The war canoe had
been cut in two, and its late occupants were swimming for their lives.
Not in vain had Paul read in an old Roman history of the battles between
the fleets when galley cut down galley.
Henry, although he did not look up, knew at once what had happened, and he
could not restrain admiration and praise.
"Good for you, Paul!" he cried. "You took us right over the war canoe and
that's what's likely to save us!"
Henry was right. The other canoes, appalled by the disaster, and busy,
too, in picking up the derelicts, hung back. Henry and Shif'less Sol took
advantage of the opportunity, and sent bullet after bullet among them,
aiming more particularly at the light bark canoes. Three filled and began
to sink and their occupants had to be rescued. The utmost confusion and
consternation reigned in the savage fleet, and the distance between it and
"The Galleon" widened rapidly as the latter bore in a diagonal course
across the Mississippi.
"They've had all they want," said Henry, as he laid down his rifle and
took up the oars again, "but it's this big heavy boat that's saved us.
She's been a regular floating fort."
"We took our gall-yun just in time," said Shif'less Sol jubilantly, "an'
she is shore the greatest warship that ever floated on these waters.
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