“Why you drag ’im like ox, Irish Mike?” cried the younger negro—­“why you no row ’im like other folk?”

“Ah—­you’re as bad as the rest of ’em,” growled Mike.  “They tould me Ameriky was a mighty warm country, and war-r-m I find it, sure enough, though the wather isn’t as warm as good whiskey.  Come, ye black divils, and see if ye can coax this contrairy crathure to do as a person wants.”

The negroes soon had Mike in tow, and then they went down the lake merrily, laughing and cracking their jokes, at the Irishman’s expense, after the fashion of their race.  It was fortunate for the Leitrim-man that he was accustomed to ditching, though it may be questioned if the pores of his body closed again that day, so very effectually had they been opened.  When he rejoined his master, not a syllable was said of the mishap, Joel having the prudence to keep his own secret, and even joining Mike in denouncing the bad qualities of the boat.  We will only add here, that a little calculation entered into this trick, Joel perceiving that Mike was a favourite, and wishing to bring him into discredit.

Early the next morning, the captain sent the negroes and Mike down the Susquehannah a mile, to clear away some flood-wood, of which one of the hunters had brought in a report the preceding day.  Two hours later, the boats left the shore, and began to float downward with the current, following the direction of a stream that has obtained its name from its sinuosities.

In a few minutes the boats reached the flood-wood, where, to Joel’s great amusement, Mike and the negroes, the latter having little more calculation than the former, had commenced their operations on the upper side of the raft, piling the logs on one another, with a view to make a passage through the centre.  Of course, there was a halt, the females landing.  Captain Willoughby now cast an eye round him in hesitation, when a knowing look from Joel caught his attention.

“This does not seem to be right,” he said—­“cannot we better if a little?”

“It’s right wrong, captain,” answered Joel, laughing like one who enjoyed other people’s ignorance.  “A sensible crittur’ would begin the work on such a job, at the lower side of the raft.”

“Take the direction, and order things to suit yourself.”

This was just what Joel liked. Head-work before all other work for him, and he set about the duty authoritatively and with promptitude.  After rating the negroes roundly for their stupidity, and laying it on Mike without much delicacy of thought or diction, over the shoulders of the two blacks, he mustered his forces, and began to clear the channel with intelligence and readiness.

Going to the lower side of the jammed flood-wood, he soon succeeded in loosening one or two trees, which floated away, making room for others to follow.  By these means a passage was effected in half an hour, Joel having the prudence to set no more timber in motion than was necessary to his purpose, lest it might choke the stream below.  In this manner the party got through, and, the river being high at that season, by night the travellers were half-way to the mouth of the Unadilla.  The next evening they encamped at the junction of the two streams, making their preparations to ascend the latter the following morning.