Its forked tongues lapped the water in the most eccentric manner--fearful, though intensely beautiful.

The poor darkey cowered in fright on the bottom of the boat with covered eyes, while Paul and the Doctor were so impressed with the grandeur of the manifestation, as to be unmindful of the danger.

After that, whenever dark masses of clouds began to roll up in the sky and the wind commenced to sough mournfully through the willows, no power on earth could prevent the darkey from pulling in shore and staying there until the storm had passed.
"Ole Mastah above kin hit me evah w'en he wants to; I knows dat; but den Ise gwine to climb fur the shoah foah dat lightnin' play tag aroun' dis niggah's head agin, dat's shoah as yo' libe," he explained to Paul after one of his hurried retreats into the bushes.
Twelve days after the start the party arrived at Davenport.

Paul had been greatly retarded in his progress on account of false channels and sloughs into which he wandered and through which he paddled many weary miles.

Early one morning, emerging from one or these sloughs just as the sun was rising, he was treated to a concert such as he had never heard.