The man was still abusive, but he was released on the lower deck; and he went immediately to the boiler and began to warm his little packet. He held it first one side toward the hot boiler, then the other, and turned it round and round. “He warmin’ de rabbit foot!” Dick heard one of the black roustabouts say in an alarmed tone. “He’ll do mischief, dat man will.” In a few minutes, perhaps when the rabbit’s foot was warm enough to be in good working order, the man walked back to the two mates, who were still watching him. “I pay you off for dis!” he shouted. “I sink dis boat wid de rabbit foot, I will. I kill you yet.” In a second the first mate had the man by the throat and half-doubled him backward. “That’s what I’ve been waiting for!” the mate exclaimed; “I just wanted you to threaten somebody. Now I’ll put you and your rabbit’s foot out of harm. Get me a rope, somebody.” The man was quickly tied hand and foot and fastened to a stanchion, and in the scuffle the little packet was knocked from his hand. Dick picked it up. “Oh, gimme back me rabbit’s foot!” the man whined. His pluck was all gone, now that he had lost his charm. “Please, boss, gim it back ter me.” “Oh, no!” Dick laughed. “It’s too dangerous for you to carry. It’s warm, too, and there’s no telling what damage it might do.” Not one of the black deck hands would approach the packet. They held aloof; even some of the passengers looked alarmed when Dick took out his penknife and opened the blade. “Don’t you do it!” one of them advised. “’Tain’t well to fool with them things.” “No, don’t cut it open,” another said. “Some harm’ll come to you, sure, if you do.” “Nonsense!” Dick exclaimed. “No wonder these poor colored men are superstitious, if you white men encourage them in this way.” Without more ado he ripped open the packet with his knife. There were many wrappings under the brown cloth--first a layer of oiled silk, then one of flannel; but the interior was soon reached. There in the centre lay the wonderful charms:-- A rabbit’s foot with hair and claws all complete. Half of a gold ring. A lock of straight black hair, tied with a string. And-- Four small pieces of broken glass. “It don’t look very dangerous, does it?” Dick asked; and he tossed the packet over the boat’s side into the river. Several times that morning he heard colored men on board prophesying evil because the man had “hoodooed de boat”; and some of the white passengers sagely shook their heads. Just as the boat was approaching Louisville, half an hour before noon, when Dick was in his stateroom, the light mulatto boy who waited upon him entered the room. “If I was you, I’d leave dis boat at Louisville, boss,” the boy said. “I’d git off here if I could, but I’se shipped for de voyage. De boat’s boun’ to come to some harm, suah! Dat feller he hoodoo her; he wo’k de rabbit foot on her, and somethin’ goin’ to happen.”