The Last of the Flatboats; A Story of the Mississippi and Its Interesting Family of Rivers (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...Craig's Landing. If I could have run you behind those bars, you'd have been at Carrollton before you could pull up, and of course it wouldn't have paid you to get the boat towed back up the river. I was trying to hurry, that's all; and I knew the river better than Captain Phil suspected." That was all of farewell there was between the crew of The Last of the Flatboats and her late pilot. When some one suggested to Phil that he should speak for the party and express regret at the necessity that had governed their course, Phil said: --"But I don't feel the least regret. I am glad we've secured him and his gang. It restores a lot of plunder to the people to whom it belongs; it breaks up a very dangerous band of burglars; and it will help teach other persons of that kind how risky it is to live by law-breaking. Perhaps it will help to keep many people honest. No, . I'm not sorry that we've been able to render so great a service to the public, and I'm not going to pretend that I am." "You're right, Phil," said Ed. "Of course he is," said Irv; "and as for Jim Hughes, he will get only what he deserves. If there were no laws, or if they were not enforced by the punishment of crime, there wouldn't be much 'show' for honest people in this world." "There wouldn't be any honest people, I reckon," said Will, "for honest people simply couldn't live. Everybody would have to turn savage and robber, or starve to death." "Yes," said Ed. "That's how law originated, and civilization is simply a state of existence in which there are laws enough to restrain wrong. When the savage finds that he can't defend himself single-handed against murder and robbery, he joins with other savages for that purpose. T...