“With that we started down to the Bend; we haddent been thar long when _in_ comes an old buck; he was a smasher, and one horn were broke off. I telled Chunkey now’s his time, as I skorn’d to toch him arter killin’ a bar. Chunkey lathered away, and _ca chunk!_ he went into the creek; he then gin him a turn with t’other barrel; the buck wabbled about a time or two and sunk, jist at the head of the little raft at the lower end of the clearin’. I know’d he’d lodged agin the drift, and determined to have him, and if you’ll believe me, I’d been workin’ at the gourd since I’d killed the bar. I pulled off my coat and jest throwed myself in; I swimd out to the place and _div_—you know the current are might rapid thar. Well, I found him, yes, —— if I diddent. But, Moses! warn’t I in a tight place _that_ time? Well, I reckon I were. I’d been willin’ to fite the biggest _he_ on the creek, and gin him the first bite, to have been out!” “Why, Jim, what was the matter?” “Arter I’d got in, I couldent get out—_that_ was the matter! You see the drift were a homogification of old cyprus logs, vines, and drift-wood of evry description, for nigh three hundred yards long, and the creek runs under thar like it was arter somebody; the trees and vines, and prognostics of all sorts, ar sorter nit together like a sock, and you couldent begin to get through ’em. Well, Capting, I thought my time had come, and I knowed it war for killin’ that cub what I telled you about. And, sir, it would have come if it haddent been for the sorritude I felt arterwards. You see, the young cub was standin’ in the corner of the fence eatin’ roastin’ ears, and I was goin’ to the——” “But, Jim, you have told that once, and I don’t want to hear it again.” “Well, I tried to rise, but I’d as well tried to rise down’ard. I then tried to swim up ’bove the raft, but I found from the way the logs and vines ware tearin’ the extras off me, that I were goin’ further under, and I was gettin’ out of wind very fast. I knowed thar was but one chance, and that was _to go clean through_! So I busted loose and set my paddles to goin’ mightily; presently my head bumped agin the drift! I div agin, and kept my paddles a lumberin’! Chunk! my head went agin a log, and then I knowed the thing were _irrefrangably out_—but I div agin, still workin’ on my oars smartly, until I hung agin! “‘Good bye, Chunkey!—farewell, Governor,’ says I.