"No, sir, I did n't.—It was only to get a ride on the raft. All boys does that."
Well, I know that. But what did you hide for?"
"Sometimes they drive the boys off."
"So they do. They might steal. Looky-here; if we let you off this time, will you keep out of these kind of scrapes hereafter?"
"'Deed I will, boss. You try me."
"All right, then. You ain't but little ways from shore. Overboard with you, and don't you make a fool of yourself another time this way.—Blast it, boy, some raftsmen would rawhide you till you were black and blue!"
I did n't wait to kiss good-bye, but went overboard and broke for shore. When Jim come along by and by, the big raft was away out of sight around the point. I swum out and got aboard, and was mighty glad to see home again.
The boy did not get the information he was after, but his adventure has furnished the glimpse of the departed raftsman and keelboatman which I desire to offer in this place.
I now come to a phase of the Mississippi River life of the flush times of steamboating, which seems to me to warrant full examination—the marvellous science of piloting, as displayed there. I believe there has been nothing like it elsewhere in the world.
