i20 JLtFS ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
the light. Just as our bows were in the act of plowing over it,
Mr. Thomburg seized the bell-ropes, rang a startling peal, and ex-
claimed—
* My soul, it's the sounding-boat!9
A. sudden chorus of wild alarms burst out far below—a pause—
and then a sound of grinding and crashing followed. Mr. Thornburg
exclaimed—-
* There! the paddle-wheel has ground the sounding-boat to lucifer
matches I Run! See who is killed !'
I was on the main deck in the twinkling of an eye. My chief and
the third mate and nearly all the men were safe. They had discovered
their danger when it was too late to pull out of the way; then, when
tho great guards overshadowed them a moment later, they were
prepared and knew what to do; at my chiefs order they sprang
at the right instant, seized the guard, and were hauled aboard.
The next moment the sounding-yawl swept aft to the wheel and
was struck and splintered to atoms. Two of the men and the cub
Tom, were missing—a fact which spread like wildfire over the boat.
The passengers came flocking to the forward gangway, ladies and all,
anxious-eyed, white-faced, and talked in awed voices of the dreadful
thing. And often and again I heard them say,e Poor fellows! poor
boy, poor boy !'
By this time the boat's yawl was manned and away, to search for
the missing. !N"ow a faint call was heard, off to the left. The yawl
had disappeared in the other direction. Half the people rushed to
one side to encourage the swimmer with their shouts; the other half
rushed the other way to shriek to the yawl to turn about. By the
callings, the swimmer was approaching, but some said the sound
showed failing strength. The crowd massed themselves against the
boiler-deck railings, leaning over and staring into the gloom \ and
every faint and fainter cry wrung from them such words as, *Ah,
poor fellow, poor fellow ! is there no way to save him I *
But still the cries held out, and drew nearer, and presently the
voice said pluckily—
' I can make it! Stand by with a rope!'
What a rousing cheer they gave bim ! The chief mate took his
stand in the glare of a torch-basket, a coil of rope in his hand, and his