Nascent Drama

[The Dork Lord]

I judged he didn't know nothing about what he had been doing, so I says:

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Somebody tried to get in, so I was laying for him."

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Why didn't you roust me out?"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Well, I tried to, but I couldn't; I couldn't budge you."

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Well, all right.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Don't stand there palavering all day, but out with you and see if there's a fish on the lines for breakfast.

 

[The Dork Lord]

I'll be along in a minute."

 

[The Dork Lord]

He unlocked the door, and I cleared out up the river-bank.

 

[The Dork Lord]

I noticed some pieces of limbs and such things floating down, and a sprinkling of bark; so I knowed the river had begun to rise.

 

[The Dork Lord]

I reckoned I would have great times now if I was over at the town.

 

[The Dork Lord]

The June rise used to be always luck for me; because as soon as that rise begins here comes cordwood floating down, and pieces of log rafts -- sometimes a dozen logs together; so all you have to do is to catch them and sell them to the wood-yards and the sawmill.

 

[The Dork Lord]

I went along up the bank with one eye out for pap and t'other one out for what the rise might fetch along.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Well, all at once here comes a canoe; just a beauty, too, about thirteen or fourteen foot long, riding high like a duck.

 

[The Dork Lord]

I shot head-first off of the bank like a frog, clothes and all on, and struck out for the canoe.

 

[The Dork Lord]

I just expected there'd be somebody laying down in it, because people often done that to fool folks, and when a chap had pulled a skiff out most to it they'd raise up and laugh at him.

 

[The Dork Lord]

But it warn't so this time.

 

[The Dork Lord]

It was a drift-canoe sure enough, and I clumb in and paddled her ashore.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Thinks I, the old man will be glad when he sees this -- she's worth ten dollars.

 

[The Dork Lord]

But when I got to shore pap wasn't in sight yet, and as I was running her into a little creek like a gully, all hung over with vines and willows, I struck another idea: I judged I'd hide her good, and then, 'stead of taking to the woods when I run off, I'd go down the river about fifty mile and camp in one place for good, and not have such a rough time tramping on foot.

 

[The Dork Lord]

It was pretty close to the shanty, and I thought I heard the old man coming all the time; but I got her hid; and then I out and looked around a bunch of willows, and there was the old man down the path a piece just drawing a bead on a bird with his gun.