floods. Tall grasses and willows grew on the higher parts. There were many birds—kingfishers, sea gulls, killdees and a few pelicans.
Mama came over to look at the map, and Patsy started explaining.
“When we get to the Kentucky-Tennessee line, there’s a big loop in the river. New Madrid’s up at the top in Missouri. The loop is in Kentucky.”
“That’s New Madrid Bend,” said Mama. “Daddy says you can walk across that neck of land in thirty minutes, but it takes half a day to go around in a boat. The neck is only a mile wide, but it’s nineteen miles around the loop, almost a circle.”
“Too bad we can’t carry the houseboat over,” said Dan.
“Then we wouldn’t get to stop at New Madrid,” said Patsy.
Now they were traveling northeast, as if heading for Illinois again. It was a long hard pull to New Madrid and Mama thought they’d never make it. The wind was against them all the time, blowing them the other way, so it took twice as much gas to push the boat. Late in the day they came in sight of New Madrid and Daddy made the houseboat fast to some piling near the landing.
“I’m about out of food,” said Mama. “I’ll have to lay in a supply for two or three days. If we should get laid up in a storm, we’d have to eat.”
“I’ll have to fill up with gas, too,” said Daddy.
“I want to go to the post office,” said Milly.
“We want candy,” said Dan and Bunny.
Patsy thought for a minute. “And I’d like a great big bunch of bananas,” she said.
They all laughed.
CHAPTER V
Still on the River
“N ONE OF YOU CAN GO ,” said Mama the next morning.
The children began to wail, but it did no good.
“I’ll get the ice and my groceries as quick as I can,” said Mama, “and Daddy will ask the man at the fish market to call a gas truck.”
“As soon as I fill up with gas,” said Daddy, “we’ll start down river. This is a bad place here, tied up to this piling.”
“Can we go in swimming?” asked Patsy.
“No,” said Daddy. “There’s quicksand here—it’s too dangerous.”
“Oh heck!” said Patsy in disgust. “After I learn to swim, I never get a chance to go in the water.”
Off went Daddy and Mama in the johnboat to the town of New Madrid, pronounced New Mad´-rid. Patsy and Bunny were still in pajamas. They tumbled back into bed again. The houseboat always seemed empty with Mama gone.
“Anybody who wants any breakfast better come and get it,” called Milly from the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry,” said Patsy.
“Neither am I,” said Bunny.
But they came out and ate just the same. Milly pulled Dan out of his cot and dragged him by one leg to the kitchen. Half asleep, Dan tried to eat, then ran back to bed. He took Tom, the cat, under the covers with him.
“You kids better get your clothes on,” scolded Milly.
“Stop your bossing,” said Patsy.
“Well, I’m boss when Mama’s gone,” said Milly.
“You’re not gonna boss me any more,” said Patsy. “From now on, I’m my own boss.”
“Ha! Ha! That’s what you think!” Milly laughed as she started to wash the breakfast dishes.
Patsy put on her clothes and went out on deck. She sat on the couch and put her arm around Blackie’s neck. “Here comes a towboat!” she called. Bunny and Dan came running.
“A towboat!” Milly dropped the dishcloth and came out, too.
A big towboat was coming round the bend with a whole riverful of empty barges in front of it. It was going down river for a load of oil and going down very fast.
“Oh boy!” cried Milly. “We’ll be knocked to pieces against the piling. What can I do?”
Patsy and the little ones looked at Milly. She was boss after all, but her face was white and scared. Even Milly did not know what to do.
“Go away, you mean old towboat!” cried little Bunny, shaking her fist at it.
But the empties were coming closer and closer, and behind them came the huge clean white towboat, pushing hard. The captain up in the pilothouse
Mama came over to look at the map, and Patsy started explaining.
“When we get to the Kentucky-Tennessee line, there’s a big loop in the river. New Madrid’s up at the top in Missouri. The loop is in Kentucky.”
“That’s New Madrid Bend,” said Mama. “Daddy says you can walk across that neck of land in thirty minutes, but it takes half a day to go around in a boat. The neck is only a mile wide, but it’s nineteen miles around the loop, almost a circle.”
“Too bad we can’t carry the houseboat over,” said Dan.
“Then we wouldn’t get to stop at New Madrid,” said Patsy.
Now they were traveling northeast, as if heading for Illinois again. It was a long hard pull to New Madrid and Mama thought they’d never make it. The wind was against them all the time, blowing them the other way, so it took twice as much gas to push the boat. Late in the day they came in sight of New Madrid and Daddy made the houseboat fast to some piling near the landing.
“I’m about out of food,” said Mama. “I’ll have to lay in a supply for two or three days. If we should get laid up in a storm, we’d have to eat.”
“I’ll have to fill up with gas, too,” said Daddy.
“I want to go to the post office,” said Milly.
“We want candy,” said Dan and Bunny.
Patsy thought for a minute. “And I’d like a great big bunch of bananas,” she said.
They all laughed.
CHAPTER V
Still on the River
“N ONE OF YOU CAN GO ,” said Mama the next morning.
The children began to wail, but it did no good.
“I’ll get the ice and my groceries as quick as I can,” said Mama, “and Daddy will ask the man at the fish market to call a gas truck.”
“As soon as I fill up with gas,” said Daddy, “we’ll start down river. This is a bad place here, tied up to this piling.”
“Can we go in swimming?” asked Patsy.
“No,” said Daddy. “There’s quicksand here—it’s too dangerous.”
“Oh heck!” said Patsy in disgust. “After I learn to swim, I never get a chance to go in the water.”
Off went Daddy and Mama in the johnboat to the town of New Madrid, pronounced New Mad´-rid. Patsy and Bunny were still in pajamas. They tumbled back into bed again. The houseboat always seemed empty with Mama gone.
“Anybody who wants any breakfast better come and get it,” called Milly from the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry,” said Patsy.
“Neither am I,” said Bunny.
But they came out and ate just the same. Milly pulled Dan out of his cot and dragged him by one leg to the kitchen. Half asleep, Dan tried to eat, then ran back to bed. He took Tom, the cat, under the covers with him.
“You kids better get your clothes on,” scolded Milly.
“Stop your bossing,” said Patsy.
“Well, I’m boss when Mama’s gone,” said Milly.
“You’re not gonna boss me any more,” said Patsy. “From now on, I’m my own boss.”
“Ha! Ha! That’s what you think!” Milly laughed as she started to wash the breakfast dishes.
Patsy put on her clothes and went out on deck. She sat on the couch and put her arm around Blackie’s neck. “Here comes a towboat!” she called. Bunny and Dan came running.
“A towboat!” Milly dropped the dishcloth and came out, too.
A big towboat was coming round the bend with a whole riverful of empty barges in front of it. It was going down river for a load of oil and going down very fast.
“Oh boy!” cried Milly. “We’ll be knocked to pieces against the piling. What can I do?”
Patsy and the little ones looked at Milly. She was boss after all, but her face was white and scared. Even Milly did not know what to do.
“Go away, you mean old towboat!” cried little Bunny, shaking her fist at it.
But the empties were coming closer and closer, and behind them came the huge clean white towboat, pushing hard. The captain up in the pilothouse
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