CUT-OFFS AXD STEPHEN. 179
river, trying to find her way out. More than one grave watchman
has sworn to me that on drizzly, dismal nights, he has glanced
fearfully down that forgotten river as he passed the head of the
island, and seen the faint glow of the spectre steamer's lights drifting
through the distant gloom, and heard the muffled cough of her '&ca.pe-
pipes and the plaintive cry of her leadsmen.
In the absence of further statistics, I beg to close this chapter
with one more reminiscence of * Stephen.*
Most of the captains and pilots held Stephen's note for borrowed
sums, ranging from two hundred and fifty dollars upward. Stephen
never paid one of these notes, but he was very prompt and very
zealous about renewing them every twelve months.
Of course there came a time, at last, when Stephen could no
longer borrow of his ancient creditor's; so he was obliged to lie in
wait for new men who did not know him. Such a victim was good-
hearted, simple-natured young Yates (I use a fictitious name, but the
real name began, as this one does, with a Y). Young Yates gra-
duated as a pilot, got a berth, and when the month was ended and
he stepped up to the clerk's office and received his two hundred and
fifty dollars in crisp new bills, Stephen was there! TTis silvery
tongue began to wag, and in a very little while Yates's two hundred
and fifty dollars had changed hands. The fact was soon known at
pilot headquarters, and the amusement and satisfaction of the old
creditors were large and generous. But innocent Yates never
suspected that Stephen's promise to pay promptly at the end of the
week was a worthless one. Yates called for his money at the
stipulated time; Stephen sweetened him up and put him off a
week. He called then, according to agreement, and came away
sugar-coated again, but suffering under another postponement. So
the thing went on. Yates haunted Stephen week after week, to no
purpose, and at last gave it up. And then straightway Stephen
began to haunt Yates ! Wherever Yates appeared, there was the
inevitable Stephen. And not only there, but beaming with affection
and gushing with apologies for not being able to pay. By and by,
whenever poor Yates saw him coming, he would turn and fly, and
drag his company with him, if he had company; but it was of no
use; his debtor would run him down and corner him. Panting and