, 1873-12-28
STEAMBOAT RACE,
Its Exciting Incidents, and Its
Tcrriblo Result.


An Extrsacf from 1t Tho f3flhoA apc.y,
a. NnvcA Written ConJ Jointly by Mark
Twain md OharloH ID. Warner.
at night tho loat forged on through tho foop
ao'it1tdos Of tho river, hardly oyor discovering n
light TO testify to human presenoo-mile nflor
milo and loaguo aftor loaguo tho ynHt bonds woro
guarded by t,nbro1ton svalla Of forest that had
neyor boon disturbed BY tho voice or tho foot.
fall Of man, or fo1t the elgo Of his sacrl-
lcgioua ax.
An hour after supper tho moon came mp, and
Olny and Washington 1.-TWO boys] ascendcd to
tho hurricane dock to rovol again In thor now
realm Of onohantmont. They ran races up and
down tEd daclz; climbed about tho boil {;
made 3rionda with tho passergor-dogs
chained under tho lfe-boat triod to mako
friends With pasaongor~boar fastened to tie
I vorgo sta1f. but wore mol. encouraged; "glinncl
tho cat" on tho hog-chaina; in n word, exhaust
Cd tho amusement possibilities Of tho dock,
Thon they looked wfBtful1y up at tho pilot-louso,
and finally, littlo by littlo, Clay venturod up
thoro, followed diflldently by Washington. Tho
pilot turnod presently to "get Ills stern marks"
enw tho lads, and invited thom' in. This cozy
little house, built entirely Of glass, nnd COM
mandtng amarvoloua proppoot In ovory direction,
was magician'a throno to them, and tloir On.
1oyment OF the placo was simply boundloaH.
Ihey Hat them down on a high bench and
looked mi1ea ahead, and SAW tho wooded capos
1olu back and reveal tho bonds beyond; aud
shoy loolted miles to thc rcnr and saw tho sl-
worry highway diminish it's breadth by degrees
and close lteolf together in tho distance, isrea-
emily tho pilot said:
Dy sy,s,s d,ooige, & yondor % comes tho Amaranth!"
mien a, down tho riyor Tho pilot took hiu glaes
and looked ut 1t STEADILY for momont and said
oniony to htmsoli:
ek ',s eant m ill., ~ tue BHe tSd WSns she coudn
+ Ho 81 bont oYor spehhing tube. and aaid
i A sMho,a ;a,1c Oh watch down thoro p
~ houow' unh1man voice runlblcd mp through
'nS g iaou ea. IN saeo9d eae@o5: ons;noorn -.
n.. aooal You want to Stir your etumps, now,
Harry-tho Amaranths just turned the point
ann a. ahe's 81 just It 9. a,.1umPng heraclf, tool"
y The pilot took hold Of arope thnt stretched
out forward. 5orked IT twice, and two mellow
sssohes ~ ,5 OF the plg 6ou responded. voice out
"stand by, down thcro, with that labbonrd
lceal e H. - = -. -:
want yoH., Rouet out The old man-toll him tho
Amaranth's coming. And 60 and call Jinl--toll
haln 'as-@-
mmAiyo. Gye, air!'
Tho "old nun WAS the Captain-ho Ia always
ealed e, 80 on atoamboats beat. and ships; "Jim was
the ~ other pilot. Within two minutes both Of
thcae mon woro flying up tho pilot-houso stair
Way, throo etepa at jump. Jim was In his
ahrt-sloovcs, with his coat and yont On his arm,
He said:
~ Was Just turning In. Where's tho glass7"
He took 1t md looked:
"Don't appear to DO my nisht-hnuk on tile
1a6kataRwlss a,a H:.; tho q; A;ma1aut}, doad aure!"
dan" ""Dsmn2tion!"
tho night-watchman On deck '>'9N ~
"How's she loaded?f
"Igo r., incLos By, tho head, slr.'
m'Taint ~ onoughl"
Tho Captain shouted nov:
''Oall tho mate. Toll him to cali oil hands
and get a lot Of that sugar forrarl-,,ut hor ten
inohos by tho head. Lively nov |"
"Aye,aye, strW
riot OF shouting md trsmpling Aoatcd mp
Of tho boat aoon showed that nho % was gctting
"down by tho head"
Ihc three mon In the rilot-housa began to talk
10 snort, sharp sentences, low mud earnestly. AS
tnos T. excitement roso their VOICES went down
anotnof took 1t up !; but always with q Btuliefl
"'t = u a. GUINNESS; Each time the verdict was:
,r1s nhos m gaining "
;.W,,at 1y ,uapsan iada, apoao shrongh Tue tMbo:
q 'An* i,.s5sai sssa4 Alo sou carrying
Ia q hundred and 1orty-two sirt But sho'a
getting hotter and hotter all tho time.''
me boat t., was straining, md grooming, and
aulvoring tEe monster In pain. Both pilotH
VI, wofe a. worS noR ono on each sido Of the wheel,
VIII vii, sneI eoaIa anu vests OH their hoBoma and
1onata Wiae open' end the pelspratiou flowing
aow1i u thor iacos. They woro holding tho boat |
~ Close 20 me ehofe that tho Wilowa swept the |
g'saeas G1 ai1os5 = FROM atein to Btorn.
6tand " !" whispered George. |
:" AL ready" Hnid Jim, under his breath.
~; Let her como!"
The boat Hprang away from the bank like a
deer, and darted in Il long diagonal toward the |
otner shofo. sho closed in again and thrasled |
ler herco way along tho willows US beforo. Tho
saPt9ah not down the GLASS:
LORD, now 6ho walks up on us I do hato
% pe po95
,n I'LL! n! sa1a d9orge' looking straight ahead,