The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-09-29
ANOTHER ANECDOTE OF BIxBY
Stanley Hun,ley, in brakes Travellers
Magazine.

Stanley Hun,ley, in brakes Travellers
Magazine.
Mark Twain's brilliantly descriptive
account of the rounding of Hat Island
reminds the writer Of another exploit OF
Horace Bixby's, not at all lacking in the
courage ascribed TO him by Mr.. Clemens
in his most excellent sketch. Bxby is A
spintualis, and firm believer in the VS.
itations of the supernatural. He claims
that his departed friends visited him IN
the pilot house of the :. Arthur" few
hours before she blew up, and warned
him that the steamer was bound to 90.
But Bixby stuck to his wheel, and when
the catastrophe came, it found him there
prepared for the worst. He survived TO
put to shame all his former exploits in
the passing of Shirt Tail bend, one of the
most hazardous undertakings on the mid
die Mississippi river.
All the afternoon the captain of the
Belle Forge" had been uneasy. Over
and again he had urged Bixby to tie up
in Dog Tooth, but the pilot had rung her
open and seemed to be urged by some
power he could not control TO try the
Tail that night. Even the passengers
appeared to be affected by the captains
premonitions of danger, and as they olus-
tered around the pilot house, they grew
more and more excited until their muir
loon, and broke it up at the suggestion
of the gentleman who was three hun
bred dollars ahead.
II wouldn't, Horace protested the
captain.
Blu, the brave pilot rang her wider
open. and the puff Of the engine seemed
to widen him out and make him an inch
taller.
Tne boat had already entered the
shadows that hung heavy over the stern
collar button, and was making rapid play
forward buttonhole but Bixby rang quietly
for the starboard soundings without; Pay-
ing any attention to the nervous plead
ings Of the crowd around him TO wipe off
his chin and pull down his vest.
"By the four flush, mark two pair -
cried the monotonous voice Of the man
on the hurricane deck, echoing the tones
of the man on the stern wheel, who was
punching holes in the bottom Of the river
in the vain attempt to find water.
BY the four dollars calls eight ~
Bixby let her fall off poin, and caught
her again as she entered the top stud
hole.
Pass the jack pot" rang ou, the
hoarse voice of the man at the pole, and
Bixby pressing his foot on the spoke to
hold her, sang out in quiet tones TO the
engineer to stand ready.
She was rapidly approaching the sec
ond stud hole and the shadows were
deepening around her.
Think you can make il, Horace y
asked the captain IN voice that betrayed
his excitement.
A dollar shy, give me another stack
of chips" moaned the man al the lead.
The wheel whirled around and the no.
bic boat answered as all the swif, and
commoGlous steamers on the Mississippi
river do. especially in the gentlemanly
and efficient river reports. Horace caught
her again, and she plunged into the
gloom that hung like shroud over the
third stud ,hsle. l, was warm night,
but even the captain was shivering while
the passengers quaked with a chill tha,
quinine could not reach. The solemn
piash Of the water under the bow rang
like funeral bell. The heavy plunge
Of the Wheel sounded like a dirge as i,
was echoed back from the cypress trees
on the bank, and the roar of the fires and
the rush of the steam we're like the bene-
diction Of funeral sermon in their unc-
tuous reminders Of tie grave.
Tie up, Horace pleaded the cap
tain in voice of despair.
The dealer stands pat and raises i,
ten dollars ~ shouted the leadsman.
The pilots face grew stern, but no, a
muscle quivered. He rounded her up
with jerk, and passed into the button
hole Dap that bears the monogram.
The raging waters threw Up heavy
veil that obscured the stars, and a thick
pail settled on the weary waterseape.
Down through the autumn trees sighed
the wind, As If in warning against the
awful fate that seemed engul6ng the ILL.,
starred boat Away in the distance shone
the 6tfuI light Of settlers cabin, and
above hung cloud that dropped lower
and lower as if TO be in At the death.
Is this summer game, whose anteS
cried the man with the pole.
| And the boat swung calamity into the