262 



INDIAN OVERBOARD. 



One of the Indians who had the "sleep in," was seated napping on 

 the rounded roof of the barrel-shaped boat, with his head between his 

 knees and camecita doubled under his toes, to keep the musquitoes out. 

 He lost his balance, rolled in his sleep over and over off the boat into 

 the river. The remarkably quick time of the man in waking up and 

 regaining the boat, amused the old captain, who was standing forward 

 like a figure-head, with a cigar in his mouth ; now looking up at the 

 bright moon, and then on the surface of the water for snags, both hands 

 fighting musquitoes on all parts of his nakedness. Instead of giving 

 the usual cry of a look-out, "Man overboard," he laughingly remarked 

 to himself, without offering asistance — "Mucha fiesta esta noche — plenty 

 of fun to-night. 



The grasses on the prairie are fired, and as the midnight hours pass, 

 lightning flashes to the east. The wild cattle roam bellowing beyond 

 the ravages of the flames. Our lead here tangles at the bottom of the 

 river and troubles us, where we find fifty-one feet of water. 



August 22. — The wind from southeast freshened almost to a gale. 

 At a turn in the river we lay by the bank for the day ; the men were 

 unable to force the boat against the wind, which made a little sea 

 against the current, and drove us up stream. 



At 9 a. in., thermometer, 77°, and at 4 p. m., 69°. August 23d rain 

 and lightning, with a strong southeaster. We clung to the bank all 

 night. At 9 a. m., thermometer, 62°. At 3 p. m., thermometer, 61°. 

 The Indians became quite cold, fastened up in the boat by the side of a 

 steep bank. To warm themselves they took out a line ahead and pulled 

 us slowly along against the wind and sea to the next turn in the river, 

 which gave us the wind fair. Our poles were rigged up as masts, 

 and with old pouches and baggage covers, we stuck up a sail, which 

 drove us along at the rate of four miles, very much to the delight of 

 the Indians, who never use sails in their canoes. Arriving at another 

 turn, it became necessary to take in all sail ; doing so, we ran into a 

 cluster of trees sticking fast to the bottom of the river, when the Indians 

 laughed, and pronounced sailing a humbug. 



