Our Fellows

ides his skill as a wrestler, it was the coolness an

rcely be induced to move one step faster than his ord

ss to lift hand or foot, but when the decisive moment came, and action could be

t chance of escape. The Swamp Dragoons and the man in the t

strong man had given up his life, and toward which he was being hurried with lightning speed. But all this time he knew what he was

efuge—a huge sawyer, one end of which was imbedded in the mud at the bottom of the

ok at his canoe; but it had already disappeared, and was being smash

water and seating himself on the sawyer; “did

ones of his voice that he would have been much better pleased if he had gone into the cavern with t

where his canoe had disappeared, then at the angry waters about him, and finally he fa

ons into whose company he had

e swamp, lived a colony of people who gained a livelihood in some mysteri

ow crouching in the branches of the tree, glaring down at Mark l

I have spoken, who seemed in a fair way to follow in the footsteps of

organization, and their officers

in the tree, and his distinguishing badge was a squirre

ant, sported a coonskin cap a

f, holding a whispered consultation, and now and then looking

at length, addressing himself to the captain of t

want to know,” replied Barney, angrily. 78“The

omfortable sitting here in my wet clothes. If you will tell me how to

hat do y

een going

” demanded Luke Redman, in a tone of v

e over his shoulder toward his skiff, whi

oused in an instant. He followed the man’s glance, and one look was enough t

come down the bayou, same as you did, an’ got ketched in the current an’ upsot;

the row-lock of your ski

don’t see

can see you. There hasn’t been any thing going on here, eh? I know better. There are eight thousand dol

down the bayou, intending to escape to the river with his booty, and cross into Louisiana; and it is probable that he wou

e had, by the merest accident, caught in the row-lock, and tha

ing up and down in the water, as th

ark’s bold announcement of

close, and looked at Luke Redman, whose face turne

h of his enemies, was disposed to be impudent. “When I get back to the settlement, my

shouted Luke Redman, “an’, what’s more, you shan’

very well what the man meant by thi

n’ tell ’em what you’ve done seed here to-night? I hain’t quite so green as that. Halloo, there! Sto

dy who witnessed it. While the man was speaking he had risen to his feet, and, balancing himself on the sawyer

her toward the cavern. The sawyer was situated near the edge of the latter current, and Mark was sure that a good jump an

mazement 82of Luke Redman, he reached the smooth current in safety, and struck out

f he had been a feather. He heard loud ejaculations of rage and alarm behind him, and caught just one glimpse of the Dragoons,

you until he passed the bluffs and reached a spot where the water once more spread out over the swamp, and t

crawled out upon the dry ground and turned his face homeward, he told himself that he had done something to be proud of: He had swum over the falls—and that was a feat that no one in the settlement had ever at

nd for five long hours he trudged along the road in his wet clothes,

out ten o’clock, and I do not suppose he ever saw a more astonished fam

tely; while father and I donned our rubber coats and boo

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