The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 3 — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RIVER OF DARKNESS. : 521 The first sensation was one of uncontrollable fear, and they hung with all their might to the logs, expecting every instant to be tossed into the water. Round and round spun the raft in dizzy revolutions, until their heads were dizzy and aching. ‘Then the harsh roar subsided, and in a little while the raft became quiet and rested on the surface of the water with hardly a quiver. And now they ventured to sit up. ‘They appeared to be moving with the velocity of a railroad train. On both sides, a few yards from the raft, smooth walls of rock were visible. Overhead was empty space. ‘“Tf this could continue,’’ said Guy, ‘‘ we should reach the end of the river in a few days.”’ ‘It won’t last,’’ said Forbes gloomily. ‘‘ We’ll soon run across some bad water.’’ His fears were shared by the rest, but as time passed on and they con- tinued to speed smoothly between the rocky walls, they began to feel less apprehensive of danger. . “ Bildad seems to be feeling quite chipper,’’ said Guy. ‘‘ Suppose you ask him how he tricked that serpent, Canaris.’’ ‘Well, I'll try him,’’ was the reply. The conversation commenced, and the harsh jabber which they carried on was very interesting to the rest of the party. ‘“Bless me; you’d think the Greek was talking in his own tongue,’’ remarked Sir Arthur. ‘‘ Reminds me of our old Greek professor at Balliol College, Oxford. He loved the language of the Athenians so much that he hated to use the English tongue at all. Worst of it was he expected all of us to be as fluent as himself. Made us talk Greek in the class room. I'll never forget how we got even with him. Lord Somebody or other—I can’t recall the name now, but it was some celebrated man—visited the college. I don’t suppose he knew Greek from Hottentot, but we made the professor believe it was a famous Greek scholar who was coming, one who had been making excavations on the site of old Troy during the past four years, and who, strangely enough, was then in England and expected on a visit to Oxford. The professor prepared an elaborate address in pure Greek, and when the visitor entered the class room he delivered it in the most eloguent manner. ‘** What’s that fool talking about?’ asked the visitor. ‘‘“QOh,’ says young Ormsby, who was sitting near me, ‘he’s lecturing the class on “‘ Political Economy in Ancient Athens.’’ He’ll be through in a moment and able to receive you.’ : : ‘‘The visitor left the room highly insulted, and the professor, when he discovered the truth a day or two later, nearly took apoplexy.’’ As the laughter that greeted this little reminiscence of Sir Arthur’s ceased, Canaris finished his conversation with Bildad. “Tt is difficult to converse with him,’’ he reported, ‘‘ but from what I can learn he dived from the very embrace of the serpent, and succeeded in swimming to the other canoe, which he had turned adrift only a moment or two before. Without paddles or food he floated behind us into the lake.’’ Comicoookxs (S@)