forward with a jerk; and
had Jimmie not been forewarned he might have found himself thrown
sideways into the river, for the little craft careened badly in making
the swerve.

But she answered gallantly to the call, and glided out of the way just
is the broad bow of the sternwheel steamboat came along, raising a
white, foam-crested wave as she breasted the swift current.

Jack fancied he heard a startled exclamation from up in the pilothouse
of the big craft; but not a word was flung at them. That the man at
the wheel realized how remiss he had been in not signaling oftener, was
made evident, for immediately a long and hoarse whistle broke loose,
even as the steamboat was passing the boys.

"Wow!" gasped Jimmie, as he turned a white face toward his mate; "that
was about as clost a call as I iver want to mate up wid. And sure,
only for your wonderful prisence of moind we might have been run down.
The same 'twas criminal carelessness, so it was. And I'd like to give
the bog-trotter a bit of me moind."

Jack himself had gone through a thrilling experience, which he would
hardly care to have duplicated. He was trembling some too, now that
the necessity for prompt action and quick thought was gone.

"But didn't she respond to the wheel fine though, Jimmie?" he asked:
just as if the boat deserved all the credit. "If it had been the
clumsy old _Comfort_ now, nothing would have saved her, she's so slow
to mind her helm."

Jimmie had ideas of his own about the matter. What they were he did
not choose to put into words just then; but the way his kindling eyes
surveyed his friend made it easy to guess.

"An' did ye notice how soon the pilot blowed his whistle?" he remarked,
as they resumed their course. "Small use that same would have been to
us afther a smash. Sure, I'd taken it for Gabriel's trump calling us
to the resurrection, I would."

"Well, let's forget it if we can, and talk of something more pleasant,"
observed Jack, who was now urging the little boat nearer the shore than
ever, since it appeared they had been in the path of up-river craft,
hugging the Illinois bank.

Of course he had again reduced the engine to half speed; and his
vigilance was not in the least relaxed.

"Give me warning if you ever even _think_ you see anything ahead,
Jimmie," he remarked a little later. "Then we can get ready to head
in, while we're trying to make out what it is. But I'll be glad when
this beastly day is over, t