The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-09-12
War Sketches, BY a Northern
Ranger
"A Courier's River Trip.

| the time at which the meeting was to take pl4C
and the dispatches to be delivered was spec life
for cei tain night. The errand which l ha
undertaken might be attended with danger, AN
was certainly surrounded by uncertainties. NJ
conveyance on this mission was a small skif
carrying a light sail, with which skimme
the waters OF the river. The night was dar
and the air sultry not light could be distr
guished on either shore as l kept my mic
stream course. eagerly peered to the RICH
and left, ahead and astern, and listened intent
for any unusual sound. Nothing was visbl
but the gloomy river, and nothing audible bu
| Its mysterious murmurs.
Once | thought heard the whispering of vol
ces, but that might be the signing of the breez
which at that instant just touched, with fain
ripple, the face of the water. did not fear pur
suit nor interruption. l doubted if my erranC
was suspected by any one except those between
whom l was then acting as courier, but Their
was something not to be defined constantly urg
ing me to be alert. The darkness became NOR
intense, or seemed to be so; the air grew closer
could but family distinguish the Illinois shor,
TO the banks of which l had been drawing near
er for some time. having drifted from mid-stream
while the Missouri shore was invisible.
Heavy drops of rain began suddenly 10 pat
ter upon the water, and the breeze fresheEed
The wind blew down the stream, and my little
craft tore along at a rapid rate the foam gath
cred and flew the black river sweiled and toss
ed and roared the rain soaked me to the Skin
and half filed my boat; while the Lightning
flashed with such binding intensity that l seem
cd ushing through the contendng clements
Along the shore, at intervals, [ heard the bark
ing of dogs belonging to some lonely farm.
now stood Tor the Missouri shore, and away
flew the little craft, careening to the blast,
= L. fi,-,
ears, low, but distinct and threatening. The
boats keel had struck upon gravel, and The
next instant she had struck upon q sand bar
LETTING 60 the sheet Of my sail altogether,
seized an car and sounded on both sides and
ahead there was not depth enough 10 float il
any direction. | ieaped into the water, and
showed my boat astern unit she was clear OF
the bar. Again embarking, | endaavored TO es-
cape the shoal, by coastng along It's uneven and
dangerous extremity This | was laboring TO
achieve when violent gust Of wind aid by
some whirling eddy, drove my little craft again
humping OF the sond bar | flung myself on
one of the thwarts, almost determined 20 wait
for the light Of morning. if the slender craft
could bear the heavy and continuous straining
and destructive knocks she seemed TO be receiv-
ing at every instant.
| was busted in bang out the boat, when a
vivid fash of lightaing revealed, within a few
feet of me, standing i'll the river, the figure of Il
man, drenched and pallid, whose eyes, with a
fixed glare, were seemingly bent upon mine, an u
i'll an instant all was darkness as before.
The sudden appearance of this object; its at
titude erect and rigid the deadly pallor Of the
countenance and the immobility of the eye, to-
gether with its apparent flight with the van
ishing lightning, half justified me in dreaming
it the water haunting ghost of some lost boat
xxrhn hnnv had nnriSl 1n1 ont ln har
An ntolerable feeling possessed me--a feel
ing of establishment and horror, which CHING to
me with the para yzing power of nightmare.
| endeavored to shout, but my voice was as an
infants, and felt my flesh creeping and my
blood frozen. Presently felt the side of the
boat shaken by some other cause than the
waves, and the next instant hand was laid on
my shoulder. 1t was no light one, but its grasp
seemed as though it would tear any coat from
my back and my flesh with it.
All my energies eturned at this embrace; my
icy blood ran hot, my limbs quivered, no long
er with all unknown fear. bur with wild rage
against an unknown object.
Who are you? | muttered between my
teeth, 'and what means this attack upon me
Are you d river thief or maniac z
The reply was a violent struggle on the part
of my halEcaptured and half-strang led foe. But
his struggles were in vain. My grasp had been
a sure one, and had become too tenacious offs
prey for the freedom its efforts Gould never gain.
At that moment seemed endowed with pow
er never before had Known and some stray
devil seemed to have possession OF my faculties,
and commanded with exulting ferocity every
action At length the struggling became weak
err. and had my enemy powerless In less
than a minute. dragged him into the skiff, and
he lay painting at the bottom, half immersed
in the water she still neld. Placing the muzzle
OF my revolver against ms brow, | made nm
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STARTLING DISCOVERY
was somewhat startled at a discovery had
made during the coloquy. The agent to whom
| was found and the friend Of the black uan
were one and the same midi vidual. This knew
by his name being repeated by the liberated
foe, and the house III which he lived, close 10
the river bank. was the haven whittier was
bound, This house, discovered, stood scarce
ly mile below the sand bar. | knew it could
not be much further down, but the presence OF
this bar had been unknown to me until that
night, and my reckoning had become confused
by 1t. The p .anter, for such he was, also sand