The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-04-22
A suNNAantLlsr rttur.

There used to De an escoIlsutr,Ios on
th1 liygr, a Nj, n, who was samnsm
buHst n was said that lf Biz mind was
troubled about bad pieoe Of river hy
was pretty sure to get up and walk Ia hi,
sleep aud DO strange things he wa.
ouee fellow pilot tor a trip or two with
George B., on a great New Orleans
passenger packet Late ouc night the
boat was approaching lleena, Ark, the
/ water was low, aud the crossing above
/ the town Ia very blind and tangled con.
diJion. y had seen the crossing since
E---had, aud as tbe night was partita-
iarIy drigIlyt sulgu ANA dark, E---was
considering whether be bad not better
have y. called to assist In running the
/ place, when the door was opened and \,
walked 10,
/ Let me take her, Mr.. F., Eve seen
this place since you have, and il is 50
crooked reckon | can ran Il myself cas-.
ier than could tell You how TO DO T.,
Its kind Of YOU, aud swear am wil-
ling lhaycnt got another drop Of per
splration len In me. I've been spinning
around and around the wheel Ike a sqir,
rel LIS so dark can't tell which way
she's swinging tin She is coming around
like 3 wbirligig,
So E---took seat on the bcueh, pant-
ing and breathless Y assumed the
wheel without saying word, stcadied
the walling steamer with a turn or two,
and then stood at ease, ooaXing her 1T
tie to this side aud then to that, as gcutly
aud sweetly as II the time had been noon
day. When f. observed this marvel
Of steering, he wished he had not con-
fessod He stared aud wondered and
finally said;
Well, ! thought knew how to steer a
steamboat, but that was smother mistake
Of mine.
\, said nothing, but went serenely on
with his work He rang for hads; he
rang TO slow down tho steam he worked
the boat carefully aud neatly into iuvisa-
bic marks, then stood at the centre Of the
wheel aud peered out blaudly into the
blackuess, fore and aft, to verify his posi-.
ton as the leads shoaIed more and more,
he stopped the engines entirely, aud the
dead silence and suspense Of drifting
followed: when the shoalcst water was
struck he cracked on the steam, carried
her handsomely over, and then began 10
work warily into the next system OF
shoal marks; the same patient, hecdful
use of leads aud engine followed the boat
slipped through without touching bottom,
aud entered upon the third aud last in
trieasy Of the crossing imprecepubly she
moved through the gloom, crept by IN.
ehes into her marks, dritled tedlously till
the shoaest water was cried, aud then,
under u u,nendous head Of STAN, went
swinging over the reef aud away into
deep water and safety
E. Jet his long pout breath pour out
in long relieving sigh, and said
That's the sweetest piece of plotting
that was ever done on the Mississippi
riverl wouldn't have believed it could
be done, If hadn't seen II. ~.
There was no reply, aud he added
Just hold her five minutes longer, part /
ncr, aud let me ran down and get a cup
Of coffee.
a minute later E. was biting into
pie down in the "texas,H and comforting /
himself with coffee. Just then the night
watchman happened in, and was about
10 happen out again, when he noticed
E and exclaimed.
Who is at tho wheel sir2
IL.
Dart for the pilot house quicker than
lightning,
Tho next moment both men were dying
up the pilot house companion way three
steps at jump! Nobody thorel The
great steamer was whistling down the
middle Of the river at her own sweet will.
The watchman shot out Of the place
lgain; E. siezcd the wheel, set an en-
sine back with power, aud held his breath
while the boat reluctantly swung away
from "t0whoad" which she was about
10 knock into The middle Of the Calf of
Mexico.
BY and by tAo walchman came back
and said:
Didn't that luuatio tell you ho was
,'leep when he first came up here;
No,
Wei, be was. found him walking
dong on top Of the raiIings, just as uHeon-
,crncd as another man would walk
pavement; aud put him to bed. Now
ust this minute there be was again, away
istcrn, going through that sort Of tight
rope doviltry the same as before
Well, think III stay by, next limc be
has one Of those fits But / hope he'll
have them often You jast ought to haye
.ecn him take this boat through Helena
I never say anything so gaudy
before. Aud It he can do such gold-leaf,
sid glove, diamond breaslpin plotting
when he Is sound asleep, what eoaidHt
be do If bo was. dead Nart Ttcata, IN
AkaHfic Monthly ....
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