Evening star., 1941-08-31


must direct
Below this thunder water was the place
where lily pads lay flat on still black pools No
water breaking in white flashes, but only the
tranquil lovelness of white lily blooms. Per-
haps the lilies would soon become funeral
flowers.
1t was at the same time few short seconds
and several billion years - then the canoe
came pouring with the river into the sky
Aiye! He was an eagle soaring.
Then he was fitting down, down, down, in
sparkling spume, with the bow of his canoe
overshooting the water into the SUM- Down
and down "a screaming eagle - dropping
from the top of the world into tall spruces -.
Into rocks also! He could see now. Below,
through this trough of white foaming hell, were
black snags of rock. All, but between the rocks
there must be water. And the canoe still sailed
right-side-up. So why should he die? ALI those
who had come before had died. But that was
because the water ran higher or lower in the
gorge, or because their canoes had struck rocks,
or overturned in the eddies or
AIYE he was in it! Out of the air and into the
water Into the rocks and the roar. The spray
beat overhead as in solid wave. A whirlpool
rapids seized the canoe, spun it - flung it clear
to bob among the lily pads in the still black
pools below. He could see the lilies! No, funeral
flowers they we're.
The next instant the waterlogged canoe
turned over, as mstfs Andre, stirring back to
consciousness, thrashed in uncalculated effort
They splashed ashore together, Poleon and the
revived Andre, virtually into the arms of the
Mounted Police!
There was the whole patrol, the Sergeant Alt
ward and all. For once those red-coat police
were not glib with words They stood in the
willow scrub and stared in frank jaw dropping
wonder
Against his wet clothes m6tis Andres chest
was swelling, and with the fast returning of his
wits he was talking in his accustomed wide
way:
Trough the rapids an over the falls we came
Thees wan =" His hand waved out toward
Poleon - ''he object. But l tell him. these
red-ooat p1ice are trail the mad killer also. If
we are to beat them we have no time to go by
the safe route. We mus TAX our chance in the
Rdbides -du Mort were nevair man before has
gone an lived
Poleon stumped forward unsteadily on his
short legs. Listen to me W at say -" But he
was SO choked with water and outraged anger
that the words caught in his throat
Nets Andre. who was always 50 quick with
the right words, said, Don pay him some
attention. He shake hans wit the willows
from were have to hit him on head wit my
paddle. In great fear he refuse to run the
rapids have much trouble wit him, oui He
has delay me greatly"
Poleon ground his teeth. To have earned
that tracking job, only to have Andre snatch
it from him at this last moment -
But then the hard fiat voice of the Sergeant
Altward cut through his despair, as to Andre
the sergeant questioned:
"If Poleon is the coward as you say, and you
had to hit him on the head with your paddle,
then why is the bump on your head instead of
Poleon's? Why did we meet Poleon going in the
opposite direction on the other branch of the
river this morning? Wasn't it because Poleon
tossed away his lead in the chase to go back
and rescue you when you blundered down the
wrong fork of the river? Are you such clumsy
tracker, Andre, that you cannot see signpost
on an island?"
Andre hung his head and said nothing.
Poleon couldn't understand at first. But after
moment he did. What could Andre say with