and look at the river than go to bed."

"Den, Mr. Ogden," she said, "you comes to Vashington, and you comes to
my house. I can den repay your kindness. You vill see senators,
congressmen, generals, fine men--great men, in Vashington."

After supper the party found seats under the awning forward, and for a
while Jack's eyes were so busy with the beauties of the Hudson that his
ears heard little.

The moonlight was very bright and clear, and showed the shores plainly.
Jack found his memory of the guidebook was excellent. The villages and
towns along the shores were so many collections of twinkling, changing
glimmers, and between them lay long reaches of moonshine and shadow.

"I'd like to write home about it," thought Jack, "but I couldn't begin
to tell 'em how it looks."

Jack was not sorry when the three ladies said good-night. He had never
before been so long upon his careful good behavior in one evening, and
it made him feel constrained, till he almost wished he was back in
Crofield.

"Mr. Guilderaufenberg," he said as soon as they were alone, "this is
the first big river I ever saw."

"So?" said the German. "Den I beats you. I see goot many rifers, ven
I drafels. Dell you vat, poy; verefer dere vas big rifers, anyvere,
dere vas mosh fighting. Some leetle rifer do choost as vell,
sometimes, but de beeg rifers vas alvays battlefields."

"Not the Hudson?" said Jack inquiringly.

"You ees American poy," said the German; "you should know de heestory
of your country. Up to Vest Point, de Hudson vas full of fights. All
along shore, too. I vas on de Mississippi, and it is fights all de vay
down to his mout'. So mit some oder American rifers, but de vorst of
all is the Potomac, by Vashington. Eet ees not so fine as de Hudson,
but eet is battle-grounds all along shore. I vas on de Danube, and eet
ees vorse for fights dan de Potomac. I see so many oder rifers, all
ofer, eferyvere, but de fighting rifer of de vorld is de Rhine. It is
so fine as de Hudson, and eet ees even better looking by day.--Ve gets
into de Caatskeel Mountains now. Look at dem by dis moonlight, and you
ees like on de Rhine. You see de Rhine some day, and ven you comes to
Vashington you see de Potomac."

On, on, steamed the Columbia, with what almost seemed a slow motion, it
was so ponderous, dignified, and stately, while the moonlit heights and
hollows rolled by on either hand. On, at the same time, went Mr.
Guilderaufenberg w