Tom and I had been bosom friends until this time; but now a coolness began to arise.

I told the girl a good many of my river adventures, and made myself out a good deal of a hero; Tom tried to make himself appear to be a hero, too, and succeeded to some extent, but then he always had a way of embroidering.

However, virtue is its own reward, so I was a barely perceptible trifle ahead in the contest.

About this time something happened which promised handsomely for me: the pilots decided to sound the crossing at the head of 21.

This would occur about nine or ten o'clock at night, when the passengers would be still up; it would be Mr.Thornburg's watch, therefore my chief would have to do the sounding.