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Show and t11er it wn.· -a skiff, awny acro·s the " ·ater. I couldn't ic)ll ho\v 1nany \ra.· in it. It kept a-COlHing, ancl when iL w:1.· ahrea.-t of 1ne I s<'<' t h ·re \r:nu't but one nlan in it. Think · I, Jnayh<' it':-:; pap, tl10ugh f warn·t cxpe ·t ing him. }[e droppP!l h<~low 1ne, \rith ih<· c·tnTenl, nn<1 hy-an<l-by h co1ne a- ·winging n p ;.;horc in th(• c·:t ~y \\ at0r, all< 1 he went by . o c] osc I could a n)acl1 c<l out the g nn and ionche(1 hirn. \Yell, it 1vas pap, snr<' C'nollgh - :n1<l ~ob(· r, too, hy the w~y h b.i<1 t? lJi.· onr.·. '1' .\KI X<: .\. HI·:ST. I didn't 1o •· <· 110 11· ·mc • 'L'l 1e ncx t Jtln· l at ~ I \Ya.· a- p11·1 111·1 1 g down · trc):nn soft hnt quick in the sha<le oft h bank. I n1nde i wo mil<· and 't h·1lf 'lnc 1 4} .4 • 1 J • ( < ( , < L LHn . tlUC( oul a qunrter of a 1TI1lc or Jnorc towards. tl1<> Iniddle of the rirer, hecans pretty soon I woul<1 b. e r)a '·· In cr tl1 c f'c·n··y 1a n< 11· n a and prople nn· ght sec n1c) and hm1 1nc. I o·ot Otl4 'tln t 4} 1 · f · 1 . b u < ong.· l 1e < n t-\voocl and then ]aH down 111 the hottmn of the canoe clnd let ]wr float. I laid i herr nn<l had a goo<l re~t antl a smoke out of 1ny pipe, l oking awny into th sky, not a cloud in it. Th' ky look:-; cv r o dc('P when y u lay down on your ha ·k in the 1noon ·hinc; I llC\'< 'l' kno\ved it be for • And how far a body can h ·ar on th water .·nch night , ! I h eard people talking at the ferry lan<ling. J h anl \vhat tlH'Y said, too, every wonl of it. One 1nan sai<1 il wa. getting t want· the long days and th short night', now. T'other one saicl ihi warn't on of the short one.·, hr rerkoned -ancl then they laughed, an<l h .'ai<1 it OYer again, an<l lhey ]anghrtl again· tb n they \vake<1 up another fcllo,,· and tol<l hi1n, an 1 laugh d, but he d idn't laugh · lw rippr<1 1uL nnw- 1hino· brisk an<l .'aiJ 1 t hi1n :1lone. The Dl"L fl'll ow :-:;li<l L0 b 'low '<1 to tell it to hi. olcl \VOintnl-:he would think it was pretly aood · but l1e ·ni<l that warn't nothin~ to .otnc thinQ"8 he had b ' < ' \.J .·aiel in l1is tinH'. I h 0arcl onr nuu1 .'ny it wa · 11 early thn (' o,clork, ~nH l he hop '<1 clnyli crhl \ronl<l.n't \rait Jnor tlntn abonl :1 week longer. After that, tl1<· talk goL ft~rthcr an<l further a\\ny, :mel I co1tldn't nHtk oui the \rords any lllOr<', bnl 1 t•onld ltt'ilr 1hr Jnu1nbh); an<1 JIOW and U1en :1 langl1, ton, but il :-' CL'Il1<'d <t long W<l)'S off. l wa, H\\·ay belo\v· tb f<'rry 11nw. I ros up and tl1c·n· \\:IS .I ac k:on ·,. I :land, <I bout L wo 1nil e nnd a half clo\nl :trva m, he:t' yiilnbrrrcl an<1 tandiug up out of ihP Juiddlc of tht• rivl'r, bi~· an<1 (lark and .olid, Jike a st nJnbont \Yi thonL any lights. Tb<·n~ warn·t any , ign: of the bar at tlH' h nd-it wa.' clll und 'l' wat er now. l t dicln't tak Jn long to get t ll('re. I hoL pa::;t the"' hea<l at a rippi11cr rate, i he current wn.. :o .'wift, an<l th ·n l got iul o i he c1ea<l ~at r ancl ]anc1ed on th . ·ide towards the Illinoi ,' . hor . I run t he eano into a (lc0p d nt in th bank that I knowe<l aboui ; I h a<l to part the willow branchc. to get in ; n.n<l \vbcn I 1nac1 fast nobody coul<l a :-;cen th canoe fro111 i 11 outside. |
