The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-08-29
COUNCIL BLUFFS, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1857. Il

were well into the Wabash, having entered
it about three O'Clock.
"You viii call me at n,dnight," J" ! said
drowsily.
sYes, J" he returned.
ssGood night"
0Good Highland pleasant Dreams
I'll have you further on your way than you
think ere yeu wake up again."
stPerhaps SOP thought to myself, - ]
lowered my head and pretended to lower
myself to sleep. -.
For half an hour my companion steered
the canoe very well, and seemed to take but
little notice OF me; and at the end of tho
time could see that he became more un-
easy. commenced to snore with . long
regularly drawn breath, and on the instant
the villain started Is starts the hunter when
he hears the tread Of game in the woods.
But bark! Aha-there was before one
lingering fear in my hind that might shoot
the wrong man; but it was gone now. Az
the fellow stopped the paddle, ] distincly
heard him mutter-
ssOho, my dear sheep-you little dream
ed that Gus KARL was your companlon.-
But he'll do you good turn. If your friend
is dead, you shall follow him, and ] will take
your traps to pay for your passage TO
think these were the very words. At
any rate, they were their drift. As he thus
spoke he noislessly drew in the paddle, and
then rose to his feet. l saw him reach up
over his left shoulder, and when he brought
back his hand, he had huge bowie knife
in it; could see the blade gleam in the
pale moonlight, and ! saw Karl run his
thumb along the edge and then feel the
point! My heart beat fearfully, my breath
ing was hard. 1t was with the utmost ex-
ertion that could continue my snoring, but
managed to do it without interruption
Slowly and noislessly the foul wretch ap.
preached me-oh! his step could not have
awakened hound-and his long cleaning
knife was half raised. could hear his
breathing plainly, and could hear the gra
ting Of his teeth, as he nerved himself for
the stroke. -....-. A..
The villain vas by my side, and he meas
ured the distance from his hand to my heart
with his eye. In his left hand he held .
thick handkerchief all wadded up. That
was to stop my mouth. Every nerve in my
body was now strung, and my heart stood
still as death. Uf course, my snoring ceas-
ed; and at that instant the huge knife was
raised above my bosom! Quick as thought,
l brought my fistol up-the muzzle was
within foot Of the robbers heart-he ut
tered quick cry-I saw the bright blade
culver in the moonlight, but it came not up
on me. Ipulled the trigger, and the last
fear was passed. Ihad thought that the
weapon might miss FIRE, but it did not
There was q sharp report, and rs l sprang
up and backed heard fierce yell, and at
the same moment the robber fell forward,
his head striking my knee % it came
down.
Weak and faint l sank back, but sud-
den tip Of the canoe brought me to my
senses, and went aft and took the paddle.
As soon as the boats head was once more
right, turned my eyes upon the form in the
bottom of the canoe, and saw it CULVER
only spasmodic movement-and all was
stiEs
ALL that night sat there at my watch,
and steered my little bark. had my Sec
ond pistol ready, for knew not surely that
the wretch was dead. He might be waiting
to catch me off my guard, and then shoot
me. But the night passed slowly and drear-
lily away, and when the morning broke, the
form had not moved. Then stepped for
ward and found that Gustus Karl was dead!
He had fallen with his knife true to its aim,
for he had struck very near the spot where
my heart must have been, and the point was
driven so far into the solid wood, that l
had to work hard to pull it out, and harder
still to unclasp the marble fingers that were
closed with dying madness about the han
die.
Swiftly flowed the tide, and ere the sun
again sank to rest had reached Loganport.
The authorities knew the face of Gustus
Karl at once, and when told them my sto-
ry, they poured out thousand thanks upon
my head: A purse was raised, and the Of
fered reward put within it, and rendered to
me. l took the simple reward from the
generous citizens, while the remainder, |
directed should be distributed among those
who had suffered most from the Wabash
depredations.
l found Kemp sick and miserable. lie
was burning with fever, and the doctors had
shut him up in room where well man
must soon have suffocated.
"Water! water In Gods name give me
water I" he gasped. ....
s'Haven't you had any % asked.
He told me no. threw open the win
for q pail of ice-water, and was
in the point of administering 1t, when the
old doctor came in. He held his hands up
in horror, and told me 'twould kill the sick
man. But | forced him back, and Kemp
drank the grateful beverage. He drank
deeply and then slept. The perspiration
poured from him like rain, and when he
awoke his skin was moist, and his fever was
turned In eight days from that time, he
sat in his saddle by my side, and together
we started for Little River. At Walton's
l found my horse wholly re-
covered, and when offered to pay for his
keeping, the host would take nothing. The
story Of my adventure on the river had
reached there ahead of me, and this was the
landlords gratitude. .. I'D.
THE MAN TfaH Az AnmA asTsoA. SEAPORT OF
Our ship reached the harbor of - some
time in May, where We remained several
days waiting for some thing-none but the
senior officers knew what. There being no
necessity for our remaining on board, four
of US junior officers got permission to go
on shore. The captain, as he acceded to
our request, cautioned US Of the necessity
of circumspect behaviour while on the for
eign soil, rs two or three English officers
had turned up missing in that very port
within the past three months. Making our
deductions from his fatherly advice, by
putting brace Of pispols in our pockets,
we went ashore. On the pier we joined
company with three English officers from q
line of battle ships, also lying in the har-
Dor. The Jonnies were jolly fellows, and
drank enthusiastically to the President Of
the United States and the stars and stripes,
while in our turn we irrigated with equal
good will to the Queen Of the Western
Isles. The consequence Of our amiable and
patriotic demonstrations was, that about
evening we had merged our identity into
the fancied fact that we were very essen
tial part of our respective nsvies, aud did
not care much for anything else.
While in this apparently glorious state,
we started out in quest of evening adven-
lures. Owing to the confused state Of my
head, it became obvious to my companions
that was not fit to tie to-, so they put me
in the rear, with q couple Of middies con-
fused as myself. How far we had gone, or
what time in the evening it was, or what
particular street we were in, | have no re-