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152 marked Blake, as he took the final scenes at the steamer. "Now for some views in the village below."

Once more they were under way, and a little later they came in sight of the town, which was the principal shipping port for cotton in that vicinity.

"Say, there's a big crowd working there!" exclaimed Joe, as they headed for the levee, only a small part of which was out of water.

"Yes, there's a big crowd there, but look at the few who are working at the cotton," spoke Blake. "There's a big pile of it, and it'll take those few men a good while to move it. The water's rising fast, too."

The levee at this town was a sloping one, faced with cobble stones, and when the river was low, horses and wagons were driven down it to the landing stages of the steamers. There were no permanent docks, except on the very top of the levee, and it was there the cotton was stored.

The absence of permanent docks, or wharves, close to the water was due to the sudden rise and fall of the stream at this point. Sometimes the steamers could come up to the permanent wharves, at the top of the levee. At others they were some distance off, and goods had to be