"This ain't so easy ez it looked," said Shif'less Sol in a plaintive
tone. "It's nice ridin' on a boat, but if the lightning should strike 'The
Gall-yun,' whar are we? I'd a heap rather be on the land."
"That must have been its climax," said Paul, "and if so look out for the
rain."
Paul was right. The lightning began to decline in intensity and the
thunder sank in volume. The wind died rapidly. Yet there was no increase
of light, and presently they heard afar a rushing sound. Great drops beat
like hail upon their tarpaulin, and all except the man who was steering
snuggled to cover. The steersman happened to be Shif'less Sol this time,
and he wrapped one of the new Spanish blankets tightly around him from
heel to throat.
"Now let it come," murmured the indomitable man.
It took him at his word and it came with a sweep and a roar. The heavens
opened and a deluge fell out. The thunder and lightning ceased entirely
and from the black skies the rain poured in amazing quantities. Now and
then all except the steersman were forced to bail out the boat, but mostly
they kept to cover under their tarpaulin, which was a good one.
Shif'less Sol held the good ship "The Galleon," in the middle of the
current, and all the time he strained his eyes ahead for floating debris
and particularly for the terrible snags which were such a danger in the
early Mississippi.
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