'Mid shriek, and fright, and groan, and dying wail, Their warlike ensigns bound with badge of woe! Sublime, though plaintive, pours the clarion's tone! The heart, while bow'd, is stirred by muffled drum! But stand within that far-off wild wood lone, Where prairie scented winds, with dirges, come, Where the rough bark, rude grav'd with hunter's knife, Points to the spot where Davies rests below, And relics scatter'd, tell of bloodiest strife Heart gushing tears from dimming eyes must flow! And round thy mournful bier, our warrior sage; Amid the carnage of that fearful night, Worthy in thine own ransom'd West to lie! LATE at night we arrived safe at Dr. Charille's. The next day we set out for Woodville, choosing on the return other paths, to avoid former difficulties and dangers; by which prudence, however, we only reversed matters; for instance, instead of water before a swamp, we got the swamp before the water. And, also, we thus often set out before day-light in the dark, instead of travelling in the dark after day-light-travelling occasionally to reach a settlement in the dark at both ends of the day. Besides our new route threw us away up Nut Creek, where, contrary to all expectation, it was found necessary either to swim below a mill-dam, or be canoed across above the dam. The latter was our choice; and as it afforded a pleasant variety in the horse and log navigation, we shall give the adventure and then skip all the way to Woodville. The whole plain* of water to be crossed was about one hundred and twenty yards wide. But it consisted of three divisions, the Creek Proper, twenty yards wide and now eighteen feet deep; and two lagoons, each full, on opposite sides of the creek, and averaging each fifty yards in width, although in most places, the banks being low, the lagoons could not be distinguished from the creek, but the three divisions seemed one water, lake, or sea. Our transit spot was a place, where, from the edge of the hither lagoon could be discerned by a careful observer, a modest little grassy mound in the water, a kind of frog-island, which the * Aequor is classic and poetic authority. miller said was the nearest bank of the creek; and that from this mound another on the opposite bank could be discovered, or nearly so. And nothing, he said, would be easier for us than first to ford over the lagoon to the nearest mound, where he would meet us in a canoe that here we could strip our horses, and thence by turns every thing could be transported to the farther mound, whence, all matters re-arranged, we could ford the distant lagoon, and so come finally to the dry land on the opposite hill beyond the bottom. This certainly was plausible, if not captivating; especially should not the horses become entangled in the brush and vines, forming tolerable fish-nets under water, and should the lagoons be only four feet deep. They certainly looked, to judge from the surface water up the trunks of trees, somewhere about six feet deep; but then both the millerman and his son were "right down sartin, it wan't more nor four feet no place, nor it moughn't be that deep, except in them 'are blasted holes!" Receiving ample direction for circumnavigating the holes aforesaid, we took aim for the first isle-of-bank, and were soon so well in for it, that the difficulty and peril of going backward and forward were equal; and therefore, we worked onward, tacking incessantly every way to avoid logs, trees, and vines, and in awe all the while of "them 'are holes," till we began to rise once more in the world, and stood sublime in the very middle of Frog-land! Believe me, reader! it was not void of uneasiness, we thus sundered from the world, looked back on the woods just left, and standing partly in and partly out of the water! while, at our feet, and separated by a strip of grass, swept along in the pride and fury of risen waters, the creek itself, curling amply over a few inches of the still visible dam, and shaking and tearing away with its yet rising tide our little territory! And that canoe! a tiny log shell, to transport us to the other lagoon, where four feet water, logs, trees, vines and holes must be encountered again! How like the realms of Pluto! and we, how like terrified ghosts awaiting a passage across the Styx in the rickety bark of Charon ! All ready, I attempted, bridle in hand, to step into the canoe, but by some awkwardness, I stumbled into the far end, and thus so violently jerked the rein, that my creature soused in, and descended almost the length of the bridle; but by the time she gave her first snortings, on regaining the air, our log was over, and the creature (i. e. equa) was pawing up the isle-of bank number 2. Here we remained till Mr. Frank and his horse arrived, and a third trip had brought our saddles and baggage; and then, duly prepared, we forded lagoon the second, and in proper season gained our wished for hill, and "What stuff!" "What stuff?" gentle reader, what better could you do with a mud and water subject?" "Yes-but what's the use of such things?" La! that's so like what Aunt Kitty said, when I got to Woodville, all dirty and tired-my new boots thick with exterior mud-my best coat altogether spoiled-my fur hat crushed into fancy shapes, and the seat of my corduroy inexpressibles abraded to the finest degree of tenuosity at all consistent with comfort and decorum! CHAPTER XLVIII. "And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them." My tongue hath wrong'd him if it do him right, On the last day of the return to Woodville, we met at intervals during the final half-dozen miles, not less than one dozen wagons, large and small, and partially loaded, some with beds and bedding, and some with culinary utensils; the interstices being filled with a wedging of human bodies-men, women, and children, some laughing and talking, others solemn and demure. They seemed at first view settlers, who, having sold to advantage old farms, were flitting to where wood and game were more abundant, and neighbours not crowded offensively under other's noses, as near as one or two miles. But soon appeared people riding once, twice, and even thrice on a horse; and some kind-hearted horses, like the nameless one, were carrying on their backs whole families; and then it was plain enough what was meant-a big meeting was to come off somewhere. And shortly all doubt was at an end, when familiar soprano and alto voices from under wagon covers, and out of scoop-shovelled bonnets came forth thus-"How'd do! Mr. Carlton ?--come, won't you go to camp meetin ?" And then sounded, from extra devotional parties and individuals, snatches of favourite religious songs, fixed to trumpet melodies, such as "Glory! glory, glory!"—"He's a coming, coming, coming!"-" Come, let |