THE NOTED RAFT-BOAT "SILVER WAVE" 107 



all night to clean boilers. After 9:30 P.M. all the crew 

 except myself were in bed and asleep. I had to stand 

 watch until midnight and then call my partner who 

 would watch until breakfast. 



I soon wrote up my log book, recorded a few bills 

 paid that day and balanced my cash. It was very quiet 

 and I soon got sleepy as I had missed my usual after- 

 noon nap on account of business at Dubuque and Belle- 

 vue. To keep awake I got up and walked decks. About 

 II P.M. I saw several lights coming down the road 

 around the bend above us from the direction of Belle- 

 vue. A little later I could hear several voices back up 

 on the high bank but they were not close enough to 

 make out what they said. My curiosity was aroused and 

 as the voices continued I cautiously walked the logs, 

 got ashore and found a place where I could climb the 

 high bank and found myself in a cemetery close to the 

 part>' burying the latest victim of the small pox. Big 

 Jake, the colored teamster from the wharf-boat. 



When I roused my partner at midnight and got him 

 up we had our lunch and casually I mentioned the 

 affair I had witnessed in the cemetery and remarked 

 "There may be another before morning. If you see 

 lights and hear voices up there, you'll know what's do- 

 ing." I said, "You knew Big Jake, didn't you, Jim?" 

 "Yes, and I don't want to hear any more about him." 



I suggested that perhaps it would be just as well not 

 to mention the funeral to the crew when he called them 

 at three o'clock to wash boilers and pump up, but when 

 I got up for breakfast I found they knew it all and some 

 were in favor of putting me ashore. Of course they 

 couldn't do that, but I had my breakfast alone and no 

 one wanted my company that day. 



