Afterwards Abe told stories.
After they had reached the southern tip of Illinois, where the Ohio
emptied into the yellow waters of the Mississippi, there was little time
for stories. The boys never knew what to expect next. One minute the
river would be quiet and calm. The next it would rise in the fury of a
sudden storm. The waves rose in a yellow flood that poured over the
deck. Allen at the back oar, Abe at the front oar, had a hard time
keeping the big flatboat from turning over.
At the end of each day, the boys tied up the boat at some place along
the shore. One night after they had gone to sleep, several robbers crept
on board. Abe and Allen awoke just in time. After a long, hard fight,
the robbers turned and fled.
[Illustration]
These dangers only made their adventures seem more exciting. It was
exciting, too, to be a part of the traffic of the river. They saw many
other flatboats like their own. The biggest thrill was in watching the
steamboats, with giant paddle wheels that turned the water into foam.
Their decks were painted a gleaming white, and their brass rails shone
in the sun.
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