130 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



walked off from a tree, whar we might have tied up, was 

 a caution to steamboats. 



" ' Keep the current,' said the captain, ' and let us 

 sweat it out.' We went on this way some time, when I 

 told the captain — said I, Captain, I have never been in 

 these diggins afore, but if I haven't seen the same land- 

 scape three times, then I can't speak the truth. 



" At this the captain looked hard, and swore that we 

 were in an eddy, and doing nothing but whirling round. 



'• The lightning just at this time was very accommo- 

 dating, and showed us a big tree in the river that had 

 stuck fast, and was bowing up and down, ready to re- 

 ceive us, and we found ourselves rushing straight on 

 to it. 



" The owner of the bacon and other ' plunder,' with 

 which the boat was loaded, was on board, — and when 

 he saw the ' sawyer,' he eyed it as hard as a small thief 

 would a constable ; says he, ' Captain, if that ar fellow 

 at the sweep (oar) (fellow meant me)' said he ' Captain, 

 if that ar fellow at the sweep don't bear on harder, and 

 keep us off that tree, I am a busted-up pork merchant.' 

 I did bear on it as well as I could, but the current was 

 too strong, and we went on the ' sawyer ' all standing. 

 The boat broke up like a dried leaf; pork and plunder 

 scattered, and I swam, half dead, to the shore. 



" I lost in the whole operation just two shirts, eighteen 

 dollars in wages, and half a box of Kaintucky tobacker, 

 besides two game cocks. 



