American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-06-20
VOL. XXIV.

shore of the lake and about three miles
| farther up. As we divided ourselves into
parties of four, felt an irrepressible de-
sire to have Harry Vane, who had de
clared for the tower, in our boat, so l
called out:
| Harry, are you coming with us?'
meaning by us, Downs and myself.
81 shall never forget the look of min
gled pain and pleasure with which he re
piled: No, Charlotte; George Law is
| quartered in your boat
at was half past three o'clock when
we landed near the tower and drew
the boats up on the beach. This tower
was an octagon building three or four
stories in height, consisting of only one
room to each story, with a narrow
spiral staircase leading from base to sum-
nit. At the top was an observatory not
much larger than a goods sized bird cage,
which had once been furnished with a
| small telescope mounted on a swivel, but
was now reduced to a very commonplace
spy-glass. The basement was a deep,
dungeon-like hole, with a grated door
through which one entered a subterranean
passage leading out to the shore of the
lake. This tower, with its lean to kitchen,
or, rather, cook-house, was built on hill
at the distance of about 200 yards from the
waters edge, and it was the product of a
Quixotic Englishman, an old bachelors
fancy. The whimsical man did not carry
out his original intention of making a
complete miniature castle of feudal times,
but suddenly abandoned the enterprise
and went as he came, nobody knew
whittier. This odd little tower had been
surrounded on all sides, save the deep
bank next the water, by diminutive
moat, which was now a dry ditch filled
with weeds and wild flowers there, too,
was the wreck of a toy-like drawbridge,
and within the Enclosure were several
quaint-looking garden chairs cut into the
stumps of trees. There was fam
lily residing in the house, at least they
made it an occasional residence during
the summer, but that day they were alb
sent, and the garrulous old servant in
charge showed us over the premises.
1--WE stole down by the light of a lantern
through the underground passage to the
opening on the lake; we climbed the steep
stairs and peeped through the old spy
glass; sat in the grotesque chairs, and
gathered bouquets from the quondam
moat. All these vagaries consumed so
much time that, before we were aware,
the sun was going down the westward
sent us to our boats with speed. We were
soon gliding over the water in jOvial
spirits and at fair rate of motion toward
the camping place on the shore next home.
The three boats kept near together, and as
we went we sang Tom Moore's Canadian
boat song. Just as our voices were ring
ing out
".Row, brothers. row. for the stream runs fast,
The rapids are near and the daylight Is passed.
a sudden breeze almost took the light
umbrella with which l was screening
myself and companion from sun and
wind 1--WE had left our bonnets at the camp)
out of my hand. The breeze subsidized for
a moment, then came again more vigOr-
ously than before, and held on steadily.
Generally, or frequently, a stiff breeze rises
on those lakes about or soon after sunset,
but now the sun was certainly half an
hour high. Sudden squalls, especially
when thunder clouds are lowering near,
accompanied by dangerous disturbance
of the water, are unpleasantly often the
concomitants of boating on those shallow
lakes.
"Looking around the horizon we dis
covered the cause of the suddenly rising
wind. A heavy pile of black clouds
coming up behind us in the northwest
were spreading themselves along the
northern horizon and extending upward
almost to the zenith; and at the same
time we began to hear the thunder mutter
and see the lightning play, though not
very near. The weatherwise ones of our
party said the shower was spending itself
north of us but we might get sprinkling
from its skirts, and the wind was sure to
be troublesome.
Meanwhile we had crossed the lake
and were making our way down II the
landing adjoining, which was our camp,
keeping close in shore to avoid the CON-
motion of the water.
"There is popularity in that lake.
The wild rice, from which it takes its
name, grows over almost the entire bot
tom of the basin, and when at its tallest
the grain lies floating on the surface of
the water, and the Indians, when it is
ripe, paddle round and gather it into
their canoes. This, however, makes navi-
cation to ordinary rowers rather difficult;
and where the basin is particularly shall
low or when the waters are agitated by
storms the passage is perilous.
81 soon perceived that Downs and
George Law were by no means masters of
the situation; and oh, how l longed Tor
the tried and trusty arm of Harry Vane
to steer our giddy little skitf. Just then
Harry, who was ahead, called out to us
10 make for an islet, a little way out in
the lake, on one side of which there was
not much rice, and which had been used
by the Indians as landing place, as it
slOped gradually into the water; he said
we had better land there and wait for the
squall to pass over.
"The rowers turned the boat toward
the islet and pushed out vigorously,
meantime holding the umbrella low like
a tent or awning over my own and Nellie
MortOn's heads, for now i. was raining.
Again Harry called to us to shut down
the umbrella, lest it should catch the
wind and upset our skiff, and the next
moment Downs, who had not said one
word to us girls since the wind sprang
up, snapped out, Yes, certainly, down
with that umbrellan
"What with a sense of danger, and what
with sudden CONSERVATION at being
spoken to in such a tone and manner, l
had no self command and in shutting the
umbrella somehow lost my balance, and
the next instant l was sinking in the
binding waters.
| must have risen very quickly, for
the boat was there and laid my hand on
its side, but quick as flash Downs
hand came down on mine, and though he
afterward said that he tried to lay hold of
me to assist me l know that he dislodged
my hand. True, should have upset the
boat, and just as true he flung me off to
perish. As sank again, even through
the gurgling in my ears heard the voice
OF Harry Vane: Courage, Charlotte, I'm
coming
"A gain | rose and again sank Then |
ceased to struggle and the pain of suffo-
cation was gone. / knew that was dying
and like electricity all my past life flashed
before me. | had no terror of death, but
longed to ask Harry's pardon. Downs
l seemed to have forgotten. The tall rice
was all about me, and l knew no more
until deadly sickness and great pam
woke me to consciousness. Was it the
gurgling water or human speech that