The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-02-16
The Doomed Skater.

We have cast our lot, my twin brother and
myself, in the toughest township of Upper Can
ada. Twenty Years are III their grave since
then twenty years, rung out aud rung IN by
the clang of the woodman S aXe-and still that
| township lies in the heart OF its prImeval for
est. Clotted woods overhang the solitary viii
Iage composed of few og-huts nightly
drenched, as with death-sweat. from the ma =
lara of the swamp.
A river reft the huge tongle of the woods
with itC dark sluggish waters which crept and
oOzed in among decaying trees on either side
| Banks there were none, and the blea ched skele-
tons of the rotten trees alone marked off the chan
mel of the river from the dark fer, fetid with
myriad impurities. Such was the aspect Of the
melancholy Scugog. Our village was by no
means large one. The scattered huts which
made it up had been knocked together by Il
! S lrinkling of hardy pioneers, on solitary bluff
which repeled the river from its base. and gave
to fearless settlers some ground of vantage over
the surrounding swamp, There was not, how
ever, much cleared ground-nay, very little /;
] everywhere We were hemmed III by battalion
alter battalion of mono tonous trees. Not all
| the pioneer chivalry of the world coud cut all
open way through their rnnks. Like brave
learts on battlefield when one serred line
fell, 10 another had arisen in their place. AS
/ Tor our fellow-settlrrs We found them of piece
| WIN lIc CbuHtlN-IOuSu HdIUN, dS lICl Hau
need to be who, twenty years ago coonizrd the
Scugog.
| We were twins, Jack and !, but otherwise
unlike. He was fine fellow; acknowledged
his supremacy, and rejoced in his bold free
spirit, From his childhood he had been the
most impulsive creature that ever pointed a
moral for headlong youth Even in scrapes and
difficulties but never to his dishonor Jack fought
one half his acquaintances into loving him whic
the rest did OF their own free will aud my heart
still warns invountsrily towards the wild im-
pusive boy, with his headstrong soul all agog
for mischief.
| confess was somewhat dismayed by the
aspect OF our new country; fresh from the sunny
lanes of Kent, and the loved circle al home,
could it be otherwish But as for Jack he was
In wild raptures with everything that disquirted
me. Nothing was more chormingy romantic
than our hut on the bluff, and no river could
equal the brown, bankless melancholy Scugog.
We lid nol settle down to the REGULATE ton life
OF a settler all at once We determined to sip the
nectar OF life on the Scugog if indeedw was there
any of that ambrosidl aught to be drained in
the township. The fascination of the swift ca
noe kept us almost constantly on the dark mys-
terlous river; aud, in truth, there was scarcely
any other outlet from our dwelling save on its
waters. By day, we fsned and we shot from
our frail skhS; and by night, when the moon
was up, we would paddle them in her silvery
wake
have said that few rough settlers formed
our society on the ScuSog; among them were
some hal-breeds-a species of degenerate Indi
an-who had sunk from the dignity of forest-life
10 the servtude and utieting of the white set
tiers. They were lazy. good-ior-nothing fellows,
except in the matter of fishing or shooting
wherein they were profcients. We found Them
uSpIlI giving inst m n tha life pE
our Ilver-home. | perferred, for my own part,
togo pretty much by myself on our water-ex-
curSions. Jack, however. had no such idea OF
placid enjoyment anu speedily leaving me to
my aquatic reveries, he hired hang dog look
Ing Scoundrel AIMED Olier to assist him in the
management OF his canie | am no great disci-
pie of Lavater, but never liked that half breed.
All these dregs of Indian nobility are sallow,
bleal-eryd creatures, with world of cunning,
but this fellow was chief OF them all for e,ery re-
pnlsive trait. OF course. Jack rGicued my sem
tments about his new serviler; he was match
for half dozen. twenty fellows like Olier, he
said; and it was all right, and was not 10 both
er my head about him.
II was getting late in the fall; the Indian
summer--that beautiful dream of loviness-had
restored TO us in evanescent beauty the glores
OF Canadian outumn. The forests were as gay
with color as herads tabard, and the air was
yet balmy with the lingering sweetness Of sum
mer. One exquisite evening, born Of one Of
those lovely days, was lstessly smoking as
lay on the top OF the bluff, vacanty sket ching
home-landscapes in the dark ScugOg rolling be-
meath. A canoe shot round the bend of the
river below the vilisgei it was padded by SOL
itary figure who turned out to be Jack. ! knew
he had gone down the Scugog to fish along with
oIler but nown no halI-breed squotted in the