The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-02-11

ornaments the banks of this river for
twelve hundred miles and more than
that, must actually know where these
things are in the dark, unless these
guests are gifted with eyes that can
pierce through two miles OF solid black
ness wish the plotting business was
in Jericho and had never thought OF
it."
At dusk Mr.. B. tapped the big bell
three times (the signal to land), and the
captain emerged from his drawing
room in the forward end of the texas,
and looked up inquiringly. Mr.. B.
said
{" We will lay up here all night,
captain"
Very well, sir"
That was all. The boat came to shore
and was tied up for the night. 1t
seemed to me fine thing that the pilot
could do as he pleased, without so
grand captains permission. took
my supper and went Immediately to
bed, discouraged by my days observa-
tions and experiences. Mylate voyages
note booking was but a confusion of
meaningless names. It had tangled me
all up in knot every time I had looked
at it in the daytime. ] now hoped for
respite and sleep but nc, 1t reveled all
through my head till sunrise again, a
frantic and tireless nightmare.
Next morning felt pretty rusty and
Iow-spirited. We went booming along,
taking a good many chances, for we
were anxious to "get out of the river "
(as getting out to Cairo was called) be-
fore night should overtake us. Bu5
Mr.. B-'s partner, the other pilot,
presently grounded the boat, and we
lost so much time getting her off that it
was plain the darkness would oveTtake
us a good way above the mouth. This
was a great misfortune, especially to
certain of our visiting pilots, whose
boats would have to wait for their re-
turn, no matter how long that might
be. It soberea the pilot-hOuse talk a
good deal. Coming upstream pilots
did not mind low water or any kind of
darkness nothing stopped them but
fog. But downstream work was differ
ent /; boat was too nearly helpless
with q stiff current pushing behind her;
so it was not customary to run down
stream at night in low water.
There seemed to be one small hope,
however, if We could get through the
intricate and dangerous Hat Island
crossing before night, we could venture
the rest, for we would have palmer
sailing and better water. But it would
be insanity to attempt Hat Island at
night. So there was a deal of looking
at watches all the rest of the day, and
a constant ciphering upon the speed we
were making; Hat Island was the eter-
nal subject sometimes hope was high,
and sometimes We were delayed in a
bad crossing, and down it went again.
For hours all hands lay under the bur
den of this suppressed excitement; it
was even communicated to ne, and l
got to feeling SO solioitoUs about Hat
Island, and under such a pressure of
responsibility, that I wished I might
have five miutes on the shore to draw q
good, full breath, and start over again.
We were standing no regular watches.
Each of our pilots ran such portions OF
the river as he had run when coming
mp stream, because of his greater
familiarity with it; but both remained
in the pilot house constantly.
HOW HAT ISLAND WAS "AIADE."
An hour before sunset, Mr.. B
took the wheel and MIR. W stepped
aside. For the next thirty minutes
every man held his watch in his hand
aud was restless, silent and uneasy. AT
last somebody said with a doomful
sigh:
Well, yonder is Hat Island-and
we can't make it.
All the watches closed with a snap,
every body sighed and mu.tered some
thing about its being too bad, too bad
oh, if we could only have got here
half an hour sooner !" and the place
was thick with the atmosphere of dis
appointment. Some started to go out,
but loitered, hearing no bell tap to
land. The sun dipped behind the
horizon, the boat went on. InquiTinl
looks passed from one guest to another
and one who had his hand on the door.
knob, and had turned it, waited, theI
presently took away his hand and lei
the knob turn back again. We bore
steadily down the bend. More looks
were exchanged, and mods of surprised
admiration-but no words. Insensibly
the men drew together behind Mr.
B-as the sky darkened and one ol
two dim stars came out. The dead
silence and sense of waiting became
oppressive. Mr.. B pulled the cord
and two deep, mellow notes from the
big bell foated off on the night. TheI
a pause, and one more note was struck
The watchman's voice followed, from
the hurricane deck
"Labboard lead, there StabboarC
lead I"
The cries of the Ieadsman began t.
rise out of the distance, and wer'
grnfiy repeated by the word-passers Ol
the hurricane deck:
"Ma-r-k three Mark three
Quarter-less three Half twain Quar-
ter t1ainl Mark twain Quartz
less"
Mr.. B-pulled two bell-ropes, an,
was answered by faint jinglings far be
low in the engine-room, and our spec
| slackened. The steam began to whistl
through the gauge-cOcks. The cries c
| the leadsmen went on and it IS weir
| sound, always, in the night. Ever
pilot in the lot was watching, now wit
! fixed eyes, and talking under his breatI
| Nobody was calm and easy but Nj
| B. He would put his wheel dow
and stand on a spoke, and as the steamt
swung into her Ito mel utterly invisibl
marks-for we seemed to be in th
midst of a wide and gloomy sea h
| would meet and fasten her there. Tai
was going on, now, In low voices
"There; she's over the first reef a
rightr'
After pause, another subdued voic
Her stern's coming down just g.
actly right, by Georgel Now she's
the marks over she goes y
Somebody else muitered
"Oh, il was done beautiful-beaut
full r.
Now the engines were stopped alt
| eether, and we drifted with the curren
Not that I could see the boat drift, fl
could not, the stars being all gone I
this time. This drifting was the di
malest work it held ones heart still
Presently I discovered blacker gloo
than that which surrounded us. It vi
the head of the island. We were clio
ing right down upon it. We entert
its deeper shadow, and so immine
seemed the peril that was likely
suffocate and had the impulse to {
something, any thing, to save the We
sci. But still Mr.. B stood by b
wheel, silent, intent as q cat, and all e
pilots stood shoulder to shoulder at /
back.
''Sheu not make itT somebody VIII
pered.
The water grew shoaler and shoal