The Rose of Old St. Louis | Page 8

interrupted at intervals by demilunes, and
terminating at the bluffs in stone towers. Behind this second terrace the
land continued to rise in a succession of terraces, covered partly with
low bushes and shrubs and partly with high, waving woods, giving an
impression of indescribable richness to the landscape, every detail of
which the level rays of the bright morning sun brought out in strong
relief. The whole made a most impressive appearance, more like the
picture of walled towns on the Rhine than like anything I had seen in
our country.
We were now so far out in the stream that the men could no longer use
their poles, and were trusting to the great sail they had spread to catch a
stiff south-eastern breeze, assisted by vigorous strokes of their paddles,
and I could see that against the swift current they were straining every
nerve and yet were steadily being borne below the village and the
landing-place.
Paddling on the Schuylkill and the Delaware was ever a favorite
pastime with me, and I doubt not I was a little proud of my skill.
Forgetting my recent illness and the weak state it had left me in, I
seized the paddle from a young fellow who seemed to me well-nigh
giving over, and unceremoniously tumbled him out of his seat into the
bottom of the boat, while I took his place. To my astonishment, I found
this was an entirely different stream from the steadily flowing rivers of
the East. My paddle was like to be snatched from my hand at the first
dip into the powerful current, and though I saved it by a mad and
desperate clutch, yet it felt like a feather in my hands, and I saw my
captain (who had witnessed my peremptory usurpation of the paddle)
trying to suppress a sly smile, while my mortified ears caught the sound

of derisive snickers behind me, and Yorke, the impudent black, grinned
openly from ear to ear.
The worst of it was, I myself could see we were losing ground more
rapidly than before. Now, I had ever a horror of owning myself beaten
(unless it were in argument, for I have no skill with words). I would
fight to the last gasp, but I would never surrender, which is sometimes
a foolish way, but more often wins victory out of defeat. With my
captain looking on, I felt that defeat even in so small a matter would be
a disgrace I could never survive. And so, admonishing myself to keep
cool, and remembering a turn of the wrist that an old Indian had taught
me in Pennsylvania, I very soon caught the trick of the blade and found
myself holding my own. Hope returned, and I gradually put forth more
and more strength, until, to my great satisfaction, I at last saw that we
were no longer drifting down-stream, but steadily making head against
the current, with fair promise of reaching our landing-place. Then,
indeed, did I feel exultant, and such courage leaped through my veins,
and so swift and sure and strong were my strokes, that I felt I could
alone, with my single arm, bring the great boat to harbor. But for the
second time that morning was my vanity my undoing. We did indeed
make the landing, where a great concourse of people had gathered to
meet us, among them a stately Spanish don (who, I had no doubt, was
the governor) surrounded by a retinue of officers; but as the keel of our
boat grounded in the soft mud and my captain called me to come with
him to meet the governor, and I arose in my place to obey him,
suddenly a great blackness and dizziness seized me, and I knew no
more until I opened my eyes to find myself being borne, on the
shoulders of four men, up the steep bluff toward the village street. I
insisted in the most forcible terms on being put upon my feet at once,
but as I spoke in English, and the soldiers were either Spanish or creole
French, my entreaties and imprecations were lost upon them. Nor did
my kicking and pushing avail me any better; they but held me the more
firmly for my struggles. Then I called out lustily for help, and the
ever-ready Yorke (but with the grin that I had learned at times to
consider detestable) ran to my aid.
"Yorke!" I shouted to him; "make the rascals put me down this minute,

and do you, sir, shut that domtiferous mouth of yours. I warn you, sir,
you grin at your peril!"
My mother had ever a horror of the oaths with which gentlemen lard
their conversation, and because I loved and honored her greatly, I had
resolved