The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-11-19
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Ainley looked ahead. Downstream
the river narrowed and the low
broad banks about them gradually
rose, until they were like high ram
parts on either hand. The Indian
pointed toward the three-crowned
cliffs.
No good there he said. 1--WE
lqnd here, and make grub; walk
own and see what the water like"
A few minutes later they were
afloat again, and after a little time
here was no need to paddle. The
current caught them and flung them
towards the limestone gateway at
short time they had passed through
the gorge, and were watching the
banks open out on either side Of
them.
There was no sign of life any
where, no indication that n one
had passed that way since time be-
ran. AS they sped onward a Pc
culiar throb and rumble began TO
make itself heard. 1t increased as
they neared the range of hills to-
wards which they were making, and
as the banks began to grow rocky.
and the water ahead broken by
boulders, the Indian looked for a good
place to land.
He found It on the lee side Of a
bluff where an eddy had scooped a
little bay in the steep bank, and
turning the canoe inside 1t. they
stepped ashore. Making the canoe
secure they climbed t. the top of
the bank and began to push their
way down stream.
The river but a few feet below
them. bordered by shelving terraces
OF rock. suddenly disappeared. Roll
ing classify for perhaps fifty yards.
with scarce a ripple on its surface.
the water seemed to gather itself
together, and leap into a gorge, the
bottom of which was ninety feet be
low. AInley stood looking at the long
cascade for a fun minute. a wild
Light in his eyes, then he looked long
md steadily at the gorge through
which the river ran after its great
leap. His face was white and grim.
and his mouth was quivering pain
fully.
Then without a word he turned and
began to hurry along the line Of the
gorge. The Indian strobe after him
Where go tor" he asked.
THE end Of the gorge" was the
brief reply.
An hours wild walking brought
them to the end of the gorge. and
looking down the rather steep face
Of the hill. to the widening river. the
white man carefully surveyed the
banks. After a time he found what
he was looking fora pile Of debris
heaped against a bluff. whose hard
rock resisted the action of the water
IT was about a quarter Of a mile
away and on the same bank Of the
river as himself. Still in silence he
began to drop down the face Of the
hill. and sometimes climbing over
moss-grown rocks. sometimes wading
waist-high in the river itself. he made
his way to the heap of debris. 1t was
the drift pile made by the river. which
al AAAAS punt East Oul LlOLH ilS BOSOM
logs and trees and all manner OF de-
hris brought over the falls and down
the gOrre. a great heap piled in in.
extricahle confusion as high as a tall
fir tree. and as broad as a church
Feverishly. Gerald Ainley began to
wade round its wide base: and the
Indian also joined n the search, polk
ing among the drift-logs and occa-
sionally tumbling one aside. Then
the Indian gave a sharp grunt, and
out of the pile dragged a piece Of
wreckage that was obviously part of
the side and bow Of a canoe. The
Indian put a brown finger on a sym
Dol painted on the bows, with the
letters H. B. c. beneath. Both Of
them recognized the piece OF wreck
age as belonging to the canoe In
which Helen YardeIy had left the
camp.
The Indian cooked a meal, of which
Ainley partook with but little care
for what he was eating. his eyes fixed
on the o-chre-colored water as it swept
by. his face the index of unfathom-
able thoughts. After the meal they
began to track their canoe upstream,
until they reached water where 1t
would be possible to paddle, one of
them towing with a line. and the other
working hard with the paddle to keep
the canoes nose from the bank. A
little way before they reached the
limestone ramparts through which
they had swept at such speed a few
I1,rr- hafn-a fha. Indian uhn ura ~
the towline. stopped and indicated
that they must make a portage over
the gorge. since the confguration of
the cliffs made it impossible to tow the
canoe through. In this task, a very
hard one. necessitating two journeys,
one with the canoe and one with the
stores, they were occupied the re-
mainder of the day. and when they
pitched camp again and had eaten
the evening meal, the Indian prompt
ly fell asleep.
But there was no sleep for Gerald
Ainley. He sat there starting at the
water rushing by, rejecting the Grim
son flare of the Northern night. And
il was not crimson hat he saw it. but
o~chre-colored as he had seen 1t earlier
in the day, hurrying toward the rapids
below, and to that n~inety-fOot leap
into the gorge.
Rising to his feet, he stumbled out
Of the camp. and began to walk rest
lessly along the bank of the river. He
was body-tired, but his mind was ac'
tive with an activity that was almost
feverish. Try as he would he could
not shut out the visions which haunted
him, and as fast as he dismissed one,