The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1875-02-12
A LIGHTNING PILOT.
One of Mark Twain's Yarns.

the following interesting sketch by Mark
| Twain: .z--t=s.-
An hour before sunset Mr.. B took
the wheel and Mr.. W stepped aside.
For the next thirty minutes every man held
his watch in his hand and was restless, 81
lent and uneasy. At last somebody said,
with a doomful sigh: ::
"Well, ,yonder's Hat Island-and we can't
make it,
All the watches closed with snap, every
body sighed and muttered something about
its being g too bad, too bad-ah, if we could
only have got here half an hour sooner "
and the place was thick with the atmosphere
of disappointment. Some started to go
out, but loitered, hearing no bell tap to
land. The sun dipped behind the horizon,
the boat went on. Inquiring looks passed
! from one guest to another and one who
| had his hand ON the door-knob, and had
turned it, waited, then presently took away
his hand and let the knob turn back again.
We bore steadily down the bend. More
looks were exchanged, and mods of surpris-
ed admiration-but no words. Insensibly
the men drew together behind Mr. B.
as the sky darkened and one or two dim
stars came out. The dead silence and sense
of waiting became oppressive. Mr.. B
pulled the cord, and two deep, mellow notes
from the bell foated off on the night. Then
a pause, and one more note was struck.
The watchman's voice followed, from the
hurricane deck: . sse s.,sft t5
sLabboard lead, there! Stabboard
lead p' -r r..--. =. f..
The cries of the leadsmen began to rise
out of the distance, and were gruffiy re-
peated by the word d-passers on the hurri-
cane deck. ,H .sG0-t.
MARK three Mark three Quar-
ter-less-three Half twain! Quarter
twain Mark twain: Quarter-less =
Mr.. B pulled two bell-ropes, and
was answered by faint jinglings far below
IN the engine-room, and our speed slacken-
ed. The steam began to whistle through
the gauge-cocks. The cries of the leads
men went on and it is a weird sound,
always, in the night. Every pilot in the
lot was watching, with fixed eyes, and talk
ing under his breath. Nobody was calm
and easy but Mr.. b. He would put
his wheel down and stand on spoke, and
as the steamer swung into her Ito me) ut
terly invisible marks-for we seemed to be
in the midst of a wide and gloomy sea--ae
would meet and fasten her there. Talk
was going on now in low voices
"There she's over the first reef all
rightp'
After pause, there was another subdued
voice
"Her stern's coming down just eractl5
right, by George! Now she's in the marks
over she goes H'
Somebody else muttercd !:
.sOh, it was done beautiful-6eawtifut' 2
Now the engines were stopped altogether
and we drifted with the current. Not tha
could see the boat drift, for could not
the stars being all gone by this time. Thi
drifting was the dismalist work it helt
ones heart STILL Presently discovered ;
blacker gloom than that which surrounded
us. It was the head of the island. w
were closing right down upon it. We en-
5 tered its deeper shadow, and SO imminen
seemed the peril that was likely to sutfo
. cate; and had the strongest impulse to d
t something, anything, to save the vessel
But still Mr.. B stood by his wheel
silent, intent as cat, and all the pilot
stood shoulder to shoulder at his back.
"She'n not make it p somebody whis
0 pered.
The water grew slloaler and shoaler b
the leadsmen's cries, till it was down to
: "Eight-and-a-half! Eight feet
! Eight feet !! Seven-and y
: Mr.. B said warningly through hi
speaking tube to the engineer: .
"stand by, now y
L "Aye-aye, sir" .t..z........,..
IS "seven-and-a-half! Seven feet ST.
: 's and"- y. =. :,
We touched bottom Instantly MI
b set lot of bells ringing, shoute
r. through the tube, s.NoW let her have it
d every ounce you've got " then to his par
II ner, s'Put her hard down. snatch hel
le snatch her!' The boat rasped and groun
1t her way through the sand, hung upon til
apex of disaster a single, tremulous instan
s. and then over she went And such shor
J. as went up at Mr. B IS back neyt
4 loosened the roof Of a pilot house before
I Df
,r Mr.. b was a hero that night; and
10 was some little time, too, before his explo
ceased to he talked about by all OF the riv'
men.
Fully to realize the marvellous precisie
:. required in laying the great steamer in h
marks in that murky waste Of waters OF
:. should know that not only must she pie
:. her intricate way through snags and blir
= reefs, and then shave tile head of the islar
SO closely as to brush the overhanging TO
10 age with her stern, but at one place 81
q must pass almost within arm s reach OF
u sunkeD and ;uyisible wreck that won
~ snatch the hull tiniI-'rs from under her
% she should strike it, and destroy quart
- of million dollars worth OF steamboat al
'o cargo in five minutes, and maybe hu
dred and fifty human lives into the ba
TX gain.
as The last remark heard that night was
"a compliment to Mr.. B., uttered in :
Of liloquy and with unction* by one of Q
ne guests. He said:
al ..By the Shadow Of Death, but he's
on lightning pilotr'
Is MEAsUREMENTs OF ANCIENT CITIES.
ed Nineveh was IA miles long, 5 miles vic
in and 46 miles around, with wall 100 fe
nd high, and thick enough for 3 charit
nd abreast. Babylon was 30 miles within
MS walls, which were rs feet thick and 100 Il
Ia . 4Nnr