Connecticut western news., 1874-01-23
A STEAMBOAT RACE,

A STEAMBOAT RACE. | Graphic Description of n Scene Uh thu Mississippi Rieess 1 GFrom the Gilded Age, novel written conjointl, by Mark Twain and Charles D. Warnerl. At night the boat forged on through the deep solitudes of the river, hardly ever discovering light to testify to s human presence mile after mile and league after league the vast bends were guarded by unbroken walls of forest that had never been disturbed by felt the edge of his sacrilegious axe. up, and Clay and Washington (two to revel again in their new realm of en- ehantment; They ran races up and down the deck, climbed about the bell, made friends with the passenger dogs chained under the life boat, tried to make friends with 8 passenger bear fastened to the verge staff, but were not encouraged ''skinned the cat' on the hog chains in word, exhausted the amusement possibilities of the deck. Then they looked wistfully up at the pilot house, and finally, little by little, Clay ventured up there, followed diff dently by Washington. The pilot turned presently to "get his stern marks" saw the lads, and invited them in. This cozey little house, built entirely of glass, and commanding marvellous prospect in every direction, was ma gician's throne to them, and their en- ioyment of the place was simply bound less.
 They sat them down on high bench and looked miles ahead, and saw the wooded capes fold back and reveal the bends beyond and they looked miles to the rear and saw the silvery highway diminish it's breadth by degrees and close itself together in the distance. Presently the pilot said:
 By George, yonder comes the Amaranth p
 A spark appeared, close to the water, several miles down the river. The pilot took his glass and looked at it steadily for moment, and said, chiefly to him. self:
 "It can't be the Blue Wing. She couldn't pick us up in this way. It's the Amaranth, sure."
 He bent over a speaking tube and said:
 "Who's on watch down there ?"
 A hollow, unhuman voice rumbled up through the tube in answer: |" I am. Second engineer"
 "Good You want to stir you1 stumps, now, Harry-the Amaranth's $ just turned the point she's just a humping herself, too P
 The pilot took hold of 8 rope that stretched out forward, jerked it twice, and two mellow strokes of the big bell resounded. A voice out on the deck shouted:
 " Stand by, down there, with that larboard lead p
 "No, I don't want the lead," said the pilot, "I want you. Roust out the old man tell him the Amaranth's com, ing. And go and call Jim-tell him. ,
 "Aye, aye, sir 1" l The ''old man" was the captain he is always called so on steamboats an6 ships. "Jim" was the other pilot Within two minutes both of these mer were flying up the pilot house stairway three steps at jump. Jim was in his shirt sleeves, with his coat and vest or his arm. He said:
 
 glass ?"
 He took it and looked.
 "Don't appear to be any night hawl on the jack staff: it's the Amaranth dead sure p
 The captain took long look and onl, said:
 "Damnation p
 George Davis, the pilot on watch | l.. | IL 4ol1. IL
 "How's she loaded ?'
 "Two inches by the head, sir"
 " 'Tain't enough"
 The captain shouted now:
 "Call the mate. Tell him to call al hands and get lot of that sugar for ward. Put her ten inches by the head Lively, now !"
 "Aye, aye, sir !'
 A riot of shouting and tramplin foated up from below presently, an the uneasy steering of the boat 500 showed that she was getting "down b the head"
 The three men in the pilot house be gan to talk in short, sharp sentences low and earnestly. As their excitemen rose their voices went down. As fast a one of them put down the spy glass ar ntber took it up but always ith studied air of calmness. Each time tn verdict was:
 "She's gaining l"
 The captain spoke through the tube.
 What steam are you carrying?"
 "A hundred and forty-two, sir Br she's getting hotter and hotter all th time"
 "That's it l! I thought it wasn't an slouch that was running that middle bs in Hog Eye Bend. If it's Wasl Hastings-well, what he don't kno about the river ain't worth knowing regular gold-leaf, kid-glove, diamon breastpin pilot Wash. Hastings is. W won't take any tricks off of him, ol man p
 "I wish I'd stopped for him, that all."
 The Amaranth was within three hu1 dred yards of the Boreas, and sti gaining. The "old man |" spol 1 through the tube. "What is she carrying now?" 7 GA hundred and sixty-fve, sir r . "How's your wood?" u "Pine all out-cypress half gone eating up cottonwood like pie r
 Break into that rosin on the ma