All night they glided between the dark forests on either side of the
river. Paul frequently amused himself by startling a camp of
negro fishermen. They spear fish by the light of a fire they build close
to the bank. All he had to do in order to break up a camp was to float
down quietly until the glare of the fire played on him, then stand up in
the water and utter a few howls to attract the darkey's attention.
One sight of so hideous a figure in the rubber dress was enough. Their
fishing was adjourned for that night.
About three in the morning, Paul found himself far ahead of the press
boat and made the forest ring with the echo of his bugle to wake Mr.
Brown up. Two or three times he had to wait for the boat. At last he
decided that there was no use in dallying or he would never get to
New Orleans in twenty-four hours; so he shot ahead and let the boat take
care of itself. Before daylight in the morning he heard the roar of
a great crevasse that had been formed near Bonnet Carre. The river bank
there had been washed away for about four or five hundred yards and a
great volume of water was being swept into the forests and swamps below.
Without much difficulty he passed this dangerous break and at daylight
his bugle called the early risers in the village to the river bank.
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