The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-10-19

down the Mississippi Leslie Barnet
was the pilot, and we. Barnet and /.
were alone IN the pilot house Neither
had spoken a word for half an hour or
more when the captain Of the steamer
opened the door and said roughly:
Barnet, that cursed mate took TO the
bank back there The fool said he was
going 10 get married Tie up az La
Gross"
The old pilot did not answer. He did
not look at the captain. but remained
motionless. tipped back IN his high
chair by the wheel. his eyes resting on
the far water line beyond the raft The
captain SLAMMED shut the door aud
walked heavily over the hurricane deck
and down the steps TO the deck below.
THAT mate fOolf" Barnet reflected.
"Well. maybe. and maybe not"
Barnet leaned over TO the window for
some tobacco. then began TO al his
pipe. There was no sound but the regi-
lar breathing OF the steamer and the
wash. wash. wash OF the big wheel at
the stern. BY and by the pipe was
lighted
Its common, uninteresting way
folks got nowadays OF getting mar
ried." the pilot began. Don't you
know Il isi Common old prose from
the beginning"
made no answer.
do you know well. Il was back in
90 I was pulling an oar on an old
floating raft We didn't have steamers
20 push 'em then A young fellow, you
know strong good looking lie turn
ed to me with grin aud then watched
some smoke curl over the pilot wheel
Times are different now. Well. there
was only one town on the Mississippi
them days-that was whore she lived
the girl. you know reckoned the days
by our coming 10 that town. Other
towns were just sort Of landmarks 60
tell us how far on we were We went
slow just before we got 90 a. She was
always down on the sand 90 see w.
"Weil. SIR, there was another fellow
on that raft. sort OF a clerk aul mate
or stcersman when the captain want
cd 10 be lazy sort Of general boss
and Important You know. hc figured
on the same girl Poor devil. ! don't
know what became Of him, We were
going down the river spring OF 90
May; no wind easy floating The wa.
Ger was all ike that ont there" Barnet
pointed TO a broken bar OF crimson
and green ln the water that ran from
the boat 20 the bank. The sunset was
above the hin beyond.
"The middle Of the next morning we
were coming 90 that only town , was
telling you about You know. that
night ] didn't sleep no work TO do,
either 1 dropped down between two
big logs comfortable and listened to
that raft pur The waves. you know.
ratified around soft between the logs.
Hear that tree toad then. that chi
wa, chiwaT We'll, heard them that
night
"Next morning the wind was blow
ing a gale % eastward across the chan
mel Right. rightr the captain kept
calling In his deep voice. Right rightg
you know. that way. Good. rough old
fellow: he's dead now. ia like 10 hear
him call them signals again. We were
all az the sweep oars working tired!
Young fellow. you don't know what Il
Is TO be tlrcdF
The old pilot turned TO me, then relit
his pipe
NO breakfast that morning" he
went on II don't know why guess
the cook had 90 take hand at the
oars That happened sometimes. Well.
there was that town coming Ia sight.
and was working 20 keep the wind
from blowing us right in on the bank
In front Of It, Pretty soon / see the
glrl-wore white dress no hat Same
time I saw that clerk was telling you
about We had only one boat on the
feet. and there was that clerk. with
white collar ON. making for to shove
ashore ia that boat
lie had a commanding voice. be
gan 10 pull again with the other fel-
lows, about twenty OF them. Pretty
soon / see the captain coming down to
the bow where | was. He was whit
Ting a stick The clerk was just about
10 shove Of. Well. that captain-he
was good fellow-there amt any
more like him now on the river-he
came down TO me and stood quiet
minute. cutting that stick
Leslie he says. what towns this
we're coming tor
"I.et me see says, beginning TO
look around
"'Never mind he returned. 4 see
you don't know. The winds getting
high Wen lay In mile below he
said soft Leslie he says. don't be
afraid Of getting wet
THAT captain didn't say another
word. He went of whiting that stick
see the girl wave 70 us. | see the
clerk wave back and shove or i'm the
boat. didn't have time TO wave-I
jumped In and swan for Il. The other
fellows didn't make sound thought
they hadn't noticed
pretty soon l see the clerk and the
girl shaking hands Then she was