I have my doubts about its bein' a livin' human, I tell
_you_. If I hadn't a renounced the devil and all his
works that time, I don't know what the upshot would have
been, for Old Scratch was there too. I saw him as plain
as I see you; he ran out afore me, and couldn't stop or
look back, as long as I said catekism. He was in his old
shape of the sarpent; he was the matter of a yard long,
and as thick round as my arm and travelled belly-flounder
fashion; when I touched land, he dodged into an eddy,
and out of sight in no time. Oh, there is no mistake,
I'll take my oath of it; I see him, I did upon my soul.
It was the old gentleman hisself; he come there to cool
hisself. Oh, it was the devil, that's a fact.'

"'It was nothin' but a fresh water eel,' sais I; 'I have
seen thousands of 'em there; for the crevices of them
rocks are chock full of 'em. How can you come for to go,
for to talk arter that fashion; you are a disgrace to
our great nation, you great lummokin coward, you. An
American citizen is afeerd of nothin', but a bad
spekilation, or bein' found oat.'

"Well, that posed him, he seemed kinder bothered, and
looked down.

"'An eel, eh! well, it mought be an eel,' sais be, 'that's
a fact. I didn't think of that; but then if it was, it
was god-mother granny Eells, that promised I should
renounce the devil and all his works, that took that
shape, and come to keep me to my bargain. She died fifty