"Suah. Wait, I'll git her," said the negro, and ran off. Soon they saw him returning with a skiff. They entered the craft and in a few minutes were aboard of the scow once more. To their delight they saw that the flat-bottom craft was uninjured and that their store of provisions was safe. "We might have been miles down the river, if it hadn't been for your hounds," grumbled Bob. "And had supper too," put in Mark. "Ain't you-uns had nuffin to eat?" "No." "Den come up to de house, an' I'll git Aunt Katie to cook sumfin fo' you-uns. De colonel always treats strangers well." Having been out in the wet so long, the boys did not object to going where they could dry themselves, and making the scow fast, they followed the negro to the house, which stood on a rise of ground some distance away. The negro cook, Aunt Katie, had gone to bed, but she was aroused, and inside of half an hour had a hot supper ready, which the lads ate with great satisfaction. In the meantime they dried their clothes, so that they felt comfortable once more. "You-uns kin stay heah all night, if you-uns wants to," said the negro, after consulting the cook. "Thanks, we will," said Mark, and both were shown to a nicely furnished bedchamber. Here they slept soundly until morning, and then, after breakfast, proceeded on their journey once more. CHAPTER VI TWO BOYS AND A MULE "The Mississippi at last, Mark!" [Illustration: "THE MISSISSIPPI AT LAST!" UTTERED BOB.] It was Bob who uttered the cry, late one afternoon, some time after the events recorded in the last chapter. He was standing in the front of the scow, shading his eyes with his hand. "It's a pretty big stream of water," answered Mark, gazing forward curiously. He drew a long breath. "Bob, about one-third of our journey to California is finished!" "Right you are, Mark. But I'm afraid we have the toughest part of the trip still before us." "Do you regret starting?" "Not in the least, and you couldn't hire me to turn back," was the quick response. "Are you going to stop at Cairo?" "Don't you think we had better cross the river instead?" "No, for we can't sail the scow against such a strong current. We had better stick to our original intention and sell the craft, and then take a steamboat from Cairo to some place up the Missouri." During the past few days the boys had learned that Independence, Missouri, located not many miles from Kansas City, was one of the places at which thousands of emigrants for the West were gathering, with their wagons and their horses and cattle. It was still early in the year and the pioneers were waiting for the grass to grow, so that they might have fodder for their animals during the long and tedious journey overland. "They say it will take at least three months to get across the Rocky Mountains and into California," said Mark.