The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-05-18
and saw the steamer blowing her
course far up the river. The very air
might have turned blue with his
curses.
CHAPTER XXI.


The Cotton Queen was behind time
at Donaldsonville, and the hours that
we waited there were torturing ones.
What would have happened had pur-
suit overtaken us before the boat
came is matter of certainty with me!
had found an opportunity to arm my
self. LIE Fevre did the same. We ex-
changed significant looks but no
words. There was no need of words.
We had already earned term of i'm
prisonment, and we and our fair
charge were not now to be captured
without bloodshed.
Aboard the Queen, and she rapidly
putting miles of the wide and crooked
river between us and pursuit, our
spirits rose. We did not then know
how narrow was our escape at that
point. We got our breakfast with a
crowd of passengers, cheered up Coralie
and, bringing her again on deck, en-
joyed with her the glorious panorama.
We passed Plaquimine without stop
ping. LIE Fevre inquired of the cap
tain, and learned that there was to be
no stop until the boat reached Baton
Rouge.
'Do you stop there?"
cot course. All the boats do
This intelligence made us uneasy.
and we were consulting together about
what we should do to avoid the deten-
ton that we had reason to fear had
been prepared by telegraph for us,
when the most unexpected chance IA
vored us.
1 stop at this point, to say that the
occurrences narrated in this chapter
came mainly under my own observa-
ton. The minor ones that 1 did not
personally see and hear were after
wards told to me by those who did see
and hear them.
The day wore on; the boat was with.
in mile of Baton Rouge. A call
from the pilots speaking tube brought
the captain up into the pilot house.
"What's up, Doblin?"
"Look up the river" said the pilot
with both hands on the wheel.
The captain shaded his eyes with hi:
hand, and looked.
''Seems to be large steamboat put
ting out from Baton Rouge"
''Take the glass, sir"
One look through the glass and thu
captain threw it down, fairly jumping
with excitement
1.-The S. S. Prentiss, by -! Why
she left New Orleans twelve hour
ahead of u.s."
"She's been waiting for u.s." sait
the pilot, quietly.
'sShe has not waited for nothing
then. I've heard of their brags from St
Louis down about what they'd do wit
the Queen when they had chance. B.
the Lord Harry, we'll show 'em
Here's almost straight course to Por
Hudson bluffs, and no chutes or side
, cuts. I'll beat 'em or go to the Dol
tom!' Nj
He rang the engineers bell for NOR
, steam. Presently the black smoke be
gan to pour from the lofty stacks i
clouds. The speaking-tube brough
{ up the night-pilot, who was sleepin
in his berth. The two men at tn
wheel kept their eyes fixed on tn
glass front of the pilot-house, ready
+ take any advantage offered by the Gu:
|
y The speed of the Queen was visibl
increased. The vibration of her pow
erful engines could be felt in ever
part of her. The puff of the pipes an
the fierce churning of the paddles mil
gled in a steady sound. z-l
r Baton Rouge was passed, many pc
pie standing on the shore and wavin
! <ho;,. ba fc md choor;no Soma ~ ~
passengers clamored up to the captai
u that they must get Off here, and tn,
they had freight aboard that was to I
e delivered here.
"You and your freight be id
r roared the captain, leaning out of Il
n pilot-house. 'sDo you think the Quee
l. is going to stop race that we've tri,
IS for months to get to oblige you?"
Hundreds Of other passenge