Evening star., 1939-03-19
HIGH WATER
Continued from pose ton

traffic rOarS on fOur-lane ROAD.
He raced back to his car. He wasn't
needed here. Plenty of men here.
He roared back out the main high
way and sideslipped again into the
muddy trail leading down to Monte
Marvins shanty boat.
At least the doctor had got here!
There stood his car at the foot OF the
hill. Floodwater, spreading out OF the
river bed, was rising above its tenders.
Rain and darkness hid the willows.
Tower drove to the edge of the water,
and leaving his headlights on, jumped
out and waded forward past the
drowning car.
Where was the shanty boat? Not
where he expected it to be. Had he
lost his bearings? He waded deeper.
The torrent rushed past with frighten-
ing noiscs 1t jerked first his ankles.
then his knees. pummelled against his
thighs. Rain beat into his eyes, wash
ing out what sight darkness allowed
him.
A rolling log upset him and tumbled
him into a tangle of bushes. He
snatched at them. at last got to his
feet. He shook muddy water out of his
ears, then indistinctly heard shout.
He answered, ''Scanlon! Doc!
A voice cried. who's that?"
Waist deep. where half an hour ago
he could have driven his car, Tower
struggled toward the sound. shouting
Scanlon's name.
The small boat was almost upon him
before he saw it, 1t came whlrlng end
for end, a gray patch, spinning neon
pruously between trees, where land
should be. A little boat. Not the one
he was searching. The car headlights
silhouetted it briefly He could see the
shape of man, fighting his oars. 1t
was neither Doc nor Scanlon. and no
one else was with him. No woman. No
kid. Tower yelled again.
The flood hurled the boat toward
him. 1t was whipping past when he
plunged after it and caught the gun
vale. The oarsman cried, Whore
you? Where's my family?"
Tower dragged himself into the boat
and crouched on the fiat bottom.
splitting out mud and water. The man
kicked his shoulder, shouting, seen
'em? My wife my kid?'
So this was Monte Marvin. He had
come home - tried to. anyhow. HIS
skiff spun downstream. The willow
thicket suddenly enveloped it, and it
shot out on the other side. where the
shantv boat should be. But wasn't.
Listen. Marvin Tower shouted.
THE kid the woman -. 1t was
a devil of a job. making the fellow
understand.
When he did comprehend, he was
like a man possessed. Keep watch,
then! Watch for 'em!'
Tower got to his knees. AS if it
would do any good to watch! In this
racing current Laden with brush and
wreckage. it ripped left and right,
flung itself in frothing ridges. Ger
tainly nothing in the world could
withstand it. A hulk as rotten as that
shanty boat would crack up at the
first obstruction And if it didn't 49,.
If it didn't. it would 60 over the
falls, five miles below Marvin must
know that. The river plunged down
like a comet from the dam to Chip
peway falls.
Tower found himself padding with
his hands. trying to gain speed He
could see Marvin clearly; a small man.
bareheaded. bald. with bare arms too.
rowing with that furious cadence,
( straining his whole body at every
stroke. A thief. eh? Belonged in Jail?
!. Just now he belonged right here. Took
heart and spine to row like that. And
) something to row for.
The river swung in wide bend.
!, Tower, facing forward, cried. Cut