Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/105

Rh course; but for cool-headed courage against long odds give me the Amurr'can citizen of the Missouri Valley.

The P.—Right you are there James. How we just cavorted through that big fellow—turned his entrails wrong side out—eh James, eh?

B.—That we did, sir, sure-ly. You'll excuse me a-mentioning of it, sir, if so be it's a secret, but I know what they be a saying all about the ship.

The P.—What's that James, what's that?

B.—Why sir, they do say this-wise, 'The boss ain't no slouch, he's good enough for me on a fair weather voyage across a mill-pond, but when it's a case of a rough sea and a run through a blockade give me the President. Who planned the run? The President. Who fought the ship? The President.' That's what they say, sir; and so say I.

The P.—Why James, I'd no idea they had found this out. Who told 'em?

B.—Told 'em, sir? Couldn't they see out of their eyes? When the boss fainted as we was going to ram that big 'un—and small blame to him either, being a landsman, and not so young as he was—don't we all know who ran to the helm and kept her head straight