The Free Rangers eBook

Joseph Alexander Altsheler
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 344 pages of information about The Free Rangers.

The Free Rangers eBook

Joseph Alexander Altsheler
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 344 pages of information about The Free Rangers.

The river widened and narrowed frequently, but always it was very deep.  It was not beautiful here, but the vast current flowing between low shores had a somber majesty all its own.  Its effect upon the imagination of every one of them was heightened by the knowledge that the stream had come an immeasurable distance, from unknown regions, and that in the coming it had gathered into itself innumerable other rivers, most of which also had come from lands of mystery.

They stopped one morning in the mouth of a clear creek that flowed into the Mississippi, and decided to spend the day in making repairs, a general cleaning-up, and a search for fresh food.  It was the universal opinion that they would profit more by such a halt than by pushing on regardless of everything.

It was a beautiful spot in which they lay.  They had gone about a hundred yards up the creek, and its waters here, about thirty feet across and five or six feet deep, were perfectly transparent.  But this silver stream the moment it entered the Mississippi was lost in the great, brown current, swallowed up in an instant by the giant river.

The banks of the creek were low and on either side brilliant wild flowers grew to the very water’s edge.  Ferns, lilies, and other plants of deeper hues, were massed in great beds that ran from the creek edges back to the forest.  Tall birds on immensely long and slender legs stood in the shallower water and now and then as quick as a flash of lightning darted down a hooked bill.  Invariably the bill came up with a fish struggling in its grasp.

Beautiful flamingoes hovered about the bank and many birds of brilliant plumage darted from tree to tree.  Few of these sang, except the mocking bird, which gave forth an incessant mellow note.  But it was a scene of uncommon peace and beauty and all felt its influence.

Henry looked at the creek and the forest through which it came with an appreciative eye.  He knew because the waters of the creek were clear that it must flow through hard, firm ground, and he was thinking at that moment of a plan which he intended to carry out later.

Their first work was with the boat.  In its long voyage on the river it had gathered mud and other objects on its bottom.  This they could see perfectly now that it lay in the clear water, and Shif’less Sol and Jim Hart volunteered to scrape it with two of the shovels that were contained in the invaluable store house of “The Galleon.”

Their offer was accepted, and taking off their clothing, they sprang into the water.  Once a huge cat fish from the Mississippi, unused to man, brushed against Long Jim’s leg, its horn raking him slightly.  With a shout Long Jim sprang almost out of the water and clambered up the side of the boat.

“Somethin’ big bit me!” he cried.  “It took one uv my legs with him!”

“It’s only a scared cat fish and you still have two legs, Jim,” replied Henry laughing boyishly, because a boy he was in spite of his size and experience.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Free Rangers from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.