Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-03-25

So in blind desperation | started such a
rafting ''shiyaree" down below as never
had astounded an engineer in this world
before, fancy.
Amidst the frenzy of the bells the
engines began to back and fill in furious
way, and my reason forsook its throne
we were about to crash into the woods
on the other side of the river. Just then
Mr.. B stepped calmly into view
on the hurricane deck. My soul went out
to him in gratitude. Ny distress vanished;
/ would have felt safe on the brink of
Niagara. with Mr.. B. on the hurri-
cane deck. He bfandly and sWeetly took
his tooth-pick out of his month between
his fingers, as if it were a cigar,-we
were just in the act of climbing an over
hanging big tree, and the passengers were
scudding astern like ats,--and lifted up
these commands to me ever so gently:
'tStop the starboard. Stop the lar
b ard. Set her back on both. /"
The boat hesitated, halted, pressed
her nose among the boughs critical in
slant, then reluctantly began to back
away. #-.-
''Stop the larboard. Come ahead on
it. Stop the starboard. Come ahead on
il. Point her for the bar"
| sailed away as serenely asa summers
morning. Mr.. B. came in and said,
with mock simplicity
.'When you have a hail, my boy, you
ought TO tap the big bell three times be
fore you land, SO that the engineers can
| get ready"
| biushed under the sarcasm, and said
hadn't had any hail.
sab Then it was for wood, sup.
| pose. The officer of the watch viii tel
| you when he wants TO wood up"
/ went on consuming and said | wal
not after wood.
Indeed Why, what could you want
over here in the bend, then? Did yot
ever know of boat following bend
up stream at this stage Of the river p
'.No-and wasn't trying to follow it
I was getting away from bluff reef "
''No, it wasn't bluff. reef there i:
not one within three miles of where yor
were.
'.But L saw if. 1t was as bluff as thai
one yonder.n
Gust about. Run over it ~
''Do you give it as an order r. .-.-
''Yes. Run over it. III.
eff don't, wish I may die. ."
Gan right, ! am taking the RESPONSE
bllity."
/ was just as anxious to. kill the boat
now as | had been to save her before.
impressed my orders upon nay memory.
| to be used at the inquest, and made s
1 straight break for the reef. AS it disap
/ peaFed under our bows l held my breath
/ but we slid over it like oil.
''Now don't you see the difference L
wasn't anything. but wind reef. Ths
/ wind does that"
! 1t turned out to be true. The face Of
/ the water in time became a wonderful
! boOk-a book that was dead Language
! to the uneduCated passenger, bat which
/ told its mind to me without reserve, de
livering It's most cherished secrets q
clearly as if it uttered them with voice
And il was not book to be read ono
and thrown aside, for it had new stor.
to tell every day. Throughout the lon
twelve hundred miles there was never
page that was void of interest, never on
that you could leave unread without loss
/ never one that you woald want to skip
thinking you could find higher enjoy
ment in some other things. There neye
, was so wonderful g book written b
man; never one whose interest was G
absorbing, so unaagging, so sparkling
renewed with every reperusal The pa
senger who could not read il was charm
ed with peculiar sort of faint dimp
on its surface ION the rare occasion
when he did not overlook il altogether
, but to the pilot that was an italicizt
passage indeed, it was more than ths
it was legend of the largest capita
, with string of shouting exciamstic
points at the end of if; for it meant tn
a wreck or a rock was buried there tn
could tear the life out of the stronge
eel and r s ST es eesxipTessr6h rfh WsS'
ever makes, and the most hideous TO
pilots eye. In truth, the passenger VII
could not read this book saw nothin
but all manner of pretty pictures in
painted by the sun and shaded by Il
clouds, whereas TO the trained eyes the
were not pictures at all, but the grin
NEST and most desd-earnest of readin
, matter.