The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-04-29
A THRILLING STEAMBOAT
RACE.
Mark TWaln's Last ond Best.


mark Twain,s Last and Best.
From proof sheets OF Mark Twain's
new hook, we make the following ex-
tract, peculiarly enjoyable BY those
who have travelled on our western
steamers, and particularly by those
who ever in elden times enjoyed the
luxury and dangers of steamboat
race:
At night the boat forged on through
the deep solitudss Of the river. hardly
ever discovering light to testify to
human presence-mile after mile
and league after league, the vast
bends were guarded BY unbroksn
walls of forest that had never been
disturbed by the voice or football of .
man, or felt the edge of his sacrilsg-
ious Ak.
An hour after supper the moon
came up, and Clay and Washington
tive boys) ascended to the hurricane
deck to rcvel again in their new realm
of enchantment. They ran races up
and down the deck climbed about
the bell; made friends with the pas
senger's.dogs chained under the life
boat; tried to make friends with .
passenger bear fastened to the verge
staff, but were not encouraged; 'sskin-
ned the cat" on the hog chains; in .
word, exhausted the amusement pos
sibilities Of the deck. Then they
looked wistfully up ct the pilot house,
and finally, little BY little, Clay ven-
tured up there, followed difidently by
Washington. The pilot turned pres
emily to s'get his stern marks" saw
the lads, and invited them in. This
cosy little house, built entirely Of
glass, and commanding a marvellous
prospect in every direction, was .
magician's throne to them, and their
enjoyment of the place was simply
boundless.
They sat they down on . high
bench and looked miles ahead, and
saw the wooded cspes fold back and
reveal the bends beyond; and they
looked miles to the rear and saw the
silvery highway diminish its breadth
by degrees and close itself together
in the distance. Presently the pilot
said:
"By George, yonder comes the
Amaranth!"
A spark appeared close to the wat.
er, several miles down the river. The
pilot took his glass and looked at il
steadily for moment, and sale, chief
ly himself:
at can't be the Blue Wing. She
couldn't pick us up this way. It's
the Amaranth sure"
He bent over speaking tube, and
said:
"Who's on watch down there?'
A hollow, unhuman voice rumbled
up through the tube in answer:
"Ism. Second engineer"
"Good" "You want to stir you,
stumps, now, Harry-,he Amarath'.
just turned the point--and she's jus,
humping herself, toov'
The pilot took hold of q rope that
stretched cut forward, ierked it twice
aud two mellow strokes Of the big
bell responded. A voice out on tn,
deck shouted:
"Stand by, down there, with tha
labboard leadv'
mo, don't want the lead" sale
the pilot, 81 want you. Roust out ih'
old man-tell him the Amaranth'
coming. And 60 and call Jim-tel
him."
| "Aye, aye, sir"
| The sold man. vas the captain--h,
is always called so on steamboats, an,
ships; 'Jim'was the other pilot. With
in two minutes both Of these mel
were flying up the pilot house stair
way, three steps 1t jump. Jim va
in his shirt sleeves, with his coat an
vest on HE arm. He said:
II was just turning in. Where
the glassf"
x10 UOOA IL 8uO IUOk00s
"Don't appear to be any night haw
on the jackstaf- the Amarantl
dead sure!"
The Captain took long look, an
only said:
"By grab-tail."
George Davis, the pilot on watel
shouted to the night wstchman G
deck:
"How's she loaded?,'
"Tws inches by the head, sir"
"'Taint enough"
The captain shouted now:
ssCall the mate. Tell him to ca
al hands and get > lot Of that sug
Corrard--put her ten inches by Il
head. Lively, now!''
faye, aye, STRIP
"A riot Of shouting and tramplir
!. aoated up from below, presently, u