our
wrecked boat. 1t was all awash, a
great hole stove in its side well for
ward, and so filled with water the
added weight of my body would have
sunk ii instantly. Yet the thing re-
manned buoyant enough to float, and
/ chung to its stern, thankful even for
this slight help.
There was no occasion for fear, al
though became aware that the sweep
Of the current was steadily bearing US
farther out toward the center Of the
broad stream, and soon felt convinced
that escape from my predicament
would be impossible until after day.
light. The struggle to keep afloat was
no longer necessary, and my head
sank in relief on the hands gripping at
the boats stern, while we foated ST.
leptly on through the black mystery.
Suddenly the wrecked boat'sT bow
grated against something immouable;
then became fixed, the stern swinging
slowly about, until 1t also caughS and
! could feel the full volume Of down
pouring water against my body. The
blindly floating boat had dfffted
upon a snag. seemingly the major por-
ton Of tree, now held by some spit
Of sand. / struggled vainly In an at.
tempt to release the grip which held
us, but the force Of the current had
securely wedged the boats bow-sbe-
meath a limb, bare leafless tentacle,
making all my efforts useless. found
a submerged branch on whieha to
stand, gripped the boat desperately to
prevent being swept away, and waited
for the dawn.
1t seemed long while coming and
never did man gaze on more. dismal,
CHASTITY scene than was revealed TO
me by those first gray CLEANS 4dimly
showing In the far east. AllsAbout
stretched utter desolation; wherever