n overboard; and I
suffered a great deal in a very short time."

"I heven't been out of the house since you went away, and I heven't the
leastest idee that we were goin' on," said Sim. "I'll stay outside next
time."

"You must, Sim; for we shall never know where we are if you don't keep
your eyes wide open."

"What was it about the money, Buckland? Sim said you had forgotten your
money; but he did not know what you meant by it," asked Flora.

I explained what I meant, and that I had concealed my money in the swamp
to prevent the constable or the captain from finding it upon me.

"I am so sorry I called Sim!" pleaded poor Flora.

"It's no matter now. Perhaps it will be a good lesson for him and me to
learn at the start. Now we will push off and try again. It is lucky I
thought of the money when I did, for we could do nothing without that.
Come, Sim, bear a hand!"

"Buckland, can't I step out and see the raft go?" asked Flora. "I don't
like to stay in here."

"I'm afraid you will catch cold."

"No; I will wrap myself up in a blanket. I want to see how you manage
the raft."

I could not refuse her; and, wrapping her up in a blanket, I carried her
chair out to the side of the raised platform, and seated her in it. Sim
and I took the boards from the small raft, which had been so useful to
us in the swamp, and let the logs go adrift.

"Now take your pole, Sim, and push her off."

"She won't come off," replied the deck hand, after he had used all his
power in the attempt to shove her off.

I went forward, and found the end of the raft had run upon the root of a
tree, which held it fast. I was very grateful for the service this root
had rendered me, for the raft might have gone down to Riverport before
Sim discovered that anything was the matter. Fixing the poles
underneath, we pried the raft off, and the current started it on its
course again. I mounted the steering platform, and grasped the long oar.
The voyage had actually commenced.

My position was a novel one, for I had yet to learn even the art of
managing a raft. I found she had the same tendency to whirl around in
the current which had characterized her smaller counterpart; but the oar
was long enough to give the steersman a tremendous purchase, and the
erratic disposition of the craft could be overcome when taken in
season. I had to profit by experience, for before we reached the creek
she had whirled round three times, in spite of all my efforts to