NATCHEZ &8212; The perfect weather and successful completion of two races should have ended on a jubilant note Sunday at Natchez Under-the-Hill, where the Phatwater Kayak Challenge concluded an energy-packed weekend with presentation of a prized handmade Bowie-style knife.

Far from jubilation, race organizer Keith Benoist feels angry, sad and shocked that the knife commissioned by the Phatwater Challenge and crafted by journeyman blade smith Terry L. Vandeventer of Terry was stolen before the raffle winner could claim her prize.

&8220;We had a big tent set up on Water Street,&8221; Benoist said Monday as he described the incident. &8220;People had begun to disperse.&8221;

After notifying the raffle winner, Carolyn Guido, Benoist and another volunteer began to pick up trash around the site. Other people were helping to remove furniture and public address equipment.

When Guido came to claim the prize, &8220;I looked at the table and the knife was not there.&8221;

After talking to everyone who might have seen the knife last, Benoist searched through boxes, trash and nearby weeds.

&8220;By then, I was pretty sure the knife had been stolen,&8221; he said.

Now, he has filed a police report and has notified knife collectors through Web sites and magazine editors.

&8220;At first I was crushed. I know I can&8217;t reproduce this same knife,&8221; he said. &8220;And I hated to think we had a thief within our midst.&8221;

Still, the original Bowie knife probably still exists, he said. &8220;But it&8217;s gone forever. And now the first Phatwater Bowie knife

&8212; we know it exists, but it may be gone forever.&8221;

He has commissioned the knife maker to create another knife, Benoist said. &8220;We&8217;ve already ordered another knife for Carolyn. We&8217;re committed to doing that.&8221;

In all, the 45-mile kayak challenge from near Port Gibson to Natchez on Saturday and the kayak-bike race on Sunday were successful, Benoist said.

&8220;We had so much positive energy going down there &8230; then some demon slides in the back door and spoils it for you.&8221;

The Bowie knife raffle will be a part of Phatwater events to come, he said. &8220;And every knife will be beautiful and will be different.&8221;

The maker&8217;s mark on the knife is &8220;T.L. Vandeventer&8221; and the silhouette of a snake.

The raffle, bringing in about $1,000, is in total a donation to the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society, as are all other profits from the weekend.

A substantial award awaits anyone who has information that leads to the return of the knife. The number to call with that information is 601-442-6317.