Ike was boisterous in his hilarity; he danced about the fire, as if "the squar meal" had had an intoxicating effect on him; and, at length, unable to restrain himself, he burst into the following snatch from an old plantation song:
"Oh! don't you know Miss Dinah Crane,
She's 'gwine to be married;
Glad am I, an' dat's a fac,
For berry long she's tarried.
"So fotch along de wine an' de hoe cake too,
De gumbo an' de cream,
An' don't fergit de weddin' cake
On wich we darkies dream!
"For we will larf an' sing all day,
Hooraw, hooraw, hooraw!
An' on de banjo sweetly play
With a zip, yaw, yaw—yaw, yaw!"
Even Ulna smiled at this performance, and Maj chased his tail and barked till the cañon walls rang with the echoes.
The strip of shore, on which they were encamped, extended from their landing place for some distance down the river, so before launching the raft again, Sam thought it would be well for Ulna and himself to make an examination as far as they could do so on foot.
Taking their rifles, which were loaded with metallic cartridges that the water could not injure, they started off, first telling Ike and Wah Shin to take advantage of their absence to get some sleep.
They walked and clambered along the shore for about half a mile, when there came to their ears a hoarse, deep, monotonous roar.
"What is that?" asked Sam, coming to a sudden halt and laying his hand on Ulna's arm.
"I don't know," was the quiet reply.
"From what direction does the sound come?"
"From down the river."