"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 head-line, 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
"BOY, THAT'S A LIE."
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 then 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.
