nger than we reckoned
on, we had run aground two or three times on the mud, and it war getting
dark, and we had two miles yet before we got to a place where we could
get out into the river. The blacks war working thar hardest; it didn't
need no words from us to keep 'em at it, for they knew as well as we did
what was the danger, and the boat just flew along that narrow channel."

"We war on the watch, with our eyes fixed on the bank, and our ears
pretty wide open to catch any sound ahead. All of a sudden a gun was
fired close alongside. The blacks gave a yell, and would have jumped
down into shelter, only I shouted, 'Stick to your poles, men; if you
lose them we are done for; there's no danger, it's only one man.' So on
we went again, for, luckily, no one was hit. 'That's a signal,' Bill,
says I to one of my mates; 'I reckon we shall have trouble afore we are
out of this.' On we went, flying between the bushes, which warn't
fifteen yards apart. Not a sound was heard but the panting of the
blacks, the splash of their poles in the water, and a sort of sighing
noise behind, as the ripples the boat made as she glided along rustled
among the boughs which dipped down into the stream.

"We had got a mile further when we heard a noise. It was much as a pole
might make knocked against the side of the boat. I knew thar was
mischief now. 'Get in your poles, lads,' I said; 'four of you get out
oars through the holes we have left for them atween the bags, and put
your muskets close at hand; the other four get your muskets, and station
yourselves two on each side.' We went on slowly now; we knew they war
ahead of us, and that hurrying wouldn't do no good, and that we had got
to fight anyhow. It might have been five minutes when thar was a flash
from the bushes on either side--which we could scarce see in the
darkness,--and fully a dozen muskets poured a volley into us, buckshot
and ball, as we found on looking over the boat the next morning. It was
a good job as we put them rice-bags in place, for I reckon thar wouldn't
have been many of us up to fighting if they hadn't been thar. We had
agreed not to fire back if we war fired at from the wood, for they
couldn't do us much harm thar, and it was best to keep our fire for the
boats which they war sure to have as well.

"The moment the volley was fired two boats shot out, one from each side.
'Now, give it 'em,' says I. Up we jumped, four on each side, and poured
our fire into the boat