ing after their provoking delay, when the travellers again
appeared at the boat landing, impatient to resume their voyage, Aaron
Burr was in a mood not to be trifled with. It scarcely mollified his
anger to discover on the deck of the boat the slippery crew that had
disappointed him.

"Here we are, sharp on time," bawled Captain Pierce audaciously. "How
soon do you want to start?"

Burr, stepping aboard the vessel, confronted his plausible employee,
and said in a tone of stern reprimand:

"You will be of no use to me unless you obey orders to the letter. You
make a bad beginning. Why were you not here twelve hours ago?"

"I didn't agree to shove off before this morning. We were to come at
six--"

"At six last evening. You broke your word."

"What was the use of lying?" said Arlington contemptuously.

The boatman lowered upon the Virginian, and muttered to Burr: "Then I
must have heard wrong. I thought you said six o'clock this morning.
I'll take my oath on a pile of Bibles."

"Produce the Bibles," suggested Arlington.

Burke ignored the sneering remark, and continued his protestations to
Burr. "I mean to do the fair, square thing, as these men will tell
you. Ask them. They know Burke Pierce keeps his promises."

"Enough; I hope you do. Don't disappoint me again. Put the boat in
motion."

Under the captain's directions, all the hands but one bestirred
themselves. The exception, a burly knot of muscles, with stubby beard
and purple nose, instead of joining in the work, stood idle, chewing
tobacco, ostentatiously. Without a word Burr stepped lightly in front
of the impudent roustabout, and, delivering a blow, with the dexterity
of an expert boxer, knocked him into the river, amid the jeers of his
associates, and of the concourse assembled on the shore to see the
boat off.

This prompt stroke of executive policy had a salutary effect.
Recalcitrant subjects had warning that the little man wearing the
queue and the small, shiny boots, could not be bluffed.

The boat, once in midstream, was easily managed by the use of long,
spiked poles, and, now and then, of an oar. The captain kept his
station at the stern of the uncouth craft, handling the steering-pole.
The two travellers, standing upon the roof of the ark, admired their
pilot's skill, and freely exchanged comments regarding him. To their
murmured conversation, the steersman seemed dumb, deaf and
indifferent; nevertheless, he gave the closest attention to