The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-02-12

| b4Gn, auu SUCH E0ulhEhB oSS AAh44Od
watchman amt the new cub turne
out yet? He's delicate, likely. Civ
: him some sugar in rag and send 70
the chambermaid to sing rock-a-by- -bab
to him." g
About this time Mr.. B - appearet
on the scene. Something like minut
later I was climbing the pilot-hous'
steps, with some of my clothes on ant
the rest in my arms. Mr.. B - wa
close behind, commenting. Here wa
something fresh--this thing of getting
up in the middle of the night to go tc
work. It was detail in plotting that
had never occurred to me at all. 7 knew
that boats ran all night, but, somehow,
I had never happened to reflect that
somebody had TO get up out OF warm
bed to run them. / began to fear that
plotting was not quite SO romantic as
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
a fair number of stars were out. The
big mate was at the wheel, and he had
the old tub pointed at a 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 apart, 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-
tion, sir.
The vengeful spirit in me exulted. /
said to myself, / wish you joy for your
Fiob. Mr.. B. you'l have good time
finding Mr.. Jones' plantation such a
night as this; and hope you never
will find ii as long as you live.
Mr.. B. said to the mate:
Upper end of the plantation or the
lower ?"
upper"
81 can't do it. The stumps there are
out of the water at this stage. It's no
great distance to the lower, and you'll
have to get along with that"
can right, sir. II Jones don't like
it he'll have TO lump it, I reckon"
And then the mate left. My exulta-
tion began to cool and my wonder to
come up. Here was a man who not
only proposed to find this plantation
on such night, but to find either end
of it you preferred. I dreadfulIy
wanted to ask a question, but I was
carrying about as many short answers
as my cargo-room would admit Of, SO I
held my peace. All I desired to ask
Mr.. b was the simple question
whether he was ass enough to really
imagine he was going to find that plan
tation on night when all plantations
were exactly alike and all the same
color. But I held in. I used to have
fine inspirations Of prudence in those
days.
Mr.. B. made for the shore and
soon was scraping il just the same as if
il had been daylight. And not only
that, but singing
Father in heaven the day is declining, y etc.
1t seems to me that I had put my life
in the keeping Of peculiarly reckless
outcast.
AN RNRAaED PILOT.
Presently he turned on me and said |
g What's the name Of the first point
above New Orleans 2"
I was gratiied to be able to answer
promptly, and ! did. ! said 7 didn't |
know.
Don't know?n
This manner iolted me. I was down |
at the foot 1gain in Q moment. But I |
had to say just what 7 had said BEFORE
tWen, you're smart one. said Mr.,
B. What's the name Of the next |
point 2"
Once more I did not know. II
Well, this beats anything. Tell |
mo the name Of any point Or place !
told you."
T Istudied awhile, and decided that /
,ou1dn't.
Look-a-herel What do you start
out from, above Twelve Mile point, to
,ross over
"I-I-don't know"
'Yon-you--don't know?" mimick
ng my drawIing manner Of speech.
{ What do you know a''
!. .I-T-nothing. for certain.
BY the great C@sars ghost, I be
ieve yonl You're the atupidest dun
lerhead I ever saw OF ever heard of, 10
lelp mo Mosesl The idea ef you
icing q pilotyou! Why. you don't
znoW enough to pilot o COW down .
ane. IL
Oh, but his wrath was up He was "a
lervous man, md he shuffisd from one
ide Of his wheel to the. other as If
he floor was hot. He would boil
while 70 himself, and then overflow
I'd ecald me again.
'Look.a-herel Whist do you suppose
told you the names of those points
oran Is
I tremblingly considered moment,
nd then the devil Of temptation pro /
oked me to say y
- 4
/" Well to be entertaining, 4 !
bought. Il
This was red raQ Il tie bull. He ll