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

seized upon me as Jack, running his little bark
sheer up the bank, shouldered his paddle, and
matched up tome
"llow now, Jack wha' have YOU done with
your charming comp0nou2" euqulred, dis
guiSing my conieclureG fear.
"Gadl dont know" replied my brother,
sitting down, oriental fashion, beside me,
"Not know P'
"N,t Bit" was his answer. "llow should
he acquainted with all the ins ami outs Of
that Rosomord's Dowcr}' Here he indicated AS
much forest with his arm MS would make tcw
thousands OF the bower in question.
Oh. perceive; hes gour tracking deer, or
something or that sort" said |, immensely r.
hcvcd by Jacks manner. There was slight
pause. My fears returned; | felt there was
something wrong.
Welt" said Jack. "T I'll tell YOU: don't see
why there need he any secret about il. You
were quite righ, about that Glcr-yon wcr'.-
He's Good-ferr,thing fellow, and quite coolv
relnsd this afternoon to pad lle me, when | wan
ted to 30 down the ryer II bit farther than
usual
And you?"
al ran the canoe upon yard Of bank. -
whether an island or not, cannot trll--aave the
insolent rascal good bastinodo with the pan-
die and sent him ashore"
GOOD llsavenS.!' ! exclaimed with horror
NoH YOU NUoN, JiCh--NhNtnt YOU StlSt
enough to understand hat these indian fal-
lows are vindjctve TO the last degree that they
will never forget or forgive blow"
"Pooh said he, getting up quite merrily Ona
mnrchng homcwardS, saying over his shoulder:
"Oh, you don't bother yourself! O,ier will be
down On his marrow bones Tomorrow II
he isn't. b sides | owe him half dollar"
Tomorrow came, unfruitlul with the half
| breeds submission. The story got abroad n.
mougst the hutS, and the Old settlers who knew
their man, shook thei heads ominously. and
BODIED no good to my impulsive brother How
ever, two days passed harmesSlv, during which
Jack and fS'ed aud shot together. Ouer had
not rearpeered, aud began to breathe more
freely. Doubtless, h. had lrit the district. lie
was an unsettled fellow at any rate, and had uc
property or tie in the village to tempt his stay
Twenty miles below the village the darn
Scugng whlens into rapids, ana is hur,ei viii
gigantic power over a lofty p'ecipice. ! had
often wished to see the falls but 1t had hitherto
bean impossible to accomplish the distance b,
my single arm. At last my wish was to "
gratlicd. shooting party was made mp by
some Of the villagers, and, at my urgent requ 81
was included fhe arrangement was to spenC
night at the falls, camping oyt on the bank
and turn tn following day. lnstcad of canoes
I'VE were to sail down in large Il t tboItOme,
boat, termed, in Canadian parl1ncr, Il scow.-
Strange to say, Jack did not care ab0rt going
saying that he would enjoy himself more in hi
own canoe; and, ne we were already crowdeC
for room we did not press him to change hi
solution.
Our expedition had little in it noteworthy
The river for over twenty miles sail remained
the same, monot onous me elanchuly ScugOg neve
F varying iur the space ot hand. Not vestig
, of clearance was there between our vilugr AM
~. ~, 4 nbt.t l,,,p
the water like a wall, and, save the wild game
no one ever tried to force way through thei
close knit ranks wooed at the base by d tang
of unwholesome verdure. Tnis aspect | hat
stern reason tor remembering The only brigh
. thing was the patch of cloudess blue skv sec
, at the extremity of this long reach Of WOO an
) water Over all broodcd the inteuscst silence
&. No bird trlled us a single song: all was still
save for the lughrious woodpacker, which
perched on a rotten tree. hammered its hollow
sides with its beak. Tap, tap, tep!--it was
? most unearrhly sound
1 We had seen the supcndnous falls in thci
, lonely majesty, and were steering homeward il
9 our scow As we reared the village again, dis
A iant only some five or six miles, the sun wa
/ sinking behind the tree horizon A slight blu
I haze bathed the long ches of the river wit
h inefTabe sOftnPss and beauty. We vOyaged o
I liauid field of cloth of gold. But ever an
= again, marring my intense perception Of it
loveliness, came the ghuslly tap, tap, tap of til
woodprcker, | could not resist chilly sens
sation of horror as | listened TO he measure
cadency echoing through the solitude. 1t souu
ded like a coffin maker hainmeriug at his dlsnd
task. A relief suggested itself. Some OF m
! companions were French Canadians, and tn
evening before had cheered onr blvOUGc wit
some gay refrains of sunny French | aske
them for stave but | said nothing about th
woodpecker, whose note | wished them I
drown. a strong chorus soon yanquishrd tn
bird of i'll omen and rang up the yullted river
| recollect the strain well; il was favorite voy
ageurs ditty, sung 10 tho dash of the oar, an
began-
Mon joli canot blank,
RameZ, ramez, raIne2.