The Arvada enterprise., 1920-02-26
cHAprsR viii.

CHAPTER vii.
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TN 0awW u Deeper Intsesst.
n TESTED his skin % q boatman to
loeats he enact spot sought amid that
doom, yst he finally attained to It
closely enough 70 I was able to get
ashore. wading nearly thigh deep in
water and mud. but only to learn that
~ boat, which had provisioned ear
bse n the evening. had disappeared
ffs0 IT. Haoorings. No trace Of It
eesld b found In the darkness. al
tho0sA devoted several minutes to
tAs search. To my mind this was pos
tive evidence that Pete had returned.
oeeo0panied By tee two frightened
ws0sa. and that finally dsspairing Of
NJ arrival. had departed With them up
~ river. In all probability We would
overhaul The party bsfore morning.
ssrtainly before they could attain the
0o0tA of the Illinois. I made my way
hack - he keelbQat with this infor-
0atioo, and the laBoring engine began
b chug even while was briefly az
plaining he situation to Rene. She
listened almost wsarily. asking but
tsw questions. aud. both Of ~ soon
lapssd into silence. A little later she
lad pillowed her head on her arms
anA apparently had fallen asleep.
] must have dossd myself a. the
Aosrs passsd. although hardly aware
e dolng %. Il WAS faint and dim, Q
promise moes than . realisation Of ap-
UroaeAiag day. yst already sufficient to
a1oed ~ view q the shore at our
night al - reveal the outlines Of q
ehaEp peint e land ahead juttins into
tAs stream. Ths mist rising from OF
~ water n vaporous clouds obscured
an else. rse6seiag the scene weird and
unfamiliar. Il WAS indeed . desolate
vSsW. tAs nearby land low. and with.
ct vordure. In many places over.
0oWe6, and The river itself sullen and
tAcy. Only that distant point ap-
psared elS6fiy ds6nsd and rlai. with
~ slowly beishtsning sky beyond. I
seds9xQno6. n arouse myself from stu
pes. f666lks tAs sleep from my eyea.
1sos had changed her posture. but
Gtil Glmhaysd, With face completely
ed6cs1led IN kse arms; hat Sam was
wi6s awake and turned toward me
s!iAnlns. at my nrst novement. In
stiDctivsly I liked tAs fellow-he ap-
Dsarsd both Intelligent and trust.
veethy.
Daylight. y Mp said. speaking
low . % not to awaken the girl. n
must have beso asleep"
"Yas. sab: yer's bin a.noddin' fer
q las hsur. Al wus bout ter stir yer
Up. sah. fer An reckon % how we's
mos dar."
Most whersr' staring about incrsd.
ulossly. "Oh. yes, Rassuer creek.
Have W made that distance alrsadyr'
wal. we's bin a.soin' ct . mighty
goed gait. sab. She amt done fooled
Bone On me all dis night" his hand
laid lovingly on the engine. "Nebber
kicked up no row o no kind-just
ehus. chus. chuG right long. Pears
like she sorter know'd dis Niger he'd
tss git away. Enyhow. we bin movin'
hong now right smart fer bout four
Aours, an Rassuer creek am jtst
round dat pint yonder-Ah's mighty
sure Oh dat. sah."
He was right. but II was broad day.
hight when We reached there. the east.
ssn sky . glorious crimson. and the
siri sitting up staring at the brilliant
colorinG ~ though II pictured to her
the opening Of new world. The pas
sage Of a few hundred yards revealed
tie mouth Of kassuer creek. = narrow
bot sluggish stream. 70 crooked and
sncroachcd upon By the woods a. to
b practically invisible from the cen
ter Of the river. The water WAS not
deep. yet fortunately proved SUN.
cisntly % for our purpose. although
~ wsrs obliged to both pole and
paddle the boat upward against the
slow current, and Il required an hour
q hard labor to place the craft safely
bsyond the nrst bend. where II might
~ roughly concealed BY the interven.
iAg fringe Of trsss. Here We made
fast 70 the balk.
! I assisted Rene ashore. and aided
AsR to climb to Q higher level. carpeted
with grass. Ths broad river was IL.
visible. but ~ could look directly
Down upon. the boat. where Sam WAS
already busily rummaEing through the
lockers 10 search Of something to eat.
Ne came aahore presently. bearing
ssos essa poee und goodly poetioa