souri, thrusting against so large an object, was incredibly
strong; but at last, little by little edging the heavy staging up over
the limb of the snag, we got its end upon another fork and so made a
ticklish support, half in and half out of the water.

"That's better," said Mandy, climbing upon it. "Now come here, you pore
child. You're powerful cold." She gathered the girl between her knees as
she sat. "Here, you man, give me your coat," she said to me; and I
complied, wishing it were not so wet.

None on the boat seemed to have any notion of what was going on upon our
side of the vessel. We heard many shouts and orders, much trampling of
feet, but for the most part on the opposite part of the boat. Then at
once we heard the engines reverse, and were nearly swept from our
insecure hold upon the snag by the surges kicked up under the wheel. The
current caught the long underbody of the boat as she swung. We heard
something rip and splinter and grate; and then the boat, backing free
from the snag, gradually slipped down from the bar and swept into the
current under steam again.

Not so lucky ourselves, for this wrenching free of the boat had torn
loose the long imbedded roots of the giant snag, and the plowing current
getting under the vast flat back of matted roots, now slowly forced it,
grinding and shuddering, down from the toe of the bar. With a sullen
roll it settled down into new lines as it reached the deeper water. Then
the hiss of the water among the branches ceased. Rolling and swaying, we
were going with the current, fully afloat on the yellow flood of the
Missouri!

I held my breath for a moment, fearing lest the snag might roll over
entirely; but no concern seemed to reach the mind of our friend Mrs.
McGovern. "It's all right," said she, calmly. "No use gittin' skeered
till the time comes. Boat's left us, so I reckon we'd better be gittin'
somewhere for ourselves. You, Andrew Jackson, dem yer fool soul, if you
don't quit snivelin' I'll throw you off into the worter."

Looking across the stream I could see the lights of the _River Belle_
swing gradually into a longer line, and presently heard the clanging of
her bells as she came to a full stop, apparently tied up along shore.
From that direction the current seemed to come toward us with a long
slant, so that as we dropped down stream, we also edged away.

We had traveled perhaps three quarters of a mile, when I noticed the dim
loom of trees on our side