Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-01-15

"Well, lists 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 six feet scant in the head of Muir
derer's chute. We can just barely rub
through if we hit it exactly right. But
it's worth trying. She don't dare tackle
it meaning the Amaranth.
In another instant the Boreas plunged
into what seemed a crooked creek, and
the Amaranth's approaching lights were
shut out in a moment. Not a whisper
was uttered now, but the three men
stared ahead into the shadows and two
of them spun the wheel back and forth
with anxious watchfulness while the
steamer tore along. The chute seemed
to come to an end every fifty yards, but
always opened out in time. Now the
head of it was at hand. George tapped
the big bell three times. two leadsmen
sprang TO their posts, and in moment
their weird cries rose ON the night air
and were caught up and repe ted bytwo
men on the upper deck:
"No-o bottom y
deep four !"
: "Half three 70
"Quarter three y
"Mark under wa-a-ter three y
"Half twain p
"Quarter twain -
Davis pulled couple of ropes-there
was jingling of small bells far below,
the boats speed slackened, and the
pent steam began to whistle and the
gauge-cocks to scream:
by the mark twain y
"Quar-ter-her-er-ies twain
Eight and o half -
Eight feet p
Seven-ana- half -"
Another jingle of little bells and the
wheels ceased turning altogether. The
whistling of the steam was something
frightful now-it almost drowned all
other noises.
Stand by to meet her p
George had the wheel hard down and
was standing on spoke.
"An ready
The boat hesitated-seemed to hold
her breath, as did the captain and
pilots-and then she began to fall away
to starboard, and every eye lighted:
NoU then meet her meet her!
Snatch her %
The wheel flew to port SO fast that
the spokes blended into spider-web-
the swing of the boat subsided-she
steadied herself -
"Sever feet ~
"Sev-six and half ~
Sir feet Six f"
Bang She hit the bottom George
shouted through the tube:
"Spread her wide open Whale ii
at her ?"
Pow-wow-chow The escape-pipes
belched snowy pillars of steam aloft, the
boat ground and surged and trembled-
and slid over into -
"M-a-r-k twain p
"Quarter-her -"
"Tap tap tap Ito signify Lay
in the leads. y
And away she went, flying up the viii
low shore, with the whole silver sea of
the Mississippi stretching abroad on
every hand.
NoAmaranth in sight
Ha-ha, boys, we took a couple of
tricks that time r' said the captain.
And Just at that moment red glare
appeared in the head of the chute and
the Amaranth came springing after
them
"Well, / swear -
Slim, what is the meaning of that ?"
"Tl tell you what's the meaning of
it. That hail we had at Napoleon was
Wash Hastings, wanting to come to
'Cairo-and we didn't stop. He's IN
that pilot-house how, showing those
mud turtles how to hunt for easy
water"
"TLat's it thought it wasn't any
SLOUGH that was running that middle bar
in Hog-eye Bend. If it's Wash Has
tings-well, what he don't know about
the river amt worth knowing-a regu-
lar gold-leaf, kid-glove, diamond breast
pin pilot Wash Hastings is. We won't
take any tricks off of him, old man y
81 wish I'd stopped for him, that's
all"
The Amaranth was within three hun
bred yards of the Boreas, and still
gaining. The ''old man spoke through
the tuOe.
"What is she carrying now? ?"
GA hundred and sixty-ive, sir p
"How's your wood?'
"Pine all out-cypress half gone
eating up cottonwood like pie u
"Break into that resin on the main
deck-pile it in, the boat can pay for
it!
Soon the boat was plunging and quiv-
ering and screaming more madly than
ever. But the Amaranth's head was
almost abreast the Boreas' stern.
How's your steam now, Harry ?"
Hundred and eighty-two, sir -
Break up the casks of bacon in the
forrard hold! Pile it in ! Levy on that
turpentine in the fantail-drench every
stick of wood with it y
The boat was moving earthquake by
this time:
How is she now?
GA hundred and ninety-six and still
a-swelling water below the middle
gauge-cocks carrying every pound she
can stand l-nigger roosting on the
safety-valve 7"