162 LIFE ON TH® MISSISSIPPI.
racket that was driving everybody else mad. By this time the
hurricane and boiler decks of the steamers would be packed and
black with passengers. The 'last bells' would begin to clang, all
down the line, and then the powwow seemed to double; in a moment
or two the final warning came,—a simultaneous din of Chinese
gongs, with the cry, 'All dat ain't goin*, please to git asho'J'—and
behold, the powwow quadrupled ! People came swarming ashore,
overturning excited stragglers that were trying to swarm aboard.
One more moment later a long array of stage-planks was being hauled
in, each with its customary latest passenger clinging to the end of it
with teeth, nails, and everything else, and the customary latest pro-
crastinator making a wild spring shoreward over his head.
Now a number of the boats slide backward into the stream,
leaving wide gaps in the serried rank of steamers. Citizens crowd
the decks of boats that are not to go, in order to see the sight.
Steamer after steamer straightens herself up, gathers all her strength,
and presently comes swinging by, under a tremendous head of steam,
with flag flying, black smoke rolling, and her entire crew of firemen
and deck-hands (usually swarthy negroes) massed together on the
forecastle, the best * voice' in the lot towering from the midst (being
mounted on the capstan), waving his hat or a flag, and all roaring a
mighty chorus, while the parting cannons boom and the multitudi-
nous spectators swing their hats and huzza ! Steamer after steamer
falls into line, and the stately procession goes winging its flight up
the river.
In the old times, whenever two fast boats started out on a race, with
a big crowd of people looking on, it was inspiring to hear the crews
sing, especially if the time were night-fall, and the forecastle lit up
with the red glare of the torch-baskets. Hacing was royal fun. The
public always had an idea that racing was dangerous; whereas the
opposite was the case—that is, after the laws were passed which
restricted each boat to just so many pounds of steam to the square
inch. No engineer was ever sleepy or careless when his heart was
in a race. He was constantly on the alert, trying gauge-cocks and
watching things. The dangerous place was on slow, plodding boats,
where the engineers drowsed around and allowed chips to get imx>
the * doctor' and shut off the water supply from the boilei s.