Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-01-08

man Kemp, could not live, and that he
wished to see me as soon as possible.
The doctor says he must die" said
the messenger, and the poor fellow now
only asks for life long enough to see
you"
"Poor Lymanw | murmured to my
self. f" So young, so hopeful, with SO
many friends and fond relatives in his
far offhome-and taken down TO die in
stranger land p / told the man that /
would set out on my return MS soon as
possible. He ate some breakfast, and
then resumed lis Journey, being bouRd
up as high as the Pottowatamie border
] settled my bill, and then went for
my horse but bitter disappointment
awaited me. found the animals foot
swollen very badly, and it panied him so
that he could hardly step on it. Had
the road been good, should have been
tempted to try him; but | knew that in
places the mud was deep. / went to
the host and asked him if he could lend
or sell horse. He could do neither. -
His only spare horse had been shot the
night before by the Wabash Rotber.
There was not a horse in the place to be
obtained for any amount of money.
returned to the stable and led my horse
out, but he could not even walk with aay
degree Of ease. could not use him. =
! was in despair.
Locke" said my host, as I began
to despond, can't ye manage canoe y
" yes--yery WE'LL told him.
Then that's your best way The
current is strong this morning, and with
out a stroke Of the paddle 'twould take
you along as fast as a horse could wade
through the mud, You shall have one
of my canoes for just what it is worth,
and you can sell it at Logansport for as
much.n
caught the proposition instantly, for
thought it was q good one.
If ye daren't shoot the rapids, add
ed the landlord, we can easily shoulder
the canoe and pack it around. 1t is not
far"
! found the boat to be we'll fashioned
dug out" large enough to bear four
men with ease and / at once paid the
owner bis price, ten dollars, and had my
luggage brought down. | gave direc-
tlons about the treatment Of my horse
and then put off. The current was quite
rapidsay about four or FIVE miles an
nodr, but not at ali turbuion1 ana /
soon'made up my mind that 1t was far
better than riding on horseback. The
banks Of the river were thickly covered
VII! l; ; trees, and and SAL. ;;;;ss:::;ii i illea
ty; more than once ] was tempted to fire
the contents of my pistols at some Of the
boldest varmints; but had no time to
waste, so | kept on Only one thing
seemed wanting, aud that was a compan-
ion; but | was destined to find one soon
enough
It was shortly after noon, and I had
just eaten my dinner of bread and cold
meat, when came to place where the
river made an abrupt bend to the right,
and a little further on, came to an alb
rupt basis, where the current formed a
/ perfect whirlpool did not notice it un-
til my canoe got into it, and found my
self going around instead of going ahead
piled ny wooden paddle with all my
power, and soon succeeded in shooting
out from the rotary current; but in so
doing, | ran myself upon the low sandy
shore. The effort had fatigued me not
little, and as found myself thus sud-
denly moored, ! resolved to rest few
minutes.
| had been in this position some ten
minutes, when ! was startled by hearing
a foot fall close to me, and on looking
up, saw man at the side Of the boat.
He was a young looking person, not
over two and thirty, and seemed to be a
hunter. He wore wolf-skin shirt, leg
gings of rcd leather, and a cap of bear
skin
Which way are you bound, stran-
gcrY' he asked, in pleasing tone
I" Down the river, to Logansport," !
replied.
9 That's fortunate. Iwish to 90 there
myself" the stranger resumed "What
say you to my taking the second paddle
and keeping you company?"
{" should like it, / told him frank
~. "Ive been wanting company"
" So have /, added the hunter; "and
I've been wanting some better mode Of
conveyance than these worn out legs
through the deep forest"
'Comc on" / said and as / spoke
he leaped into the canoe, and having de-
posted bis rife in the bow, he took one
Of the the paddles, and told me ne was rea-
dy when / was. So wo pushed of, and
were soon clear Of the whirlpool.
For an hour we conyersed freely
The stranger told me that his name was
Allen, and that bis father lived in CO.
lum5us He was out on mere hunting
and prospecting expedition with some
companions who had gone on to Logans-
port by horse, and having got separated
from them in the night, had lost bis
horse into the bargain. lie said that he
had a large amount Of money about his
person, and that was ono reason Why be |
disliked to travel in the forest.
Thus he opened bis affairs to me, and
| was fool enough to be equally frank. ~
/ admitted that had some money, and |
told him my business; and by most
quiet and unpresuming course Of remark
he drew from me the fact that had mo-
ney enough to purchase forty full lots.
Finally the conversation lagged, and
| began to give my companion a closer
scrutiny / sat in Ihe stern OF the canoe,