Ben here paused, took out his bandanna, and wiped the big drops off of his forehead, as coolly as if he was recounting the events of a dinner-party.
“Well,” I urged impatiently, “you both went under the water?”
“Yes, that was the accident happened!”
“Accident? explain.”
“Why, I’ve no more to say’n this. I riz, en got aboard my broad-horn, en come away.”
“But Joe—what became of him?”
“Joe? he was a missin’ ’long with my bowie-knife!”
I parted with Ben, when the ‘Perry’ touched the wharf at Providence, not caring, under the circumstances, to inquire which way he was travelling.
VIII.
MIKE FINK IN A TIGHT PLACE.
Mike Fink, a notorious Buckeye-hunter, was contemporary with the celebrated Davy Crockett, and his equal in all things relating to human prowess. It was even said that the animals knew the crack of his rifle, and would take to their secret hiding-places, on the first intimation that Mike was about. Yet strange, though true, he was but little known beyond his immediate “settlement.”