The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1854-03-15


we're getting closer 10 the timber; il was
no, more than two miles of, but /, was all
under water except The tons of the trees.
| uas thinking that when the log should
float in among the branches, | might slip
Of and get my hands upon a tree, without
saying anything 10 my travelling compan.
ion. Just al thsi minute something ap-
peared dead ahead of The loQ. Il was
like an island but what could have
brought an island there Then recol.
lecied ihs, | had seen a piece of high
ground about thai part Of The prairie-a
sorl OF mound that had been made by In.
dams. | suppose. This, then, that resem-
bled an Island, was the top of that mound,
sure enough. The log was drifting in
such way that saw i must mass wiihio
twenty Yards of .the mound. | deiermin.
ed, then, as soon as we should get along.
side to pu, on, for il, and leave the pan.
lher. To coniinne his voyage without me.
When first saw The Island, | observ.
ed something that j took fer bushes. But
there were no bushes on the mound, that I
knew Of. However, when got little
closer, discovered that the bushes were
beasts. They we're deer; for spied
pair of bucks horns between me and the
sky. But there was a something still lar
ger than deer. II might be horse, or
an opelous or an OK, but though, il was
horse. was right about that, for horse
it was, or rather, | should say, a mare,
and that mare no other than my own
creature +! After parting company, SHE
had turned with the current; and, as good
luck wnuld have il, had swum IN bee
line for the Island, and there she stood
looking as slick as i she had been creased.
The log had by this lime got nigh enough,
as | calculated; and, with as little rumpus
as possible, | slipped over the end, and
let 60 my holt ofsit. | was not right
spread in the water, before heard plump
and looking a bit, | saw The panther had
lefI The log, and taken 10 the water, loo
AT first, | thought he was after me drew
my knife with one hand, while ! swan
with the other. But the panther did moi
mean 10 be quarrelsonc that time. He
made but poor swimming himself, and ap.
peared glad enough to get upon dry ground
without molesting me so we swan on,
side by side. anil not word passed be.
tween us. Idid not want to make race
of il; so lei him pass me, rather Than
that he shouldffall behind, and get among
my legs. or course, he landed first; and
could hear BY the stamping hoofs, that
his sudden appearance had kicked up
Jolly stampede among The creatures upon
the Island. ] could see both deer and
mare dancing all 0,er The ground, as il
Old Nick himself had got smong them.
None Of them. however. thought Of taking
10 the water. They had all had enough
Of that, guess. | kept rather near, so
as not to land nigh the panther; and then.
touching bottom, climbed quietly up on
the mound. | had hardly drawn my drip.
ping carcass out Of the water, when heard
a 'oud squeaI, which knew to be the whine
Of my old mare and just at that minute
The creature came running up, aud ruhbed
her nose against my shoulder. | took The
halter in my hand, and siding round
little. | jumped npon her back, for | still
was in fear of The panther; aud The mares
back appeared to me The safest place
about; and that wasn't very safe, imag.
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