296 FUR FACTS 



gotten fully under headway, although all hands on board were making 

 great exertions to take in sail. Another huge lurch now brought the 

 starboard side of the vessel out of the water nearly as far as her kneel, 

 when the cause for Wilson's command was obvious enough. The 

 body of a man was seen to be affixed in some manner to one of the 

 chains. After a series of unsuccessful attempts, during lurches of 

 the boat, they finally managed to detach me from my perilous posi- 

 tion and get me into the rescue boat. It was fully three hours, 

 following my rescue, before I showed any signs of life, although the 

 men were working constantly with my arms in an effort to induce 

 respiration. 



After resting a few^ hours in the cabin of the ship I went ashore 

 and made my way back to my stopping place in New Orleans. 

 Leaving New Orleans, I took the train for St. Louis, and a week 

 later I found myself approaching the Henderley homestead. 



The house, gloomy upon my first visit, was even more so now; 

 all the curtains were drawn, and but for the small column of smoke 

 that issued from the kitchen chimney, one would assume the house 

 to be devoid of occupants. This feeling of depression was not a 

 little relieved when the door opened, however, for instead of looking, 

 as I expected, into the dusky face of the housekeeper, I was staring 

 into a pair of wondering blue eyes. 



At this time Alice appeared more beautiful than ever before. 



As soon as I was in the house I began to relate the harrowing 

 incidents of the past four weeks. She evinced not the slightest 

 interest when I told her of her uncle's tragic end; she only sat for a 

 long time and gazed blankly into space, shivering slightly as I told 

 her of my narrow escape. 



I found out later that Henderly had secured possession of all of 

 Alice's property and by some forgery had produced a will which 

 appointed him her guardian. He had been very cruel to her, 

 especially when on one of his drunken sprees, and it must have been 

 a relief to be rid of him; but she rarely ever mentioned his name 

 afterwards. 



In the weeks that followed I came to know Alice better, and, 

 knowing her, I came to understand her and to love her more than I 

 ever thought it possible to love anyone and always will. 



I still keep up my trapping and every winter manage to send a 

 few good shipments of furs to my old friends, Funsten Bros. & Co. 

 in St. Louis. There are still plenty of small fur-bearers for the man 

 or boy who wants to trap. There is still the same thrill and romance 



