The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-11-20
CHAPTER K.
The Loss of Rene.

harsh, cruel laugh. the crash of
planking, a strange, half-human cry
Of fright from the negro-that was all.
The sudden violence of the blow must
have hurled me high into the air, for
| struck the water clear of both boats,
and so far out in the stream that
when 1 came again struggling TO the
surface j was in the FULL sweep of the
current, against which | had to strug-
gle desperately. In the brief second
that interviewed between Sans shout
Of warning and the crash Of the two
boats / had seen almost nothing
only that black. menacing hulk, loom
ing up between us and the shore, more
like a shadow than a reality. Yet now,
fighting TO keep my head above water
and not to be swept away, / was able
TO realize instantly what had occurred.
| had been mistaken; Kirby had not
fled down the river; instead he had
craftily waited this chance to attack
us at a disadvantage. Convinced that
we would decide to make use Of the
rowboat, which he had left uninjured
for that very purpose. and that we
would venture forth Just so soon as
the night became dark enough. he had
hidden the stolen craft in some covert
along shore to await our coming.
Then he sprang on US, as the tiger
| springs on his prey. He had calcu-
lated well, for the blunt PROV of the
/ cnnnAfn0 Ennlhnnf hnI otrsrnH 40
| squarely. crushing in the sides of our
frail craft and fiinging me headlong.
What had been the fate of the
others I could not for the moment de-
termine. The darkness Swallowed ev-
erything, the bulk of the keelboat
alone appearing in the distance, and
that shapelessly outlined. The craft
bore no light, and had it not been for
a voice speaking l doubt If I could
have located even that. The rowboat
could not be distinguished-it must
have sunken. or else drifted away, a
helpless wreck. The first sound my
ears caught. echoing across the water.
was an oath. and a question "By
-! a good Job do you see that fell
low anywhere?'
Nav" the response a mere growl.
He's a goner. / reckon never knowed
whit hit him. jedgin' from the way
he upended it,"
"Well, then he isn't likely to bother
us any more. Suppose he was the
white man?"
"Sure he wus; IL wus the niger
who was up ahead. We hit him, an
he dropped in tween Their boats, an
went down like a stone. He never
yeeped but just onct, when 1 furst
sr!pned Their girl. | don't reckon as
she wus hurt ct all leastwise / lever
aimed fer ter hurt her none"
HAS she said anything?"
"Not q ID twitter; maybe she's
tainted. / dunno. but that's ther way
femsics do. What shall I do with
the bird, Kirby?"
"Oh, hold on to her there awhile,
long as she's quiet. I'm going TO try
the steam again, and get outside into
the big river. H. man, but this
hasn't been such a bad nights work"
The steam began to sizz, settling
swiftly into a rhythmic chugging. as
the revolving wheel began TO churn
up the water astern. Confident of
being safely hidden by the darkness,
I permitted the current to bear me
downward, my muscles aching pain
fully from the struggle, and with M
other thought in my mind except to
keep well out Of sight of the occu-
pants OF the boat. To be perceived by
them and o%vertaken In the water
meant certain death. while IL they con-
tinued to believe that l 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 colliding 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
to be recognized by Kirby. In a meas
ure this afforded me a decided advan-
tase, provided we eve encountered
each other again-and I mean that
we should. The account between US
was not closed " this incident; far
from it. There In that black Sater,
struggling to keep afioat. while being
swept resistlessly out into the river,
with no immediate object before me
except to remain concealed By the