Raftmates

ide down the Mississippi, he considered it about the finest craft of that description ever p

st. But outside of his immediate family, the raft, the Venture, as his father had named it, was the object of the boy's most sincere admiration and pride. Had he not helped build it? Did he not know every timber and plank and board in it? Had he not assisted in loading it with enough bushels of wheat to feed an army? Was he not about t

onths he struggled, but made little head-way against adverse fortune. The mill turned out lumber fast enough, but there was no demand for it, or those who wanted it were too poor to pay its price. At length the Major decided upon a bold venture. The Caspar mill was but a short distance from the Mississippi. Far away down the great river were cities where money was plenty, and where lumber and farm products were in

have made, nor could he afford the expense of a large crew. Then, too, while ready money was scarce in his neighborhood, the prairie wheat crop of that seas

ther buildings for the stowing of cargo. The floors of these structures were raised a foot above the deck of the raft, and were made water-tight, so that when waves or swells from passing steamboats broke over the raft, their contents would not be injured. In front of t

he Venture's "shanty" was very different from the rude lean-to or shelter of rough boards, such as was to be seen on most of the timber rafts of the great river. Its interior was divided into two rooms, the after one of which was a tiny affair o

ove and ample supply of pots, pans, and dishes. The bunks were filled with fresh, sweet-smelling wheat straw, covered with heavy army blankets, and the whole affair was about the most comfor

th on its uncertain voyage, it remained hard and fast aground where it was

tself," he remarked pettishly to his sister Elta one day in October, as they s

t will," answere

'd had the building of this craft, I would have floated all the material down to the mouth o

ve loaded the whe

d it down,

d have been 'way down there, and, besides, father wasn't ready to start when it was finished. I heard him tell mother that he didn't care to get away

my plans, and telling me that I'm only a boy. You'd rather any time travel in a rut that some one else had m

I, Winn

as tired of pet names and baby talk as I am of w

eared among the trees of the river-bank, leaving Elta to gaze after him

eelings of others. He was also apt to think that if things were left to his management, he could improve upon almost any plan proposed or carried out by some one else. He had min

ections in his boy's character. He was deeply grieved when his eyes were finally opened to them, and held many an earnest consult