Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-05-12

where ne JOu1u6tus Otost 'o"ehcH r'eeHng
90 soundly - to require considerable effort.
on his part, to wake them At last. getting
them fsirely reused, he informed them, al.
most in a whisper, for he did not care to
disturb the others, that heavy fog had
suddenly arisen, and he wished their pres
ence on deck, Immediately.
"A fog, Cspn 7" exclaimed one, in tone
which indicated that he comprehended the
peril with the word.
"Hush," returned Eugene "there is no
necessity for waking the Others, and having
a scene. Up! and follow me, without a
word
He glided back to the deck. and was al
most Immediately joined by the boatmen, to
whom he briefly made known his hopes and
fears.
They thought, like their companion, tina,
the boat would be safest if made fast to an
oyerhanging limb OF the Kentucky 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 a certainty.
and it shall be the best nights work YOU
ever performed rejoined Eugene in quick,
excited tone.
"We'.l do the best We can. Cap'n," was the
re sponse "but no man can be sartin Of
the current Of this here crooked streem in
foggy n ght."
A long silence followed-the voyagers
slowly drifting down through misty dark
ness impenetrable 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 excla-
nation of alarm, and at the came 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 mingling together in loud, quick,
excited tones
push off the bow !" cried one
"Quick altogether, now over with herr
shouted another.
"The de'il's in it she's running aground
here on amuddy bottom! !" almost yelled a
third.
Meantime the laden boat was brushing
along against projecting bushes and over
reoching limbs, and everymoment getting
more and more entangled while; the long
poles and sweeps of the boatmen. as they at
tempted to push her of, were often plunged,
without touching bottom, into what appear
ed to be a 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
kind of settling together, as it were, and the
boat became fast and immovable
The fact was announced by Dick Winter,
in his characteristic manner-who added,
with an oath. that it was Just what he ex.
pected. For a moment or two dead 81
lence followed, as if each comprehension that
the matter was one to be viewed in very
serious light.
"l'll get over the bow. and try to git the
lay of the land with my feet" said Tom Har-
ris and forthwith he set about the not very
pleasant undertaking
At this moment Eugene heard his name
pronounced by a voice that seldom failed to
excite a peculiar emotion in his breast, and
now sent strange thrill through evey
nerve; and Fastening below, he found
Blanche, fully dressed, with light in her
hand, standing just outside of her cabin, in
the regular passage which led iengthwise
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
comprehend its nature"
Unfortunately, about two hours ago."
replied Eugene, eve suddenly became in
volved in a dense fog: and in spite of our
every precaution and care, we have run
aground-it may be against the Ohio shore
1t 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 be afloat again though in any event,
the darkness is sufficient to conceal us from
the savages, even were they in the vicn-
ity.'
II know little of Indians" returned
Blanche "but l have always understood
that they are 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 made acquaint-
ed with our locality, Judging from the loud
voices heard a few minutes ago
Il fear we've been rather imprudent, y
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 trampling
across the deck; and the next moment Seth
Harper and Dick Winter burst into the
passage, the former exclaiming:
We've run plum into q red niggers nest
Cap'n, and Tom Harris is already butchered
and scalped !"
And even as he spoke, as if in confirma-
ton of his dreadful intelligence, there arose
a series of wild, piercing, demoniacal yells,
followed by dead and ominous silence.
So far we have followed the lovely heorine
and her friends in this adventure; but the
foregoing is all that VIC can publish in our
columns The balance of the narrative can
only be found in the New York Ledger. tn e
great family paper, which can be obtained
at all the periodical stores where papers are
sold. Remember to ask for the Ledger,
dated May 22nd, aud in it you will 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 re-
side. the publisher of the Ledger will send
you copy by mail, if you will send him
five cents in a letter. Address, Robert Bon
ner, Ledger Office, Al Ann street, New
York. This story is entitled, "Perils Of the
Border" and grows more and more interest
ing as it goes on.