Part 3 (1/2)
”Yes, I know just what I want to do,” replied Tolanced at the top of the tree in order to see which way it would fall, cut a few bushes out of his way, and went to work A feith the axe brought the tree down and it lodged on the opposite bank Two e was co his closed hand toward the negro ”I don't want you to do this for nothing Here's a dollar to pay you for your trouble”
”I--I don't want it, sar,” replied the darky, drawing back ”I hope dat et across de river, but I'hty jubus about it”
”What money?”
”General Mason's five thousand dollars, sar”
”Do you suppose I have got that amount of money stoay about me?
Why, man, it's a valiseful This money is all honest”
”I can't help dat, sar I can't shake hands with you, either I would be afraid it would take all the strength out of ht, then You stand here on the bank and see me work my way across I bet you that all the money I have about my clothes will not sink me if I do fall overboard”
As Toe We say ”recklessly,”
because had he taken s on the opposite bank he would have beenon which he alking tipped a little, and although To all the branches within his reach, it set the whole structure in motion There was a ”swish” of tree-tops, and in a ether The negro looked, but did not see him come up
”Dar, now!” said he ”The money he had about his clothes was too heavy for hie with”
CHAPTER IV
THE WRONG BOAT
The negro, almost overwhelmed with surprise, watched the surface of the water to see Tom reappear, but it was only for a moment, and then with a rush one of the trees, which had broken loose fros, swept over the very place where the head was seen, and the negro fairly danced with consternation when he saw one of the limbs catch Tom and carry hio ho drowned here, he will think I did it What's dat?”
When Toh to clear the water from his face, settle his hat firmly on his head, and take a fresh hold of the bundle containing his lunch, and then he saw the tree sweeping down upon hiot to him was barely the work of a moment, so that when the tree passed Tom came up a second time, and this time he was much nearer to the bank he wanted to reach than he was before A few lusty strokes brought hi roots and vines he ility of a sailor, so that by the ti at his narrow escape, he was high upon the bank opposite to hi off his boot to see if his money was safe
”Is dat you, sar?” said he, scarcely raising his voice above a whisper
”Of course it is I,” replied Tory over the effects of his unfortunate plunge or to laugh outright at the darky's exhibition of astonishht you had seen the last of er streaot,” he went on, taking his roll froro ”It don't a shot”
The darky did not knohat else to say He watched To the water from them, exaht the stea was about ten miles distant and there wasn't any ot there, and then saw hi at the place where he had last been seen, and then shouldered his axe and turned away
”Dat's a hty slick little rascal,” said he, as he wended his course back to his cahty slick little rascal I don't reckon I'd best say anything toto him, either He'll leave me to cut rails alone if I do dat”
”My first adventure,” e that led him toward the Mississippi ”That old darky believes, as , that the littlespilled into the drink; but it is all honest rew hot as he went along, and by changing his coat and vest fro his money over in his hands to keep the wet bills on the outside, he gradually re before he arrived at the point where the negroes were chopping he could tell the on horseback, but that his nag had thrown hied to continue his journey on foot He also tried to eat a little of the lunch hich the darky had provided him, but the johnny cake and bacon et, and after a fewon which he was sitting
The negroes ere cutting wood for the supply of steaed to the man ned the yard As there were probably a dozen of the wood all the time, their employer could afford a white man to oversee their work and the tea and whittle a stick He listened good-naturedly to Too to find the caest house in it was his, and he would probably find books and papers enough to amuse him until he came in from his work The _Jennie June_ would probably be the next stea for wood, and she would be along soht
”I think that books and papers occupy the most of your time,” said Tom to himself, as he started away in obedience to these instructions ”If I were a negro, I don't know any better job than having you for an overseer Did you see how those negroes clustered around him to hear my story? If I had been their overseer, I should have started them back to their work in a hurry”