The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-11-20

rose quickly TO MS IeeL IN OrQeG TO
get a better view of the object which
had suddenly floated into his line OF
vision. 1t was a canoe.\ 1t appeared
to be empty. and thinking il was a
derelict drifting from some camp up
river, he threw himself down again,
for even if he salved it, 1t could be
of no possible use to him. He won
dered whether the current would
swing it clear; and now watched it
with interest since he had once
heard a river-man declare that any
thing that surrendered itself COM
pletely to a current would clear OBJ
structions. He had not believed the
theory at the time. and now before
his eyes it was disproved; for the
derelict swung straight towards the
rocks, then twisted halfway round
as it was caught by some swirl. and
struck a sharp piece of rock broad
side on.
Then happened a totally unexpected
thing. AS the canoe struck a girl
who had been lying at the bottom,
raised herself suddenly, and stared
at the water oversize. one hand
clutching the gunwale. A second
later the canoe drifted against another
rock and suddenly tilted, throwing the
girl into the broken water.
BY this time, taken by surprise
though he was, Stane was on his
feet, and running down the bank. He
did not stop % launch his canoe but
just as he was flung himself into the
water. and started to swim across the
river, drifting a little with the cur
rent. striving to reach a point where
he could intercept the girl as she
drifted down. 1t was no light task
he had set himse'f for the current
was strong. and 9~ried him further
than ne intended - go. but he was
in front of the piece Of human fiotsam
which the river was claiming for it's
prey. and as it came nearer he
stretched a hand and grasped at it.
He caught a handful of chestnut hair
that foated like long weed in the
rivers side and the next moment
turned the girl over on her back
She was unconscious. but as he
Elimpsed at her face. his heart leaped
for it was the face of that fair Eng
before he had been dreaming.
He looked for something else to
hold by. and finding nothing. twisted
the long strand of hair he had yrpped
into a rope, and held it with his teeth
Then he glanced round. The current
had carried him further thar@ he had
realized, and now uuickened for its
rush between the rocky ramparts. 80
that there was some danger of their
being caught and swept through. AS
he realized that, he began to exert
al his strength, striking across the
current for the nearest bank. which
was the one farthest from his camp.
A hundred yards downstream a
huge tree, by some collapse Of the
bank, had been flung from the posi-
ton where 1t had grown for perhaps
hundred years. and now lay with
its crown and three-quarters of its
laden with earth, still chung to the
hank and fought with the river for
its prey.
In a moment, as it seemed, they
had reached it, and now holding the
girls ha.r firmly in one hand, with
the other he clutched at one Of the
branches. He caught IT, and the next
moment was unexpectedly ducked
overhead in the icy water. He came
up gasping, and then understood. The
tree was what in the voyager's nomen-
clature is known as sweeper"
Still held by its roots It bobbed up
and down with the current, and the
extra stran of his weight and the
girls had sunk it deeper in the water
1t still moved up and down and he
had not finished spluttering when
new danger asserted itself. The suck
of the current under the tree was ire
mendous.
p In a second, as it seemed, the tree
leaped like a horse and the water
swept him and the girl under the
trunk Scarcely were they under
when his free arm shot out and flung
itself round a fresh bough which
fioated level with the water. I'm
mediately the bough bobbed under,
hut he was prepared for that, and
after a brief rest, he set the girls
hair between his teeth once more,
and with both hands free began to
work from bough to bough. One that
he clutched gave an ominous crack.
It began to sag in a dangerous way,
and at the fork where it joined a
larger branch a white shit appeared
and began to grow wider. He
watched it growing, his eyes quite
steady, his mind alert for the emer-
gency that it seemed must arrive,
but the branch held for the space
of time that he needed 1t; and 1t
was with heartfelt relief that he
grasped larger bough. and the next
moment touched bottom with his
feet.
At that he shifted his hold on the
girl. towing her by a portion Of her
dress, and two minutes later lifted
her beyond the water-line on the high
shelving bank. The next moment he
had her in his arms and was scram-
bling up the bank.
Gasping he stood looking at her
until he had recovered his breath, the
girl unconscious OF his gaze; then
when he felt equal to the task, he
plunged again into the river and
swan to his own camp. A few min
utes later he returned in his canoe,
carrying with him a field water bot.
tie filed with medical brandy.
The girl lay as he had left her,
and his first action was to pour few
drops of brandy between her parted
lips, and that done he waited, chatting
her hands. A minute later the long
dashed eyelids fluttered and opened,