Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-04-11
Training . q Cub. 3

Mississippi pilot never uses The
!, feeble phrase, 81 think ]; he always says,
know" He has cultivated his memory
until it retains every trivial detail d
twelve hundred miles of river. He
must know it, in order to keep his
steamer out Of trouble, and he must so
know It that nothing shall shake his
confidence in his knowledge. 4>
When q pilots stcub," as his appren-
tice is scaled, has become SO thoroughly
acquainted with the river that he can be
trusted to steer the boat alone, the pilot
plays friendly swindle upon him. His
purpose is to test the cubs confidence
in his own knowledge, and to train him
to calmly look danger in the face.
Mark Twain tells, in his "Life on the
Mississippi" how he was once thus
trained by his pilot7boss, Mr.. Bixby:
II am going below a WHILE" said Mr..
Bixby. II suppose you know the next
crossing?"
"Know how to run it? Why, I can
run it with my eyes shut.
GLOW much water is there in it?"
"Weu that is. an odd question.
couldn't get bottom there with church
steeple."
"You think so, do you?"
The very tone of the question shoos
my confidence. That was what Mr.
Bixby was expecting. He left without
saying anything more. I began t. i'm
agine all sorts Of things.
Mr.. Bixby, unknown to me, sent
somebody down to the forecastle with
some mysterious instructions to the
leadsmen, another messenger was sent
to whisper among the officers, and then
Mr.. Bixby went into hiding behind g
smoke-stack where he could observe re-
suits.
Presently the captain stepped out on
the hurricane deck; next the chief mate
appeared, and then clerk. Every mo-
1nent or two q straggler was added tc
my audience; and before I got to the
head OF the island, I had fifteen OF
twenty people assembled down there
under my nose.
I began to wonder what the trouble
was. As I started across, the captain
glanced aloft at me, and said, with 9
sham uneasiness in his voice.
"Where is Bixby?''
"GOne below sir "
But that did the business for me. My
imagination began to construct dangers
out Of nothing. All my confidence in
that crossing vanished.
I seized the belt-rope; dropped it
ashamed; seized~it again; dropped il
once more: clutched it tremblingly once
again, and pulled it so feebly that
could hardly hear the stroke myself.
Captain and mate sang out instantly,
and both together, "Starboard lead
there! and quick about it!
This was another shock. began tt
climb the wheel like squirrel; but ]
could hardly get the boat started to port
before I would see new dangers on that
side and away I would spin to the other
only to find perils accommodating to star.
board, and be crazy to get to port again.
Then came the 1eadsman's sepulchra]
cry, "D-e-e-p four!"
Deep four in a bottomless crossing
The terror of it took my breath away.
Mark three! Mark three
{. Quarter less three Half
twain!"
This was frightful! I seized the bell
ropes and stopped the engines.
"Quarter twain! Quarter twain
Mark twain!"
I was helpless. T did not know what
in the world to do.
"Quarter less twain! Nine and q
half"
We were drawing nine! My hands
were in nerveless futter. [ could
not ring bell intelligibly with them
I flew to the speaking-tube and shouted
to the eng ineer,--
30 Ben, if you love me. back her
Quick. Ben! Oh, back the soul out Of
herw
T heard the door of the pilot house
close gently. I looked around, and
there stood Mr. Bixby, smiling bland,
sweet smile. Then the audience on
the hurricane-deck sent up thunder
gush of humiiating laughter.
[ saw it all, and / felt meaner than
the meanest man in human history. ]
set the boat in her marks, came ahead
on the engines, and said,-
1T was fine trick to play Oh me,
wasn't it? I suppose I'll never hear
the last of how Twas ass enough to
heave the lead at the head of &C."
well, I hope you won't, for I want
you to learn something by that expert
ence. "Didn't you know there was no
bottom in that crossing?"
eyes, sir, t did,"
"Very well, then. You shouldn t
have. allowed me OF anybody else, to
shake your confidence in that knowl-
edge. Try to remember that. And
another thing; when you. get into a
dangerous place, don't turn coward.
That isn't going to. help matters any"
1t was a good enough lesson, but
pretty hardly learned.
- L. 4. 4