It may be imagined I felt some repugnance at being left to the mercy of Marysville, if it should chance to find me. Searching around, I stumbled over something, which, on examination, I discovered was an old "dug-out," or species of impromptu ark. To this I at once determined upon committing myself and my fortunes, with a broad piece of board which I found at some little distance. This might serve as a paddle. Accordingly, as Horner plunged into the river, I availed myself of it. But the cursed thing gave me a lesson I have never since forgotten, when the chance was given me to remember it. It is contained in the old proverbial saying, "look before you leap." The dug-out had a hole in it. Scarcely had it got a dozen yards from the shore, than it was fast filling. In a few yards more, it was under water; and for the sake of remaining above its unpleasantly chilly surface, I, very considerately, let it go to--the bottom. This was the worst fix I had yet found myself in. But there is no lane without a turning, although it must be confessed some of these turnings are occasionally sharp and rough. Thinking my last moment was come, and that some time next morning my unconscious body might arrive on shore some miles lower down the river, to afford a meal to the stray dogs or crows of this part of the country, I struck out recklessly in a battle for as much more of life as I could possibly keep. A few moments passed. Great Heaven! I did not sink. I was actually swimming. "Where are you, Dave?" I shouted out, joyously. "Here, old boy!" was the cheery answer. That single exclamation settled my wish for conversation while in the Big Blue River. It had filled my mouth with water, and was very nearly on the point of bringing my first lesson in swimming to a most abrupt close. So I kept my tongue quiet, until at length I arrived drippingly joyous at the further side of the stream. Horner was, necessarily, there before me, and assisted me to mount the bank. "I thought, Mose, you told me you couldn't swim." "Nor could I, Dave! You know, necessity is the mother of invention." "So it seems," he dryly replied. "I only wish it would find me a new bow for my fiddle. The blackguards smashed that." "It was lucky," I said, "they left you a whole skin." "Upon my word! it was so," was his answer. We then from the summit of the bank looked round us, and saw the welcome glow of our smouldering camp-fires, some half a mile below.