A Pagan of the Hills

gave way and the rafts were swept out the thing would probably happen by noon and there were few telephones in this sparsely peopled community. Yet the device was

masses of logs manned by brawny fellows who at other times never saw the world that lay "down below." Hastily reared shacks rose on the floating timber islands and bonfires glowed redly. The crews sang wild songs and strummed ancient tunes on banjo and "dulcimore." They fortified themselves against the bite of the chill night air from the jugs which they

ered vastly from the present situation. It differed just as riding a spirited horse does from trust

thar?" inquired a tall young man, whose eyes were reckless and dissipated, as a

al kin undertake hit, I hain't none more timorous then what she air." And to that frankly spoken sentiment he added an inward after-word. "Folks 'lows thet she hain't

ose and each of them was a man conspicuous for recklessness and wildness among

compared them with the human beavers who had moiled there through the night. It wa

s for shelter upon the rafts it seemed to Will Brent as safe a propos

t he was not craven, and if a girl was going to trust herself to those chances o

sycamore roots that jutted out of the precipice,

of his daughter, had fallen at last into an undisturbed sleep and the doctor delivered himself of the first encouragement that h

s that had been held taut to the snapping point. With a step suddenly grown unsteady

ush of repressed tears threatened a flood like the one wh

emotion. After a little period of respite she let herself out of the door into the rain th

conditions across the ridge, as a pulse-beat gives the tempo of the blood's current. One could look at it and estimate with fair accuracy how fast and how high the river was rising. When a rotting stump beside the basin o

k were calling her to prompt and hazardous action. She fell to her knees and clasped her hands in a clutch of desperation. "God, gi

ver that held her in a tormenting suspense of indecision, but the hard choice betwe

eside the bed. For all its breadth of shoulder and six feet of height; for all it

r brother rose from his knees with

n a tense voice. "These hyar

nd that had been raised to strike his father down and that beyond hysterical vehemence his indignation would come to nothin

she must temporize with his just wrath, "Paw he's done exacted a pledge thet ne

first wave of passionate indignation, Joe McGiv

lost. Ef we fails ter save this timber hit'll jest erbout kill P

fine a pattern of physical fitness as his sister exemplified, but in his eye

't tell him what I seeks ter do. I hain't fearsome of leavin' ye ter watch after h

t. Five minutes later she stood looking down on her father's cl

her, a rifle leaned against a chair and a pistol was slung in a hol

ld be too late. If she arrived on time there was, of course, no turning back. It should be recorded to his credit that no man had guessed at his inner trep

into frenzy. He had seen the misshapen wreckage of houses and barns ride by, bobbing like

d ready at the long sweeps with which, fore

ed about her. Perhaps she had no eye just now for a thing that Brent had

om ther city-an' this hyar's liable ter be a rough trip. I reckon I ought ter warn ye whilst thar's still time ter turn b

rt response. "I'm taking no grea

against the rising crescendo of that battering from beyond

ide but some had recourse to the steadying influence of the pocket flask. Between the gorge's sides they had swift glimpses of racing flotsam that had yesterday been dwelling houses a

he dam

ucking tongues had licked out boulders that upheld the formation as a keystone holds an arch. It went into collapse with an explo

l of precipice, caromed off and ground against the other. About the edges, it had gone to splinters but the core still held. The second raft, by some miracle, rode through without collision to ride tilting about the curve into the channel proper. Brent saw, through dazed and uncertain eyes, figures bending to long

peaceful voyage. Now down the center of the river they swept at tide-speed. At either end of each raft men bent to the sweeps in the task of their cr

approached her he decided that this was not the time to improve acquaintanceship. Her air of detachment amou

bler's strut as, with amused eyes, he watched the backwoods lady-killer. Jase had heard many of the old wives' tales of Alexander and thought of her as one, ambitious of amorous conquest, may think of a famous and much discussed beauty. Had she been another woman, Jas

r to her with an i

ch he himself rather fancied, "we hed a rig

oolness of the glance that she turned upon him

aid Alexander curtly. Then she added, "An'

vity of these hours, for him to boast to his fellows that it would be interesting to wat

ly conceded. "A gal's got a rather es ter what name she's ter be called b

e fidgeted his hands. Eventually he drew out a flask and having uncorked it he ceremoniously wiped the bottle's mouth with the palm of his hand. "Let's take a

their expression, the girl reached

at it for a moment, then with a swift g

anger seemed a tame and little thing to the wrath that

th an utterance that cut like a zero wind, "I'm boss an' I a

vy irony and Alexander replied

taring after her with so malign an anger that the men within ear-shot sti