"Pap'll be mighty much obleeged to you, I can tell you.  Everybody goes away when I want them to help me tow the raft ashore, and I can't do it by myself."

"Well, that's infernal mean.  Odd, too.  Say, boy, what's the matter with your father?"

"It's the—a—the—well, it ain't anything much."

They stopped pulling.  It warn't but a mighty little ways to the raft now. One says:

"Boy, that's a lie.  What _is_ the matter with your pap?  Answer up square now, and it'll be the better for you."

"I will, sir, I will, honest—but don't leave us, please.  It's the—the—Gentlemen, if you'll only pull ahead, and let me heave you the headline, you won't have to come a-near the raft—please do."

"Set her back, John, set her back!" says one.  They backed water.  "Keep away, boy—keep to looard.  Confound it, I just expect the wind has blowed it to us.  Your pap's got the small-pox, and you know it precious well.  Why didn't you come out and say so?  Do you want to spread it all over?"

"Well," says I, a-blubbering, "I've told everybody before, and they just went away and left us."

"Poor devil, there's something in that.  We are right down sorry for you, but we—well, hang it, we don't want the small-pox, you see.  Look here, I'll tell you what to do.  Don't you try to land by yourself, or you'll smash everything to pieces.  You float along down about twenty miles, and you'll come to a town on the left-hand side of the river.  It will be long after sun-up then, and when you ask for help you tell them your folks are all down with chills and fever.  Don't be a fool again, and let people guess what is the matter.  Now we're trying to do you a kindness; so you just put twenty miles between us, that's a good boy.  It wouldn't do any good to land yonder where the light is—it's only a wood-yard. Say, I reckon your father's poor, and I'm bound to say he's in pretty hard luck.  Here, I'll put a twenty-dollar gold piece on this board, and you get it when it floats by.  I feel mighty mean to leave you; but my kingdom! it won't do to fool with small-pox, don't you see?"

"Hold on, Parker," says the other man, "here's a twenty to put on the board for me.  Good-bye, boy; you do as Mr. Parker told you, and you'll be all right."

"That's so, my boy—good-bye, good-bye.  If you see any runaway n*****s you get help and nab them, and you can make some money by it."

"Good-bye, sir," says I; "I won't let no runaway n*****s get by me if I can help it."