The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-05-13
tone, that indicated some degree of a,

tone, that indicated some degree of a,
larm. u 4of-e 7s
"Wby, ef you war'ut SO skeered abou,
the young lady, and it war mt so dead a.
gin the orders from head quarters, my
plan would be cl'ar and easy one-I'd
4 just run over to the Kaintuck shore and
! tie up" ..
mo, no." said Eugene. positively;
"that will never do, Dick-that will new
er do l would never think of such a
thing for momentl We must keep in
the current by all meansl"
"Ef you can." rejoined the boatman;
"but when it gifts SO dark as We cant tell
one thing from t'other, it'll be power
full hard to do; and eff We dont { run agin
bar or bank afore morning, 10 spite
of the best O. US, it'll be the luckiest 60
that ever l bad hand iD. See. Cap'n-
it's tbickening up fast, We can't see cytber
bank at all, nor the water nyther: the
stars is gettin dim, and it looks as if thar
war cloud all round u.s.
81 see! see!' returned Eugene, excit-
eddy. "Merciful Heavep | hope no ac-
cident will befall US here-and yet my
heart almost misgives me?-for this, be-
lieve, is the most dangerous part OF our
journey-the vicinity where most of our
boats have been captured by the sava-
ges."
Saying this. Eugene FASTENED below,
where he found the other boatmen sleep
ing SO soundly as to require considerable
effort, on his part, to wake them. At
last getting them fairly reused, he inform
ed them, almost in a whisper, for be did
not care to disturb the others, that a hea-
W fog had suddenly arisen, and be wish
ed their presence on deck, Immediately.
"a fog, Cap'n!" exclaimed one, in a
tone which indicated that he comprehen.
ded the peril with the word. gt
Hush" returned Eugene; there is no
necessity for waking the others, and hsv.
ing a scene. Up! and follow me, without
a word!"
He glidcd back to the deck, and was
almost Immediately joined by the boat
men, to whom be 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 Kentucky
shore; but frankly admitted that this
could not now be done without difficulty
and danger. and that there was posi-
bility of keeping the current.
"Tben make that possibility certain.
ty, and it shall be the best nights work
you ever performed!' rejoined Eugene,
in quick, excited tone.
"Well 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 followed-the voyagers
slowly drifting down through. 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 ex-
clam alton 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"
Then followed scene of hurried and
anxious confusion. the voices of the three
boatmen mingliDg together in loud, quick,
excited tones.
"Push off the bowl" cried one.
"Qaicki altogether, now! over with
herl" shouted another.
"Tbe deil's nit! shes running aground
here on muddy bottom!' almost yelled
third. 3.s s
Meantime tue laden boat was brush
ing along against projecting bushes and
overreachiug limbs, and every moment
getting more aud moro eDtaDgled while
the long poles and sweeps of the boatmen
as they attempted to push her off, were
often plunged. without tonchiDg bottom,
into what appeared to be a soft clayey
mud, from which they were only extrica-
ted BY such an outlay of strcngh as tend
ed still more to draw the clumsy craft u
pom the bank they wished to avoid. At
length, scarcely more than minute from
the FIRST alarm, there was kind of set
Ting together, as it were, and the boat
became fast and immoveable.
The fact was announced by Dick Win
ter, in bis characteristic manner-who
added, with an oath, that it was. just what
he expected. For moment or two q
dead silence followed, as if each eompre-
bended that the matter was one to be
viewed in very serious light, ,t
"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 voice that seldom failed
to excite peculiar emotion in his breast,
and now sent a strange thrill through eV-
ery nerve; and Fastening below, be found
Blanche fully dressed. with . light in her
hand, standing just outside of her oablp'
in the regular passage which led length
wise through the centre of the boat :,
81 have heard something, Eugene, sne
said, "enough to know that we have met
with an accident, but not sufficient TO iul'