OH, SHOOT! 



tore my suspenders out by the roots and 

 soared up over the treetops." 



Stone and Little, having covered the flats 

 unsuccessfully, were rowing into the mouth 

 of the creek when we slid down the bluff 

 above the launch, but at my recital of our 

 adventure Fred went violently insane and 

 was for setting out for the scene of our en- 

 counter at once. Eventually he was calmed 

 and we rolled up for a few hours' rest on the 

 floor of the launch. 



I was half roused by the coffeepot sliding off 

 the stove into my face. A few minutes later 

 the ashpan emptied its contents over me, and 

 I awoke under a bombardment of dishes, oil 

 cans, and monkey wrenches, to find the boat 

 on her beam ends in the mud, with every 

 movable thing inside of her falling upon us. 

 Little was swearing softly in his underclothes 

 and bare feet. 



"The tide is out and she's standing on her 

 hands," he explained. "Confound a round- 

 bottomed boat, anyhow!" 



We stood on the starboard wall of the cabin 

 to dress, then walked ashore where there had 

 been eighteen feet of water on the night pre- 

 vious, to cook our breakfast in the rain. 



58 



