The National tribune., 1883-05-24
GOODBYE TO DIXIE.
One More River to CrOss---BrOthers Of
the Magic String.
by John F. HUI, Co. K, seth o. VII


Our main object now was to cross the river,
and that, too, as quickly as possible. On the
other side we should probably be safe. So we
started down the stream, keeping along the
bank, which was skirted with heavy forest
and steep cliffs, hoping, in time, to find some
way of crossing. 1t was impossible to ford the
river for it was in most places over 200 yards
wide, with very deep, yet swift current. We
had gone mile or more when we found, in
pile of driftwoOd, an old make-shift of a skif.
1t was made of heavy plank and was simply
nailed together, no attempt having been made
to calk the seams. We got it out without loss
of time and launched it in the stream but as it
had evidently been a long while out of the
water and would, therefore, leak greatly we
concluded to let the wood have a chance to
swell before riSking our lives in it. In the
meantime we proceeded to eat our breakfast,
| which consisted of some corn bread and beef
| which Mrs. Smith had furnished us the even
| ing before. We now began to realize how very
cold it was. The beard on my chin and around
! my mouth was frozen into solid cake of ice,
and my poor feet panied me terribly. had
torn Uncle Josh's shirt off up nearly to my
arms In order to wrap my feet in the rags, for
l knew my chance of escape depended chiefly
upon my ability to travel.
| When we were at last ready to embark in
our frail craft piece of fat rail was procured for
| q rudder, and Stookey took his seat in the stern
|
| ton at the bow, while the writer, with a
large tin, placed himself in the middle to bail
| the water out. Thompson pushed off, and we
| glided out into the stream, but the frail boat
| sank with our weight until neahy even with
the level of the river, and from the bottom a
stream of water spOuted in, which, with all my
! dipping constantly gained ON me. | saw that
the boat was filling and sinking, and my COM
| rades urged me to bail faster. We were now
about One-third of the way across the stream
and / made an extra effort; but, in doing so,
| leaned too heavily on one side of the boat and
over we went into the stream head and ears
| under the water-baptiZed without an "amen"
from any one. Up we came to the surface,
| spouting water like whales, and struck out for
the shore. Fortunately the water was only up
to our arm-pits, and StOokey contrived to bring
| the boat back. Thompson was the first to land,
and by the time got on shore, he had shaken
| himself and was discharging vOlley after vol
| ley of little bad words at my awkwardness.
Stookey came ashore in more philosophical
mood. We were thoroughly drenched, and for
a moment felt very respondent; but only for a
moment We had some matches in tin box,
| and gathering up some dry brush, we soon had
a large bonfire burning, and pulling off our
| clothes we wrHng the water out of them and
| hung them around to dry. While they were
drying, we resorted to all kinds of gymnastie
exercises on the frozen sand and gravel to keep
that had We been discovered at that moment it
would have been impossible TO have identified
us-at any rate by the clothes we wore!
A SECOND ATTEMPT.
After drying and warming ourselves for
| about two hours, we prepared for another at
tempt to cross the river. positively refused
to go in the boat with all three at one time,
so it was agreed that StOOkey and Thomp-
son should go alone, and if they were success
ful in getting over, one of them should come
back for me. StOOkey and Thompson launched
OFF in their frail craft, but had not gotten more
than ODe-fourth of the way across, when they
saw that the boat was going to sink with them,
so they made back again with all possible haste.
We were now at loss TO know what to do.
1t was proposed to build a raft, but we could
not find logs and poles of the right SIZE nor
materials with which to bind them together.
Could we swim the river? We were afraid
to make the attempt, for the stream was very
swift and the water icy cold. To look for some
one TO set US across, we thought too dangerous
We were in the land of guerrillas and BUSH
| whackers, and liable to be picked up by the
first man we might meet.
4 new idea at last presented itself Stookey
tore off his shirt, save that which protected
his breast and arms, and with the pieces began
to calk the boat. If he succeeded in making
it tight he was to cross alone and, when once
on the opposite shore, to hunt up some loyal
person who would help to get Thompson and
myself over. We had an impression that the
people on the other side of the stream were
more to be trusted. If he did not return In the
course of twenty-four hours, we were then to
| infer that he could not help u.s. and look out
| for ourselves as best we could. With many
| wishes for his success we pushed StOokey and
his boat into the river. The craft now glided
out safely upon the rough, rapid waters, but it
foated down the current at thrice the rate it
was crossing the stream, and we, therefore,
ran down the bank so as to keep opposite to il,
until at last we had the pleasure of seeing it
touch the other shore. The moment it
did so, StOokey jumped out and, having
pulled the boat half out of the water, signaled
| us by waving aloft mis- hat that success had
! crowned his efforts.
by golly," said Thompson, Eve must go
| across now or drown"
| SWIMMING THE RIVER.
Down the river we went, Stookey following
| upon the opposite bank, for mile or so, when
we came to place where the river was very
broad, with o small island or sandbar in the
middle of the stream. Here we concluded we
would try what we could accomplish by either
| wading or swimming the river. The former
| could do as well as any man, for / stood
over six feet in my stoekings,-when / was
| lucky enough TO have a pair On,-but as for
| the latter, my swimming was too much like
that of stone. felt now that / must verify
John Adams trite saying: "Sink or swim, live
or die" l was willing to perish in my attempt
| for freedom.
We therefore pulled our clothes off and tied
| them into small bundle; this we fastened TO
| the back of our neeks and then, with long
| pole with which to feel our way and steady
ourselves against the rapid current, we
waded into the stream. We found the water
| bitterly cold, but we were determined TO get
| across and Stookey on the opposite shore kept
| waving his old hat to cheer us in the effort.
| We succeeded in wading 10 the sandbar-the
| deepest water being only up to our armpits-
| but were then forced to swim for it. In We
went over head, splashing and plungiRg up and
| down, and floating off left oblique" until
presently we struck solid footing again, and,
| with one more mighty effort, reached the
| shore. Stookey gave great shout as we came
dripping up out of the water; but there was
| such little life left in Us that we could not
| whisper word. Observing this, our comrade
me with all his might, and / soon warmed up,
| and life came ebbing back again. Thompson,
being a very muscular man, warmed himself
up by running up and down the shore. With
all the care we had taken, however, we found
that our clothes were very wet, and wet clothes
and chilly mountain atmosphere are ealeu-
| lated to make the teeth chatter as if one had
the ague. 1t was now about o'clock in the
| afternoon. The whole day had been spent in
effecting this crossing, and, as we saw no place
near where we could rest, we felt that it would
/ he best to puSh on