The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-04-14
THEPILOT'S STORY.

friendship. for opportunities were always
turning up tor helping one another; and I
have often noticed when near neighbors
are well off and have no need for mutual
help there is very seldom any friendship be-
tween them; there is more apt to be jeal-
ously and competition.
Our parents being such: good ffriends, it
naturally resulted that Mollie and follow
ed their example. We went to school to-
gether, read together, played together; and
somehow, when Mollie was eighteen and
was twenty We agreed to travel together all
our lives, and were very happy in that ar
rangement; in fact no other would have
seemed right or NATURAL either to us or to
our parents.
From the earliest days of my boyhood
had a fondness for the water, haunting the
palatial steamboats, that floated on the great
Mississippi river, on whose bank nestled the
city in which we dwelt, and at the period to
which am about to refer had just Sc
cured position as pilot on a small freight
steamer.
TWAS not much of a position, to be sure,
nor was there much of a salary attached to
it; but, small as it was, Mollie and decid-
ed we could make it answer for two people,
neither of them extravagant or unreasonable
pesides which I had hopes of better times
to come, as I had received words of COM
mendation from my employers, and prom
Use of speedy promotion.
So, early one bright morning, having OBJ
tanned days leave of absence, Mollie and
Iwere married, and stepping into carriage
had hired for the occasion we started of,
having decided on a days excursion to a
celebrated cave near by, this being all the
wedding trip we could allow ourselves, not
that we cared in the least, however: we
%o> In 1os %ho 1;c%, n
by any shortcomings of sum or purse.
We had scarcely driven beyond our own
streets when we were brought to halt. A
messenger whom I recognized as belong
ing to our steamboat company hailed me.
Here's a note to you from the superin-
tendent
Thus it ran:
Am sorry to have to recall your leave
for to-day but you must Immediately go on
board the Mobilia, which is ready to start
up the river. The pilot is too ill to att end
to duty, and you are appointed to take his
place for the present.
There goes our wedding trip all to
smash" said I, as Mollie read the order.
"Why SOP" she asked.
'You see must go into the pilot house
of the Mobilia."
Every WELL" she replied. We shall just
go up the river instead Of to the cave.
Drive on, Bob; let us 60 down to the wharf
in state
But you can't 60 in the pilot house with
me, little goose"
"Of course not; but can sit on the deck
outside, laughed Mollie, land we can cast
languishing glances at each other"
And SO it came to pass that took pos
session of the Mobilia's pilot house, my
heart glowing with love and pride; with
love, for there, just before me. sat my sweet
bride; with pride, because the Mobilia was
sissippi, and to pilot such one had for
years been the height Of my ambition.
The steamer was fitted up with a double
cabin, one above the other; the upper one
opening upon small deck, reaching out
toward the bow, near the center of which,
on a raised platform, was placed the pilot
house. The deck was al ways occupied by
passengers and this morning it was particu-
larly crowded, for the boat was heavily la
den with people taking advantage of the
beautiful weather to make an excursion up
the river.
lies chair after while, and she rose and
passed down into the lower cabin, ito get a
drink of water" she whispered to me as
she passed but suspect it was to prevent
the bursting of the thunder cloud she saw
gathering on my brow.
saw that the insolent fellows made no
attempt to follow my dear one, so gave
myself up to my own happy thoughts, and
looking out on thnkfar distant, peaceful
shores of the gre yer, on whose placid
shores they were ling SO swiftly, there
:sSss from my ,)e'"d silent hymn of
But suddenly cry broke from the cabin
ho1; >,I hat ofTo H.
rent of my thoughts:
Fire! fire! fre!' A horrible cry alta
times, but most horrible OF all when it rings
forth in the midst of gay, unsuspicious
hundreds floating in fancied security in the
midst of the waters.
An instant's awestruck silence succeeded
Chat awful CRY, and then 800 voices of men
women and children united in fearful,
heartrending, shrieks tor help.
Aye! there was no mistake about it, nor
false alarm about it. No one could tell
how it had commenced, but there it was
creeping along the roof of the upper cabin,
with the deadly faEes greedily tapping up
every scrap of awning and curtain they
darting long tongues of flames down to the
their fiery embrace.
As we'll seek with sieve to scoop up the
waters of the great river on which the
Mobilia foated, as to try to subdue the
roaring, devouring enemy that had seized
upon the ill fated steamer.
The people darted down from the blazing
upper cabin to the forward deck below,
where as yet the foe had made but little
Roadway, and there our brave captain-who
was that rara avis, the right man in the
right place" succeeded in partially quell-
ing the panic. So
Keep quietr' he erdered-keep duiet,
and stay just where you are, or I will not
answer for the lives of any Of you! The stew
ard win provide everyone OF you with life