The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-16
THE BOY PILOT.

The night was as dark rs stack of black
cats and the river was falling. and the
good steamer Belle of Memphis was
steadily ploughing her way down the
Mississippi.
Joe Butts was the pilot at the wheel, rs
1t was his watch. In fact, it was his
watch all the time just then. as his mate
was confined to his bed in the texas by q
raging fever.
1t was after midnight, and all tho pas
sengers and loungers had retired to rest,
there was nobody in the pilot house with
Joe Butts but his cubby, Fred Siedler,
known on the boat as seeds Fred was
well grown young fellow of twenty, but,
being cub pilot only, was looked upon
and spoken of as boy.
$50 you are going to run the Big Cypress
chute, joe" observed Seeds.
"How did you know it ?"
because we ought to be about there
now, and because It's as dark as a VOLTS
mouth right ahead"
Good for you. Do you remember how
we ran it the last trip"
Headed for bit of cloud under the
moon, that turned out to be the big
cypress ON the false point, and struck off
catty-cornered when the point showed up"
"Glad to see that you've got such a
good memory. There is no moon to-
night, but the big cypress is there yet. Do
you see it? '
mary cypress"
Climb up to the end of your eyes and
get onto it. The waters q sight lower
than it was then, but the cutoff saves a
dozen miles, and am going through. The
bar is right opposite the big cypress, and
Pm hoping there's seven feet over it now.
If not, must shove her through for all
she's worth"
Joe had rung to slow the boat, and then
to stop her. and the wheels had ceased to
move, and the Belle of Memphis was drift
ing with the current down upon q solid
wall of blackness that seemed to be thick
enough to stop her at any moment.
The pilot was feeling his way.
Soon he rang to 90 ahead, and then
tapped the big bell to call out the starboard
leadsman, and another tap callad the lar
board leadsman.
They were not visible from the pilot
house but their singsong tones made it
known that the water was shoaling
1--WE are coming to it now, Seeds, said
chute you can take the wheel, and l will
go down and get Il good sleep"
Can help you, Mr. Butts!"
"No. l can't trust you here This Is
ticklish work"
Suddenly the pilot whirled the spokes
rapidly, and the feel of the big boat
showed that she was making the turn.
t.x1I H., h., ct, IL.
grasp relaxed and he fell backward on the
Seeds did not ask or look to see what
was the matter, but jumped to the wheel,
strained his eyes to catch the big cypress,
caught it, and steadied the craft to her
work.
The captain came running up to the
hurricane deck in his Shirt sleeves.
What are you doing, Joe, and where
are WEI" he shouted
Joe is dead or in fit, and we are in
Big Cypress chute" answered the cub
"Murderin' Moses Is that you, Seeds
Where's Ranney?"
Below, sir"
A big boat in dangerous place, filed
with valuable freight and a far more valu-
able load of passengers. and the whole
outfit in charge of u boy The captain
could not say word, but hurried to the
texas to hunt Ranney.
The leadmen's cries announced the rapid
shoaling of the water and the consequent
nearness of the ugly bar, when the cap
tain burst into the pilot house, feebly fol
lowed by Nick Ranney, who was so wild
with fever that he was utterly incompetent
for any kind of duty.
"Do you know what you are doing,
boy 2" fiercely demanded the old man.
Be quiet, will you ?"
"Why. Seeds, you'll bust this boat
wide open inside of five minutes
"Shut your mouth, or get out of here !''
A pilots word is always law, and the
cub was clearly the pilot in charge.
Seeds kept his eyes glued to the big
cypress as the sing-song halls came up in
startling succession.
Eight - an -a-half" eight feet ~
"seven-an -a-half "-"seven feet"
Seeds fairly shrieked down the tube to
"Give 1t to her. Sam Give her every
ounce you've got Give her ten million
" Six-an- d"
The big boat struck the bar with shock
that sent a shiver through every timber,
and threatened to knock the life out of
her.
But the steam was roaring out of the
escape pipes, and the great wheels, urged
to their utmost action just in time, were
going ahead for all they were worth and
the big boat, grooming and trembling,
crawled over the bar and slid into the
deep water beyond.
The cub rang to slow and tapped the
big bell for the leadsmen to go in, and the
Belle Of Memphis sailed out of the chute
into the broad river
ITS all right now, cap said Seeds.
"Send up the other cub, and call me in
time to make the next landing"
Joe Butts had been stricken dead by
heart disease and Seeds had made name
for himself from New Orleans to St.
Louis