Year: 1877

by the shore?"


"Certing, nanny, | could tell he,
pipes across the Mazoura."


"And you will overhaul her?'


Won't we though ] tell ye, stran-
ger, so sure as my name is Ben Blower.
that that last tar bar'l | hove i'm the
furnace has pat jist the smart chance of
go-ahead into us To cut off the Flame
from yonder pint or send our boat TO
kingdom come"


The dcuce!' exclaimed bystander,
who, intensely interested in the race,
was leaning the while against the par
titions of the boiler room. "Pve chosen
nice place To see the fun, near this in
iernal boiler


Not so bad as If YOU were in it,
Coolly observed Ben, as the other walked
rapidly away.


AS if he were in it, In what--in the
boiler?'


Certng. Doesn't folks sometimes go
into boilers, mannyW


should think there'd be other parts
OG the boat more comfortable"


That's right; poking your fun at me
at Once't. But wait till we get through
this brush with the old Flame, and I'll
tell We of reglar fxin' scrape that a
man may get into. It's true, too, every
word of it--as sure as my name is Ben
Blower.


You have seen the Flame then afore.
stranger? Six years ago, when new
upon the river, she was a real out-and-
outer, tell ye. was at that time n
hand aboard of her. Yesl I belonged
20 her at the time of her great race with
the Collar You We hearn, mayhap, of
the great blow up by which we lost it
They made great fuss about it: but it
was nothing but mere fizz of hot water
after all. Only the springing of a few
rivcts, which loosened biler plate or
two and let out thin squirting upon
some niggers that hadn't sense enough
to get out of the way. Well, the Go
liar took off our passengers, and we ran
into Smasher's landing TO repair damages
and bury the poor fools that were killed.
Here we laid by for matter of thirty
hours or 80, and got things to rights for
bran new start. There were some
carpenters work yet to be done, but the
captain said that that might be fixed off
Just rs well when we were under weigh
We had worked hard and the weather
was sour, and we needn't do any more
list now--we might take the afternoon
to ourselves, but the next morning he'd
get up steam bright and early, and we d
all com6'sut new. There was no temper
ancc society at Smasher's Landing, and
I went ashore upon lark with one of
the hands"


! omit to mention the worthy Benia-
Minis adventures upon land; and de-
spairing of fully conveying his language
IN its original Doric force, will not hesi-
tate to give the rest of his singular mar
rative in my own words, save where, i'm
few instances ] can recall his precise
phraseology, which the reader will easily
recognize.


"Thc night was raw and sleety when
! recognized the deck Of our boat The
officers, instead of leavinga watch above,
had closed up everything and shut them
selves in the cabin. The fire-room only
was open. The boards dashed from the
outside by the explosion had not vet
been replaced. The floor of the room
was wet and there was scarcely corner
which afforded n shelter from the driving
storm. | was about leaving the room,
resigned TO sleep in the open air, and
now bent only upon getting under the
lee Of some bulkhead that would protect
me against the wind. In passing out
kept my arms stretched forward to feel
my way i'm the dark, but my feet came
in contact with a heavy iron lid:
stumbled, and as fell struck one of my
hands into the 'man-hole N think this
was the name he gave 10 the oval-shaped
opening in the head Of the boiler
through which the smith had entered "a
make his repairs. | fell with my arm
thrust 80 far into the aperture that re
ceiyCd a pretty smart blow in the face as
IL came in contact with the head Of the
boiler, and ] did not hesitate To drag my
body after it, the moment / recovered
from this stunning effect and ascertained
my whereabouts. In word, ! crept
into the boiler resolved TO pass the rest
of the night there. The place was dry
and sheltered Had my bed been softei
! would have slept all that man could
desire; as IL was ! slept, and slept
soundly


should mention, though that be
fore closing my eyes I several time,
shifted my position; ] had gone first oi
an 10 the further end Of the boiler; ther
again ] had crawled back 10 the man
hole, to put my hand out 10 feel that IL
was really open. The warmest place
was at the further end, whore I fnally
established myself, and that I knew
from the first. II was foolish i'm me q
think that the opening through which
bad Just entered could BE- closed with
out my hearing it, and that, too, wher
no one was astir but myself; besides,
never could bear to be- shut up in am
placc-it always gives a wId-like feel
ing about the head. You may laugh
stranger, but believe should unocat'
in an empty church if ! once felt that