The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-05-20

accident will befall as here-and yet
my heart almost misgives mel-for this,
/ believe, is the most dangerous part Of
our iourney-tbe vicinity where most
of our boats have been captured by the
savoges"
Saying this, Eugene hostened below,
where he found the other boatmeu sleep
ing so soundly as to require considerable
effort, on his part, to wake them At
last, getting them fairly reused, he in
formed them, almost in a whisper, for he
did not care TO disturb The others. chat
a. heavy fog had suddenly arisen, and he
wished their presence on deck, immcdi-
ately.
"a fog, Cap'n?" exclaimed one, in
tone which indicated that he oompro-
hended the peril with the word
"Hushl' returned Eugene; Fhero Is
no necessity for waking the others, and
having a scene. Upi and follow me,
without a wordp'
He glided back to the deck, and was
almost Immediately joined by the boat
men, to whom he briefly made known
his hopes and fears
They thought, like their companion,
that the boat would be safest if made
fast to an overhangiDg limb of the Ken
lucky shore; but frankly admitted that
this could not now be done without diff
6culty and danger, and there was pos
sibility Of keeping the current
"Then make that possibility GER
tainty and it shall be the best nights
work you ever performed" rejoined Eu-
gene, in a quick, excited tone.
oven do the best we can, Capn!'
was the response; "but no man can bo
sartin of the current of this here crook
ed stream in a foggy night.
A long silence tollOwed--the voya-
gers slowly drifting down through a
misty darkness impenetrablo to the eye
when suddenly, our young cOmman-
der, who was standing near the bow,
felt the extended branch Of an over
hanging limb silently brush his face
He started, with an exclamation Of
alarm, and at the same moment the
boatman on the right called out:
"Quiok, here, boys we're dgin the
shore, as sure as DEATH"
Then followed a scene of hurried and
anxious confusion, the voices Of the
three boatmen mingling together in loud,
quick, excited tones.
"Push off the bowl" cried one.
"Quick! altogether, nowl over with
. her" shouted another.
"The deils in It'll she's running
p aground here on a muddy bottoml" al
most yelled third
Meantime the laden boat was brush
ing along against projecting bushes and
overreaching limbs, and every moment
p getting more and more entangled; while
the long poles and sweeps of the boat
men, as they attempted to push her off,
were often plunged, without touching
bottom, into what appeared to be soft,
clayey mud, from which they were only
extricated by such an outlay Of strength
e. as tended still more to draw the clumsy
/, craft upon the bank they wished to
+ avoid At length scarcely more than
a minute from the first alarm, there was
"a kind of settling together, as it were,
and the boat became fast and immova-
. BILE
The fact was announced by Dick
t Winter, in his characteristic manner
S who added, with an oath that it was
p just what he expected For a moment
S or two a dead silence followed, as If
e each comprehended that the matter was
to be viewed in a very serious light.
r. "I'il get over the bow, and try to get
G the lay of the land with my feet, said
r. Tom Harris; and forthwith he set about
D the not very pleasant undertaking.
At this moment Eugene heard his
}, name pronounced by voice that sell
It dom failed to excite peculiar emotion
a in his breast, and now sent a strange
+ thrill through every nerve; and hasten
e ing below, he found Blanche, fully
dressed, with a light in her hand, stand
ing just outside Of her cabin, in the regu-
,, lar passage which led lengthwise through
the center Of the boat.
2 "I have heard something, Eugene"
k she said, "enough to know we have met
e with an accident, but not sufficient to
3 fully comprehend its nature"
T. "Unfortunately, about two hours ago, ,"
! replied Eugene, "we suddenly became
involved in a dense fog; aud in spite of
our every precauhon and care, we have
run aground--it may be against the
= Ohio shore--it may be against an isle
% and-it is so dark we CAM tell But
y be not alarmed, Miss Blanche, he hur-
~ riedly added; "I trust we shall soon be
aaoat again; though ia any event. the
l. darkness is sufficient to conceal us from
{ the savages even were they in the vi
70 cinity."
j. "I know little Of Indians, returned
y Blanche; "but I have always understood
~ that they are somewhat remarkable for
their acuteuess Of bearngj and If such
is the case there would be no necessity
sd Of their being very near, to be made ao-
80 quainted with our locality, judging from
T. the loud voices heard few minutes
" ago."
'A 81 fear we've been rather imprudopt
said Eugene, in deprecahng t0ne "bui
IA in the oxcitement--
n His words were suddenly cut short by
l. several loud voices of alarm from with-
'F out, followed BY a quick and heavy
trampling across Che deck aud the
u next moment Seth Harper and Dick