, 1861-09-02

A. Coufiersa River Trip

A. Cour1er's River Trfpt
[Frcm the n. 7. Evening Post.J
I had agreed to deliver certain dispatches, |
at a small house on the Missouri shore Of the
Mississippi river, come distance below St,
Louis. 1ht time at which the meeting was
to take place and the dispatches were to be
delivered was specified for certain night.
The errand had undertaken might be attend
ed With lauger, and was undoubtedly sur
rounded by uncertainties. MJ conveyance on
tLis mission was . small skitf, carrying q light
sail, with which I skinned the waters Of the
mighty river. The night was dark and the
On either shore as I kept my midsetream
cours.. eagerly peered to the right and left,
Ihead a1d asIerE, and listened :ntent1y for any
u1rsual sound. Nothing was visible but the
gloomy river, and nothing audible but its mys-
ttf7Gn5 InurInlf6.
Onca thought heard the whispering Of
-ciceG, but that might be the signing OF the
bIecze which at that instant just touched with
q taint riE EIle the 1aee Of tha wafer. did not
ftsr pursuit nor interruption. I doubted if
NY elrard Tas suspected by any one except
th:,Ee bstween when I was then acting as
cCuritr, but there Wis something not to be
dsfned constantly urging nle to be alert. The
darkness became more intense or seemed to
te Eo. The air grew closer ! could but
family distinguish the Illinois shore, the
banks Of which had been drawing nearer for
some time, having drifted from mid stream
whilst tie Missouri bank was invisible.
Heavy ercps OF RAIN began Suddenly to pat
ter upon The water, and the breeze freshened.
The Hind blew down thu stream, and my ittla
craft tore along ut rapid rate; the foam
gathered and hew the black river Bwelled,
| and ttssed, end roared /; the rain soaked me
| to the skin, ard half flied my boat, while lhe
| lightning flashed with such binding intensity
| tEni seemed rushing through the coatanding
t clements. Along shore, at intervals, heard
the bsrkjrgs Of dogs belonging 10 some lone
/ ly farn. I now stood for the Missouri shore,
and away few the little craft careening to the
| hlsst.
| Suddenly there WAS d strange so1nd in my
ea5 E, low but distinct and threatening. The
boats keel was grating upon gravel The
| Eext instant she bad struck upon sand-bar.
Letting fly the sheet Of my sail altogether, I
| seized an car and sounded on both eides and
ahead; there was not depth enough to feat in
any direcsiou. I l5aped into the river and
showed my best astern, until she Was clear Of
the Iar- Again embarking, endeayored to
escape tie dangerous ehoal by coastlng along
its rneTcn and treaehsrcns extremity This
was 1a5oring to achieve when violent gust
OF wind, aided by come whirllng eddy drove
mT little craft again humping on the sand bar.
| I auIE myself en- one of the thwarts, almost
determined 10 wait for the light Of morning,
if tie slender craft could bear so long The
AEAh3 auA EtHkHut4 LII Elid1uAi1S5 dIu ilt u7
structiye knocks she seemed to be receiving
at every instant
was bueied in bailing out the boat, when {
vivid tlssh of lightning revealed, within few
feet ct me, the figure Of a man standing in tht
river, drenched and palEa, whose eyes, with
fixed glare, were seemingly bent upon mine
and in an instant all was darkness as BEFORE
TIE sudden appearance Of this object; it
attitude, erect and rigid; The deadly pal1or o
the counterauce a1d the immobitity Of tn
eye, together with ita apparent flight with th'
vanishing lightning, half justified me in dream
ing it the Water-hannting ghost Of some los
hcatnan, whose body had peri:hed on th
| bar.
An intolerable feeling possessed me-a feel
ing Of astonitbment and horror, which cl4n.
to ns Hith the para1yzux power Of ht5qt
mare. endeayored to shout, but my yo9c
| was as an infants, and I felt my flesh creepiu
and my blood frozen. Presently I felt tn
side cfthe boat shaken by some other caus
than tEat Of the waves, aad The next instal
hand was laid on my shoulder. It WIS 4
light one; brt its grasp seemed IS though
Z would tear my coat from my back, and N
- fl.sh with II.
, Ali my energies returned at that embrac
: My icy blood ran hot, my limbs quiyered, q
longer with au unknown fear, but wild rae
aEaipet or uDl1nowa object.
a "Who are you" I muttered between II
i teeth. "And what meaDs this stack On ms
: Are yeu river thief or maniac :"
: TIE reply was violent struggle on the pa
: q my nasfeap:ured and hasfst,anglea r. 70 70
bces, cure one and had become too tenaciol
Of it's prey for the freedom its efforts cou
never gain. At that moment seemed e
n GoWed with 6 power never before had know
and some stray devil seemed to have posses
ion Of my faculties, and commanded with e
j.. ultiug ferocity every action. At length Il
n n struggling became weaker and I bad my CT
my peWerless. III less than minute dragg
him into the skif and he lay painting at t
: bottom, half immersed in the water she s.
against his brow I made him feel the steel
could rot See, and threatening him With
+. stsnt death if he N owed, demanded the r
1p son Of his attack Oh me and the cause of
Il. presence on the sa3d bar.
, 1T took you for my runaway n1gger," he
swered, "and ny beat was sWamped On
- bar and my companion's gone too-his bo
DC | by this times half way to Cairo. He wa:
20 man hired to follow the yarmint We III
o5 o5 both together and had been lodging you So
to time, when the breeze sprung up and We
you"
" "How did rou strike the sand bars''
= atked. "WhJ did you not make right for
T. n1i1.o;6 shore when you suspected me to
az . ruraWaY? Was he not mere likely to Fl!
for the free soil than to be coasting down
1iyer!" The fellows treacherous appfoi
upon NE had made me suspicious Of soma
, sign o1 further i'll he contemplated, and !
!. doubted the story Of the fugitive negro.
:. He replied that, as kept right down stge
~ never attempting to make for the short
ssn ~ doubt had risen II the minds Of my pzrsu
" and to clear it thew were determined to L
n up the pursuit. in that direction, especially
- i ere Wa3 settlement of free coiored pei
e1' tome miles down in Illinois, where it
Els1ly the slave might be fleeing. On she OF
ei6c If the river, be said, there d~elt nj
Abcist:ohi=t, who had aided the escape
c-1c1 r11 o< r. how ,1a Ia rod
EE, 4ets E.a'o, sI1s ~ -. AANn'NASt A@o 'o"~
tue I RGEtE 0Ehalu me luSgiLfe.
e Of | ...