as gone from its mooring before he reached the
bank! He could see plainly the space where it had been. The other boats
were safe--but the fourth--. He stopped short on the bank for one brief
second weak with relief. The fourth barge, which was holding it
temporarily. The water by some miracle it had jammed against the third
barge which was holding it temporarily. The water was slapping against
the side that was turned to the stream and the other was bumping,
bumping against the stern of the third boat but the loose barge was
working a little closer to the current with each bump. A matter of five
minutes more at the most and it would have been started on its journey
to destruction.

Bruce sprang to the stern of the third barge and dragged the loose
bow-line from the water. It was shorter by many feet--the stout, new
rope had been cut! It was not necessary to strike a match--the starlight
was sufficient to show him that. He stared at it, unable to credit his
own eyes. He scrambled over the machinery to the stern. The stern-line
was the same--cut square and clean. If further evidence was needed, it
was furnished by the severed portion, which was still tied around a
bush.

There was no more sleep for Bruce that night. Bewildered, dumfounded by
the discovery, he rolled himself in a "tarp" and laid down on the boat's
platform. So far as he knew he had not an enemy in the town. There
seemed absolutely no reasonable explanation for the act.

XIX

AT THE BIG MALLARD

The sun rose the next morning upon an eventful day in Bruce's life. He
was backing his judgment--or was it only his mulish obstinacy?--against
the conviction of the community. He knew that if it had not been for
their personal friendship for himself the married men among his boatmen
would have backed out. There was excitement and tension in the air.

The wide, yellow river was running like a mill-race, bending the
willows, lapping hungrily at the crumbling shore. The bank was black
with groups of people, tearful wives and whimpering children, lugubrious
neighbors, pessimistic citizens. Bruce called the men together and
assigned each boat its place in line. Beyond explicit orders that no
boatman should attempt to pass another and the barges must be kept a
safe distance apart, he gave few instructions, for they had only to
follow his lead.

"But if you see I'm in trouble, follow Saunders, who's second. And, Jim,
do exactly as Smaltz tells you--you'll