The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-25
BOTTOMS FRIEND.

Captain Paul Boyton's experience, while floating down the Arkansaw river, would fill book half as large as an una bridged dictionary. One day. just after leaving Fort Smith, he was floating along near a low bank, when . man who was chopping wood, threw down his axe, gazed ios a moment and exclaimed
 "Waii, ef yander ainAs cle Satan, I'm q fish"
 "Boy;on, catching hold of a root, stopped and said:
 "Good morning"
 "Yas, l should say .o."
 "Am l likely to meet any steamboa,s to-dayw
 "Wall, not ef the captains sec you fust. Ef had boat an was to sec you comin' down, would run her out in the woods afore would run into you. Say pointing to Boyton's waterproof helmet, lis that thing lump O eaG,-iron or Aint-rock ?"
 "Cast-iron."
 "Wall, a Steamboa, hull wouldn't be no more than aig-sheli, would ilf"
 " Not much moTe."
 "No, reckon not. Tu,hcE Sunday old PArson Babb told us all that we'd see the devil one O these days, but blamed ei 1 thought you was due so soon. am glad to see you fur l married old man Babb's daughter an don't wan, the old man to be coteh in lie. used to think that a sight O the devil would skeer me into fits, but that was afore was married |"
 "Didn'' you sly tha, yeur wife is the daughter of a preacherr'
 "Yas. Ilonel-I mean, gineral. She Is a PreAcier daughter, but she don't kere no more for the gospel thaa you do for the apostle Paul. On. she goes to church m sings an shouts louder than anybody, but when she comes home, look out. Vas, ef 1 had seed you afore was married, woulder trapped in my tracks an had duck.6t. but as 1t is. woul"n', mind gettin' in an goin' on down with you"
 My friend, 1 don't wish to deceive you. am no,hing supernatural"
 reckon not. Don't need to be. Ken get all you want to eat anyhow"
 "You don't understand me. mean that am only man."
 "You don't tell me SO"
 "Ye. Haven't you heard of man named Boy,on2"
 "No. but know feller named Boy CTS Lives over here on the old military road. Ain,t no kin to hin. : rsekoa.'
 "No, think not"
 "Wha. uou, your business be, mister p''
 Floating down nven."
 "l don't see how you ken make any money outen that, .ut never was much at 6ggers, nohow. It pears to me that if was you an had bus'ssss down stream. that I'd git me boat. It twouldn's cost you much"
 if were to go in boat wOuldn't be attending to my business"
 "Ain't yer afeerd that when a rain comes up yoa'Ii git wss1"
 "Thsre might be some danger Of that, How far is i, to the next steamboat land iagi," down here"
 "isat there little town down here 
 "There mout be but sin't seed itS
 Isn't there place called Roseviiis ?"
 "Thar's a place that you ksn call that f you want to-"
 "come down." said Boyton, drawing himself out Of the water, !" and Let's take a drink"
 "Whai have you got1" throwing out ' chew of tobacco.
 @I've got bottle of pretty fair whisky"
 "i1i jine you. This is prohibition all along here. A dang sight Q water bat dang liitis whisky. Here's lookin' as four Ingun rubber cioshes."
 When he returned the bottle, BOyton, bidding him goodbye, slipped into the wassr and giidsd sway. About an hour Afterwards some one on the bank hailed aim. Boytos dssv himself ashore.