floatin' about two mile
high like a flock o' ducks. Where all mout I be?"

"Little Prairie Bend."

"Into that bar eddy theh?"

"Yas, suh--the short eddy."

"Much obliged, Doc. Co'se I'll pay yo'----"

"Your friend's paid!"

"Yas, suh," Prebol whispered, sleepily, tired by the exertion and
excitement.

"Sleep'll do him good," the doctor said, and returned to his little
motorboat.

The young man went on board his own boat which was moored just below
Prebol's. As he entered the cabin, a burly, whiskered man looked up and
said:

"How's he coming, Slip?"

"Doc says he's all right. Jest said a woman shot him for tryin' to mind
her business, kind-a laughed about hit."

"Theh! I always knowed a man that'd chase women the way he done'd git
what's comin'. A woman'll make trouble quicker'n anything else on Gawd's
earth, she will."

"Sho! Buck, yo's soured!"

"Hit's so 'bout them women!" Buck protested.

"If a man'd mind his business, an' not try to mind their business,
women'd be plumb amusin'," Slip laughed.

"Wait'll yo've had experience," Buck retorted.

"Shucks! Ain't I had experience?"

"Eveh married?"

"No-o."

"Eveh have a lady sic' yo' onto some'n bigger'n yo' is?"

"No-o; reckon I pick my own people to scrap."

"Theh! That shows how much yo' don't know about women. Never had no
woman yo' 'lowed to marry?"

"Huh! Catch me gittin' married--co'se not."

"Sonny, lemme tell yo'; hit ain't yo'll do the catchin', an' hit won't
be yo' who'll be decidin' will yo' git married. An' hit won't be yo'
who'll decide how long yo'll stay married, no, indeed."

"Peah's like yo' got an awful grouch ag'in women, Buck."

"Why shouldn't I have?" Buck started up from shuffling and throwing a
book of cards. "Look't me. If Jest Prebol's shot most daid by a woman,
look't me. Do you know me--where I come from, where the hell I'm goin'?
Yo' bet you don't. I've been shanty-boatin' fifteen years, but I ain't
always been a shanty-boater, no, I haven't. Talk to me about women. When
I think what I've took from one woman--Sho!"

He stared at the floor, his teeth clenched and his strong face set.
Slip stared. His pal had disclosed a new phase of character.

Buck turned and glared into Slip's eyes.

"I'll tell you, Slip, you're helpless when it comes to women. They've
played the game for ten thousand years, practised it every day, wearing
down men's minds and men never knew it. Read history, as I've done.
Study psycho