The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-05-07


But will shout for the dog on top.
| But for nae l shall never pause to ask
| Which dog may be in the right,
For my heart toiH beat, while it beats at all,
| For the under dog in the fight.
Perchance what Pve said had better not said
| Or 'twere better had said it incog,
But with heart and with glass filled chock to the brm
Here's a health to the bottom dog.
|
| FRASER RIVER LOVE SKETCH
We arrived in our station, at the mouth
of the Frazer River, in Oregon Territory,
with the ship officers and the ships company,
all in the very best Of health and spirits.
TWAS glorious place. We chad contrived
to get the ship over the bar, and were lying
about two miles up surrounded on all sides
by forest clad hills and grassy valleys. Not
far from US was a fort belonging to the Hud-
son Bay Company, to the officers of which
the herds of half wild horses that pastured
in the valleys belonged. The woods teemed
with game, and the waters with fish so that
we never wanted days sport, nor deli
cious addition to our dinner table.
For some time gave myself up to sport
ing life. The officers Of the company had
kindly given US leave and assistance to break
as many horses as we pleased, and l., with q
couple of smart nags-on which my servant
| attended as groom-my gun, and my rod,
with an occasional excursion into the land of
poesy, was as happy as the day is long.
| Many of our fellows used to visit at the
fort tut being of a bashful and retired
nature, contented myself with smoking one
cigar with the inhabitants and then returning
to my former amusement. had become ac-
customed to tho absence of ladies' society,
from necessity, and should have gone on
happily until we left the place, had it not
been for one unlucky day, and one decetful
purser.
The niece of the commanding officer had
lately arrived at the fort, and taken all hearts
| ped, peach checked damsel of seventeen with
clustering bright brown curls.
The purser and were TIE first favorites
with the young lady, and the rest were no.
where. could come on shore oftener than
he could, and, taking advantage of this, |
was most assiduous in my attentions.
with her, read poetry with her, and began
as marriage by. The perfdious purser
had scarcely ghost of a chance and felt
sure that the sight of me in my full uniform
when she came off to church one Sunday, had
completely finished him. But 'Man propos-
es, and Providence disposes.' Let Inc hasten
to u conclusion before my feelings get the
better of me.
A picnic party had been gotten up, main
| ly through my exertions. We mustered
hbout fifteen, including Miss Edwardson.-
The scene of our rural felicity was to be a
grassy glade in thick forest, just where a
fine hcadlopg trout-stream came dashing
down into the bay-about as delightful q
spot as can we'll be imagined-and right mer-
rily did we enjoy ourselves. Among the
crowd of admirers that surrounded her there
were always eight or ten) Miss Edwardson
distinguished none but me. The purser
| looked at me savagely--nt her disInally; and
despite his natural buoyancy of spirits, was
either silent or spoke in monosyllablcs, As
| observed his spirits SO, mine rose, until at
! last had become quite the lion of the par
tv. Under the approving eyes of the sweet
| girl. and as the wine passed round after our
dinner, besides that glorious stream, kept
the table or rather the table cloth, in roar,
or as the humor seized me, got them into
Il sentimental mood. and sent them thinking
of their absent lovers.
We got to singing. The rurscr sang q
] =,
ny a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip All
j h-h! | remember it but too well. Many
other fellows sang; and when it came my
turn gave them pretty little thing which
| had composed for the occasion, commenc-
ing
Oh no! We never mention her;
| She's luvely-ahc 5 sublime, etc.
Only | could not manage to keep out of
sBcn Backstay,' and 'Cease, rude Boreas,
| into which two songs was constantly tum-
bling, owing to defective, or perhaps too
retentiye memory, assisted by sundry glasses
of champagne, which had taken to get my
courage up to the popping point. At las,
Miss EdwardsOn was prevailed upon to favor
US, and she was getting on admirably with
Love on, love on. occasionally sending me
up to the &c. enth heaven by tender glance
III the strong passages, when she suddenly
broke off and exclaimed
sOh, oh, oh! the darling the love! Oh,
the sweet pet the beautiful creature! Oh,
the little beautyn
She was either looking at me or over my
shoulder. For mome mt really was fool
enough to believe that her passion for me had
turned her brain but seeing Williams rise
from the grass, rather hastily, and object
behind my back, as reclincd beside my Ia
dy-loye, looked round and saw the cause
Of her exclaimations. 1t was beautiful
little animal of the ermine species-at least
so thought, though its coat was pure white,
and it had no black tip to its bushy tall
The impudent little wretch looked at me for
a moment, and took it so easy that began
to think it must have been some escaped
pet, and Ellen sang ou'again-
'Oh, Mr.. Guthrie-oh, see how tame it IS
oh, do catch it for me, please-oh, DO
rose at once to do 50. At the same mo
ment all the others rose. saw that perhul-
Gus purser sign to them, and thought they
were coming to assist. did not notice Till
afterwards that they all retreated IN an op-
posite direction.
The little beauty had taken up his station
at the foot of grand old tree. His stern
was turned towards US, and he was quietly
and complacently surveying US over his
shoulder.
lmade run at him, and my hand was
nearly on him, when-ah, me-the remem-
brancc of my reception by that abominable
animal shall never forgot. The love, the
darling, the pet, the beautiful little creature,
was neither more or less than skunk. was
almost sufFocated. l was entirely beside
| UySelI III Tapts lcli uONH' yShSus
rolled in the grass. rubbed the skin oil my
face. held my nose, but the terrible etiu-
yium got in at my mouth, and it got in at
my nose. screamed for help, and one or
two of the less expriehced of our party came
running down towards me but no sooner
had they got within fifty yards, than, stimuli
taneously gripping their noses, they ran as
if tie Old Gentleman was after them.
rushed after the party myself, still vainly
holding my nose; but no sooner did ap-
very life. :. ~,
! Twas intolerablcto myself. The dread
full perfume maddened me. All my rubbing
and scrubing only took the skin off, without
giving me any relief. Ito:e of my coat and
Waisteoat, and rushed into the stream
There was a steep fall close at hand and
there, under the dashing water, with just my
nose and mouth out to get air, sat. dar'
a. A,.