Page 135 (1/1)

Three or four times between sunrise and noon they saw life ashore and on the stream; once a scow tied to a tree, then an Indian cae of little clearings With the beginning of afternoon Kent felt groithin hierness It was, at ti for hiuard He used the sweep an to nized many landmarks

By four o'clock, or five at the latest, they would strike the head of the Chute Ten e and he would work the scow into the concealer would he fear the ar As he planned, he listened From noon on he never ceased to listen for that distant putt, putt, putt, that would give the of the approach of the patrol launch

He did not keep his plans to hi uneasiness, and he hts

"If we hear the patrol before we reach the Chute, we'll still have time to run ashore," he assured her "And they won't catch us We'll be harder to find than two needles in a haystack But it's best to be prepared"

So he brought out his pack and Marette's smaller bundle, and laid his rifle and pistol holster across thean to change, and Kent s upon swifter waters There were places where the channel narrowed, and they sped through rapids Only where unbroken straight waters stretched out ahead of theh ht water he added to the speed of the scow Marette helped hilorious body as it worked with his own never grew old She laughed at hi oar between them The wind and sun played riot in her hair Her parted lips were rose-red, her cheeks flushed, her eyes like sun-warmed rock violets More than once, in the thrill of that afternoon flight, as he looked at the marvelous beauty of her, he asked hi but a dreahed joyously, and paused in his swinging of the sweep, and proved that it was real and true And Kent thanked God, and worked harder