[Illustration: THE RESCUE OF THE CASTAWAYS. “The rescue occupied considerable time and work.” (See page 283.)] The Last of the Flatboats _A Story of the Mississippi and its interesting family of rivers_ By GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON Author of “The Big Brother,” “Captain Sam,” “The Signal Boys,” “The Wreck of the Red Bird,” etc., etc. BOSTON LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Norwood Mass. U.S.A. _TO MY LAST-BORN BOY_ CARY EGGLESTON _A brave, manly fellow Who knows how to swim How to catch fish How to handle his boat How to shoot straight with a rifle And how to tell the truth every time_ I Dedicate _This Story about some other Boys of his kind_ GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON _Culross-on-Lake-George_ Preface Vevay, from which “The Last of the Flatboats” starts on its voyage down the Mississippi, is a beautiful little Indiana town on the Ohio River, about midway between Cincinnati and Louisville. The town and Switzerland County, of which it is the capital, were settled by a company of energetic and thrifty Swiss immigrants, about the year 1805. Their family names are still dominant in the town. I recall the following as familiar to me there in my boyhood: Grisard, Thiebaud, Le Clerc, Moreraud, Detraz, Tardy, Malin, Golay, Courvoisseur, Danglade, Bettens, Minnit, Violet, Dufour, Dumont, Duprez, Medary, Schenck, and others of Swiss origin. The name Thiebaud, used in this story, was always pronounced “Kaybo” in Vevay. The name Moreraud was called “Murrow.” The map which accompanies this volume was specially prepared for it by Lieut.-Col. Alexander McKenzie of the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army. To his skill, learning, and courtesy I and my readers are indebted for the careful marking of the practically navigable parts of the great river system, and for the calculation of mileage in every case. G. C. E. Contents Chapter Page I. The Rescue of the Pigs 9 II. How it All Began 17 III. Captain Phil 27 IV. A Hurry Call 33 V. On the Banks of the Wonderful River 40 VI. The Pilot 47 VII. Talking 56 VIII. The Right to the River 62 IX. What happened at Louisville 71 X. Jim 77 XI. The Wonderful River 86 XII. The Wonderful River’s Work 95 XIII. The Terror of the River 105 XIV. In the Home of the Earthquakes 118 XV. In the Chute 131 XVI. “Talking Business” 147