"The Englishman," he muttered. "He's let the canoe git away from him
at the head of the Run, likely, when he's gone ashore. He'd never have
tried to shoot the Run alone, an' him with no experience of rapids."
But he was uneasy. He decided that he would get his own canoe and pole
up through the rapids, just to satisfy himself.
Tug Blackstock's canoe, a strong and swift "Fredericton" of polished
canvas, built on the lines of a racing birch, was kept under cover in
his wood shed at the end of the village street. He shouldered it,
carrying it over his head with the mid bar across his shoulders, and
bore it down to the water's edge. Then he went back and fetched his
two canoe poles and his paddles.
Waving Jim into the bow, he was just about to push off when his
narrowed eyes caught sight of something else rolling and threshing
helplessly down the rapid. Only too well he saw what it was. His face
pale with concern, he thrust the canoe violently up into the tail of
the rapid, just in time to catch the blindly sprawling shape before it
could sink to the depths of the pool. Tenderly he lifted it out upon
the shore. It was battered almost out of recognition, but he knew it.
"Poor devil! Poor devil!" he muttered sorrowfully. "He was a man all
right, but he didn't understand rapids for shucks!"
Then he noticed that in the dead man's right hand was clutched a tiny
child's jacket. He understood--he saw the whole scene, and he swore
compassionately under his breath, as he unloosed the rigid fingers.
Alive or dead, the little one must be found at once.
He called Jim sharply, and showed him the soaked red jacket. Jim
sniffed at it, but the wearer's scent was long ago soaked out of it.
He looked it over, and pawed it, wagging his tail doubtfully. He could
see it was a small child's jacket, but what was he expected to do with
it?
After a few moments, Tug Blackstock patted the jacket vigorously, and
then waved his arm up-stream.
"Go, find him, Jim!" he ordered. Jim, hanging upon each word and
gesture, comprehended instantly. He was to find the owner of the
little jacket--a child--somewhere up the river. With a series of eager
yelps--which meant that he would do all that living dog could do--he
started up the shore, on the full run.
By this time the mill whistles had blown, the screaming of the saws had
stopped, the men, powdered with yellow sawdust, were streaming out from
the wide doors. They flocked down to the water.
In hurried words Blackstock explained the situation. Then he stepped
once more into his canoe, snatched his long, steel-shod pole, and
thrust his prow up into the wild current, leaving the dead man to the
care of the coroner and the village authorities. Before he had battled
his way more than a few hundred yards upwards through the raging
smother, two more canoes, with expert polers standing poised in them
like statues, had pushed out to follow him in his search.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account