The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-08-07
THE DOOMED SKATER.


THE DOOMED SKATER.
We had cast our lot my twin brother and
myself, in the roughes, township of Upper
Canada. Twenty years are III their grave
since then-twenty years, rung out aRd runR
in by the elang of the woodman's axe-and
still the township lies in the heart OF its prime
val forest. CIotIed woods oyerhang the soil
tafy village, composed OF few log-huts,
nightly drenched, as with q death-sweat, from
the malaria of the swamp. But we came,
young and impressionable, from the Old
Country, on . venturous quest after for
tune in the bush, and the dishevelled wilder
ness of thicket had its charms for us.
A river reft the huge tangle OF the woods
with its dark sluggish waters, which crept
aud oozeC in amongst decaying trees on either
side. Banks there were none, and the beached
skeletons of the rotten trees alone marked off
the channel of the river from the dai fen, fetld
with myriad Impurities. Such wa the aspect
of the melancholy Scugog. Our village was
nv no means large one. The scattered huts
which made il up bad been knocked together
by asprtnkling OF hardy pioneers, on solitary
bluff which repelled the river from its base.
and gave 10 fearless settlers some ground OF
vantage over the surrounding swamp. There
was not, however much cleared grouEd-nay,
very little everywhere we were hemmed iii
by battalion after battalion OF monotonous
trees. Not all the pioneer chivalry of the
world could cut an open way through their
ranks Like brave hearts on a attle-ffeld,
when one serried line fell, 10! another had
arisen in their place. AS for our fellow set
tiers, we found them OF piece with the coun-
try-rough and hardy, as they had need 10 be
who, twenty years ago, coioniZed the Scugog.
We were twins, Jack and i, but otherwise
unlike. He was a fine fellow; acknowledged
his supremacy, and rejoiced in his bold, tree
spirit. From his childhood he had been the
most i'm pulsive creature that ever pointed q
moral for headlong youth. Ever III scrapes
and difficulties but never to his dishonor,
Jack fought one-haif OF his acquaintances into
loving him, which the rest dad of their free
Will ana my heart san warns inVoluntarIly
10 wards the wild impulsiye boy, with his
hoadstrong soul all agog for mischief.
l confess | was somewhat dlsmayed by the
aspect OF our new country fresh from the
sunny lanes of Kent and the loved circle at
home could il DE otherwise Bat as for Jack
ne was in IaptuIes with every thing that dis
quieted me Nothing was more charmingly ro-
mantle than our hat on the bluff, and no river
could go ual the brown, bankless, melancholy
Scugog.
We did not settle down to the regulation
life 81 a Sc tier all at once; we determined 10
sip the nectar of life on the Scug0g If, indeed,
there was any of that ambrosiai draught to he
Trained in The township. The fascination of
the swift canoe kept us almost constantly on
the dark, mysterious river and, in truth, there
was scarcely any other outlettrom our dwell
ing save on It's waters. BY day, we fished and
we shot from our frail skitfs; and by night,
when the moon was up we would paddle them
IN her sllyery wake.
L
our society on the Scugog among them were
rome bali -breeds--a species of degenerate In
dan--whO had sunk from the dignity of for
est-Hfe 10 the servitude and bufteting of the
white settlers. They were lazy, good for
nothing fellows, except in the matter of fish
iRg or shooting, wherein they were proficients.
We found them useful III giving ms true ton in
The canoe-litc otour river home. / preferred,
for my own part, 10 go pretty much by myself
on our watering Jack, however,
had 10 such idea OF placid enjoyment. and
speedily leaving me to my az uatIc reyeries, he
hired haug-dOg looking scoundrel, named
Oller, TO assist him in the management of his
canoe. l am no great disciple of Lavater but
i never liked that halt breed. All these drees
OF Indian nobility are SalloW, bleared eye
creatures, with world of cunning but this
fellow was chief of them all for every repul-
save trait. OF course, Jack ridiculed my senti-
mems about his new servitor; he was match
tor haif-a- dozen, twenty fellows like Olier, he
said and it was all right, and l was not to
DO ther my head about him.
IL WAS getting late III the fall; the Indian
summer-that beautiful dream OF ioveliness-
had restored to us in evanescent beauty The
glories OF a Canadian autumn. The forests
were Us gay with color as a herald's tabard,
and the air was yet balmy with the lingering
sweetness of summer. One exquisite evening,
born of one of these lovely days, was iistess-
Iy smoking as / lay on the top of the bluff, va.
cantly skelching home landscapes in the dark
Scugog rolling beneath. a canoe shot round
the bend of the river below the village; it was
padded by ii solitary figure, who turned out
TO be Jack. ! knew he had gone down the
Scugog 10 fish along with Oiler; but now no
half breed squatted i'll the opposite end of the
canoe. A vague dread seized upon me as Jack.
running his little bark sheer up the bank,
shouldered his paddle, and marched up to me.
'iow now, Jack what have you done with
your charming companion !" inquired, dis
guising my conjectural fear.
Cad L don't know" replied my brother,
sitting down, oriental fashion, beside me.
"NoL know !"
mot Bit" was his answer. allow should
/ be acquainted with all the ms and outs of
that Rosamond's Bower !' Here he indica ted
as much forest with his arm as would have
made a few thousands of the bower in Ques-
ton.
"Oh, l perceive he is gone tracking deer, or
omething of that sort, - said /, immensely re-
lieyed by Jacks manner. There was slight
pause. NV fears returned: l felt there was
something wrong.
SWELL" said Jack, "I'll tell you don't see
why there need be any secret about it. You
We're quite right about that OlieT-you We're.
He's a good for thing fellow. ana quite
coolly refused this afternoon TO paddle me,
when wanted To go down the river bit fur
Their than usual"
"And you -
II ran the canoe upon a yard of bank
whether an island or not, L cannot tell-gave
tho insolent rascal a good hastinado with the
paddle, and set him ashore
Good Heayens!' l exclaimed with horror,
dent you know Jack-hayen't you sense
enough TO understand-that these Indian fell
lows are vindictiye TO the last degree-that
they Will never forget or forgive a blow 20
"Pooh ~ said he getting up quite merrily,
and marching homewards, saying over his
shoulder: "Oh, You don't bother yourself!
Olier VIII be down on his marrow bones to-
inorrow-see II he isn't Besides, owe him a
half q dollar"
Tomorrow came, unfruitful with the half
breeds submission. The story got abroad
amongst the huts, and the old settlers who
knew their man, shook their heads ominously
aud BODIED no good 10 my impuisiye brother
However, TWO days passed harmIessly during
which Jack aud l fished and shot togethe
Oiier had not reappeared, and / began to
breathe more freely. Doubtless, he had left
the district. lie was an unsettled fellow at
amy rate. and had no property or tie in the viii
ihge 10 tempt his stay.
Twenty miles below the village, the dark
Scugog whiiens into rapids, and is hurled
wan gigantic power over lofty precipice. /
mad often wished 10 SEQ the tails, but il had
been hitherto impossible 10 accom- piish the dis
lance by my single arm. Al last my wish was
10 be grauhed. A shooting-party was made
up by some OF the villagers, and, at my urgent
request was incl uded. The arrangement was
10 spend a night at the falls, camping ont on
tie bank, and return the following day. In
stead O. canoes, we Were To sail down in a
large fiat bottomed boat, termed, in Canadian
parlance, u seow. Strange 10 say, Jack did
mol care about going, saying that he would en-
SOY himself more III his own canoe and, Us we
"sis all eady crowded for room, we did not
press iitn To change his resolution.
~ Our exped ition had little In IL noteworthy.
80. ~ EVER Tor over twenty miles sail re-
Sran,a sae same nonotonous melancholy
No, Ssa,,gs ~ ssaiying for the space Of q hand.
our village and the falls not |. xti. ~ Ta ~