New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-25
MISSISSIPPI STEAMBOAT RACING.

! A Vivid Picture.
| From Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
| new Novel
"By George. yonder comes the Anna
| ranth!'
A spark appeared, close to the water
several miles down the river. The pilO
| took his glass and looked at it steadily fO
moment, and said, chiefly to himself:
| "It can't be the Blue Wing She couldn'
pick us up this way. It's the Amaranth
| sure"
He bent over a speaking tube and said:
"Who's on watch down thereg"
A hollow, unhuman voice rumbled NJ
| through the tube in answer:
~ am. Second engineer.
Good! You want to stir your stumps
now, Harry the Amaranth's just turned
soef' soe P''n'-"n' 'Ae' lust I" humping herself
The pilot took hold of rope tha,
stretched out forward. jerked it twice, and
two mellow strokes of the big bell re-
sponded. voice out on the deck shouted:
Stand BY, down there, With that lar.
"No, l don't want the lead" said the
pilot, II want you. Roust out the old
man-tell him the Amaranth's coming. And
go and call Jim-tell him.
"Aye-aye, STRIP
The "old man" was the oaptain-he is al
ways called SO on steamboats and ships;
"Jim" was the other pilot. Within two
minutes both Of these men we're flying up
the pilot house stairway, three steps at q
Jump. Jim was in his shirt-sleeves, with
his coat and vest on his arm. He said:
Il was just turning in. Where's the
glassg"
He took it and looked:
.Don't appear TO be anv night-hawk on
the iack-staff -it's the Amaranth, dead
sure"
The captain took good, long look, and
only said:
.'DannatiOn nstst%- "a
George Davis, the pilot on watch, shouted
Allows she loadedg"
"Two inches by the head, SIR"
"'Taint enough" Isl .".t
The captain shouted, now:
"Call the mate Tell him to call all
hands and get lot of that sugar fOrrard-
put her ten inches by the head. Lively,
nowp
"Aye, aye, sirw ..
A riot Of shouting and trampling foated
up from below presently, and. the uneasy
steering of the boat soon showed that she
was getting "down by the head"
The three men in the pilot house began
to talk in short, sharp sentences, low and
earnestly. As their excitement rose their
voices went down. As fast as one of them
pu. down the spyglass another took it up
but always with = studied air Of calmness
Each time the verdict was.
"She's q gaining"
The captain spoke through the tube:
"What steam are you carryingW
"a hundred and forty-.wo, sir But she's
getting hotter and hotter all the time"
The boat was straining and grOaning and
quiveriug like u monster in pain. Both
pilots were at work now, one on each side
of the wheel, with their coats and vests of,
their bosoms and collars wide open, and
the perspiration flowing down their faces.
They were holding the boat 40 close to the
shore that the willows swept the guards
almost from stem to stern.
"Stand by| whispered George.
'.All ready!' said Jim, under his breath.
''Lot her come"
The boat sprang away from the bank
like q deer, and darted in long diagonal
toward the other shore. She closed in again
and thrashed her fierce way along the will
lows as before. The captain put down the
glass:
..Lord how she walks up on us! I do hate
10 be beat"
Jim" said George, looking straight
ahead. watching the slightest yawing Of the
boat and promptly meeting it with the
wheel, .'how'll it do to try Murderer's
Chutef'
We'll. it's-it's taking chances. How was
the cottonwood stump on the false point |
below Boardman's island this morning ="
water just touching the roots
"Well, it's pretty close work. That gives |
TX feet scant in the head of Murderer's |
Chute. We can just barely rub through If !
We hit it exactly right. But it's worth try
ng. She don't dare tackle III" meaning |
he Amaranth. =.
In another instant the Boreas plunged |
nto what seemed crooked creek, and the |
approaching lights were shut |
,ut in q moment. Not . whisper was ut |
erred now, but the three men stared 6head |
nto the shadows, and two of them spun the |
Wheel back and forth with anxious watch |
ulness while the steamer tore along. The |
,hute seemed to come TO an end every 6fty |
vards, but always epeaed cut in time. Now ]