e to go with him to
the river. The little boy was very timid and refused to embark on a
steering oar that Paul found near the shore. A steering oar consists of
a plank securely pinned into a spar about thirty feet long and used on
stern and bow of a raft to guide it. Paul at last half forcibly seated
him on a block of wood on the steering oar and procuring a pole they
started on their voyage. All went well until they had passed under the
old Aqueduct Bridge. Then a crowd of Pittsburgh boys who were in a skiff
recognized Paid as the leader of their enemies from Alleghany and opened
up hostilities. Paul bravely kept them off with his pole and whenever
the chance offered propelled it nearer and nearer to his own side of the
river. When almost ashore they rammed the steering oar with the bow of
their skiff, struck Paul with the oar and tumbled poor Harvey into the
river. Paul never thought of himself; but seizing the son of his
aristocratic mistress, he swam in for the shore, then only a few feet
away. The Pittsburgh boys were satisfied with the prize they had
captured in the steering oar and towed it away to their own side of the
river. They were followed, however, by a shower of rocks hurled
by the infuriated Paul. A sad looking pair greeted the maid who
answered their ring. Paul turned young Harvey over to her, then sneaked
around to the alley to await developments. Hearing loud lamentations
coming from the direction of Mrs. C.'s room, he started for home
where he told his mother that the work was too severe for him and
fearing the lady would refuse to let him go, he left without bothering
her for a reference.

About this time the war of the rebellion broke out and the fever burned
fiercely in Pittsburgh and vicinity. Paul longed to join the great
bodies of troops that were being hurried to the front, especially so,
when he saw boat loads of his old friends, the gallant "buck-tail" boys
coming down the river to enlist. He spent all his spare time hanging
around the headquarters of the forming regiments. One day he asked
a recruiting officer if he needed a drummer boy. "You are pretty small,
sonny," said the soldier, "can you drum?" "No," said Paul, "but I can
learn mighty quick." Pleased with the answer, the soldier took him to
his headquarters and said: "Here is a little volunteer." Paul was
closely questioned and untruthfully assured the officers in charge that
his mother wou