The Red Cloud chief., 1875-11-18

&SrsS ~ - ~ - - 80 ssKKsS
She seemed almost into the boiling mud
in front Of her when the passengers on
the steamer heard the Mate in the boa
shout:
"Back, ALL"
The motion of the oars changed In a
instant, but . little too late, for, q heav!
root of the fallen giant, just covered BY
the water, caught the little craft and
caused it to careen 90 violently tina
one man was thrown into the water. Al
she righted, another man went in.
"Confound it," growled the Captain
who was leaning out of the pilot hous,
window. 81 hope they al swim. Still
faint az bad as il would be if we hat
any more cargo 20 take aboard"
'It's the Chums." remarked the pilot
who had brought a glass to bear upo,
the boat.
"Thunder, exclaimed the Captain
striking a bell. "Below there! Lowe
away another boat lively" Then
turning to the passengers, he exclaimed
"Nobody On the river d forgive me i
/ lost the Chums. 'Twould be as bsc
as Bsrnum losing his giraffe"
The occupants Of the first boa. wer'
evidently of the Captains own mind
for they were eagerly pecring over he
side, and into the water.
suddenly the pilot dropped his glass
e1tenporizcd a trumpet with both hands
and shouted:
"Forrard -forrard! One Of ems up.
Then lie put his mouth to the speaking
tube, and screamed TO the engineer
"Lst her drop dowo a little, Billy"
The sounding party headed towards ,
black speck, apparently Il hundred
yards below them. and the great steam
er drifted down stream. The speck
moved towards shore, and the boat
rapidly shortening distance, seemed .c
scrape the banks with her port oars.
"Safe enough now. I guess" exclaimed
Judge Turner, of n Of the southern
Illinois circuits. The Judge had been
interrupted in telling a story when the
accident occurred, and was in a hurry Ia
resume.
"As l was saying" said he, she hardlJ
looked like q professional horse thief.
He was little and quiet, and had always
worked away steadily at his trade. I
believed him when he said twas his first
o~ffensc. and that he did il 10 raise
money 10 bury his child: and | was go.
ing to give him an easy sentence, and
ask the Governor to pardon him. The
laws have to be executed, yon know,
but there's no law against mercy being
practiced afterwards. Well, the Sheriff
was bringing him from Jail to hear the
verdict and the sentence, when a short
man, with red hair, knocked the Sheriff
down, and off gslloped that precious
couple for the Wabash. I saw the en-.
tire"
THE deuce" interrupted the pilot,
again dropping his glass.
The Judge glared angrily; the passen-
gers saw, across the shortened distance,
one Of the Chums holding BY q root to
the bank and trying to support the other,
whose shirt hung in rags, and who seemed
exhausted.
(which ones hurt9" asked the Cap.
tain. "Give me the glass"
But the pilot had left the house and
taken the glass with him.
TIE Judge continued:
81 saw the whole transaction through
the window. / vas so close that I saw
the Sherif's as,ailant's very eyes. I'd
know that fellows face if l saw it in
Afiics."
"Why, they're both hurt" exclaimed
the Captain. "They'yc thrown a coat
over ono, and they're Growdin' around
the other. What the = They're
Piankishsw Bend, aud showed them to
distinguished passengers as regularly as
they showed Gen. Zach Taylor's plant
atioa, or the scene of the Grand Gulf
'caye," where a square mile of Loulsians
dropped into the river n night. Cap
tains rather cultivated them, in fact,
although it was a difficult bit of bust
ness, for ~roustabonts who wouldn't ssy
'thsnk yon" for a glass of French
brandy, or a genuine, Old fashioned
,,plantation cigar" seemed destitute of
ordinary handles If which a steamboat
Captain could take hold. Lady pas
sengers took considerable notice of
them, and were more successful than
any one else at drawing them into COLI
versation. The linguistic accomplish.
ments of the Chums were not numerous,
but It did one good to see Black lose his
scared, furtlve look when a lady ad-
dressed him, and to see the aflectionatc
Difference with which he appealed to
Red, until that worthy was drawn into
the conversation. When Black sue
comm back without 'em-necd whisky
to bring en- to, l suppose. Why didn't
I send whisky down by the other boat!
There's an awful amount Of time beng
wasted here. What's the matter. Mr..
Belle" shouted the Captain, As the ioat
approached the steamer.
"Both dead" replied the officer.