Published by The Dalles High School, June edition, page 9-12 LITTLE BIRCH CANOE The party was composed of about twenty youthful enthusiasts canoeing on Rush River. In the canoe "Vixen", sat Fatty Smith and Jane Chestier. Fatty was blonde, with considerable avoirdupois, and a perpetual laugh. Jane was slim with raving red hair, and a choice array of freckles. They were in a very romantic mood, and perhaps that is why the "Vixen" had gradually drifted away from her companions. Suddenly the impulsive Jane, upon seeing a bright streak in the languid water gave a shriek of surprise and reached out for it. Fat Yelled a tardy warning, and presently, the two, dismayed and alarmed by the cold plunge, were making swiftly for far off land. It is to be said to poor Fat's discredit that he was a miserable swimmer, and soon tired; while his fiery haired darling made swift, steady progress to the nearest jut of land. Bedraggled and tired, she dropped down on the warm sand, and slowly recovered her senses. Her red hair hung around her face, "like sea-weed on a clam:. Upon rousing she thought of her chum. She surveyed the water, and the land in every direction, but Fat was gone! She called, whistled, but to no avail. Overcome by his sudden disappearance, she sat on the sand, surveying the nearest turn in the stream for inspiration. Should she try another swim, keep calling, or rest and await developments? She thought the latter was horrible - - for what if --oh, unthinkable woe! --what if he were drowned! Suddenly her own plight dawned upon her. As far as eye could see, there were dunes and bushes. In frantic consternation, she gave one last look over the water and dashed up the beach. After an hour's trudge through brush and sand, Jane found herself near the beach whence the canoes had started in the afternoon. It was getting dark, and after a long anxious wait, the boats came drifting in one by one, and greeted the girl with cries of thankfulness and surprise. They had been in search of "Vixen" ever since the disappearance. No Fat? No. No one had seen a sign of him. Poor Jane, footsore and sad, began to cry. Bob Litton, Fatty's old time rival came gallantly to the rescue by starting the company over to the cars. It was late, he said, and dark, and nothing could be done till the party reached home. This was sound reasoning, so within ten minutes, the despondent crowd was speeding towards Centerton. In the back of Bob Linton's car, was Jane, her head buried on Alice's shoulder, and three more of the girls trying to reassure her concerning Fat. A searching party soon returned to the lake, while several of the girls spent the night with grief-stricken Jane. About three o'clock in the morning the girls were silently sipping tea made on Jane's chafing dish, trying to wait patiently for news of Fat. "It was all my fault--" cried Jane. "All--all--oh why did I lean over the edge--why-oh,why--, and Fat such a poor swimmer too." And then her eye fell on his ring, and she helplessly choked on the cookie she was nibbling. Then the phone rang, and Alice ran to answer it. "No news?" the girls cried. Alice shook her head. Helen yawned and the girls decided to get some sleep. The next day was a harrowing one. None from either the "Dittoe" or the "Nightingale" Clubs was present in classes; an air of melancholy pervaded the corridors, for the news had spread like wildfire. On the evening of the following day, all hopes were given up. The Smith household was in mourning. Two or three canoes disappeared from the pond, and were converted into kindling wood. It seemed as if never again could youths glide down the Rush Stream as before. Fatty, the life of the "Dittoes", was no more! Bob Linton sent flowers and comforting epistles to Jane, all of which helped matters very little. On the fourth day after the accident, memorial services were held in the church. The "Dittoes" and "Nightingales" were there "en masse". Not a smile issued forth save from Bob Linton who couldn't resist it when Jane appeared wearing some of his rosebuds. Alice, Helen and Laurie were all with Jane ascending the steps of St. Luke's when a familiar "toot" was heard around the corner. Alice spoke to Helen in an angry tone. "The horrid thing! Who on earth would take Fat's bug out, and jazz around in it on a morning like this! There's something wrong." Jane's quick ear heard it too, and turning about the girl let out a scream partly fear, partly surprise, and partly joy. There at the curbing was the little red striped "bug". And there--no--yes--it was he--there sat Fatty--not an angel but the same old laughing Fatty of the "Dittoes". A chorus of screams exuded. The "Nightingales" made a mad rush down the steps, and the poor boy was fairly mobbed. Meanwhile the boys in the church who had heard the racket were angry as wolves. "Who the deuce came tooting by here in Fat's "bug"! ejaculated one of them. They rushed out. Then Fatty had his second on-rush. All but Bob Linton, who after a few short words, leaped into his car--and away. (Alice declares he was contemplating suicide. But that is nothing to us.) Then Fatty, with Jane beside him in the "bug", told his tale to the rest of the group around them. "I am a bum swimmer, and there was the main trouble. I can float though--as long as a log, so after I saw Jane headed for shore--and as I knew I couldn't help her, I swam until I reached the overturned canoe, and then I decided to get to shore. Well--I can't explain it -- I got in a swift current and the canoe left me, and the only thing was to float. So I floated, getting farther away from land all the time, because I couldn't swim in that current. I must have sped on for about an hour, and then I put in a good fight, and got out of the current and onto land. I supposed I was at Forde Junction. I soon reached the railroad track, and since I didn't have a cent, I boarded a freight car on the first train headed for home." And about that time in the story Fatty yawned. "Go on!" cried the bunch. "Well, here's the joke," and Fatty laughed. No one else saw any joke. They'd been through too much to see any joke at all! You see I fell asleep." "Asleep!", cried Jane. "Yes," Fatty smiled, "The sun made me sleepy, and --" "You poor fish," exclaimed Ellis Brooks in disgust. He was a tall and wiry "Dittoe" who couldn't stand Fat's sleepy tendencies. "Well,--they must have switched off that five o'clock freight because when I woke up at about ten that night I found myself in Bridgewater, and the train was being loaded. "Bridgewater!" screamed Helen. "Mon Dieu," from Jack. "Well, I was in a mess all around. I looked fierce, and I hadn't a cent, and well--I thought of Joe March. I phoned from the freight depot, and he came down in a hurry. He got me a car, and I started straight for home the next morning." "Why didn't you telegraph?" said Jane. Oh just wanted to surprise you all, and any way, although the train was quicker, I wanted to make the trip over the Bridgewater highway--never had been over it." Jane moaned. Suddenly her eyes blazed at Fat. She jumped out of the "bug", stamped her foot, and rushed over to the Chester car. She was soon out of sight. Whether Fat finished the story of his absurd and thoughtless escapade, I do not know--but I do know that neither the "Vixen" nor any other canoe ever sailed down the old Rush River with Fat and Jane Chester again. In fact--just a short me after, Bob Linton was seen crossing five dances on Jane's program at the Junior Prom, and her red curls flounced haughtily away whenever Fatty's smiling face dared show itself in the vicinity. - Marion Lay Submitted by Earline Wasser