Westbrook High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Westbrook, ME)

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The Blue sub white 25 hastened toward the camp. A shower of sparks met them and they were driven back. The bear had scattered the coals of the cooking iire among the dead leaves! Make for the raft I' made for crossing the river! shouted the guide to the hunters. He himself hurried again towards the camp, to get some necessary things, but it could not be reached. Quickly abandoning this attempt, he followed the other men, and crossed with them to the other side of the stream. No sooner had they landed than the trees began to burn on that side, sparks having blown across into them. Then Joe pushed the raft to the mid- dle of the stream, and let the current take it. Bump! bump! The raft swayed dangerously. Lay down flat! ordered the guide. The raft then began to go from one side of the stream to the other, plowing into rapids, bumping into rocks, and each time nearly tipping over. How long can -- Crash! went the float against a rock. Steer it ashore: we're nearing the Bend? The guide tried it, but the pole that he was using was not stout enough. Crack! and it was broken short off! Catch hold of the edges! cried the Indian, as the frail craft entered the Great Bend with the speed equal to an express train's. At times it bounced completely out of the water, and at other times it sank out of sight in the whirl of water. Thus it had made its way about half through the Bend, when it struck a snag, lurched to a. perpendicular position, and stuck solid. The three men were hurled into the water with great force. The two hunters were dashed upon the rocky shore, unhurt, but this good fortune failed the guide. Now unconscious, he continued his wild course down stream, shooting over rapids into the whirlpools at their base, rushing on until he finally was hurled ashore half a mile below the Bend. After a long hunt, his companions found him and restored him to health. To this day, he is the only man who ever went through the Great Bend, and lived to tell the story. I Thus the name Hazy-River Joe was bestowed on him, and even now he is known by no other. uf as It an s an In south-western Canada, about a hundred miles from the border, there is a very treacherous stream called Hazy River. Before power plants were established along its banks this river was noted for its very swift cur- rent and enormous stretches of rapids. The most dangerous part of the stream is at a place known as Great Bend. It is the most northern point of the river, and the point at which the stream turns and ilows southward. This place is made up of a series of tumbling rapids, uearlyhalf a mile in length, where the dark waters pour over immense rocks with a thunder- ing roar, throwing continuous showers of white spray many feet into the air. At this point the river is about a hundred feet in width, and its shores are lined with jagged cliffs, while its surface is dotted with snags. In parts of the Bend the water rushes over boulders so large that the roar can be easily distinguished long be- fore the stream is sighted. For the greater part of its length, this river ilows through endless forests which are inhabited by wild animals of all kinds, and the country is so wild and rugged that for many years it was visited only by Indians and a few of the more daring white men. Many times have men tried to

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24 Ghz Blue anim white arrived just in time to see the daily train continue it journey, leaving be- hind the usual crowd of expectant fall hunters from the States, who came yearly to this region to hunt big game. Suddenly two tall young men sprang forward and slapped the Indian on the shoulder. Been waiting for you for a week, he exclaimed. With a hearty hand- shake and welcome, the three men went to Joe's cabin, where he pre- pared a light meal. When this was over, they sat down and discussed hunting trips of past seasons, and the prospects of the present season, near the sources of Hazy River. ae w as 4 wk s Five days later, three very tired- looking men journeyed laboriously down the slopes of a steep, thickly- Wooded hill, towards the foaming torrents of Hazy River. The leader was dressed in the usual Indian garb, as were also the other two, with the exception of red flannel shirts, which replaced the buckskin coat. All had large packs over their shoulders, which they immediately cast off when when the stream was reached. After refreshing themselves with a drink from the cool waters, they set to work to arrange a camp. Two small, white tents were first set up, one for a liv- tent, and the other to sleep in, and having ditched these, they began to collect a large amount of fuel. In such ways they spent two days in preparing a permanent camp. On the third day, they started on their first hunting trip. It was very early in the morning, and the usual autumn chill was in the air. The leaves on the trees were just begin- ning to turn red and drop to the ground, presenting a picturesque sight as the hunters trudged quietly along. About nine o'clock, they came across a fresh moose trail, but, al- though they followed it until nearly sunset, they were not able to over- take their quarry. One good fortune resulted from the day's toil, however, for the moose had circled toward their camp, and when the hunters aban- doned his trail he was only about two miles from it. That night they erected a crow's nestf' that is, an inclined platform made of brushwood, amid the branch- of a tall tree, and after making a moose-call out of birch bark, they climbed up to their tree hut. Aftem it had grown to be very dark, the guide ,began to make long drawn-ou1 calls on his horn, and finally, after 2 very long period of waiting, a simila: noise was heard in the distance. Th4 call was repeated and the mooset answer drew nearer, until at last f crashing sound was heard near a hand, but not exactly from the direc tion from which they expected th moose to advance. Waiting until th Indian gave the word, the two hunter fired simultaneously. A roarin sound followed, and some huge an mal charged directly toward thei camp. At the same time anothe sound was heard from another poin' as another large animal dashed awa from the scene. You hit a prowling bearg moo: got away! Then came a crashing and rattlir noise, as the bear struck the row l kettles arrayed around the fire to dr Quiet followed, however, and tl bear was heard no longer. But in few minutes another sound could l distinguished-a dull, roaring soun As it increased in volume, J climbed hastily down from the ne: followed by his two companions, an

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26 Qiibe Blue :mb white shoot these rapids, but up to the point of our story, no one has suc- ceeded, and those who have attempted it have either been drowned or killed by being dashed upon the rocks. O. S., '16. Tolly, the Amateur Detective JUNE 17. Now that school is closed, perhaps, I'll have time for my diary again. There's one thing about diaries-after you have kept one long enough, you see that things really do happen to you after all, even if you seem to be having a sort of dull time as you go along. And it's still worse when you have such an awful name as I have-Tolman Oourtenaye Smith, called Tolly for short. My mother got it out of a book. I suppose that's why none of the other boys have such names, but are just plain Tom orJim. I was twelve years old last week. QOne must always write numbers out in words, unless they are very big. Teacher says so.l I think it's about time I decided what Pm going to do when I grow up. I've thought of everything. There's dentists, and cowboys, and sailors, but I guess I'll be a detective, and what's more, I'm not going to wait till I get awful old. 1'm going to begin now, and hunt for clues and things, like Sherlock Holmes. A JUNE 20. It certainly is funny, but just as soon as I decided to be a detective, along came a mystery! To be sure, it wasn't like having a mur- der, or lots of diamonds stolen, but it's most as bad. Our big dog, Jip, has disappeared! Now, of course, Jip was kind of bad sometimes. Aunt Clare hates all kinds of dogs, and she always hated Jip, who felt a a similar dislike for her. He always barked when he saw her, and one day a while ago, he ran off with a whole leg of lamb which happened to be in the kitchen. But otherwise, Jip was a fine dog, at least we boys and Uncle John always thought so. We never would let him be punished, nc matter what he did. Jip and I were great friends. It seems kind of lone- some now. It has been two days since we have seen him. I thoughtl might as well begin practicing being a detective, so I looked around fo: foot-prints, but there so many every where in the road, that I gave it up Jip wouldn't wander away by himsel anyway. Probably somebody stolf him. JUNE 21. A clue at last! I wa out this morning with Tom Randal and we had a great time. He had half a dollar to spend, and there's on thing about Tom, he isn't a bit stingy Tom is fourteen, so he always ha more money to spend than I do, bu fifty cents, all at once, is a lot eve for him. But he said this wasn't any thing--it was only the remainder of whole dollar he earned three or for days ago. He absolutely refused 1 tell me how he earned it, even whe I said cross my heart and hope ' die. That was queer, for we haw always told each other secrets. B1 I don't care, I paid him back by n- telling him about being a big d tective. We were having a fine tin and then I began to tell him aboi poor Jip. I told him how Uncle Jol said held have the one that stole killed Jip arrested, if he could iii him. Just then Tom ,said he had