The Shasta courier., 1858-06-26

thickening up fast; we can't see eyther bank a,
all, nor the water nyther the stars is getten
dim, AID it looks as if thar war a crowd all
around u.s."
- see see p returned Eugene, excitedly
"Merclful Heaven ! l hope no accident will be-
fall us here-and yet my heart almost misgives
me for this, believe, is the most dangerous
part of our journey-the vicinity where most OF
cnr boats have been captured by the savages.
! Saying this, Eugene hastened below, whera
he found the other boatmen sleeping so soundly
as to require considerable effort on his part to
wake them. At last, getting them fnirly reused,
he informed them, almost in whisper, for hs
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 a tone
which indicated that he comprehended the peril
with the word.
| "Hush p returned Eugene there is no ne
cessity for waking the others, and having a
scene. Upl and follow me without word :"
He glided back to the deck, and was almost
Immediately joined by the boatmen, 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 over
hanging limb of the Kentucky shore; but frank
ly 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 certainty, and
it shall be the best nights work you ever per-
formed !" rejoined Eugene, in quick, excited
tone
"We'll do the best we can, Cap'n," was the
response; "but no man can be sartin of the CT
rent of this here crooked stream n -fc,.a
night"
\ long silence followed-the voyagors slowly
drifting down through misty darkness impcn-
atrable to the eye-when suddenly, our young
commander, who was standing near the bow,
felt the extended branch of an overhanging
limb suddenly brush his face. He started with
an exclamation Of alarm, and at the same mo-
ment the boatman on the right called out:
Quick, here boys we're agin the shore as
sure as death r'
Then followed a scene of hurried and anxious
confusion, the voices of the three boatmen ming
ling together in loud, quick, excited tones.
"Push offtha bow r cried one.
"Quick altogether, now over with her J"
shouted another
The de'il's in it she's running aground here
on muddy bottom !" almost yelled third.
Meantime the laden boat was brushing along
against projecting bushes and overreachng
limbs, and every moment getting more and more
entanged, while the long poles and sweeps of
the beatmen, as they attempted to push her off
were often plunged, without touching bottom
into what appeared to be n soft, clayey mud,
| from which they were only extricated by such
an outlay of strengh 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 kind of settling
together, as it were, and the boat became fast
and immovahie.
ba fac HI nt,l .,tar I'm,
| his Characteristic manner-who added with an
OATH that it was just what he expected. For
moment or two dead silence followed, as if
each comprehended the matter was one to be
viewed in very serious light
"Ili 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 pro-
nounced by a voice that seldom failed to ex-
cite peculiar emotion in his breast, and now
sent a strange thrill through every nerve; and
fastening below, he found Blanche, fully dress
ed, with light in her hand, standing just out
side of her cabin, in the regular passage which
! led lengthwise through the centre of the boat.
| 81 have heard something, Eugene, " she said,
| a enough to know that we have met with an ac-
| cident, but not sufficiently to fully comprehend
/ its nature"
Unfortunately, about two hours ago." re-
| piled Eugene, we suddenly became involved
in dense fog and in spite of our every pre-
| caution and care, 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
alagmed, Miss Blanche" he hurriedly added !" |
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 Vi
cinity."
II know little of Indians" returned Blanche ,
" but have always understood that they
somewhat remarkable for their acuteness of
hearing and if such is the case there would be
no necessity of their being very near, to be
| quanted with our locality, judging from the
| loud voices heard few minutes ago."
:" fear we've been rather imprudent," said
Eugene, in deprecating tone; " but in the ex-
| citement-'
His words were suddenly cut short by several
! loud voices of alarm from without followed by
quick and heavy trampling across the deck T;
and the next moment Seth Harper and Dick
Winter burst into the passage, the former ex-
claiming:
"We've run plum into n red nigger's nest
Cap'n, and Tom Harris is already butchered and
scalpedl !"
And even as he spoke, as if in confirmation
of his dreadful intelligence, there arose a series
OF wild, piercing, demoniacal yels, followed BY
a dead and ominous 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 obtained at all the periodical
stores where papers are sold Remember to ask
/ for the Ledger dated May 22d, and in it you
viii get the continuation of the narrative from
where it leaves off here. If there are no book
! stores or news Offices convenient to where You
reside, the publisher of the Ledger will send you
a copy by mall if you will send him FIVE cents
i'll letter. Address, Robert Bonner, Ledger
Office A Ann street, Yew York. This story
entitled " Perils fthe Border and grows more
and more interesting as it goes on.