The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-07-28
PASSING HAT ISLAND.

ncdTiy neipieSS. Wtn sun current push ing behind her; so il was not customary to run down stream at night in low water.
 There seemed to be one small hope, however if we could get through the in- tricate and dangerous Hat Island crossing before night we could venture the rest for we would have plainer sailing and better water. But ii would be insanity 10 attempt Hat Island at night. So there was deal of looking at watches all the rest of the day, and constant ciphering upon the speed we were making; Hat Island was the eternal subject some times hope was high and sometimes we were delayed by bad crossing and down 1t went again. For houfs all hands lay under the burden of this suppressed excitement it was even communicated to me, and got to feel so solioitous about Hat Island. and under such an awful pressure of responsibility. that wished l might have five minutes on shore to draw good. full. relieving breath of air and start over again. We were standing no regular watches. Each of our pilots ran such portions of the river as he had run when coming up- 5 sl1tibi, bNt tLSN hi a44s ittiitAdIatl NAlu H . bu, both remained in the pilot house constantly.
 An hour before sansc; M.. B.xby 10 ok the wheel and Mir. W stepped aside For the next thirty minutes every man held his watch in his hand and was rest less, silen, and uneasy. \, las, some body said. with deomfu sigh;
 Well. yonders Ha, lsland-aud we can, make H.
 All the watches closed with snap. everybody sighed and muuered some ] thing aboa; its being too bad. too bad -ah if we could only have go; here half an hour sooner" and the place was thick with the atmosphere of disappointment. Some started to go out. bu, lo,ered. hear ing no beil-tap to land. The sun dipped behind the horizon. the boat went on i lnquiring looks passed from one sues; ,o ] another. and one who had his hand on the door knob turned back again. Ne bore steadily down the bend. More looks were exchanged. and nods of sur prised admiration no words. In senslbly the men drew together behind NIT. Blxby, as the sky darkened ant one or two dim stars came out. The dead silence and sense ot waiting became op- pressive. Mir. BiNby pulled the cord, and two deep. mellow notes from the big bell l fioated of, on the night. Then pause and one more note was struck. The watchman's volce followed, from the hurricane deck:
 Labboard lead, there. s,abboard lead"
 The cries of the leadsmen began 10 rise ou, of the distance, and were gru;fly repeated by the word-passers on the hurricane deck.
 Mark three Mark ,hree- Quarter twain .-M-a-r-k twain .- Quarterless -
 l Mir. Bixby pulled two bell.ropes, and was answered by fam, )inglings far below Tn the engine room. and our speed slack ened. The steam began 10 whistle through the gauge-cooks. The cries of the leadsmen went on and l, Is I weird sound. always, in the night. Every pilot in the lot was watching now with fixed eyes and talking under his breath No body was calm and easy bu, MT. BiNby. ] He would put his wheel down and stand on spoke. and Is he steamer swung into her ito me utterly invisible marks for we seemed to be Tn the mids, of wide and gloomy sea he would mee, and faslen her there. Cat ot the mur- mur of half-audibe talk one caught q coherent sentence now and then such IS:
 There she's oNer the inst rect A.i right, -
 After pause another Sa5dded valce. Her s,ern's coming down ,as, exactly right by George
 Now shes in he marks; over she goes =
 Snmebody else mu;tered oh. i,was done beautiful beautiful '"
 Now the engines were stopped al- together and We dritted with the current, l \ 0, tha, could see the boa, drift, for could not. the stars being all gone by this tune This drifting was the dismalest work : Il held ones heart still. Presently l discovered blacker gloom than tha, which surrounded us. IL We $ the head of the island. We were closing right down upon Il. Ne entered it's deeper shadow. and so imminent seemed the peril tha, was likely 10 suifocate and l had the strongest impslse to do something, any thing to save the vessel. Bu, still Mr. BiNby stood by the wheel, silent, intent as cat. and all the pilots stood shoulder 10 shoulder a, his back.
 She'll not make il, somebody whis- pered.
 i The water grew shoaler and shoaler. by l the leadsman's cries. till il was down tol l.
 "Eight-and-a-half.-E-i-g-h-, feet E. E-ig-h-t feet .-Seven-a V
 Mir. BNby said warningly through his speaking tube to the engineer:
 Stand by. now
 Aye. aye, sir" ."'
 "Seven-and-a-half. Seven feet. Six and -
 We touched bottom, Instantly Mir. Bixby SC, To, of bells ringing. shouted through the tube. !" Now. let her have i, every ounce you've got".' then 10 his. partner, :" Put her hard down. snatch her. snatch her" The baat rasped and ground her way through the sand, hung