Page:Harris Dickson--Old Reliable in Africa.djvu/30

 hunting and levees breaking. Neither he nor the girl noticed that their vessel had passed into open sea. On either side, before, behind, lay the shoreless water, nothing but water. Zack looked up, then ran to the rail, gripped it with both hands and stared. "Lawd Gawd, Missy! levee's done broke; river's all over ev'ything! Never seed sech a overflow. Dat's why dem folks was all huddled in N'Yawk—to keep out o' de high water. I got to run tell Cunnel." Zack disappeared through a doorway, and dived down the stairs. Then Miss Stanton had a half hour to herself.

When Zack sneaked up the staircase again, and poked out his black face from the door, there was a humorous twitching at the corners of his mouth. He gave a sidelong glance around him before venturing on deck.

"Dat sho' is one big buzz on me. Huh! I oughter knowed 'twarn't nary overflow, 'cause tain't no houses, an' no levees. No trees ain't floatin' down, nothin', nothin' 'cept water. Dis is a mighty good place fer Baptists."

Zack grinned to himself, and watched for Miss Stanton. Then he leaned over the rail and gave himself up to a contemplation of the sea. "Well, well, well," he mumbled, "tain't nobody seed de beat o' dat. Jes like ole Missip was runnin' up an' down, an' sideways too—ev'y-which-way. Ef