Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 308 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

- Se ee — —— Hemlock Hank. 25 Indeed, he was obliged to fight against it in order to strike the point he aimed at. But he did strike it. The skiff was still there, and he reached it. As he seized the gunwale, and drew himself up into the boat, it started, : Only that impulse was needed to detach it from the jutting point of rock. ‘ : Seized by the current as Risden climbed in, . it suddenly whirled around, and darted down the boiling and foaming rapids. He snatched an oar from its rowlock, dropped into the stern, and attempted to guide. the course of tbe craft, It was little that he could do, if anything. As well might a feather attempt to strive with a tornado. He would not have.known how to guide the skiff, if he had possessed the physical strength to do so, and just then ke was so chilled and weakened by his ice bath that he was scarcely capable of any exertion. ; Yet be went down safely. ' With the nee Ong rash of the torrent, among its bidden and. visible rocks, over its falls through its eddies and whirlpools, tossed and dashed and thrown and tumbled about, at times spinning around like a top, again nearly over- turned, and yet again dropping as if from a hight of water, the skiff remained whole and right side up, and safely reacl.ed the foot of the rapids. aa he floated out into the quiet water below, Risden looked back, and wondered, with. all the strength of mind that was left him, how the feat bad been performed, He adjusted the oars, rowed to the shore as rapidly as possible, and made the recovered boat fast, Then, in order to get the ebill out of bis flesh and bones, he exercised himself in running up to the head of the rapids and bringing down the remainder of his clothing, ; Realizing the unpleasant fact that be might be compelled to wait quite a while for the slow- moving Auguste, be built a fire, dried his alothen, and made himself,as comfortabe as he could, CHAPTER XXXY. RIGHT ON THEIR HEELS. ‘* THaT means business,” said Hemlock Hank, as he sadly looked back from the skiff at the solitary form of Dick Risden, standing there on the bank of the river. Charley|Creed in his canoe had ranged up at the side of the skiff... . ‘He was just in time to miss us,” remarked the young man, “f wish to Heaven he had been,” replied Hauk, ‘‘He was jest in time to see us, and that’s what’s the matter,” ‘*How so? At the worst we will have a big start, and will bea long way abead of bim be- fore he gets,out into the river. I am sure that he c.n find no skiff at Hubbard’s.” ‘‘That’s a fact; but he’s a quick-motioned ccrittur, and you know that nothin’ ’il stop bim. ou might sup- He will be on our trail sooner ’n now he knows se. He bas seen us start, an an what to do.” 130) ‘‘So do we,” suggested Mattie, ‘*Yes, miss; there’s consolation in that, and what we’ve got to do is to git down the river as fast as ever wecan. But it’s a long road, and there’s lots o’ chances on the way to hender or stop us. The river is so loaded with logs, that we are liable to strike a jam most anywhere, and that would give us a tarnation set back— beggin’ your pardon, miss, We must caikilate, too, on that detective comin’ down faster ’n wo do when he gits started, He is more likely to it than not. ’ at Sappose,” observed Solon Marley, “ that-I should get off at some point aloug the river, and ve him the slip.” what is just what lam figurin’, old man. But, if you mean a settlement, ora road that’}l reach one, at this time o’ year, we ain’t liable to strike anythin’ of that kind very soon, “‘ What is it, then, that you are figuring on, Haak?” inquired Charley. © ‘You know, my boy, that we don’t mean to let the old gentleman go off alone, or only with Miss Mattie bere.” “7 will go with him, for one.” f ‘So will we all, and my ideais this. If we can reach the Piscataquis afore Risden_over- hauls us—and that’s what we must do—I pro- pose that we go up that river to the head, and then we can easy work over into Moosebead Lake and the Kennebec. It will be bard polin and paddlin’ ag’inst the current, and a long journey; but we can give the detective the slip, and I guess he won’t have the least idee where to look for us.” Charley Creed was highly pleased with this idea, as he would be glad to make any sort of a cruise in the company of Mattie Marley, and he expressed his appep bation, but without stating the cause of bis delight, Solon Marley and his party were equal! pleased, and it was evident that Hank Wards proposition had considerably raised the spirits of the party. : “They id not neglect the duty of increasing their start and getting down the river as rapid- ly as possible. Hank Ward and the Indian took turns at the oars in the skiff, aud Charley Creed paddled bis canoe vigorously and cheerfully, especially after he had taken Mattie inas a passenger, and easily kept up with them. The party was in one respect at a disadvan- tage as regarded the pursuers, here were more of them, and among them were a feeble elderly man and a woman. Consequently they were obliged tospend more time ashore and in camp than two able-bodied men would be, Hank Ward, also, caused several small bits of delay at times, which amounted to considerable in the aggregate. é The river, as be bad said, was ‘‘ loaded ” with logs, and they occasionally met parties of men who were following and watching the logs. Most of them were his acquaintances, and it could be said for bim that be had scarcely an acquaintance who was not also a friend, here were mutual hails, and he usually stopped to communicate with them. This took time, but he ‘‘ calculated” that the delays would peruse profitable to the party, as he was careful to give such instructions to bis friends as might cover or blind bis trail. Charley Creed, with Mattie Marley as hisonly passenger, took pleasure in paddling bis canoe down the swift but placid river, He regarded bimself as her accepted suitor, and, being of a sanguine vepperament, looked forward only to the time when they should reach Bangor, and she should become his wife, and everything should be nicely arranged and happily settled, . Mat ie was unable to take bis enthusiastic and hopeful view of the matter. A bappy termination of the cruise at Bangor was far from her thongbts, Ske knew bow decidedly her father was op- posed to returning to that city, and that his poresas intention was to go anywhere but there, In vain Charley pictured to her the, future efforts of his father and himself to settle Solon Marley’s affairs pleasantly and make every- thing serene and lovely, She knew that she could only follow her father, and that he was bent upon putting him- self out of the reach of the law rather than rush- ing into its toils. et, though escape for him was the only end she was looking forward to, she was no less willing than Charley was to make the most of the present, and they thoroughly enjoyed the moments as they floated down the river. Before they reached the first rapids that were to be run, Hemlock Hank compelled bis young friend to resign his passenger, that she might resume her place in the skiff. He had no idea of submitting to the delay that would be caused by stopping and labori- ously carrying the boats and, their contents around the rapids. It. would be much the quicker.and easier job to run them, and he believed that he and Louis would be fully competent to do that work suc- cessfuliy, But Solon Marley’s daughter was not to be trusted with Charley, who was new to that sort of thing, as well as young and possibly not.over- cautious, It would be quite as much as he could do to menage his canoe, _ The young man, however, succeeded so ad- mirably in managing it that he received plenty of commendation. Perhaps his good fortune was largely due to the buoyancy of his craft, which could not be overturned, and only needed to be kept clear of the rocks, After that he was allowed to take back his passenger, and was not again deprived of her. As for the skiff, Hemlock Hank and the In- dian guided it down the first series of rapids so successfully that its other occupants scarcely experienced any alarm. Mattie Marley was so intently watching Char- ley’s canoe that she scarcely gave a thought to her own danger, and her father looked as if he would bave no personal objection to meeting death then and there, Hank Ward, as the commander of the expe- dition, kept, the boats running as late in the evening as he dared, and at the night camps caused sufficient food to be cooked to last them through the day, as he would not allow any landings that were not absolutely necessary. As everybody bad to be up and away at day- break, this course of travel kept them stirring, and none of the party got any more rest than was necessary, . It was decidedly the opinion of the guide, in which the others coincided, that the detective was surely behind them, and would use his ut- most efforts to overtake them. It was more than likely, too, that his efforts might prove effectual. One morning they started early as usual, and were in a part of the river that was broad, one sphere its surface was quite smooth and plecid. But before long they found themselves con- fronted by a big drive of logs, that were quiet- My. pursuing their way down-stream, almost lling the river, as they floated at right-angles and in all sorts of relations to each other, as if for the purpose of occupying as much space as possible, Hemlock Hank saw danger ahead, and called to Charley Creed to bring bis canoe alongside of the skiff, “We've got to git by that fleet of logs, Char- ley,” be said, ‘and we must do it purty quick,: too, There’sa run of rapids a littl way below here,” ‘* A bad run?’ inquired the young man. ** No, not bad for us. easy enough if we git ahead of the logs, But the river is sorter shoal in places about there, and it’s a darned sight more than likely that sech a lot of sticks will make a jam there,” ‘‘And that’s the kind of jam that we don’t want with our bread and butter.” “Hey? This is a ser’ous matter, my boy. We must git ahead of the jam, if there’s to be one, and leave the benefit of it to them that come arter us, I want you to scoot through that lot o’ logs with the canoe, and be allfired keerful that you don’t git the craft smashed among ’em,” At the word Charley ‘‘ scooted,” and his scoot- ing was to some purpose, He paddled his canoe swiftly, and guided it deftly, omeng the scattered logs, winning from his commande comment, As for being careful, Mattie Marley was in the boat with him, and he could not have taken ereater pains if the canoe had been made of glass, Hemlock Hank and Leuis put the skiff through just as swiftly and safely, and there was a general feeling of relief among them when they found themselves on the lower side of the logs. As they approached the rapids it was easy to see, as Hank had said, that they were not at a!| formidable. The water could be seen breaking over the rocks and shallow places; but there was no roar- ing to denote a heavy fall, Near the upper end of the shoals, and close in to the shore, was a single man in a skiff. was rowing upstream, but evident! merely keeping bis boat in position there, as if waiting for somebody or something. ‘*T wonder what that feller is doing there,” remarked Hemlock Hank. ‘*Look back!’ excitedly shouted Charley. ‘* You had better look up the river, and wonder who is coming there,” All looked back, and Hank stood up in the skiff to get a better view. At the same time the strangerin the other ee alsostood up and glanced in the same direc- ion. What Hank Ward and his companions saw there was calculated to trouble and alarm them, A skiff was coming down the river, above tho drive of scattered logs, It had two occupants, a white man and an Indian, Tbe white man was rowing, and the Indian was seated in the stern, apparently steering _— a paddle, and giving directions to the otber,. Dick Risden was distinctly recognized, and the Indian was of course ‘uste. There could be no doubt that the party below the logs had been seen by the detective, CHAPTER XXXVI. SAVED BY A LOG JAM. HemLock HANK wasso amazed by the sudden appearance of the pursuers, that for the moment he seemed to lose his usual energy and quickness of motion, But he quickly recovered himself, and settled down to business, ‘*Who in thunder would ever ha’ thought they’d overhaul us so quick?” he exclaimed. “‘Iv's a darned good thing that we're on the lower side o’ that timber, while they’re on the upper side, and we must make the most of our chances. Foller me close, Charley, and keep the canoe right in my wake, These rapids ain't rough; but we must look out for the shallow places.” “If that jam you spoke of would form about now,” said Charley, ‘“‘it would be a good bit of gots for us.” ater ; **"Most too gece to hope for. I only wish it <oe Pray for it, all you that have got time oO pray. they reached the head of the shoals, they saw the solitary stranger in the skiff row vigor- a upward, as if to meet the advancing fleet of logs. 14 Then they darted down the rapids, and the passage required all their thoughts and exertions so that they could give no more attention to the man or men above them. If they had been able to lookin that direc- tion they would have seen a sight which they might at least have pronounced queer, : The stranger rowed out into the middle of the channel andi directly up to the logs. He stopped at the first that came down to h*m, and made it fast to bis skiff with a rope in the stern. _ That is, we'll find them’ r various shouts of approving . Gomichdoo <SriGO