The Shasta courier., 1868-01-04
A PeriiOus Night.

Two hundred and fifty miles above Vicks
burg, on the Sunfower River, in the midst
OF the great Yazoo Swamp. there stood, few
years since, the log-cabin of a raftsman
whom. Tor convenience, we shall call Wood
The cabin, like most of the scattering habi-
tations in that desoate country, was con.
structed on the top of four posts, secured in
the earth, and some twelve feet in height
Tins precaution was necessary, in case of the
breaking of the levee on the Mississippi. to
save the cabin from the food.
Here, In this sombre woodland, tens and
even hundreds of miles intervene without a
single habitation. The bear and deer hide
away in the deep forest, where the cypress
trees grow plentiful and tall the little,
"hatterlng black squirrels on the pecan trees
are seen by hundreds, and the water turkeys
geese, and ducks skim in myriads over the
water. Here. In the pathless wild, the wood
man had made temporary home, intending
to prepare RATS of cypress timber, and, on
the " May rise, /" to float it to New Orleans.
1t was early in April, and all around the
house OF the lumberman lay scattered the
mighty cypress logs. or more unpretendine
poles for the construction of RATS. Day bv
day he worked away, thinking of the coming
high water, which was expected in five or
six weeks. lie must have his RATS ready.
which he could easily do, and as he should
moot the tide of water at its flood so also
should he meet the flood tide of fortune. and
replenish his purse.
1t was nisht-night in the great Missis-
sippi swamp! And night in that region is
truly the wildness of desolation. All day the
woodman's AK had sounded dull "thuc. !"
III the swamp, and the cunning little squirrels
played : bo peep" from the pecan trees, and
wondered why the bronze faced toiler should
interrupt their solitude. But night had come
with its gloom and sadness, and the little
squirrels had retired to give place to a hun.
dred fowls and animals, whose voices awoke
strange echoes in the pathless wild. The
moon came up and the matted festoons of
long moss revealed an imaginary ghost in
every shadow. The tired woudman slept
slept scundly as only the loboring man can
sleep.
1t was late at night, and all still and quiet
except the voice of animated life, when a
wild and continuous shrek from a thousand
throats told the tale. Sweeping through the
forest came the rolling flood, like an inunda-
tion of the ancient Nile! The levee was bro
ken, and in two hours time little, muddy
Sunfower River would be fifty miles in
width
The tired raftsman still slept, and the
water came up and up, and around the posts
supporting the cabin. Half way from the
earth to the floor of the house had been
reached, and the flood still went rapidly up,
when Wood was arouse from his slumbers
by the wild jargon of voices around him. He
sprans from his bed, and pcered out upon the
angry, surging waters.
Enough lie knew his situation. Alone,
tl,a, Il lla &c . h., I
save himself if he could. as no aid was TO be
expected. Put how? He would construct a
raft-but no his timbers were all foated
away, and his tools lay in the swamp where
last used, only yesterday, now beneath water
ten feet in depth He could climb to the
top of the cypress tree, and avoid drowning,
but only to starve If he only had ropes be
could gather driftwood and lash it together,
and thus save himself. But there was not a
foot of rope in the house
Meantime the water rose rapidly. Only a
few hours MORE and the cabin would be
swept away on the flood Wood paced the
floor for an hour-to him it seemed like an
age and the water was still gaining upon
him. An hour more must see daylight, and
by that time the cabin would go tumbling
away in the deluge. True the floor of the
house was constructed of cypress logs for
sleepers' or joists, and thick wooden slabs,
made secure with wooden pins. But the
| weight of the house would certainly burst
| the floor, when brought in contact with
distractions and rushing river.
Wood crossed his hands tehind him and
reflected:
An hour more, and the cabin floats
goes to smash as soon as it foats-must get
out'n here fore that-ha !" and he moved
like one startled by q ghost. A moment
more, and the clapboaIds of the roof were
being literally hurled away into the flood
Log after log of the cabin wall went splash.
ing into the water below. Down, down went
the cabin walls, and higher and higher came
the watery element
Daylight came at length, and the raftsman
was floating away toward New Orleans on his
cabin floor! A happy thought had saved
him. While the weight of the entire cabin
would certainly break in pieces the floor. the
weight of the floor would be comparatively
nothing. He was saved, had splendid i'm
promptu raft. and, in the channel, was scud
| ding away before the current. Forty-eight
hours saw him safe at Snyder's Bluff, though
worn, weary aud hungry, yet as live as ever
after the ''perils of the night"
| JUAREz sleeps now in Carlotta's bed. ant