Part 14 (1/2)
Then the Indians, alive to this new danger, disregarding bullets, rose to their feet and paddled desperately, the one in the stern see not to know that the broken stick he held was useless They knew that the evil spirits had reached up for their canoe and were drawing the worse than death Their faces became drawn and terror-stricken
Faintly, and as a voice far away and unreal, they heard Manikawan's taunts as she ran down the high banks of the river, keeping pace with the doo to destruction:
”The men of the South are cowards They are afraid to die The evil spirits are hungry, and soon they will be fed Their voices are loud
They are crying with hunger The men of the South will feed them”
XII
THE TRAGEDY OF THE RAPIDS
The two adventurers rilled over the coals, with keen relish, though they had neither salt to season it nor bread to accoht be worse,” reood, and,” he continued, lolling back lazily and contentedly before the fire, ”there's always soht the darkest cloud--we've no dishes to wash A rinse of the tea pail, a rinse of our cups, and, presto! the thing's done I detest dish-washi+ng”
”Aye,” admitted Bob, ”dish-washi+n' is a putterin' job”
”Yes, that's it; a puttering job,” resumed Shad ”But now let's co upon rabbit, I've been told, becomes monotonous, and under any conditions imprisonment is sure to become monotonous sooner or later I have a hunch it will be sooner in our case I' to do about it?”
”I'm not knowin' so soon,” confessed Bob, ”but I'm thinkin' before this day week dick an' Ed an' Bill will be huntin' around for us, an'
they's like t' find us, an' when they does they'll be findin' a way t'
help us They ht build up th' place down there with stones, so's t'
oin' ashore”
”But suppose they don't come around this way and don't find us?”
”Then I'm thinkin' we'll be bidin' here till ice forms”
”Till ice forms! And ill that be?”
”An' she coin formin' th' middle of October on th' banks But th' current's wonderful strong, an' I'll not be expectin' ice t' cross on till New Year, whatever”
”January first! October! November! December! Three months on this God-forsaken bit of rock! Great Jehoshaphat, man! That'll be an eternity! We can't endure it!”
”I'm not thinkin' we'll have to I'm thinkin' they'll find us in a fortni't, whatever,” reassured Bob, rising and picking up the axe
”We'll be needin' a shelter, an' I'm thinkin' I'll build un now”
”And we have no blankets with us!” exclai to have a swell ti with a shelter, now I'll be cuttin' th' sticks, an' you breaks boughs”
”All right, Bob, I'll get the boughs,” agreed Shad, languidly rising, and as he went to his task singing:
”'Old Noah, he did build an ark, Heto Gideon's band, Why here'sfor a home