Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-11-24
THE PILOTS STORY.

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We had grown up together, as
it were, Molly and /, our parents
being near neighbors, and finn
friends as well.
Our parents being such good
friends, it naturally resulted that
MOllie and followed their exam.
pie. We went to school together,
read together, played together, and
somehow when MOllie was eigh-
teen and | twenty, we agreed to
travel together all our lives, and
were happy in that arrangement,
II fact, no other would have seem.
ed right or natural, either to as or
our parents.
T From the earliest days of my
boyhood, had evinced a fOudness
for the water, haunting the paia-
tial steamboats, that flOated on the
great Mississippi River, on whose
banks nestled the city in which
we dwelt, and at the period TO
which | am about to refer, | had
just secured a position as pilot on
q small freight steamer.
It was not much of q position.
TO be sure, nor was there much of
q salary attached to it, but small
as it was Mollie and declared
that we could make it answer for
two people.
So, early one bright morning.
having obtained a days leave OF
absense, Mollie and | were mar
ried, and stepping into a carriage
/ had hired for the occasion, we
started off, having decided on a
days excursion to celebrated
cave near by, this being all the
wedding trip we could allow our
selves.
We had scarcely driven beyond
our own street, however, when
we were brought to a halt.
Here is a note to you from the
superintendent. Thus it ran.
"Am sorry to have 10 recall your
leave to day, but you must lmme-
diately go on board the Mo6ilia,
which is ready to start up the riv-
er. The pilot is too i'll to attend
90 duty, and you are appointed to
take his place for the present"
"There goes our wedding trip
all to smash" said l, as ] read the
order to Mollie.
"Why.so ~ she asked.
@You see, ] must go 10 the pilot
house OF the MobiiiG."
Every well," she replied, 1--WE
will just 60 up che river instead
of to the cave. Drive on Rob let
US 60 to the wharf in state"
"Bat you can't go into the pilot
house with me, little goose.n
"Of course not, but / can sit on
the deck outside" laughed MoIlie.
"and we can look at each other.
And so itcame about that took
possession of the Mobilia's pilot
house, my heart glowing with love
and pride-with love, for there,
just below me, on the little for
ward deck, sat my sweet bride /;
with pride because the MObilia
was one OF the finest of the 'sfioat
ing palaces" of the Mississippi.
and to pilot such a one had for
years been the height Of my ambi-
ton. .sf,f 8f
/ The steamer was fitted up with
a double cabin, one above the
other, the upper one opening upon
p small deck reaching out towards
the bow, near the centre of which.
on a raised platform, was placed
the pilot-house.
This deck was always occunied
by passengers, and this morning
il was particularly crowded, for
the boat was heavily laden with
people taking advantage Of the
beautiful weather to make an ex-
cursion up the river.
Spddenly a cry broke forth from
the cabin behind me. Fire Fire |!
FireI''
A horrible cry at all times, but
most horrible Of all when il rings
forth ip the midst of gay, nnsns-
plcious hundreds, floating in fam
cied security ia the midst Of .he
waters. 81
An instarlt's awe-struck D silence
succeeded that awful cry, and then
three hundred voices OF men. wo-
men and children united in fear
ful, heart rending shEieks for heln
Fire ! fire1 fire - JI
Aye. there was no mistake about
It no false alarm. E0one could
tell bow il had commenced. but
there it was, creeping along the
roof Of the upper cabin, with the
deadly lanes greedily tapping up
every awning and curtain they