' chucked
out'ard. It struck a branch o' the cyprus an' fell short. I tried over
an' over agin. It still fell short several feet from the bank o' the
river. Yet the cord war long enough. It war the thick branches o' the
cyprus that gin me no chance to make a clur cast, and havin' tried till
I war tired, I gev that up too.

"I shed 'a' felt dreadful at failin' arter bein' so sure o' success; but
jest then I bethunk me o' another plan for reachin' that preecious
flooid.

"I've tolt ye 'bout my cuttin' a lot o' cane to make me a shake-down for
sleepin' on. Thur it still war right under me,--armfuls o' it. The sight
o' its long tubes suggested a new idee, which I warn't long in puttin'
to practice. Takin' the shirt out o' its loop, I made the cord fast to
the heft o' my bowie. I then shot the knife down among the cane, sendin'
it wi' all my might, an' takin' care to keep the p'int o' the blade
down'ards. It warn't long till I had spiked up as much o' thet 'ere cane
as wud 'a' streetched twenty yards into the river.

"Thar war no eend o' whittlin' an' punchin' out the p'ints, an' then
splicin' the tubes one to the other. But I knowed it war a case o' life
or death, an' knowin' that, I worked on steady as an ole gin-hoss.

"I war rewarded for my patience. I got my blow-gun completed, an'
shovin' it carefully out, takin' the purcaution to give it a double rest
upon the branches, I hed the satersfaction ter see its p'int dippin'
down into the river. I tell ye, thar warn't no mint-juleps ever sucked
through a straw as tasted like the flooid that cum gurdlin' up through
that cane. I thort I ked niver take the thing from my lips; an' I feel
putty sartin that while I war drinkin', the Massissippi must 'a' fell
clur a couple o' feet. Ye may larf at the idee, young feller, an' I'm
gled to see ye in setch good sperits; but ye aren't so elevated as I war
when I tuk my mouth from the cane. I feeled all over a new man,--jest as
ef I hed been raised from the dead, or dragged out o' a consoomin' fire.

"I lived in the fork o' that ere cyprus for six long days,--occasionally
payin' a visit to the eagles' neest, an' robbin' the young baldies o'
the food thar parents hed pervided for 'em. Thar diet war various, an'
on a konsequence so war mine. I hed vittles consistin' o' fish, flesh,
an' fowl,--sometimes a rabbit, sometimes a squir'l, with feathered game
to foller, sech as partridge, teals, an' widgeons. I didn't cook 'em,
for I war afr