The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06

Wards Hollow the boats raced some
times being forced almost % the graz
ing point by the narrowness Of the chan
mel
Twilight found but little change in the
relative positions of the bOats. II there
was any difference, the Aull had gained
few feet
The moon was full, giving the pilots a
splendid opportunity for good work Its
yellow radiance made a river of gold Of
the turbid torrent. No one slept until
midnight, when a few of the passengers
slipped off TO take a nap.
On the Aull there was among the lady
passengers Miss Letitia Bernard, a hand
some young woman from st. Louis. She
announced that she would remain awake
until the Aull won the race or had hope
lesSly lost. Half dozen men CALAMITY
agreed to sit it out with her, and together
the party roamed the moonlit decks or
visited the engine-room and firemen' S
quarters TO encourage the grimy workers
to hardy endeaVOr.
Il will give you 800 to win this race!'
Miss Bernard said to the engineer.
And the same to YOU" she cried, ad-
dressing the sootyfaced head stoker.
The morning found the Aull 100 yards
ahead of the tombstone.
Were beat, cap" said a rough trader,
addressing BristOw
mo we're not" returned the captain
Pm running this end of the race, and de-
pend on me to run it right"
''What l want to say, friends" he be-
gan, lis this: Well be in good water
before Tonga narrow river with a deep
channel and a rock bottom. It's the best
water in the river. Now, we can beat
that boat ahead of us easy enough with
one thing, 1t will take some grease. If
l can buy few sides of meat from the
cargo we can &C ahead
A st. Louis trader was on board with
several hundred 'sides." He stepped for
ward in an instant ''You shall have
'em, cap" he said, land for nothin'".
1t was right jolly cheer that went up.
BristOw hardly bowed his thanks, so
hurriedly did he get away from the cabin
and go below.
"Turn the boys loose, jim" he yelled
to the engineer, and before his words had
died away across the water the choicest
of infammable materials were being
rammed into the yawning furnaces In
twenty minutes the Aull was so close
that her every outline was clearly visible
IN the brilliant moonlight. In two hours
the boats were abreast, ten yards apart.
The lights from the furnaces of both
boats cleaned on the surface of the wa
ter, rivaling the moons brilliant rays
The passengers on each of the boats could
hear the others as they talked excitedly
of the race. The noses of the boats were
exactly together as they entered the long
and beautiful stretch of river Just below
Rocheport On the right rocky wall
covered with clinging ivy, rose to a hight
of 100 feet. Over it the full moon
beamed, but the shadow of the great
bluff extended across to the other side of
the stream. Into this narrow, deep, black
river the boats plunged like things of life.
The tombstone had little advantage,
and not a side of meat had been used
"Pile on the bacon, boys2" Bristow
shouted, and with yell the grease was
hurried into the furnaces. The Aull's
captain felt that he was beaten. He had
used the best of his fuel early in the race.
pile her on, boys!' shouted BristOw.
keep her hot!"
Inch by inch the tombstone moved
ahead.
tThere's butter on boardp' cried Miss
Bernard. Burn it and I'll pay. The
Aull must win"
So butter in cakes and baskets was
smeared over the sticks of wood and fed
to the greedy flames in the boats fur
mace Her engines responded, too for the
slight gain that the Johnstone had ac-
complished was soon overcome and the
Auu passed the other boat. Bristow
shouted orders and the measured ''choo,
ALoOs VI AllO CA4lluSb pipes DSCdUlC 0OdrS-
er than ever 1t was neck and neck.
Then the tombstone began to gain again.
There was a bend ahead, where the bluff
broke for few feet, only to rise higher
than ever dozen yards beyond. For
this bend the boats worked. The thing
was to reach it first. Bristow, with
his own hands, piled the meat
into his furnaces until the
tombstone again passed the Aull It was
something akin to a curse that Sorgenson
uttered when he found the last of his
choice fuel spent On, on sped the John
stone. 1t was ten yards ahead and gain
ing! More food for the flames Twenty
yards and at the bend first! A mighty
shout went up from the Johnstone's decks
when the boat rounded so that the Aull
could not be seen. 1t was soon visible
again, however, but the tombstone was
gaining each minute of the time. In half
an hour it was fifty yards ahead. In
another hour it had rounded another
bend and the race was won. 1t had a
start that the Aull could not overcome.
just after midnight the lights at Roche
port landing were sighted. The passen-
gers were still on deck, talking of the
race. pail of black smoke hung half a
mile back from the Johnstone's stacks
and only by bending the ear could one
catch the faint measured thrum, thrum,
thrum of the Aull's engines, far back on
Nlw NNa 49,