that the Doctor knew nothing
about handling the weapon, which was an improved breech loader, some
pains were taken to instruct him in the use of it. It looked so simple
that the Doctor thought he had mastered it without any trouble at all.
The negro, however, was not so confident and eyed the gun in the
Doctor's hands with great suspicion.

"Ise not sayin' nun' Cap'en" he remarked to Paul, "but that man aint
been rised aroun' whar da do much shootin', suah's yo' libe. Dar aint
no tellin' whar he gwine fur to pint that weepin' an Ise running chances
in hyah wid him. Dat's right, Cap'en."

He was assured that there would be no danger; but he was far from being
satisfied and kept an anxious eye on the Doctor's movements.

After further instructions and admonishing the Doctor to be very
careful, Boyton resumed his paddle and was soon ploughing ahead of the
boat. He had not proceeded a mile when he heard a report of the gun and
turning, saw both the Doctor and the darkey gazing intently into the sky
at a gull that was sailing leisurely around a half mile or so above
them. The Doctor nervously rubbed his glasses and looked again, at a
loss to determine why the bird did not fall. When the boat dropped
alongside, Paul explained to the astonished Doctor that a shotgun only
carried a short distance and he could not expect to hit anything so far
away.

As the sun was sinking that evening, Boyton heard the negro yelling:

"Great Lawd, come hyah Cap'en! Oh, my soul, come quick! quick! Dis hyah
Dutchman gwine t' kill me suah!"

Wheeling around, Paul witnessed the most ludicrous spectacle. The
Doctor, with the muzzle of the gun turned on the negro, was
excitedly hammering a cartridge into the breech, while the negro was
stretched on his back nearly over the gunwale of the boat, with the
broad sole of his foot held as a shield toward the muzzle, yelling at
the top of his voice. The doctor saw some blackbirds in the bushes and
not remembering how to put a cartridge in the gun, was pounding it in
with the handle of his bowie knife. Of course it was liable to explode
at every stroke, and the poor negro knew the danger.

After some expostulation, the Doctor was persuaded to put the gun away.

Below Dubuque, the weather grew stormy and so continued for the rest of
the voyage. They were treated to some marvelous lightning effects. Its
forked tongues lapped the water in the most eccentric manner--fearful,
thou