rfered with them. The only probable contingency to
cause misgiving was the wind.

That would not always blow from the west, and it might cease within an
hour, or even less time.

"It may get contrary," reflected Jethro, "and turn de oder way; if dat
am de case, dis old boat will go kitin' down de Ohio till we strike de
Massissip--and den--I done forgot what dat riber runs into, but if I
discomember incorrectly, it am de Red Sea; don't want to go dar, so I'll
jump ober board, if I can't stop de boat, and take to de woods.

"Mebbe de gale will twist 'round and come from de souf; under dem
sarcummentions de boat'll bang in 'mong de trees and smash tings. If Mr.
Kenton had managed to got 'long when I ain't wid him, and Mr. Boone
don't fall down and hurt hisself, why dem two might got de Injins
togeder and hold dem on de Kentucky shore, while I run ober' em wid de
flatboat.

"Dat would gib' em such a good squshin' dat dey wouldn't bother us for a
good while. It happens, howsumeber, just now dat de wind am blowin'
right, and we kin sail up de Ohio as fur as we want, dat is," qualified
Jethro, "if we don't want to go furder dan de wind will took us--but why
don't the old ting start?"

The sail was spread, and the strong gale was impinging dead against it,
and yet, strange to say, the flatboat remained as motionless as if sunk
at the bottom of the river.

CHAPTER XIX.

A FELLOW-PASSENGER.

Jethro Juggens was alarmed on the very threshold of his strange
enterprise by the threatened danger of failure. When everything was
ready to start, the flatboat refused to stir so much as an inch.

In the hope of helping matters, he swung the bow oar a number of times,
so as to turn the head out in the stream. It moved a foot or two, and
then became stationary, gradually working back to its former position.
Then he tried the same thing with the stern oar, accomplishing about as
much as if he had attempted to overturn a rock.

"Dat beats de dickens!" muttered the puzzled youth, stopping to rest
himself. "Qu'ar de wind am jes' strong enough to hold de boat stock
still. I guess I'll onwestigate."

And, doing so, the mystery was speedily solved. He had forgotten to
hoist the anchor, which lay imbedded on the bottom, on the outside of
the boat near the stern.

"I'll neber tell nobody dat," he said, ashamed of the blunder. Lifting
the heavy weight over his gunwale, he dropped it in the bottom of the
boat, which immediately b