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squirt out of the ferry-boat's side. You see, they was firing cannon over the

water, trying to make my carcass come to the top.

I was pretty hungry, but it warn't going to do for me to start a fire,

because they might see the smoke. So I set there and watched the cannon-

smoke and listened to the boom. The river was a mile wide, there, and

it always looks pretty on a summer morning -- so I was having a good enough

time seeing them hunt for my remainders, if I only had a bite to eat.

Well, then I happened to think how they always put quicksilver in loaves

of bread and float them off because they always go right to the drownded

carcass and stop there. So says I, I'll keep a lookout, and if any of them's

floating around after me, I'll give them a show. I changed to the Illinois

edge of the island to see what luck I could have, and I warn't disappointed.

A big double loaf come along, and I most got it, with a long stick, but

my foot slipped and she floated out further. Of course I was where the

current set in the closest to the shore -- I knowed enough for that. But by-and-by

along comes another one, and this time I won. I took out the plug and

shook out the little dab of quicksilver, and set my teeth in. It was "baker's

bread" -- what the quality eat -- none of your low-down corn-pone.

I got a good place amongst the leaves, and set there on a log, munching

the bread and watching the ferry-boat, and very well satisfied. And then

something struck me. I says, now I reckon the widow or the parson or

somebody prayed that this bread would find me, and here it has gone and

done it. So there ain't no doubt but there is something in that thing.

That is, there's something in it when a body like the widow or the parson

prays, but it don't work for me, and I reckon it don't work for only just

the right kind. ssssssssss

I lit a pipe and had a good long smoke and went on watching. The

ferry-boat was floating with the current, and I allowed I'd have a chance

to see who was aboard when she come along, because she would come in

close, where the bread did. When she'd got pretty well along down towards

me, I put out my pipe and went to where I fished out the bread, and

laid down behind a log on the bank in a little open place. Where the

log forked I could peep through. ssssssssss

ssssssssss

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