Part 9 (1/2)
”Say, boy, wot yer doin' inupon the shore who asked the question
”ExcuseI just found his hat on the seat here Did you see anything of hiear? Say, boy, thet's no laughin'
matter,” and the burly fellow looked at the youth kindly
”I know it I am afraid he tuht in his head”
The burly individual whistled softly to hiht, arter all,” he half mused
”Sary? Who do you mean?”
”Sary's my wife She woke me up about five o'clock this mornin' We live up in the shanty yonder Sary said she heard somebody moanin' an'
yellin' down here I said she wuz dreaht hev been ate?”
”No; it war too stormy I listened, but there wuz no more of the noise arter Sary waked hty sorry fer yer If he did go over his bodyway down stream by this time”
”Poor father!” It was all dick could say He and his parent had been alone in the orld, and now to think that his only relative was gone was alo down if yer want to,” went on the burly individual ”Ye can leave the craft at Woolley's ot to hustle fer a doctor”
”I will take a look around in the boat,” answered dick, and, having procured the oars, he set off The current was so strong it was not necessary to use the blades, and he had all he could do to keep the craft froainst the shore or the other boats which lay along both banks
On and on the rowboat sped, until about a quarter of aunusual had yet been noted, yet the boy kept his eyes strained for soht still be ith the only one as left to hiht with a shi+ver ”He had all of ourI would be left a pauper, and, worse than that, without a single relative in the orld Oh, pray Heaven he is spared to ster!”
It was a wild cry, co across the river Now he turned to behold his craft rushi+ng swiftly toward the trunk of a half-subed tree which the storm had torn away from the shore
The river was alrasped the oars, intending to turn the boat from its mad course But the action came too late Crash!+ The craft struck a sharp branch of the tree with fearful force, staving in the bow co into the boiling and foa current
[Illustration: ”The next instant the boy was hurled headlong into the boiling and foa current”]
CHAPTER VIII
EXPOSING A SWINDLER