New-York tribune., 1842-02-02

l
;-deed Of another planet-a niue
,,,, ;slet of better world napPs P'ot.'e'
.,... Spring prairie folks, thought /. Havins
ia ,,pcb luxuriant experience IN mud navigation,
nv first care was to address myself TO group OF
men and inquire the road for the future With
,,,gbr;ous shake of the head one of them told me
.I.at for seven miles to come there was now and
rhen dry spot sticking out of the marsh. but that
! worse road there hardly could be- The rest
himed in, and one told how he got soughed, with
10 load and others of narrow escapes. I'LL my Tr4nd
.vas fairly made up for the worst. As we passed
IN, and crossed now and then wet spot OF little
lnte did not cease TO lo.k for the horrors IN
tore, until huge tavern and rising courthouse
old me we were indeed at Elk Horn. phioSo-
,hiscd, and discovered that all these people were
,ones, but that the first lived In the woods, ana
a them a road that could be passed was good
me; while the others lived on smooth prairie
md to them little inequality fearful obsta-
.le I repeat it-wcrr | to take pedagogy
would give weekly lessons on highway direc-
ions.
But am to record an adventure that did not
row out Of misdircction, the details of which II
not interesting to readers, 7rere certainly so to the
parties concerned Years agone, when Indians
ycre plauty. and white women were not, lit these
,;lr,s my friend Ralph and had been out IN the
cgions of Sugar River for hunt. After wander
ng sufficiently, and shooting sufficiently, and see
nc merry deer which we did not shoot at, started
,r home. II was late in October. and the day
hort at best, threatened to be shorter still for US
Che clouds, which had been growing dark and de-
crrninod, began to pour down rain in heavy. >eety
lrops: and before we could reach Rock River,
vhich we had to cross, night had fairly set IN
We gave ourselves no great uneasness, however,
we had left our canoe snugly tied by the bank
the morning. But reaching the spot, what
vas our CONSERVATION perceive 1t gone We
rawled through the bushes, up and down the
trr,am, and felt for it, for seeing well ont OF
ne question: but III vain. Gone it vas, and some
cd-llidc had got it, down whose throat VIC did not
orget to wish it. But what was to be done ,
|
cpt the skies, and they seemed at this juncturc
,articuarlv eaky and cull.nder-like-and to
ulling for u canoe it was mere expense. There
vas /; ford near where teams had crossed in tic
,immcr; but the water rather high, and pos
ibly cold. It was our only resource, however, and
it we took ourselves BY this time the rain was
clring it's mcrricst. The wind blew a stiff tune,
md US to seeing the best tllat could be done
vas to look on shadows, and rather dark ones too.
The river was about forty rods wide, and ran Rock
liver always does, Us though in hurry. Wciouh
he road, however, and began to shape our course.
\ny one who has looked long and steadily for an
biect and Just US he is about to discover it has
lin come over his aye, can guess how long it took
o see any object by which to shape our course
lcross the river; and nasmuch as the ford was
little crooked, some such guide seemed convenient.
night be the road on the other side. We started
n, bu, the fog was thicker the surface of the
water than on the bank, or / had been deceived;
or I could no where discern any thing but the
lccp, and MI at once were getting up to our
arms. How deep did you call this ford = said
Ralph About three feet said /, Then they
must be India Rubber ones" said ne. We are
90 far upstream, said my friend We are too
ow' said I. +" Certainly TOO iom for this depth of
,vater," said Ralph. But wka, can be done p
70 swim with gun and bag of game is not
asy in so swift and cold stream. Lee us try it
higher up said I. But to walk upstream in four
md a half feet water with all Rock River crowd
NJ you down stream, with no foot-hod but loose
;ravcl stones, is easier thought than done. So
urncd back, and regaincd shoaler spot; and
lavng travelled up piece tried it again. We
IRE too high up, tell You, said Ralph, as ne
'lungcd again into to his chin. In short.
tried it upstream and we tried it down
stream; till neither Of us had any very clear con-
,cpiion of our whereabouts. Ralph declared the
liver was running the wrong way Let Gala
council of war, said l. Present, captain and
irs, lieutenant" said my friend Now for once.
dear reader, imagine yourself in the mds, of
river of an uncertain depth, in an October night;
the wind bowling and the rain pelting though
the holes in the clouds were the size of hens eggs,
with no very definite ideas of your losns IN quo
. Let ne go back and take a new start, said
Ralph. But which shore are You going for? /
inquired. The came from, said he
Doubtful said l. ;" ] am certain, said he. Now
we stumbled sver rough gravel, then plunged into
holos Now the river ran like mill race, and
then held up if for fresh start, while Ralph
whistcd and sung alternately, as he had more or
less breath TO spare. Al last We were among the