Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-07-26
Select Storm.
THE RIVAL PILOTS:
Or
THE MAID OF THE RAPIDS
A Story Of the st. Lawrence.
BY HERMAN BOLIVAR.


By HERMAN BOLIVAR.
| Alta steamboat landing in one Of tn
beautiful towns on the St. Lawrence, ther
laythe large and Magnificent steame
Brockville, early one evening. just ready t
start upon her course down the river
The shrill roar Of the escape pipes, tn
busy movements of the crew, the arriva
of passengers and freight, and the hurrie
voices of command, inquiry and adieu, a
served to form scene the most indifferen
observer could not have beheld without in
terest, in the gathering twilight of tha
coming night.
For there is in the simplest embarkmen
something of the melancholy and uncer
tainty which belongs to the last great voY
age of every human being. The figs ma!
wave, and tine steamers float proudly from
the masthead, and the sun may shine, ant
the deep waters scarcely ripple as the,
kiss the shores, but we know that all ou
hopes are prosperous of happy passage
may be wrecked in an hour, so little ha
man, with all his wonderful works ye
achieved towards taking his destiny from
the most minute and continual providence
of God.
Among the last of the passengers com
ing aboard of the Brockville on the trip tt
which we now refer, was young lady
scarcely seventeen years of age, and o
such angelic beauty and grace that every
eye resting upon her followed her move
ments with delight. She was the only
child of the wealthy Colonel Ridout, o.
Montreal, one of the largest steamboat
owners of the St. Lawrence, and was now
returning to her splended home, attended
by single maid. Often had Ada been
up and down the mighty stream, with her
father, and well had she treasured up the
intricate turns and windings of the channel
amid its rapid and its thousand islands,
as we shall soon have occasion to reveal.
Fer moment, as Ada Ridout came in
over the planks, she bent quick and
searching glance upon the faces of the
passengers clustered on the guards. This
glance sufficiently attested that she was in
hopes of seeing some familiar countenance
among them, and look of disappointment
fitted over her lovely face. as she turned
away in the direction of the ladies cabin.
"Walter is not here, somethig evil has
happened!' she could have been heard to
whisper to her maid, in quick and gasp
ing tones. "He said be would certainly
come down in the Brockville, this very tr p,
and meet me as l came aboard, but 1 do
not see him~
Again the expectant girl came to halt,
looking around upon the faces presented
to her view, but no sign of recognition ap-
peared on her features or in her eyes. 1t
was evident that her Walter was not there.
sits too bad," said the maid. "But
these men never have any regard for the
feelings of su women"
"Hush, Hetty," interrupted Ada, as tears
dimmed her eyes. "Walter would have
kept bis promise if be had been able to do
so. 1 feel that terrible calamity has
happened. Some enemy who knew of his
of our approaching marriage !" and
she started, as her eyes rested upon per-
son VINO was just then coming aboard, "that
man, again! Let us hasten to the cabin.
But ere the poor girl could make her way
through the surrounding crowd, the object
of her dread and dislike advanced to her
side, laying his hand as roughly as boldly
upon her arm, and saying:
allow dye do, Miss Ada I'm glad to
see you again, you may be sure"
He was one of the two pilots of the
boat. The maiden turned towards him
with such look of scorn and disgust that
he momentarily quailed beneath it. But
there was something internal, for all that,
in the expression resting on his hang-dog
vissage, and some reference to her missing
lover.
"You have seen him?' she gasped
"You kin think SO, MISS" was his reply
"P'r'aps he was here little while ago,
comm down the river to meet you, cord
ing to 'greement. Only he might have
gone overheard a little suddenly through
somebody's aid-so that he isn't likely to
come to your sweet arms jist at present
that's alp
"Fiend, you've murdered him! I will
have you arrested"
"Softly, miss. You wont do nothing
O. the kind. I'm the only chap that can
pilot boat down the Lachine Rapids on
sich night that's comm you know, and you
wouln't be so cruel as to keep all these peo-
Piles a-waitin' here till morning, in course
not. Besides, you know that was only a
joking! l dare say your doll III turn up all
right in good season. In any case, you
know there must be proof, miss, proof be-
fore you can do much in legal line, and
what is the proof agin mes Supposing,
now, jist for fun, supposing I'd put feller
I didn't like out of the way, by fetchin'
him one on the guards and droppin' him
him over board"
Ada threw up her arms in such a way
as to cheek the rufian's speech, unable to
hear more. With low cry of anguish,
and countenauce pale as death, she reeled |
into the arms of her maid, and was slowly
conducted away towards the ladies' cabin.
"Gone, gonep she moaned. "My dear
Walter has been killed by that fiend! o,
God, have mercy upon me! And these pi-
Iosts, did you see them both, Hetty p
This man and the one looking down the
way a moment ago, both dead |