Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1883-08-08
mER .sxArcu HER. .
How Pilot Hixby SnAtched the
Heat over tho Bar.

| 1O&o VvGE Sk0 0HS.
Mark Twain's new book, Life o,
the Mississippi, is cut. and tn,
APPEAL acknowledges the receipt o
q copy. It is handsomelp bound
and illustrated and Twin as usua
Grams a vast amoInt of amusing and
exciting incidents into every page
He describes how Bixby, the old
plot, made Hat Island in the night.
The pilot had to reach the island by
certain time or lay over ell night.
A number Of pilots were on board
| who believed he could not do it.
! The old mans blood was up and
Twain thus graphicly pictures the
scene:
| The eur dipped behind the hori-
zon, the boat went on. Inquirinx
looks passed from one guest to an
other; 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 exchat ged,
and mods of surprised admiration
but no words. Insensibly the men
drew together behind MIR. Bixby,
as the sky darkened and one Or two
dim stars came out. Mr.. Bixby
pulled the cord, and two deep. mel
low notes from the big bell foated
off on the night. Then pause, and
ono more note was struck. The
watchman's voice followed, from the
hurricane deck
''Larboard lead, there Star
board lead p
The cries Of the leadsmen began
to rise out of the distance, and were
gruftiy repeated by the word. pass.
ers on the hurricane deck.
''AIark three! Mark three! Quar-
ter-less three! Half twain! Quarter
twain! Mark twain! Quarter-les
Mr.. Bi1by pulled two bell-ropes.
and was answered by faint jinslings
far below in the engine room, and
our speed slackehed. The steam
began to whistle through the gauge
cocks. The cries of the leadsmen
west on-and it is = weird sound,
always, in the night. Every pilot
in the lot was watching now. with
fixed eyes, aud talking under his
breath. Nobody was calm and essy
but Mr.. Bixby. He wonld put his
wheel down and stand on . spoke,
and ~ the steamer swung into her
to ne) utterly invisible marks-for
we seemed to be in the midst of a
vide and gloomy ses-he would
meet and fasten her there. Out of
the murmur of half audible talk,
one caught a coherent sentence now
and then-such as:
"Thsre; she's over the first reef
all right!'
After q pause, another subdued
voice.
"Her stern's coming down just
s.ractly right. by Geo.ye!"
"Now she's in the marks; over
he goss!"
Somebody else muttered:-
"Oh, it was done beautiful
Now the engines were stepped al
and we drifted with the
current. Not that / could see the
BOAT drift, for I could not, the stars
,eing all gone up this time. This
lrifting was the dismalest work; it
'eld one 8 heart still. Presently I ,
discovered a blacker gloom than (;
hat which surrounded US. It was
he head of the island. We were
losing right down upon it. We
inferred its deeper shadow, and so
imminent seemed tho peril that l. !.
ras likely to suffocate; and l had
he strongest impulse to do some
hing, anything, to save the vessel. :
'ut still MIR. Bixby stood by his ,
'heel, silent, intent as a cat, and '
II the pilots stood shoulder to
boulder at his back.
"She'll not make i'll" somebody
rhispered.
Tho water grew shoa1er and
hoaler, by the leadsman's cries, till b
was down to "
"Eight-and-a-half Eight feet q
light feet! Seven-and"- IL
Mr.. Bixby said warningly through /
is speaking tube to the engineer t
"Stand by now!" C