"Deed I do, sah, I knows mos' oh the cat-fish tween heah an' dere."
"Consider yourself engaged, providing you can get the boat away from
Gabriel."
"Dats all right sah, lebe dat to me," Mr. Brown answered. A liberal
supply of hay for the comfort of the reporter was placed in the row
boat.
As the hour approached for them to depart, the levee was thronged with
darkies of all sizes and ages, who gazed in open mouthed astonishment,
when they saw the dark form in rubber appear and step into the
Mississippi. By a clever ruse Mr. Brown got charge of the boat and
shoved her off, much to the discomfiture of Gabriel. He returned
Gabriel's maledictions with bows and smiles. They shot rapidly away on
the yellow flood and were soon far below Bayou Goula. As night came
on, Paul requested Brown to light his lantern and get ahead. Brown lit
the lantern, but insisted on keeping behind instead of taking the
lead. To all Paul's remonstrances he would reply: "Yo' doin' all right,
Capen, jus' go right 'long, right 'long, sah."
Paul soon discovered that the negro knew far less about the river than
he knew himself and so he threatened that if Mr. Brown did not keep up,
he would be tempted to dump him overboard, where he could renew his
acquaintance with his old friends the cat fish.
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