Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-06-03
WHOLE NO 1889

"The de'i's in it! she's running aground
here on muddy botiom!" almost yelled 4
third
Meantime the laden boat was brushing
along against projecting brushes and over.
reaching limbs, and every moment getting
more and more entangled; while the lsLg
poles and sweeps Of the boatmen, as they
attempted to push her off, were often plung:
ed, without touching bottom, into what ap-
peared to be soft, clayey mud, from which
they were only extricated by such an out
lay of strength as tended still more to draw
the clumsy craft upon the bank they wish
ed to avoid. At length, scarcely more than
a minute from the first alarm, there was q
kind of settling together, as it were, and
the boat became fast and immovable.
The fact was announced by Dick Win
ter, in his characteri tic manner-who ad-
ded. with an oath, that it was just what he
expected. For moment or two a dead sl-
lence followed, as if each comprehended
that the matter was one to be viewed in q
serious light.
"I'll 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 his voice that seldom failed
to excite peculiar emotion in his. breast,
and now sent strange thrill through every
nerve; and hastiDg below he found Blanche
fully dressed, with light in her hand, stand:
ing just outside of her cabin, in the regular
passage which led lengthwise through the
center of the boat.
81 have heard something, Eugene" she
said "enough to know that we have met with
an accident, but not sufficient to fully com.
prehend its nature"
"Unfortunately, about two hours ago."
replied Eugene, "we suddenly became in:
volved in dense fog; and in spite of our
every precaution and cafe, we have run
aground-it may be against the Ohio shore
it may be against an island-it is so dark
we can't tell. But be not alarmed, Miss
Blanche" he hurriedly added: 81 trust We
shall soon be afloat again; though in any
event, the darkness is sufficient to conceal
US from the savages, even were they in the
vicinity"
81 know little of Indians" returned
Blanche; "but l have always understood
that they are somewhat remarkable for their
acuteness of hearin and if such is The
case, there would be no necessity of their
being very near, to be made acquainted
with our locality, judging from the loud
voices heard few minutes ago."
"l fear we've been rather imprudent,"
said Eugene, in deprecating tone; "but
in the excitement -''
His words were suddenly cut short BY
several loud voices of alarm from without,
followed by quick and heavy ,rampling
across the deck; and the next moment Seth
Harper and Dick Winter burst into the pas.
sage, the former exclaiming:
"We've run plum into red nigger's nest
Cap'n. and Tom Fl arris is already butcher.
ed and scaped!''
And even as he spoke, as if in confrma-
ton of his dreadful intelligence, there
arose series of wild, piercing, demoniaeaf
yells, followed by a dead and ominoui
silence.
So far we have followed the lovely heroine
and her friends in this adventure; but the
foregoing is all that we can publish in our
columns. The balance of the narrative
can only be found IN the New York LEDGER
the great family paper, which can be OBJ
iained at all the periodical stores where pa
pers are sold. Remember to ask for the
Ledger" dated My 22nd, ard in it you
W i'll ge. the continuation of the narrative
from where it leaves off here. IF there are
no books ores or news-offices convenient
10 where you reside, the publisher of the
Led ger will send you copy by mail, if you
will send him FIVE cents in letter. Ad
iress, Robert Bonner, Ledger Office, ~
Ann street, New York. This story is en-
ii led, "Perils of the Border" and grows
more and more interesting as it goes on: