" exclaimed Solon, who had been an interested
listener. "Yo' callin' dat ar plantashun Moss Back?"

[Illustration: "'Yo' callin' dat ar plantashun Moss Back?' exclaimed
Solon" (missing from book)]

"Yes, 'Moss Bank' is the name it has always borne, I believe," replied
Mr. Manton. "But why do you ask? Do you know the place?"

"Does I know um! Does I know de place I war borned an' brung up in?
Why, sah, dat ar' my onlies home befo' de wah. Ole Marse Rankim own
um, an' me an' he boy, de young marse, hab de same mammy. So him my
froster-brudder. He gwine away fer a sailor ossifer, an' den de wah
comin' on, an' ebberyt'ing gwine ter smash. He name 'Summer.' Yo'
know dat young gen'l'man?"

"Yes," replied Mr. Manton, "I knew him intimately. He has been dead
for several years; but I am well acquainted with his family, and it is
his son who is now travelling down the river in company with my boy.
In fact, it was through him that I came to purchase this old
plantation, with a view to making it our winter home."

"Praise de Lawd, I gwine ter see a Rankim once mo'!" exclaimed the old
negro. "Yo' is gwine stop at de ole Moss Back place, Marse Winn? Yo'
sholy is?"

"Why, yes; if Mr. Manton would like to have us, I think we should be
very happy to stop there when we reach it," said Winn.

"Stop! Of course you will," exclaimed Nanita's master. "I have
already planned for that, and should feel terribly disappointed if you
did not. I want to see more of you, and I want you to meet and know my
boys. Besides, I was going to ask you to allow Nanita and her pup to
complete their journey down the river on this raft in company with Bim,
who will, I know, take good care of them. If you should consent to
this plan, of course you will be obliged to stop at Moss Bank to land
them.

"We shall be delighted to have them," said Billy Brackett; "and, on
behalf of Bim, I hereby extend a formal invitation to them to become
his raftmates for the remainder of the cruise. At the same time, I am
certain that my companions, as well as myself, will be most happy to
visit you in your new home, and there make the acquaintance of your
boys."

By the time this arrangement was concluded it was daylight, and Mr.
Manton insisted on the raftmates turning in for a nap, while he and
Solon kept watch. He remained on board the _Venture_ all that day, and
by sunset the current had borne the raft forward so rapidly that they
were able to tie u