The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-02

/, trapping. The river, flowing wild,
threatened death. But beyond YVES
comfort.
Kenly Lounsbury, fresh from the
Office where he had amassed wealth
by his wits, wanted that comfort.
| Cant you try the ford?" he de-
manded of Bill.
! Sure. if you want" answered
/ the wooCsman. tall, straight,
squares houldered, not a daredevil
but not lacking in courage.
! As Bill rode into those gray and
I terrible waters on Mulvaney, u
horse whose mettle equaled his
riders, Virginia Tremont's first in
stinct was to call him back, but
for single second she hesitated.
Then she pressed forward to the
/ waters brink on Buster, mount
with heart of steel but lacking in
the stamina that had given Mui-
vaney name throughout the
Clearwater.
/ "Oh, come back" she finally
found words. 'BronsOn-B.ll-
come back. Oh, why did l ever let
you &C,
For Bill cid not look around Al
ready the sound of the waters hal
ctscuTed the voices on the shore.
Again she called. unheard. Then
she dashed her horse with the bride
rein.
The animal strobe down into the
water Vosper, his craven soul
whimpering within him, had fallen
to the last place in the line, but
Lounsbury tried to seize her bride
as she pushed forward.
4 where are you going. you little
fool:" he cried. Come back
The girl turned her head. Her
face was white You told him to
go in she replied ''Now-it's the
sporting thing-to follow him
The water splashed about her
horses knees.
Ahead CT her. dim ghost in the
nalf-light, Bill still rode on toward
me opposite shore. And now-full
halfway across-he was in the full
force of the current.
1t was all too plain that his horse
was battling for its life.
But Mulvaney was true. Per-
haps some of his riders strength
went into his thews and sustained
him Slowly the water dropped
lower. He was almost to safety.
At that instant Bill glanced
around, intending TO warn his
party not to attempt the crossing.
He saw the dim shape of Virginia
close behind him, riding into the
full strength of the current
All color swept in an instant
from his face, leaving it gray and
/ ashen as the twilight itself.
He knew that Busters strength
was not that OF Mulvaney, and he
couldn't live in the deepest, swift
est part of the river that lay before
her.
Turn back" he said Turn
your horse, Virginia as you
can"
! At the same instant he turned his
own horse back into the full fury
Of the torrent
Buster wheeled. struggling to
/ keep his feet. Mulyaney pushed
on, clear to the deepest. widest
portion of the stream. And then
Virginia's horse pitched forward
into the wild waters.
In the half-light it was impos-
sible even for Bill to follow the
lightning events of the next sec
ond. He saw the horse struggle,
flounLer. then roll on his back from
the force of the current 1t swept
him down as the wind sweeps a
straw And he saw Virginia strug-
gle to shake loose from the saddle
He had but an instant's glimpse of
white face in the gray water, Of
2 hof- fhaf cd in cfo NJ g
realization of faint cry that the
waters obscured.
He knew the terror of that gray
reason to believe that b.: no pos
sible effort of his could he save the
girl; he would only throw away his
own life, too.
Yet he was out Of the saddle al
most the instant that the waters
engulfed her. He sprang with his
full strength into the stream.
On the bank the two men saw it
as in a dream. They called out in
their Impotence, and they gazed
with hoTror-widened eyes. The
waters swept the struggling fig
ureS down the stream and out Of
their sight
Mulvaney, riderlesS, was battling
toward them through the current.
The storm recommended, tie
wind walled in the spruce tops, and
the snow sifted down into the gray
waters.
Bill Bronson had no realization
OF the full might of the stream
until he felt it around his BODY.
He swan with his eyes open. full
in the current, and with a really in
credible speed. And by the mercy
of the forest gods almost at once
he caught a glimpse of Virginia's
dark tresses in the water
The man seemed simply 10 lean
through the water. And in an in
slant more his arm went about her.
Give yourself to the current"
he shouted. And hang on TO me-"
He knew this river. They wer.
just entering upon a stretch of
water dreaded Of old by the river
men that had sometimes piled
down the stream in their fur-lade~
canoes place of jagged rocks and
crags and powders.
Even in the shadow of death she
was aware of the strong wrench
of his muscles as he swan, the
saving might of his powerful
frame. She knew that he was not
afraid for himself, but only. for
her
I'm TO now she had NOT apt,rod