The thunder, no longer a mutter, became one terrific peal after another, and the lightning burned across the great stream in flash after flash.
"I sp'ose it's jest the same ez bein' at sea," said Sol between crashes.
"I don't know much choice between bein' drowned in the Mississippi, which I know is muddy, an' the sea, which they say is salt." "No danger of either!" said Paul cheerfully, "but I'm glad this is such a wide river.

So long as we can keep the boat straight there is not much risk of being driven into anything." Then everyone jumped suddenly to his feet.

There was a tremendous crash of thunder louder than all the rest, and the whole river swam for a moment in a burning glare.

The lightning seemed to have struck upon the surface of the water not far from them.

Then, when the lightning and the thunder passed, they heard only the wind and saw only the darkness.
"This ain't so easy ez it looked," said Shif'less Sol in a plaintive tone.