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Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander), 1862-1919

"The Free Rangers A Story of the Early Days Along the Mississippi"

"
"We've got to stay in hidin' fur a spell, that's shore," said Shif'less
Sol. "We might stick here all day. We kin overtake the Spaniards any time,
cause we have only one road to foller an' that's the river."
Henry nodded and they settled back to the watch and silence. Their three
comrades stretched on seats, lockers, or the boat's bottom, slept
soundly, and they could hear their regular breathing. But they heard
nothing else save the light lapping of the water against the tree trunks.
Dawn came, golden and beautiful. Tom Ross opened his eyes.
"Anything happened?" he asked.
"No," replied Henry, "and we are not going to move yet. Sleep on."
Tom closed his eyes again, and in a minute was back in the pleasant land
of slumber. The other two did not awake and Henry and Sol still did not
stir. From the leafy arbor in which "The Galleon" was moored, they were
intently watching the surface of the river. An hour passed and the sun
rose higher and higher, flooding the surface of the great stream with
golden beams.
"Do you see anything, Henry?" asked Sol.
"Yes, I think there's a canoe among the trees on the opposite shore."
"I reckoned that I saw it, too, but I wuzn't certain. Must be a scout
canoe."
"Do you see anything to the southward, Sol?"
"I reckoned that I saw somethin' thar, too, an' I took it fur smoke.


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