Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-02-05
Mississippi Steamboat Aaeing.
A VIVID PICTURE.

A VIVID PICTURE.
Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
new Novel.
by George, yonder comes the Am
aranthl'
A speck appeared, close to the waite
several miles down the river. The pi
lot took his glass and looked at it stead
| lily for moment, and said chiefly Il
| himself:
1T can't be the Blue Wing. Sht
couldn't pick us up this way. It's ths
Amaranth, sure.'
He bent over a speaking-tube and
said:
WHO'S on watch down there?
A hollow, unhuman voice rumhled
up through the tube in answer:
Il am. Second engineer.
Good! You ant to stir your stumps
now, Harry-the Amaranth'sj just turn
ed the point-and she's just a-humping
herself, too.' "esf
The pilot took hold of rope that
stretched out forward, jerked it twice,
and two mellow strokes of the big bell
responded. A voice out on the deck
shouted:
Stand by, down there, with that
labboard lead!'
mo, don't want the lead, said the
pilot. Il want you. Roust out the old
man--tell him the Amaranth's COM
ing. And 60 and call Jim-tell him.
Aye, aye, sir!
The 'old man was the captain-he is
always called SO on steamboats, and
ships; Jim was the other pilot. With
in two minutes both of these two men
were flying up the pilot house stair
way, three steps at a jump. Jim MAS
in his shirt-sleeves, with his coat and
vest on his arm. He said:
Il was just turning in. Where's the
glass?'
He took it and looked.
Don't appear to be any night-hawk
on the jack -staff-it's the Amaranth,
dead surep
The captain took good long look,
and ouly said:
'Damnationv
George Davis, the pilot on watch,
shouted to the night watchman ON
deck:
sHow's she loaded?'
'Two inches by the head, SIR
'Taint enough!'
The captain shouted, now:
'Call the mate. Tell him to call all
hands, and get lot of that sugar for
ward-put her ten inches by the head.
Lively, now!'
Aye, aye, sir!'
4 riot of shouting and tramping feat
ed up from below presently, and the
uneasy steering of the boat soon show
ed that she was getting down by the
head The three men in the pilot
house began to talk in short, sharp sem
tences, low and earnestly. AS their
excitement rose their voices went
down. As fast as one of them put
down the spy-glass another took it up
but always with a studied air OF
She's a-gaining.'
The captain spoke through the tube:
what steam are yOu carrying"
"A hundred and tOrty-twO, sir! But
she's getting hotter and hotter all the
time
The boat was straining and groaning
and quivering like monster in pain.
Both pilots were at work now, one on
each side OF the wheel, with their coats
and vests off, their bosoms and collars
wide open, and the perspiratiOn flow
ing down their faces. They were hold
ing the boat so 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.
Let her GOMEZ
The boat sprang away from the bank
like deer, and darted in a long dia-
gonal toward the other shore. She
closed in again and thrashed her fierce
way along the willows as before. The
captain put down the glass:
Lord how she walks up on US! l do
hate to be beat!'
'Jim,' said George, looking straight
ahead, watching the slightest yawn1ng
of the boat, and promptly meeting it
with the wheel, how'll it do tn try
Murderer's Chute?'
well, its-it's taking chances. How
was the cottonwood stump on the false
point below Boardman's Island this
morning?'
Water just touching tho roots
well, it's pretty close work. That
gives six feet scant in the head of Muir
derer's Chute. We cin just barely rub
through if we hit it exactly right. But
its worth trying. She don't dare tackle
it!' meaning the Ainaranth.
In another instant the Bofeas plung-
ed into what seemed a crookd creek,
and the Amaranth's approaching lights
were shut out in a moment. Not q
whisper was uttered now, but the three
men stared ahead into the shadows,
and two ofthem 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, hut always opened cut in
time. Now the head of it was at hand.
George tapped the big ball three times,
two leadsmen sprang TO their posts, and
ia moment their weird cries rose on
] the night air and were canght up and