The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-05-14

g cred with blood, was dragged from under L
: carcass. SuppOsing him to be dead or mo
tally wounded, Blanche threw her arm
n around his neck and gave way 10 a passio,
ate burst Of grief. But he was not dead
' was not even hurt, with the exception OF
few slight scratches. The blood with whiC
: he was covered was the panther's, not h
{ own. But Blanche's embrace was his
I priceless treasure-an index of her heart
emotions and affections. 1t was to color h
r whole future life, rs will be seen i'm the pro
, grcss of our story.
, Slowly and silently, save the occasion,
a1eak, dip, and plash Of the stcersman's oa
, the boat of our voyagers was borne alon
upon the bosom of the current, on the thir
, night of the voyage. The hour was waxin
late, and Eugene, the only one astir exccr
the watch, was suddenly startled, by a roug
hand being placed upon his shoulder, accom-
panied by tue words, in the grutf voice of til
boatman:
II say, Cap'n, here's troublc!n
What is it, Dick:" inquired Eugene start
ing to his feet.
"Don't you see thar's a heavy fog rising
that'l soon kiver up thick that w
won't be able to tell whito man from mig
gerl" replied the boatman-Dick Winter b,
name tall, bony, muscular, athletic speci
men of his class.
"Good heaven. so there is!r exclaimed Eu
gene, looking off upon the already misty wa
ters. 1T must have gathered very suddenly
Tor all was clear minute ago. What is Il
be done now? This is something / was no
prepared for. on such night this"
ut looks trOublous, Capn, III allow re.
turned Dick; " but we're in fort, that's sar-
tin, and s'posc we'll have 70 make the bcsi
ont"
"But what is to be done! what do you ad-
wiser asked Eugene, in quick, excited tone,
that indicated some degree Of alarm.
why, eft You war'nt so skcered about the
young lady, and it war'nt so dead agn the
orders from head quarters, my plan would be
cl'ar and easy one--l'd just run over to the
kaintuck shore. and tie up"
"No, no." said Eugene, positively; "that
will never do, Dick--that will never do! |
would not think of such thing for mo-
ment! Ne must keep in the current by all
meaEst,
"Ef you can" rejoined the boatman; "but
when it gifts so dark as We can't tell one thing
from tother, it'll be powerful hard to do;
anu Ell we don't run agin bar or bank afore
morning, in spite Of the best o. Us, it'll be the
luckies go that ever had u hand in. See,
CaP'n-its thickening up fast; We can't see
aythcr bank at ell, nor the water nyther; the
stars is gettin' dim, and it looks as if thar
war cloud all round us."
..
"Merciiul IIeaven! hope no accident will
befali us here-and yet my heart almost
misgives me.-for this, believe, is the most
dangerous part of our journey--the vicinity
whero most Of our boats have been captured
by the savages."
Saying this, Eugene hastcncd below, where
he found the other boatmen sleeping so
soundly as to require considerable effort, on
his part, to wake them. At last, getting
fuI to int fpr ,aA \ fha,,, at,
in whisper, for he did not care to disturb
the others, that a heavy fog had suddenly
arisen, and ho wished their presence OH deck,
Immediately.
"a fog, Cap'n!" exclaimed one. in a tone
which indicated that hc comprehanded the
mari tttiht Ai,-orrrneu I1ugvnc, urcTo is no
necessity for waking the others, and having
scene. Up. and follow Inc, without q
word."
lie glided back to the deck, and was al
most Immediately Joined by the boatmcn, TO
whom he briefly made known his hopes and
fears.
They thought, like their companion, that
the boat would be safest ii made fast to an
ovcrhanging limb of the Kentucky shore;
but frankly admitted that this could not he
done without difficulty aud danger, and
that there was u possibility of keeping the
current.
Then make that possibility q certainty,
and it shall be the best nights work you ever
performed" re;oincd Eugene, in a quick ex-
cited tone.
1.We'n do the best we can, Cap'n,n was
the response; ''but no man can be sartin of
the current of this here crooked stream in
foggy night"
slowly drifting down through misty dark
ness impenetrable to the eye-when sudden
ly, our young commander, who was stand
ing near the bow, felt the extended branch
of an overhangiRg limb silently brush his
face. lie started, with an exclamation OF
alarm, and ut the same moment the boatman
on the right called out:
"Quick, here, boys! we're ag;n the shore,
rs sure As dcath!'
Then followed q sceno Of hurried and anx-
ious confusion, the voices of the three boat
men mingling together in loud, quick, ex-
cited tones.
"Push off the bow" cried one.
''Quick altogether, now over with her ~
shouted another.
The de'il's in it! shes running aground
here on n muddy bottom ~ almost yelled a
third.
Meantime the laden boat was brushing
along against projecting bushes and over
reaching limbs, and every moment getting
moro and more cntangled; while the long
poles and sweeps of the boatmen, as they at
| tempted to push her off, were often plunged,
without touching bottom, into what appear
| ed 20 be O soft, cayey mud, from which they
were only extricated by such an outlay OF
strength as tended still more to draw the
clumsy craft upon the bank they wished to
avoid. At length, scarcely more than q
minute from the first alarm, there was II
kind OF settling together, as it were, ana the
boat became fast and immovable.
The fact was announced by Dick Winter
i'm his characteristic manner-who added
with an oath, that it was just what he ex-
pected. For a moment or two u dead siicnc'
followed, as if each comprchended that th'
matter was one to be viewed In very serious
light.
.Tll get over the bow, and try to git The
! Law of the land with my feet" said Tor
Harris; and forthwith he set about the no
very pleasant undertaking.
At this moment Eugene heard his nam'
, pronounced by a voice that seldom failed U
, excite peculiar emotion in lis breast, an'
now sent strange thrill through ever.
nerve and fastening below, he foun'
Blanche, fully dressed, with light In he
hand, standing just outside Of her cabin, II
the regular passage which led lengthwis
through the center of the boat.
81 have heard something, Eugene" SIN
= said, .enough to know that we have me
r with an accident, but not sufficient to iuil.
comprehend its nature"
Z UNFORTUNATELY, about two hours ago, re
. piled Eugene, .'wc suddenly became involves
. in dense fog: and in spite Of our every pre-
: canton and care we have run aground