Likely 'nough yer wound't mind
eatin' a bit. Be yer a river man?"
"I've never worked on a steamboat, if that is what you mean."
"No; well I reckoned not, but the captain he thought maybe yer had. I
tol' him yer didn't talk like no steamer hand. Howsumever we're
almightly short o' help aboard, an' maybe yer'd like a job ter help pay
yer way?"
My fingers involuntarily closed on some loose gold pieces in my pocket,
but a sudden thought halted me. Why not? In what better way could I
escape discovery? As an employe of the boat I could go about the decks
unsuspected, and unnoticed. Kirby would never give me a second
thought, or glance, while the opportunity thus afforded of speaking to
Rene, and being of service to her, would be immeasurably increased. I
withdrew my hand, swiftly deciding my course of action.
"I suppose I might as well earn a bit," I admitted, hesitatingly.
"Only I had about decided I'd enlist, if the war was still going on
when we got up there."
"That'll be all right. We'll keep yer busy til' then, enyhow. Go on
down below now, an' eat, an' when yer git through, climb up the ladder,
an' report ter me. What'll I call yer?"
"Steve."
"Steve--hey; sorter handy man, ain't yer?"
"Well, I've done a little of everything in my time. I'm not afraid to
work."
During most of the remaining hours of the morning the mate kept me
employed below, in company with a number of others of the crew, in
sorting over the miscellaneous cargo, which had evidently been very
hastily loaded.
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