The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-24

Hold tight, [ warned her again
and again, and don move. Get a
good grip on the ropes, and if the
thing starts to turn turtle hold on for
dear life.
"It was about l O'Clock when we
found that cotton bale, and we sailed
on it until daylight I wish to say
that TO sunrise looked half as heaven
ly to me as that one. The night was
so dark that one could not see ten feet
and had the girl fallen off the bale
when it tilted l doubt whether | could
have found her. We lost sight of the
burning steamer soon after we passed
the first turn in the river, but it was
hours and hours before the red glow
on the horizon faded from our vision.
About clock the girl became n.y.
sterical after the horrible experiences
of the night and laughed and cried
like a mad woman. After a time she
quoted partially because of exhaus-
ton, and sank back on the bale in a
deep sleep
'EFrom clock until sunrise my
troubles were redoubled. The girl
could not be aroused to more than
mi-eonsciousness, and had to be held
to the bale. Once she tossed restless
~ and / thought we were both gone.
''As soon as the sun rose | com
menced to look around for signs of
steamer. At length one hove in sight,
and after time I succeeded in flag
ging it. Taking my white shirt off, l
waved it, and the steamer Nick Long
worth came to our assistance. It, was
IL e., +loI
did. The cotton was becoming soaked
with water and would have gone to
pieces in another hour. While we
were steaming up the river we passed
the lamented Belle Creole burnt to the
waters edge. / afterward learned
that scarcely a passenger escaped. I
have had many sensations in my time,
but I can remember none more wildly
! than when / fioated for five hours on
cotton bale, and let me assure yo,l
that there was nothing pleasant in the
experience and there is nothing enjoy
able in the recollection.
X X X
From Capt. Keating's stories it ap-
| pears that the most stirring times of
his life occurred during the civil war
at time when river pilots demand
ed $500 month as fitting compensa-
ton for the dangers they underwent.
At that time no man knew at what mo.
| ment he was liable to be blown up by
a river mine or riddled with shot from
| the shore.
One delightful little incident he re-
| lates concerning the guerrilla Morgan
| One night while he was guiding the
+. Alec Dean on her course a strange
steamer ran out from little creek
entering the river near small town
and blocked his path. He tried to
steer starboard, at the same time an
nouncing by whistle that the strange
steamer should pass to port. To his
amazement the steamer cut across the
river to intercept him. and when the
two boats were in haiIing distance he
was ordered to stop.
Understanding that this was no ac
cident, he slowed up, and the strange
| steamer ran up beside him. She seem
ed packed with men, all attired in
the dark gray uniform of the Confed
eracy. Among the first was person
| possessed of a heavy beard and 8
| deep-set pair of eyes, who ran toward
/ the pliOI mousse, where AedtlHS AM
! the boat s captain, Pepper, were sta
| toned.
He was followed by several officers
Before the pilot or captain coul6
make move pistols were drawn ant
| leveled at their heads.
81 IN John Morgan-John Morgan
of the Confederate army" announced
the intruder, "and [ want your steam
er for the night. | want some mel
shipped across the river before sun
rise. If you re willing, all right. l
not, IL blow your heads off and stee
the boat myself. -
Being possessed of a certain amour
! of diplomacy, Heating says, the captain