The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-29
A LIGHTNING PILOT.
ONE OF MARX TwAIN's YARNS.

In the Atlantic Magazine, for February,
the following interesting sketch by Mar
, Twain
d An hour before sunset Mr.. = took Il
e wheel and MIR. W stepped aside. Ft
, watch in his hand and was restless silent an
uneasy. At last somebody said with doom
, full sign:
We'll, yonder's Hat Island-and we eau
make it."
All the watches closed with snap, every
body sighed and muttered something abou
its being too bad, too bad-ah, if we coul'
only have got here half an hour sooner ). ant
the place was thick with the atmosphere c
disappointment. Some started to go out
but loitered, hearing no bell-tap to land.
The sun dipped behind the horizon; tn
boat went on. Inquiring looks passed from
one guest to another and one who had hls
hand on the door-hnob, and had turned it
waited, then presently took away his han(
and let the knob turn back again. We bore
steadily down the bend More looks were ex
changed, and mods OF surprised admiration
but no words. Insensibly the men drew to-
gether behind Mr.. b as the sky darkened
and one or two dim stars came out. The
dead silence and sense of waiting became OF.
pressiye. Mr.. b pulled the cord, and
two deep mellow notes from the big bell
ioated off on the night Then pause, and
one more note was struck. The Waterman S
voice followed, from the hurr cane deck
"Labboard lead, there. Stabboard
lead p
The cries of the leadsmen began to rise out
of the distance and were gruffiy repeated by
the word-passers on the hurricane deck.
Mark three Mark three Quarter
less-three Half twain Quarter twain .
Mark twain Quarter-less"
Mr.. B pulled two bell-ropes and was
answered by faint jinglings far below in the
engine-room, and our speed slackened The
steam began to whistle through the gauge
cocks. The cries of the leadsmen went on
and it is a weird sound always in the night
Every pilot in the lot was watching now, with
fixed eyes, and talking under his breath. No
body was calm and easy but Mr. b. He
would put his wheel down and stand on a
spoke, and as the steamer swung into her
Ito me) utterly invisible marks for we seemed
to be in the midst of wide and gloomy sea
he would meet and fasten her there. Talk
was going on now in low voices:
"There; she's over the first reef all right ~
After pause, another subdued voice:
CHER stern coming down just exactly right,
by George? Now she's in the marks; over
she goes -
SUmtDOuy else Mlttt6reu
''Oh, it was done beautifuI-beautlfrll ~
Now the engines were stopped altogether,
md We drifted with the current. Not that |
could see the boat drift, for 1 could not, the
stars being all gone by this time. This drift
ng was the dismalest work; it held ones |
leart still. Presently discovered blacker |
gloom than that which surrounded US. It |
vas the head of the island. We were closing
light down upon it. We entered its deeper
shallow, and so imminent seemed the peril |
hat was likely to suffocate; and | had the
strongest impulse to do something, anything
o save the vessel. But still Mr.. b stood
~ his wheels silent, intent as a cat, and
II the pilots stood shoulder to shoulder at his
Jack
''She'll not make it :" some bodv whispered.
The water grew shoaler and shoaler by the
cries, till it was down to
''Eight-and-a-half Eight feet Eight
Get Seven-and'-
Mr.. B said warningly through his
peaking tube to the engineer
''Stand by now.'
"Aye-aye, sir.
'.Seven-and-a-half Seven feet Six-and'-
We touched bottom . Instantly Mr. B
It lot OF bells ringing, shouted through the
lbe, "Now let her have it-every ounce {
'uve got then to his partner, ''Put her
ard down snatch her snatch herr
The boat rasped and ground her way 7
rough the sand, hung upon the apex of
saster single tremendous instant, and then !
er she went. And such shout as went up
Mr.. b -'s back never loosened the roof
pilot-house before.
There was no more trouble after that. Mr..
was hero that night; and it was
me little time, too before his exploit
ased to be talked about by river men. The s.
IT remark heard that night was compli- :
ant to Mr.. B, uttered in soliloouv and
tn JUNCTION by one of our guests He said: =,
BY the shadow of death, but he's light
ng pilot"