The River Motor Boat Boys on the Mississippi; Or, On the Trail to the Gulf

and Alex. went rocking and bobbing down toward the Gulf of Mexico! The boys on the Rambler saw him get

der the eaves. On the top of the ridge-boards, clinging on with hands and bare heels, and shouting fit to wake the people of Cairo, the l

rust her nose against the current, wavered, and then, answering her helm, swung around broadside to the

is! It was dark on the river, and the roaring of the waters made the prospect doubly disagreeable. The current was running fast, and tha

to the cowering negro boy on the apex of the r

alled out, shaping his hands for a trumpet in order to direct his voice, "don't you go to dropping off! We'll

own the shingles and dropped into the river. "The little fellow was afraid we would go away and l

Then the boys on the Rambler saw Alex. throw off his coat, take the broken line between his teeth, and dive into the river, just missing the great timber as he went

uation and took to the water on an errand of rescue, but with the bear it was different. He had bee

alf supported by Alex.'s arm. The little fellow had not been rendered unconscious by the blow

ing him and his companions to be rescued by the Rambler, and he had a stubborn notion that he would like to get out of the mess without the assistance of his chums! They would then have no opportunit

mass of wreckage came sweeping down upon them. As it came down Alex. dove under, and the negro boy started to do the same, but just then his eyes fell on the

limit of the wreckage and pushed him in with his nose. By this time Alex. was clinging to the rowboat, with Captain Joe serving as chaperon, and the Rambler was at hand, the boys on board cheering Teddy and t

the floating mass of brush and took Teddy on board. The little fellow scrambled away from the ha

round and white, "don' yo' feed dis coon

ng into the cabin, dodged under the table, where he crouched on hands and knees, his eyes sticking out l

fishline from his arm. Then he played it over the

catch a fish?" the lad dem

ng you didn't bring out of the river with you! We fished out a bear

e. Still under the table, with his eyes on the bear, the rescued negro boy licked his chops when he saw it.

" explained Clay. "

sake of the fish supper which appeared to be coming

" asked Case

low nodded, an

s your

harles Sumner Hora

the repetition. The boys broke into shouts of laughter, and even Teddy Bear nosed his way through the little g

he could control his voice. "What

'stowed it on me

just call you Mose! Do you happen to be hungry,

is hands on the region o

h had been removed as soon as he reached the deck. "What will your mammy say

away!" answe

to dress the fish for supper. "How many more a

iver, now came up and brushed his soft nose over the boys' hand. Mose's eyes grew wider, but, seeing that the bear did not

e remarked, as Teddy began sparing.

asked Jule, anxious to k

he reply. "I done

?" Clay said. "Wher

ut to you all,

bring him up out of the waters? He'll

ear, as that other wa

hat is, to the other shore, and if he had landed on the pier when the men came

, he couldn't have been more mysterious. The boy said he would be made to tell about the robbery if they found him, and this man wanted to get

d put it in a book. Why should the robber come to us to speak a good wo

ted with the two, and that's all we know about it! The man is gone, and the boy

et back to Chicago," Clay insisted, "that we find bot

"what are we going to do to-night? Are we going on down the river, or are

fish supper served! You want some, too, don't you Mose?" he added, turning to the

y cl'ar to mah toes

decided to go on down the river. They wanted to get away from any such entanglement

at daylight tied up in a small bayou, at the end of which a deserted old house stood lower