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U N IV E R SIT Y O F OREGO N M ÔNTÜLY
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The Undertow
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‘ ©Q-K s h a r p e d m an‘W $ o u . will be taking a,.plunge
in the Willamette.' On & ,st$m y night like this
.'we need -.electric lights in dur district,”
a This w as. my dntrodu^ipfi'/^d’M ^ ^ ftO ^ d ” in
Portland. The cold swishink waves MmetimeSj-
breaking "dyer the pontoon ïwalls, emphasised'\thfe
I , caution oC;tny friend. .
• 'We were in the Hob Hill end of Vscow-tdSm” where site locat
ed sonje of the1 finest and mo^t prosperous yseows ^ p 'th e river, .By
u o means palatial, b u V ^ W u^'C ontaining at legist twoWbopis.
• • The black figure striding on a'head'^Pme, barely Visible through
the gathering gloom, -was one of my-Adldest and < dearèst-‘ chums,
Howard Beaumont. M e owned one iyrge house boat dn ifhtf^river
and had recently'brought it from its, summer mooring on Ross
island down to . its winter g a r t e r s ‘i n'/s'Cd^-town. Here- it -$a9.
left in chargé, o£ Mfc i Moore, an old .sailor and a leading light in the
political • life of -the im m u n ity .
On this particular fgyening, Beaumont had .asked jme t© come
over and spend the night* and following d'Oy with him. H e ^dpsired
to straighten the place up and pué everything in shape for winter.
I So with an armful pf dailies' and a few late magazines, I trudged
aloug'-^i-th him.
I can hardly, explain the feeling'that came-over me asT/stumbled
along the narrow walk, past the
box houses' floating On the
watgt. It w ys'not-a feèlmg’V ^ fear, bud?rather of fascinatidn not
altogether .pleasant. A feeling qf gloom seemed to have taken pos
session ph? me, completely submerging my former I |dy, and reekles^
ùess ’ as the inky darkne&S that had -"s'ettled down M g the river,
pierced, here and tfiereyby a twinkling light from a nearby SCft<;
had overcome' the bright daylight.
The J& ofibeam was a eozyHittle affair .and, thanks tp 'th e little
oil hearter, we wereSddn able t© remove our top éoâts/and makfe,dfc-
selVes- entirely at home.
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I Clouds that had been gathering all the afternoon began to show
1 active, signs and the fain was soon coming down in torrents. The