The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-02-13
'aVOLUMEX.

pusthing Assh-this.tkisg of gettir
up in the middle of the night to go t,
work. It was a detail in plotting tina
Had neler occurred to me at all. knew
that boats ran all night, but, somehow
bad nsyess happensA e nHsa ~
sonsbody I'D 3 get dpo dtof kwi g
bed 70 run then. / began % isar a.
piloting wss not quits - rdnaaEf0 =
imagined it was that there was some
thing very real and work-like about
this new phrase of It.
| A FINE POINT.
It was rather dingy night, although
q fair number of stars were out. The
big mate was at the wheel, and he had
the old tub pointed at q star, and was
holding her straight up the middle OF
the river. The shores on either hand
were not much more than a square
mile spart, but they seemed wonder
fully far away and ever so vague and in
distinct. The mate said -..,
"We've got to land at Jones' planta-
ion, sir.." I -
The vengeful spirit in me exulted. I
said to myself, I wish you joy for your
job, Mr.. B. yeu'n have a-spod time
fndng Mr.. JoneI plA1tst5@ nd .
night as this; and I hope you never
wil find itas long you HYe. -
] Mr.. h sa11 to III nate: @ssssS
"Upper end of the plantation OF the
''" "upp.- q { Hill
"I can'tdoik Ths stunH there De
out of the water az This stage. It's no
great distance to the lower, and you'll
have to get slong with that. ~
l-"An right, sir. If Jones don't like
IL he'll haSe to1nmp it, I reckon"
And then theiuate Left. my Jexulta-
ton began to cool and my wonder to
come up. Here was a man who not
only proposed to find this plantation
on such q night, but to find either end
of it You preferred. I dreadfully
wanted to ask a question, but was
carrying about as many short answers
as my cargo-room would admit of, so I
held my peace. All desired to ask
Mr.. B was the simple question
whether he was ass enough to really
imagine he was going to fnd that plan
tation on night when all plantations
we're exactly alike and all the same
color. But I held in. I used to have
fine inspirations of prudence in those
dayr.
Mr.. B made for the shore and
soon was scraping it just the same as if
it had been daylight. Aud not only
that, but singing
Father in heaven the day is declining" etc.
It seems to me that had put my life
in the keeping of q peculiarly reckless
outcast.
AN KNRAGED PILOT.
Presently he turned on me and said
+" What's the name of the first point
above New Orleans ?"
was gratified to be able to answer
promptly, and I did. I said didn't
know.
Don't know" 1883
This manner jolted ma Il was sdown
at the foot 1gain in q moment. But
had to say just what I had said before.
well, you're smart one,' said Mr..
B "What's the name of the next
point ?" - :
Once more did not know.
Well, this beats anything. Tell
me the name of any point or place
kold Won %. lI fsl4-s-Fl rye ~
:. studied awhile, and decided thatI
couldn't.
"Look-a- here What do you start
out from, above Twelve Mile point, to
cross over?" .t-.
"I-I-don't know" |
"You-you-don't knowS" mimick-
ing my dravline manner of speech.
Sc What do You know ?" .'fiH Feiq
fer certain"
by the great Cesar's ghost, be-
lieye yont You're tho stupsdest dun
dezhead I ever saw or Syer heard q see5
help me Mosesi The. idea Of you
being > pilot -ycpl Why son don't |
knex enough 70 pilot : COW down a
Iane." =
Oh, but his wrath as up !, BE, wasa |
nervous map,. and he shudled from one
sof hb wheel. to- the other as if |
The floor WAS hot He would bal
Ewhils to Ehinsen. .anf then overflow
Nd ecald me again. q.
"Look- a heret- What doyou suppose /
told Jon Ihs names of those points
Tor ?" 4 r. 4
/ trsmblingly considered I mopsat.
md then the dytil 81 temptation pa
voked me to say
swell -to@3o-be entertainers, Il
thought" w is s
I, This wasa red tag 70 the tuif- Re
rnged add ttormd SO ehe was crosssrk
The river at che tane) 4tat I judged L
made him bind Bec1nse he nan iorer
he s.eerineosr- Of . tsnding Sow. OF |
course the traders sent mp q volley Of
I'd. hot profanity. Nsver wa . man
% grateful assMf. WIS because
be- WAS biim n1f and here were subjects
vho would tax hssk He threw open
j window, thrust his head out, and snch
an eruption allowed - never had
heard before The fainter and farther
sway the scowmenis curses drifted, the
higher Mr.. b. lifted his voice. and
The weightier his adjectives grew.
When he closed the window he Va
empty. You could have drawn : seine
his system and not caught
,urses enough to disturb your mother
With. Presently he said to me in the
zentlest way: = /
: sMy boy, you must get slittle men,
,randum book, and every time I tell
vou thing, put it down right away.
only one way to be pilot, and
hat is to get this entire river by heart.
You have tn know IL inst like r C."