The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-02-27
CHAPTER VIII.
d
The Dawn of Deeper Interest.


1t tested his skill as boatman tc
locate the exact spot sought amid that
gloom, yet he finally attained to II
closely enough so 1 was able to get
ashore. wading nearly thigh deep In
water and mud but only to learn that
the boat, which had provisioned ear
Iier in the evening, had disappeared
from its moorings. No trace of it
could be found in the darkness, al
though I devoted several minutes, to
the search. To my mind this was pos
ltive evidence that Pete had returned.
accompanied by the two frightened
women, and that, finally despairing of
my arrival, had departed with them up
the river. In all probability we would
overhaul the party before morning,
er.ainly before they could attain the
M Juth of the Illinois. / made my way
back to the keelboat with this infor
nation, and the laboring engine began
TO chug even while / was briefly ex
pla ming the situation to Rene. She
listened almost YEARLY, asking but
few questions, and both of us soon
Iapsed into silence. A little later she
had pillowed her head on her arms
ard apparently had fallen asleep.
I must have dozed myself as the
hours, passed, although hardly aware
of doing so. 1t was faint and dim.
promise more than a realization of ap-
preaching day, yet already sufficient to
afford me view of the shore at our
right and to reveal the outlines of a
rharp point of land ahead jutting into
the stream. The mist rising from off
the water in vaporous clouds obscured
all else rendering the scene weird and
unfamiliar. 1t was indeed desolate
view, the nearby land low, and with
out verdure, in many places over
: flowed, and the river itself sullen and
angry. Only that distant point APP
peared clearly defined and real, with
the slowly frightening sky beyond. l
endeavored to arouse myself from stu
por, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
Rene had changed her posture, but
still slumbered, with face completely
concealed in her arms; but Sam was
wide awake and turned toward me
grinning. at my first movement. In |
stinctively I liked the fellow-he APP |
peared both intelligent and trust !
worthy.
:. Daylight. is it?" l said, speaking
low so as not to awaken the girl. 81
must have been asleep"
'Yas, sab; yer's bin a-noddin' fer
de las hour. All wus bout ter stir yer
UP, sab, fer All reckon as how we's
mos dar."
.'Most where?" staring about incred-
ulously. "Oh, yes, Rassuer creek.
Have we made that distance already?"
oval, we's bin a-goin' ct mighty |
good gait, sab. She amt done fooled |
none on me all dis night" his hand i
laid lovingly on the engine. "Nebber
kicked up no row O. no kind-just
chug, chug, cfiug right long. Pears
like she sorter know'd dis Niger he'd |
ter git away. Enyhow, we bin movin'
long now right smart fer bout four
hours, an Rassuer creek am just
round dat pint yonder-Ah's mighty
sure OBJ dat, sah."
He was right, but it was broad day
light when we reached there, the east
ern sky a glorious crimson, and the
girl sitting up staring at the brilliant
coloring as though it pictured to her
the opening of new world. The pas
sage of few hundred yards revealed
the mouth of RasSuer creek, narrow
but sluggish stream, SO crooked and
upon by the woods as to
be practically invisible from the CEN
ter of the river. The water was not
deep, yet fortunately proved sufii-
GENTLY so for our purpose, although
We were obliged to both pole and ,
paddle the boat upward against the
slow current, and 1t required an hour
Of hard labor to place the craft safely ,
beyond the first bend, where 1t might |
lie roughly concealed by the interven-
Ing fringe of trees. Here we made ;
fast tor the bank. i
assisted Rene ashore, and aided
her to climb to higher level, carpeted {
With grass. The broad river was In
visible, but we could look directly !
Down upon the boEt, where Sam was Z
llready b0sily rummaging through the +
ockers in search OF something to eat. 8
|se ,e ashore presently. bearing
q none and goodly portion J