very good plan of escape. Snatching up his hat and coat he walked into
the kitchen, where he found a good-natured colored lady hard at work
stirring batter in anticipation of some table luxury for a coming meal.
With admirable presence of mind the mate picked up an apron, tied it
around him and telling "mammy" to take a few minutes' rest as she was
evidently overtired, he seized her wooden spoon and went on stirring the
batter as though he had never done anything else in his life.

In the meantime every other member of the party had been caught and
taken to the little frame building which answered the purpose of jail
and police-court combined. Various conjectures were exchanged as to the
fate of the mate, whose ignorance of the events incidental to gambling
raids was expected to prove very inconvenient to him in a variety of
ways. All anxiety on this score was, however, thrown away. The old man
acted his part so well that when the raiders saw him laboriously at work
with the wooden spoon they concluded that he was a member of the
establishment. In consequence of this they let him alone, and when the
raid was over he replaced his hat and coat, with the indifference and
nonchalance of an experienced actor, and went quietly back to the boat.

Here he informed friends of the incarcerated individuals of the fix they
were in, and advised them to go to their release, preferring himself to
keep as far as possible from the representatives of the law. Liberty was
obtained by the payment of considerable sums in the way of fines and
costs, and although the event took place some years ago, the way in
which the inexperienced gambler escaped, while his more hardened and
experienced friends were caught, is still a constant source of merriment
among officers and passengers.

It was while enjoying a delightful and distinctly sensational trip on