He made many friends among the coal men and eagerly devoured their stories of danger, of voyages down the river and of the comical "darkies" in the far off south.

Time after time he implored permission from his mother to go away on one of those barge trips, but she would never consent.

One day while assisting as usual on a fleet that was about to depart, a great, dark whiskered man named Tom, who was his particular friend, said: "Why don't you come with us, Paul?
We will take good care of you and bring you safe hme again." The temptation was strong, but the thought of his anxious mother deterred him.

Tom still urged and the wonderful stories he told about brilliant New Orleans and the mighty "Father of Waters" rapt Paul's attention so that he did not at first notice that the tug "Red Lion" was driving the huge fleet of barges ahead of her.

Would he jump into the river and swin ashore or would he go ahead?
"He who hesitates, is lost." "Paul remained on board.