Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-08-24
A Fair
Advantage
By JOHN G. BOWMAN


The steamer C. nmont. in tow of a
double raft, was ,hurning Its way
down the Mississippi. Leslie Barnet
was the pilot. and we, Barnet and l,
were alone in The pilot house. Neither
had spoken word for half an hour or
more when the captain of the steamer
opened the door and said roughly:
barnet, that cursed mate took 10 TIE
bank back there The fool said he was
going to get married Tie up at La
Cross"
The old pilot Gid not answer. he did
not look at the captain. but remained
motionless. tipped back III his high
chair by the wheel, his eyes resting OH
the far water line beyond the raft The
captain slammed shut the door and
walked heavily over lie hurricane deck
and down the steps to the deck beow.
THAT mate Il fooT' Barnet reflected.
We'll, maybe. and maybe not
Barnet leaned over 10 The window for
some tobacco. then began to fill his
pipe There was no sound but the regu-
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 Il common, uninteresting way
folks got nowadays of getting mar
ricd," the pilot began. Don't you
know it is? Common old prose from
the beginning"
made no answer.
DO you know--weil. it was back in
60 I was pulling an oar on an old
noatip- raft. We didn't have steamers
TO push 'em then. A young fellow, you
know strong good looking He turn
ed TO me with Il grin and then watched
some smoke cum over the pilot wheel.
Times are different now. Well, there
was only one town Gu the Mississippi
them days-tliat was where she lived
the girl. you know. reckoned the days
by our coming to that town. Other
towns We're just sort OF landmarks to
tell us how far Off we were. We went
slow Just before we got TO ii. She was
always down on the sand TO see us.
We'll sir, there was another fellow
or steersman when the captain want
cd to be lazy-sort OF general boss
and important You know, he figured
on the same girl. Poor devil, | don't
know what became of him. We were
going down the river spring of CO
May; no wind; easy floating. The wa
ter was all like that out there Barnet
tA1 IN I,ppl l..1fs of .aIitt
and green in the water that ran from
the boat to the bank. The sunset was
above the hill beyond.
The middle of the next morning we
were coming TO that only town | was
telling you about. You know, that
night l didn't sleep-no work to do,
either. l 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, chiway Well | heard them that
night.
Next morning the wind was blow
ing a gale to eastward across the chan
mel. Right. right the captain kept
calling in his deep voice. Right, right!
you know, that way. Good, rough old
fellow; he's dead now. I'd like TO hear
him call them signals again. We were
all at the sweep oars working tired.
Young fellow, you don't know what 1t
Is to be tiredr
The old pilot turned to me, then relit
his pipe
mo breakfast that morning" he
went on. Il don't know why-guess
the cook had to take Il hand at the
oars. That happened sometimes. Well,
there was that town coming in sight.
and | was working to keep the wind
from blowing us right in on the bank
in front of it. Pretty soon ] see the
iri-wore a white dress--no hat. Same
time | saw that clerk | was telling you
about We had only one boat on the
feet, and there was that clerk, with a
white collar on, making for to shove
ashore in that boat.
lie had a commanding voice | be-
gan to pull again with the other fell
lows, about twenty of them. Pretty
soon | see the captain coming down to
the bow where | was. He was whit
Ting stick, The clerk was Just about
20 shove Off Well that captan-be
was good fellow there amt any
more like him now on the rlver-he
came down to me and stood quiet a
minute. cutting that stick
Leslie he says, what towns this
were coming toT
Let me see | says, beginning to
look around.
",'Neyer mind he returned. L see
you don't know The winds getting
high. Wei lay in mile below he
said soft. Leslie he says, don't be
afraid of getting vet
That captain @jda't say another
word. He went off whiting that stick
zee the girl wave 10 Ms | see the
c.tk wave back ana shove OF in the
bout | didn't have time TO wave-I
irmpei in and swan for It. The other
follows didn't make Il sound. thought
they hadn't noticed
"pretty soon see the clerk and the
-rl shaking hands Then SHE was
looking at me; then tne clerk was.