The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-02-20

Young's smile faded.
There is" he said simply. "Once,
when was a kid, was in one place
too long. It's while he's a kid that
a mans habits are formed. got the
habit Of wanting to move, wanting TO
go; wanting TO clear out and get yon-
der until 1t hurt .. hurt like the
devil, sir"
He broke short and the smile swept
back into his face.
mo use trying to explain. I just
want to be gone yonder; that's ALL"
Some day you'll light and do a lot
for yourself, I'm thinking. But
won't try to anchor you; it's no use.
I'm interested though. What rivers II
going TO be this year,"
''Oh, any one of several know lots
Of EN-" He looked at a large map
of the Great Lakes section which hung
on the wall There's the Zhingwauk,
and the Mad Woman and the Blue
berry. Any one of EN- would be a
good bet"
They're all fine streams" Burk-
head rose and walked TO the map, put
ting on his glasses. 1--WE had an opera
ton on the Burberry years ago. We
could have one on the Mad Woman
now, If we wanted it A chap up
there in trouble; bit of more than he
can chew, I guess. West. Tod West
Know the property"
For an instant Kerry did not reply.
NO" he said. I've never been on
the Mad Woman" He rose, bit stiff
ly. TOD West? You're sure?"
Sure Had considerable correspond
ence with him: sent cruiser in there
last winter. Ever run across him"
He looked around sharply when, in
stead of answering, his caller laughed,
a hard and brief and mirthless laugh.
"Once." he said after that "Yes
-. once. :"
|
You never know what's around the
next bend or ar the foot of the rapid
! below you when travelling a strange
river, he had said.
For a week he had been on the
Mad Woman, now. One night he had
camped by a fire tower and talked for
| long with the lonely lookout. Yes, Tod
West was big man in this country.
Another time he stopped for an hour
with an isolated uapper. Vests Land
| ing was thirty miles below. Pretty
soon, now, he'd be going through
| Vests upper holdings. A great fellow,
| Tod, but he'd been hard hit lately,
| folks said. His only operation was in
| pulp and the pulp wood market was
| shot. =.
And so on.
Occasionally as he padded easily
with the current he would wink at
Tip, seated by the packs, and throaty
| laughter would rumble up from his
! chest
CHANGER he said at one Of these
times. 1.-The part chance plays in a
mans life!''
And at night, in his camp beneath
/ the stars. he would lie awake hour
/ after hour, wondering. remembering,
/ teasing himself with the thought that
/ finally. perhaps. he was going to know.
Since rounding the bend far above
! the murmur of racing waters had been
in his ears and. approaching the head
/ of the rapid. he went cautiously.
At the right was a landing, with
signs of many portages on single and
trees. Fires had been built there.
camps made; many boats dragged out
and packs lifted to shoulders for the
carry, rather than risk descent of the
tossing torrent below.
Young was about to step into the
shadows and lead his canoe TO shore
when a fash from below caught his
eve. It came again: the CLINT of after
noon sunlight on something bright.
He lifted the glasses, leveled them
and went slowly rigid.
Two people on the bank at the foot
Of that rapid were in failing combat
He could see a red shirt, its wearer
evidently having just leaped into a
boat beached there. Trying escape, he
was, but another gave pursuit A larg-
er figure this. and as he leaped into
the boat he stumbled and went down
.
ly out into the current.
Again Kerry had that bright CLINT
of reflected light and saw that Ii was
from an cupboard motor, clamped TO
the stern. And now the larger fig
ure was up and the red-shirted one
seized an oar, raised ii high and swung
il smartly at the other.
On thar gesture a word broke from
Young's lips. One word: "Girli" No
man ever swung a cudgel in that man.
ner.
The man in the bow ducked, threw
out hand. caught the oar as Ii
Dashed the gunwale and, with a
wrench. tore it free from the girls
grasp. He tossed it overheard. Then
slowly. menacingly. he went forward.
raising a foot TO step over the thwart
before him.
He stopped. then. and threw out his
arms for balance against the sharp list
of the boat The girl had divedi
"Oh-hor' said Young sharply to him.
self. Tight fix. Ell? Drop. Tip ~
The dog. at his word, fiattened him
self in the bottom. No time for the
carry. now. The girl in such evident
distress was forty rods away by water
how far by trail he did not know.
The canoe nosed silently into the
first suck OF swift current, Young's
eyes sternly busy with the frothing
tumult below He saw where a bar
rier ledge ran out from the right. mar.
rowing the stream down against the
opposite bank. making safe passage
of meager width. He saw where up
standing boulders ripped the current to