Ike, addressed by his uncle variously and
collectively as "lunkhead," "nephew," and "Ike," served. He rarely
spoke, but always grinned. Harry found later that while he had little
use for his vocal organs he invariably enjoyed life.
"Colonel," said Jarvis, at about the tenth corn cake, "be you fellers
down here a-goin' to fight?"
"I suppose we are, Mr. Jarvis!"
"An' is your son thar goin' right into the middle of it?"
"I can't keep him from it, Mr. Jarvis, but he isn't going to stay here
in Kentucky. Other plans have been made for him. When are you going
back up the Kentucky, Mr. Jarvis?"
"This raft was bargained fur before it started. All I've got to do is
to turn it over to its new owners today, go to the bank an' get the
money. Then me an' this lunkhead, Ike, my nephew, both bein' of an
inquirin' mind, want to do some sight-seein', but I reckon we'll start
back in about two days in the boat that you see tied to the stern of the
raft."
"Would you take a passenger in the boat? It's a large one."
Samuel Jarvis pursed his lips.
"Depends on who it is," he replied. "It takes a lot o' time, goin' up
stream, to get back to our start, an' a cantankerous passenger in as
narrow a place as a rowboat would make it mighty onpleasant for me an'
this lunkhead, Ike, my nephew.
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