After ten more minutes the town is dead again, and the town drunkard asleep by the skids once more.
My father was a justice of the peace, and I supposed he possessed the power of life and death over all men and could hang anybody that offended him.

This was distinction enough for me as a general thing; but the desire to be a steamboatman kept intruding, nevertheless.

I first wanted to be a cabin-boy, so that I could come out with a white apron on and shake a tablecloth over the side, where all my old comrades could see me; later I thought I would rather be the deckhand who stood on the end of the stage-plank with the coil of rope in his hand, because he was particularly conspicuous.

But these were only day-dreams,--they were too heavenly to be contemplated as real possibilities.

By and by one of our boys went away.