Columbia gazette and the southern mines advertiser. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1855-1858, 1858-07-01

Good heavens SO there is J" ex
claimed Eugene, looking eff upon the
already misty waters at must have
gathered very suddenly, for all was clear
a minute ago. What is to be done
now - This is something [ was not
prepared for, on such night as this. y
at looks troublous, Cap'n, I'll allow"
returned Dick but we're in fort
that's sartin, and I s'pose we'll have to
make the best on't.''
"But what is to be done ,-what do
you advise Z" asked Eugene in quick,
excited tone, that indicated some degree
of alarm.
"Why, EFF you warn't so skeered
about the young lady, and it warn't so
dead agin the orders from quarters,
my plan would be clar and easy one
I'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 me nent! We must keep
in the current by all means -
"Ef you cam" rejoined the boatman !;
''but when it gifts so dark as we can't
tell one thing from t'other, it'll be pow
erful hard to do /; and eff We DON, run
agin a bar or bank sfore morning, 10
spite of the best Gus, II be the luckiest
go that ever l had band in See,
Cap'n-it's thiekening up fast; we
Can't see eyther bank at all, nor the
water nyther; the stars is gittin' dim,
and it looks as ii thar war cloud all
round u.s.. y
81 see 5! I sec." returned Eugene.
excitedly. "Merciiul Heaven! / hope
no accident will befal US here-and yet;
my heart almost mi-gives me flor this,
| believe, is the most dangerous part Of
.;crsys s<ais5yf ssiiis :.sos: Is 1
Saf boats have been captured by the
savages !" -.
Saying thus, E!:sssas-iastcned below,
where he found the other boatmen
sleeping SO soundly as to require con-
siderable effort on bis part to wake them
At last, getting them fairly reused, he
informed them, almost in a whisper, for
he did not care to disturb the others,
that heavy fog had suddenly arisen,
and he wished their presence on deck,
Immediately.
"a fog, Cap'n," exclaimed one, in
tone which indicated that he compre-
hended the peril with the word.
'Hush % returned Eugene 'there
is no necessity for waking the others,
and having scene. Up and follow
me. without word !"
He glided back to the deck, aDd 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 overhanging limb Of the Ken>
tucky shore but frankly admitted
that this could not now be done without
difficulty and danger, and that there
was possibility OF keeping the current
Then make that possibility GER
tainty, and it shall be the best nights
work you ever performed !" rejoined
Eugene, III quick, excited tone.
"We'll do the best we can, Cap'n,"
was the response "but no man can be
sariin of the current of this here crooked
tream in foggy night"
A long silence followed-the voyagers
slowly drifted down through a misty
darkness impenetrable to the eye
when suddenly, 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 exclamation of alarm, and at
the same moment the boatman on the
right called out:
Quick, here, boys we're agin the
shore, as sure as death -
Then followed scene of hurried and
anxious confusion, the voices of the
three boatmen mingled together in loud,
quick, excited tones.
''Push off the bow ~ cried one.
''Quick altogether, now ! over with
her ~ shouted another.
'The de'il's in it! she's running
aground here and muddy bottom !"
almost yelled third.
Meanwhile the laden boat was brush
ing along against projecting bushes and |
overreaching limbs, and every moment
getting more and more entangled; while |
the long poles and sweeps OF the boat
men, as they attempted to push her of,
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 moro to draw the clumsy
craft upon the bank they wished to