Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-03-09
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he nouIs pdssSu Ius'no'y py, tih i- o'clock a. night, when we resigned our selves confdingly to the arms of morpheus and slept and dreamed and dreamed and slept, while the rain poured necessarily | from the windows of heayen. f.st 4 P Morning came, the light of which as- sured US that we were permitted to wit ness the scenes of another day. We looked out and beheld old mother earth deluged in water, and tho rain still descending I'll Rain, rainy, raining-vapor and smoke everywhere ascending. clouds rolling and rain pouring. Again we are in our sad- dles and homeward bound Westward we strode, and every gully, ravine and branch, seemed an impossible torrent. But one music broke the gloomy stiffness of the forcst--that of the rolling waters, echoing from Till to Till, as onward, dcfantly they rushed, seeming to rejoice over the con quest they we're making But our. pilot understood the tactics of water, and him we resolved to follow as firmly as did the French veterans the white plume of Mue' rat. Torrent after toUent we encountered and passed, but not with dry saddles - Strange sounds greeted our ears as the cold waters came upon us--the coughing and snorting of our noble stecds. 
 Trials and dangers beget sympathy cad strengthen the ties of friendship closely and steadily we pressed onward, few but earnest our consultations, for our feelings were better felt than told But we had passed the tributaries of Farrcrs Run, and tho inland sca-known as the Prairie-and at noon found ourselves at Col. B's place; we rested few minutes and refreshed, and again braced ourselves. for watery strugga,s. O. could l. e reader have seen US, with saddle bags lashed about our necks, one hand holding to the mane, bridle in the other, rcrched upon the top of the sadlle, and our horses clsaving the dark muddy waters the sight certainly would be mSre interesting than we can possibly make the description. But we are again at that assic strcam the Wattensaw, that seemed to mock aud dis, dain all our efforts to pass, the bridge was afoat, and the banks hid by the mighty tide that climbed the trees where waters had never been When Bonaparte, with his army, came to the cloutls--captain Alps, and announced his purpose to cross it was deemed folly and madness, but he had read that Hannibal, more than two thousand years before his day, had led his army over the Alps, so Bonai arte resolved to lo or die, and he dm.
 A briei interchange of views and pur, poses, and it is decided that two of us take the horses and baggage back to some place of safety, ar1~the other two. take the chances oi crossing in small hoat. some thing after the style of a bateau-od, frail and leaky With poles and oars suited to tie boat, We launched out among vines
 trees and dlift-wood We pushed, aud pulled, and bailed, for our little craft leak
 ed fearfully. An hours labor with the. impedimcnts of the stream, brought US safely to terra firma but with our landing. came night; not ordinary night that sue eeeds dags but black night, with storm clouds m&rshaling and deploying at the music of pealing ,hunders; lightnings dancing and gleaming, ever and anon re vealing the silvery sheen of watery world. We are in strange place, in the woods, in tue darkness of Egyptian night, and in water on foot, with none to pilot, none to direct. We will never forget the eternal din of the frogs, mingled with the thun s der's roar, and blackness of that nieht,-- We had set our faces Eastward, as we supposed, in the direction of home, aud were feeling our way cautiously and slow
 y, tor the water came up about us, higher than was comfortable and now we had gained point where cur wits well nich failed us. The water was too deep to ad. vance and we did not know how to retreat The wind roarcd, the frogs sang, the light nings flashed, the thunders pealed. and the ram poured in torrents. We paused, and asked each other what was then prac. ucable. It was decided that the one with the strongest lungs should elevate his voice to the highest key, and, Indian like. to boot. This was done again and agsin till answered from a distance. Tt was kept up until friend advanced and kind. ly piloted us to road thence to his fath- CTS house MT. M's., who kindly received us, and welcomed us to the hospitality of his fircside A warm supper is spread tor us, such as we could wish might be ours the balance of our days. We are conducted into another room, and seated by glowing fire a change of clothing is furnished us, and we spent the hours til midnight in social anecdotes, rehearsals and incidents, and then retired to comfort able and well arranged quarters, and slept too soundly to dream. The next morn. ing our generous friend, M., mounted us