Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-04-24

spirits seemed to rush together across
the waters.
Without hesitation Lee and the In
dian put their horses into the river.
They drove the frightened beasts
through the ice-cold water, making a
course Immediately toward the boat,
which was now being swirled by the
torrent toward that black chain of
| projecting rocks.
| The horses yielded to the force of
the stream. They were being carried
away. Lee felt the swift rush of the
water past him as he rode, submerged
to the waist. He saw Leboeuf little
in front of him. And a wild exhila-
ration filled his heart, and his whole
personality seemed to rush out before
him, anticipating his vengeance and
! his love.
The frightened, snorting beasts
were now helpless in the rush of the
river. which gathered force momen-
| tarily as it drove them toward the
rocks. They were hardly boats
| length from where Railway was
| striving desperately to right the motor
| craft.
| He was too late. He had not cal
| culated on the force of the current,
which slowed the heavy boat around,
| in spite of Railways strongest eff
| forts. One moment of suspense and
| terror-and the motor boat wedged
| itself fairly between two outstanding
| rocks beside the channels mouth.
Such was the velocity of the stream
that it drove into its place with
force that fixed it as firmly as if II
were part of the rocks themselves,
and chung there, with a swirl of white
water around it, reaching almost to
the gunwales.
In those last moments Lee saw
Railway. standing in the boat, drag
Joyce to her feet and clutch her to
| him, as If resolved to be united with
| her at the last. His free hand he
extended menacingly toward Lee as he
approached, himself spinning upon his
whirling mount like a straw in the
| torrent.
Then Leboeuf had struggled from
his horses back, poised himself upon
the gunwale of the motor boat, and.
with a below of rage. seized Rath-
way by the throat.
TO and fro they rocked, the boat,
despite their struggles, remaining
firm as q wedge. And now the great
shoulders of the old Indian were drag
ging his enemy from his place.
What Leboeuf said to PATHWAY in
those last moments no one ever knew,
for the roar of the rapids drowned all
other sound. But of a sudden Rath-
ways resistance seemed to cease. Per-
haps in Leboeuf he recognized the adj
vent of that Nemesis he had defied;
he collapsed, and Leboeuf, holding
him in his arms, poised himself one
instant on the gunwale.
The next both men had disappeared
forever in the surge Of the rapids that
swept them through the falls, grind
ing them into unacceptable pulp
among the rocks.
Lee grasped at the boat as his horse
swept by to its destruction. He
chung there, clambered in. His arms
were about Joyce. She lay there,
and they forgot everything in the
peace that had descended under the
veil of the smoking spray.
1t was long before they awakened
to realities. They looked about them.
smiling at q their position. Death
seemed so small thing to them, now.
And yet, the boon of life :. how
much 1t meant
Lee crept to the bow. The boat,
wedged firmly between the rocks, was
nevertheless being constantly swept
sidewise by the swirl of the current.
He came back to Joyce.
''If / could dislodge her, believe
she'd go through that channel in the
rapids, Joyce. I'M have to try"
Joyce sighed. They would have
liked to prolong that happiness of
theirs for all eternity. They were un-
conscious of all but each other.
But they must put their love to
the last test of life. Lees clothes
were freezing on him; in the boat
were packs, supplies-life, life for both
of them if she could take the rapids.
"rll try. Joyce"
They held each other for moment
longer Then, taking the oar, Lee
drove the handle into the gap between
the rocks and levered with all his
strength. The boat began to give.
One instant it hung giddily on the
abyss; the next 1t was back in
position.
Lille down. ,Joycei"
And he flung all his strength into
that attempt, conscious that life and
death trembled in the balance.
The boat gave, chung to the rock,
was swept sidewise, righted herself
and plunged down the channel to
safety in the calm waters below.
Lee, dearest, It's from Father Nc
| Grath. He wants us to come up to
| the settlement this summer He's got