The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-06-04
.TICE.

SdIIdll, auu . PoSo We a. ha'C VI.
the best ON {.
But what is to be done ?---wh.
you advise 2" asked Eugene, in -
excited tone, that indicated some VI
of alarm.
"Why, eff you war mt so skeeredI
the young lady, and it war'nt sN.
agn the orders from head quartz"
plan would be cl'ar and easy on
Just run over to the Kaintuck shor,5
tie up.
{" No, no." said Eugene, positively;
j." that will never do, Dick---that will never
do. would not think of such thing
for moment We must keep in the
current by all means''
"Ef you can," rejoined the boatman;
but when it gifts so dark as we can't tell
one thing from t'Other, it'll be powerful
hard to do; and ef we don't run agin
bar or bank afore morning, in spite of the
best o us, it'll be the luckiest go that ever
had hand in. See, Cap thick
ening up fast we can't sec eyther bank
at all, nor The water nyther; the stars is
gettin' din, and it looks as if thur war
cloud al found us"
4" see [ see :" returned Eugene, ex-
citedly. Merciful Heaven. hope no
accident will befall us here---and yet my
heart almost misgives me for this, l be-
love, is the most dangerous part of our
journey---the vicinity where most of our
boats have been captured by the savages."
Saying this, Eugene fastened below,
where he found the boatmen sleeping so
soundly as to require considerable effort,
on his part, to wake them. At last, get
ting them fairly reused, he informed
them, almost in whisper, for he did not
care to disturb the others, that heavy
fog had suddenly arisen, and he wished
their presence on deck, Immediately.
" \ fog, Cap'nY" exclaimed one, in a
tone which indicated that he comprehend
ed the peril with the word.
"Hush :" returned Eugene; there is
no necessity for waking the others, and
having scene. Up! and follow me, with
out word
lie glded 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 ovcrhanging limb of the Ken
tucky shore but frankly admitted that
| this could not now be done without diff
Guilty and danger, and that there was pos
sibility of keeping the current.
Then make that possibility certain
ty, and it shall be the best nights work
you ever performed % rejoincd Eugene,
in quick, oxcited tone.
"Wc'n do the best we can, Cap'n,"
was the response "but no man can be-
sartin of the current of this here crooked
stream in foggy night"
A long silence followcd---tho voyagers
slowly drfted down through misty dark
ness impenctrable to the eye---when, sud-
denly, our young commander, who was
standing near the bow, felt the extended
branch of an overhanging limb silently
brush his face. He started, with an ex-
clamaton of alarm, at the same moment
the boatman on the ight called out:
"Quick, here, boys we're agin the
shore, as sure as death ~
Then followed a scene of hurried and
anxious confusion, the voices of three
boatmen mingling together in loud, quick,
excited tones.
&" Push off the bow cried one
"Quck altogether, now over with
her !" shouted another.
"Thc de- sinit shes running aground
here on a muddy bottom :" almost yelled
a third
Meantime the laden boat was brushing
along against projecting bushes and over
reaching limbs, and every moment getting
more and more ertanglcd while the long
poles and sweeps Of the boatmcn, 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 as tended still
more to draw the clumsy craft upon the
bank they wished to avoid. At length,
scarcely more than minute from the first
alarm there was a kind Of settling together,
as it wcre and the boat became fast aud
immovablc.
The fact was announced by Dick Win
ter in his characteristic manner---who
added, with an oath, that it was just what
he expected For a moment or two dead
silence followed, as if each comprehended
that the matter was one to be viewed in
very serious light.
"Pll get over the bow, and try to git
the lay of the land with my feet" said
Tom Harris and forthwith he set about
the not very pleasant undertaking.
At this moment Eugene heard his
name pronounced by voice that seldom
failed to excite peculiar emotion iu his
breast, and now sent a strange thrill
through every nerve; and fastening be-
low, he found Blanche, fully dressed,
with light in her hand, standing just
outside of her cabin, in the regular pas
sage which led lengthwise through the
ceuter of the boat.
s.I bavo heard somethiuo. Euoeneo