reveal the outlines of a sharp point of land ahead
jutting into the stream. The mist rising from off the water in
vaporous clouds obscured all else, rendering the scene weird and
unfamiliar. It was, indeed, a desolate view, the near-by land low, and
without verdure, in many places overflowed, and the river itself sullen
and angry. Only that distant point appeared clearly defined and real,
with the slowly brightening sky beyond. I endeavored to arouse myself
from stupor, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Rene had changed her
posture, but still slumbered, with face completely concealed in her
arms; but Sam was wide awake, and turned toward me grinning at my first
movement. He had a broad, good-humored face, and a row of prominent
teeth, slightly shadowed by a very thin moustache. Instinctively, I
liked the fellow on sight--he appeared both intelligent and trustworthy.

"Daylight, is it?" I said, speaking low so as not to awaken the girl.
"I must have been asleep."

"Yas, sah; yer's bin a noddin' fer de las' hour. Ah wus 'bout ter stir
yer up, sah, fer Ah reckon as how we's mos' dar."

"Most where?" staring about incredulously. "Oh, yes, Rassuer Creek.
Have we made that distance already?"

Sam's teeth glittered in another expanding of his mouth.

"Wal', we's bin a goin' et a mighty good gait, sah. She ain't done
fooled none on me all dis night," his hand laid lovingly on the engine.
"Nebber kicked up no row o' no kind--just chug, chug, chug right 'long.
'Pears like she sorter know'd dis nigger hed ter git away. Enyhow, we
bin movin' lon' now right smart fer 'bout four hours, an' Rassuer Creek
am just 'round dat p'int yonder--Ah's mighty sure ob dat, sah."

He was right, but it was broad daylight when we reached there, the
eastern sky a glorious crimson, and the girl sitting up, staring at the
brilliant coloring as though it pictured to her the opening of a new
world. I was too busily engaged helping Sam at the wheel, for the
swirl of the current about the headland required all our strength to
combat it, and eagerly scanning the irregular shore line, to observe
her closely in the revealing light; yet I knew that she had studied us
both attentively from beneath her long lashes, before turning her head
away.

Rounding the headland brought us immediately into a new country, the
river bank high and firm, a bank of rather vivid yellow clay, with
trees thickly covering the rising ground beyond. The passage of a