The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-01-22
ONLY A PILOTS CUB.
What Happened When the Boat Struck
Snag.
BY WILLIAM PERRY BROWN.

WeOs-Oe-Os-O-s-0tsI09fe -0f ots0+s-D
Fred Farrell, steadying the steam
boats wheel with one hand and knee,
leaned out of the pilot house window and
dropped an apple core upon the bald
head of a man on the deck below, who
was watching two deckhands coiing a
shore line near the bow. The man look
ed up quickly.
Goodness! exclaimed Fred, drawing
hurriedIy back out of sight Il thought it
was Steve. It's my old boss. I'll catch
it now"
volley Of angry explosives came surg
ing up the ladder. Then the sight of
Pilot Baird's infamed visage appearing
above the deck rail was too much for
Fred's resolution.
He left the wheel, bolted through the
pilot house door and ran plump against
another man who was inspecting some
newly painted stripes around the tall
smokestacks.
Catch him, Steve" called Mr.. Baird.
'T'll learn him where to drop things"
Steve laughed loudly while the pilot
00AAiAiSlClC0 SCNCldl NiSOIOuS CuHS that
sent Fred Keeling back into the pilot
house.
Grab that Wheel roared the master.
Fetch her round. If the river was low,
we'd been aground. Then you would "a
caught fts."
Fred, suppressing a tendency to sob,
caught the wheel, swung the boat to her
course and gloomily stared straight ahead
"Look here, kid" added Mr.. Baird,
wiping his smooth bald place. What
d'you mean by such impudence?"
81 thought you was Mr.. Rawley. In
deed l did, SIR"
Thought 1 was Steve Rawley, Ell?
Well. if Steve doesn't lick you, it is all the
more reason 1 should give you another
dose. I'll even you up for the mate as
well as myself. Lay aft there and climb
that monkey brace. Time you've spent
an hour up there you'll have more respect
for your betters."
Fred went back to the smokestacks and
began to climb the iron shrouds leading
to the great gilded letters of the boats
name suspended high up between the tall
chimneys. Just above this was the mon
key brace, and here he must cling as best
he could 80 feet above the deck until his
master should order him down.
He hitched his toes around the letter
ing and held to the iron rods of the brace,
tiresome and dangerous berth at best
Clouds of black smoke occasionally en-
veloped him, the wires pinched his legs.
End the shivering jar of the whole fabric
made him dizzy.
The night fell quickly. A yellow haze
surrounded the steamboat, though every
thing beyond was blotted from sight
Fred saw waiter go into the pilot house
with Baird's supper. Fred felt hungry
Was he to go supperless as an additional
punishment?
Already he had found the glamour at
taching to the river life was largely i'm
aginary. He found that on board the
pilot is a despot and his apprentice
helpless slave. If the master was good
tempered, the slavery was lighter, but
the master was not always kind. and
cubs were often mischevous.
The iron rods cut into his limbs, the
smoke half smothered him, and at last
he resolved he would remain up there no
longer, no matter what happened. He
slipped softly down the shrouds while
the pilots back was turned and ran down
the back stairway toward the stewards
pantry.
The lower deck was piled with cotton
bales. Fred ran into the stewards room
and seized the first eatables handy.
'I'm half starved, Neb," said the boy
to a solitary waiter who was present.
sold Baird has had me on the monkey
brace until I just could not stand it any
longer"
"Marse Baird is hard one, sho." re-
turned Neb alphabetically. Don't you
want cup of coffee?
Cant wait. He may miss me-" Fred
vanished, tucking cold biscuit and ham
into his pocket and eating eagerly the
while.
The boy reached the upper deck safely
Then the rays from a boats lantern were
flashed suddenly in his face. and Baird
stepped from behind one of the smoke
stacks.
"Down without orders, Ell? Thought I
missed you. Just step inside here. will
your"
As the boy was pushed into the pilot
house Mr.. Baird took rattan walking
stick from a corner He had dashed the
wheel
"Been eating, eh?" he queried. "Who
told you TO come GOWN
Before Fred could reply the pilot began
Gaming the cub. Fred lodged The pilot
seized him by the collar. The cub yelled
and struggled so hard that Baird. losing
all control of himself. struck the boy
with his fist.
Meanwhile the lashing of the wheel be-
gan to loosen, and the boat swung slowly
from her course. The enraged master
pushed Fred against the wheel, choked
him with one hand and belabored. him
with the other.
At this juncture violent shock threw
both man and boy to the floor and com
pleted the unlashing of the wheel. Then
came the grating, tearing sound from be
low that ran the length of the steamers
bottom.
The wheel made a violent revolution.
some of the spokes striking Mr. Baird on
the head with great force beat him down
upon Fred's PROSTATE body. where he lay
seemingly senseless. A chorus of cries
rang out from the decks and cabins.
"a snag A snagw shouted some.
Were sinking All hands make ready
to launch the boatsp'
Fred managed to regain his feet
Among the few passengers were several
women and children. When the cub ran
out of the pilot house, the steamboat was
lurching to one side. A tremendous roar
sounded, and the air was filed with steam
as the water put out the furnace fires.
The boats were putting off. Fred shout
ed But he thought of his helpless mas
ter and despite the latter's cruelty the
boy would not go without making an eff
fort to save the pilot. So he ran back
and dragged Mr.. Baird from the pilot
house.
By this time all the boats appeared to
have left the steamers side Fred kept
on shouting into the nights blackness
that wrapped the wreck like a garment.
While straining his eyes to discern
some sign of the vanishing boats the cuo
felt the water rushing around his feet.
He severed wheel rope with his pocket
knife, bound it round Mr.. Baird's body
under the arms, dragged him back into
the pilot house and climbed to the roof
through trapdoor, holding the other
end of the rope between his teeth. BY
extraordinary effort he managed to draw
Mr.. Baird on to the pilot house roof,
though the exertion nearly made the boy
faint.
FRED nelQ the inert piiol Win Vne neA'N
and chung to the roof with the other.
Higher and higher the water came, while
the hideous gurglings We're sounding be-
low.
Baird began to revive. Fred gave him
water to drink from his own hat. The
pilot stared at his preseryer.
whats the matter?" be weakly de-
manded.
1--WE ran upon a snag and sank. All
the rest are either gone off in the boats
or drowned, guess. Looks like we are
on bottom now"
The water, though within few inches
= L. ..e.e nf 4hn r,ilnt hnnsn did not