TfetE AMERICAN GRAYLING. 35? 



full o'rapids, 'n I do' know haow yeou'll git along." 



We informed him that we had a boat. 



"Ya-as so I see. The most o' them 'at's ben daown in 

 a boat gin'ly ties a piece o' railroad iron to the hind eend o' 

 ther skift, so's ter gi'daown ther rapids kind o' stiddy like." 



John and I looked at each other and grinned. Fixing the 

 moss-back with my eagle eye, to him then thus in substance 

 I replied: 



"My cautious friend, to us it skills not that every boatman 

 hereabout should tardily tow a railroad in his rear, what 

 time he runneth rapids. Life is all too short for that sort 

 of foolery. For two-score years and more, as opportunity 

 occurred, have I cruised the rushing rivers of our fatherland, 

 yet have I never tied to the tail of my craft any such contrap- 

 tion as this you advocate; and further I may add, the Nine 

 gods helping me, I never will." 



"Wa-al, mabbe yeou know best, yeou're the doctor, 's the 

 sayin' is, but it's most darnation aowly on them there rapids, 

 naow I tell ye, 'n I'll be gosh darned ef I'd put intew that 

 thore river 'ithaout suthin' ter stiddy ther bwut daown apast 

 them there rocks. It's a kinder temptin' o' Providence." 



"We can tell better after we get through." 



"W'y, yeou don't 'xpect ter go clean threw, dew ye?" 



"That's the plan. There'll be no cordeliering on this trip." 



"Wa'al, yeou'll hev ter dew it, I s'pose, 'f yeou say so, 'n 

 'ta'nt no bisness o' mine. But yer baound ter git 'n trouble. 

 Ther rapids isn't all, by a darned sight. The's rocks, 'n 

 logs, 'n daown timber, 'n jam-piles, 'n telerguf poles, 'n 

 cedar ties, 'n every other dum thing yeou c'n think on. 

 Yeou do' no what yer a comin' tew, no time." 



"That is just what brought us here, my friend," said John. 

 "We want to see what sort of a river it is, and what's in it; 

 and if we knew just what we were going to find there, we 

 would change our plans and choose another." 



The sun was sinking toward the western horizon when we 



