'The corners of the handkerchief flut^^tered alxnit In tho wind, and an lH-iiiuiith-^old baby which a woman was holding in^her lap near by called 'DraniiiiiV every time^he caught sight of me. A deckhand came^end symiuithtzcd with mo and offend to^lend me the hut of a man who the day bt^^foro hod reversed my ex|^-ricuce, having^left his hat on board and gone under the^port pnddhi wheel himself, but I dci-linul^It. Ni wliuig had moved up the river al^^most to Albany that day, but we caught^up with It at last. As wu disembarked the^drrkhuml came running to me with my^hat on the cud of a boat hook. lie explain^^ed thai It I,ml MSB caught In the puddle^whorl mid liadfloutod out when the steam^^er stopis'd. 1 took It, shook a small fish^out of it, and wo wall...I on to tho other^boat,
Thohat was not In good condition. It^was much luittered with tho pounding It^hud gnl while going round with the wheel,^and It was wuter soaked, mid Its fur was^ruhU.l the wrong way and in some s|M.ts^worn off entirely, as If the hat was molt^^ing. It occurred to mo that It needed to^lx' gone over with currycomb, like u^Imrsi' Hut my handkerchief had becomo^uuUurnble. so 1 buttcnal tho hat Into^shape with a brick, hrusli.il It with a^bnsmi which I borrow, d from the fireman^and put It on. It tlttcd easier, since much^of the cl.ith, paper, leather, burlap, lino-^hum mid other ingnxlicnts hud coino out.^I felt thut I pn-sented I he appearance of a^passenger who had drowninl hniisclf n^^reek Detass and had now rapeasad ami^iximo buck on tumid to finish his Journey.
