by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE GREAT RIVER AND ITS MISCHIEF.
The scenery amid which the good raft _Venture_ performed its long andeventful voyage changed almost with the rapidity of a kaleidoscope, butwas ever fascinating and full of pleasant surprises. The flamingautumnal foliage of the forest-lined banks through which the firsthundred miles or so were made, gave way to masses of sombre browns orrich purples, and these in turn to the flecked white of cotton-fields,the dark green of live-oaks, and the silver gray of Spanish moss. Thepicturesque cliffs of the upper river, rising in places to almostmountainous heights, were merged into the lowlands of canebrakes andswamps, broken by ranges of bluffs along the eastern bank after theOhio was passed. On these bluffs were perched many cities and townsthat were full of interest to our raftmates; among them, Memphis,Vicksburg, Natchez, and Baton Rouge. Every here and there in the lowbottom lands of the "Delta" below Memphis they saw the rounded tops ofgreat mounds, raised by prehistoric dwellers in that region as placesof refuge during seasons of flood. They passed from the great northernwheat region into that of corn, then into the broad cotton belt, andfinally to the land of sugar-cane and rice, orange-trees, glossy-leavedmagnolias, and gaunt moss-hung cypresses.
Of more immediate interest even than these ever-changing features ofthe land was the varied and teeming life of the mighty river itself.The boys were never tired of watching the streams of strange craftconstantly passing up or down. Here a splendid packet in all the gloryof fresh paint, gleaming brass, gay bunting, and crowds of passengersrushed swiftly southward with the current in mid-channel; or, up-bound,ploughed a mighty furrow against it, while the hoarse coughings of itshigh-pressure engines echoed along many a mile of forest wall.
Smaller up-bound boats hugged the banks in search of slack water. Mostof the main-stream packets were side-wheelers; but those of lighterdraught, bound far up the Red, the Arkansas, the Yazoo, the Sunflower,or other tributary rivers, were provided with great stern wheels thatmade them look like exaggerated wheelbarrows. Then there were thetow-boats, pushing dozens of sooty coal-barges from the Ohio;freight-boats so piled with cotton-bales that only their pilot-housesand chimneys were visible; trading-scows and "Jo-boats;" floatingdance-houses and theatres; ferryboats driven by steam, or propelled bymule-power, like the _Whatnot_; some large enough to carry a wholetrain of cars from shore to shore, and others with a capacity of but asingle team. There were skiffs, canoes, pirogues, and rafts of allsizes and description.
Most interesting of all, however, were the Government snag-boats, whichconstantly patrolled the river, on the lookout for obstructions thatthey might remove. These boats were doubled-hulled; and when one ofthem straddled a snag, no matter if it was the largest tree that evergrew, it was bound to disappear. With great steam-driven saws it wouldbe cut into sections, that were lifted and swung aside by powerfulderricks planted near the bows. These useful snag-boats also gaverelief to distressed craft of all kinds; blew up or removed dangerouswrecks; dislodged rafts of drift that threatened to form inconvenientbars; and in a thousand ways acted the part of an ever-vigilant policefor this grandest of American highways.
And the great restless river needed watching. It was as full ofmischievous pranks as a youthful giant experimenting with his new-foundstrength. It thought nothing of biting out a few hundred acres of landfrom one bank and depositing them miles below on the other. If theseacres were occupied by houses or cultivated fields, so much the morefun for the river. For years it would flow peacefully in a well-knownchannel around some great bend, then decide to make a change, and in asingle night cut a new channel straight across the loop of land. Bysuch a prank not only were all the river pilots thoroughly bewildered,but a large slice of one State, with its inhabitants and buildings,would be transferred to another. If at the same time an importantriver-town could be stranded and left far inland, the happiness of themischief-making giant was complete; and for many miles it would swirland eddy and boil and ripple with exuberant glee over the success ofits efforts.
Above all it delighted in secretly gathering to itself from tributarystreams their vast accumulations of protracted rains or melting snows,until it was swollen to twice its ordinary size, and endowed with astrength that nothing could withstand. Then with mighty leaps it wouldoverflow its banks, cover whole counties with its tawny floods, burstthrough levees, and riot over thousands of cultivated fields, sweepaway houses, uproot trees, and drown every unfortunate creature onwhich it could lay its clutching fingers. Whenever its fleeing victimsmanaged to reach some little mound or bit of high land that it couldnot climb, then it found equal pleasure in surrounding them and mockingthem with its plashing chuckles, while they suffered the pangs of slowstarvation.
At these times of overflow not only the snag-boats but such other craftas could be pressed into the service were despatched in every directionto the relief of the river giant's victims. While on this duty theycarried provisions, clothing, and other necessaries of life into themost remote districts; effected rescues from floating houses, or thosewhose roofs alone rose above the flood and afforded uncertain refugefor their inmates; removed human beings and live-stock from littlemuddy islands miles away from the main channel of the river, carriedthem miles farther before reaching places of safety, and in every waystrove with all their might to mitigate the calamity of unfetteredwaters.
Our raftmates had witnessed the effect of all these freaks andcaprices, except that of a widespread and devastating flood, duringtheir voyage, and as they drew near its end they became aware that anacquaintance with this most terrible of all the river's efforts atdestruction was to be added to their experience. The drought of summerhad been followed by an almost unprecedented rainfall during theautumn. The earth in every direction was like an oversoaked sponge,and the surplus water was pouring in turbid torrents into the rivers.From every quarter of the vast Mississippi Valley these watery legionswere hurried forward to join the all-conquering forces of the greatriver.
It had been high-water in the Ohio when the _Venture_ lay at Cairo.When it passed the mouth of the Arkansas its crew were amazed at themighty volume of its muddy flood. From this on they floated in companywith ever-increasing masses of drift--trees, fences, farmingimplements, straw-stacks, cotton-bales, out-buildings, and every nowand then a house, lifted bodily from its foundations, and borne away inthe resistless arms of the ever-swelling tide. Most of the houses wereempty, but from several of them the ready skiff of the _Venture_effected rescues, now of a solitary individual driven to the verge ofdespair by the lonely terrors of his situation, and then of wholewretched families who had lost everything in the world except theirlives. A cow, several pigs, and dozens of barn-yard fowls also foundan asylum on the friendly raft, until, as Billy Brackett said, itreminded one of the original and only Noah's ark menagerie.
Besides supplying the raft with passengers, the river helped to feedthem. Floating straw-stacks and shocks of corn were always in sight,while fresh milk and eggs, pork and chickens, drifted with the currenton all sides. In vain were these passengers landed at the nearestaccessible points. A new lot was always found to take the place ofthose who had left, and for ten days the raft resembled a combinationof floating hotel, nursery, hospital, and farm-yard. The resources ofour raftmates were taxed to their utmost during this time to providefor the manifold wants of their welcome but uninvited guests, whileSolon declared, "I hain't nebber done sich a sight er cooken durin' allde days ob my life."
By the time the mouth of the Red River was reached, half of ConcordiaParish was flooded, and but for the forest trees rising from the water,the boys would have thought themselves afloat on a vast inland sea.The low bluffs on which the capital of Louisiana is seated, and beyondwhich the cane lands extend in almost a dead level to the Gulf, wereoccupied by the tents and rude shelters of hundreds of refugees fromthe drowned districts. Here our raftmates began to entertain fears forthe safety of their friends at the Moss Bank plantation, which lay buta day's
journey farther down the river.
At Baton Rouge they cleared the raft of its living encumbrances, andthen pushed ahead. From this point to the Gulf the great river isenclosed between massive levees, or embankments of earth, behind whichthe level of the far-reaching cane-fields is much lower than thesurface of high-water. Thus the raft was borne swiftly along at suchan elevation that its crew could look over the top of the eastern leveeand down over a vast area of plantation lands. These were dotted withdark clumps of live-oaks or magnolias, and at wide intervals withlittle settlements of whitewashed negro quarters, grouped behind thebroad-verandaed dwellings of the planters. Near each was the mill inwhich the cane from the broad fields was crushed and its sweet juicesconverted into sugar. These mills were surmounted by tall ironsmoke-stacks, and near each stood the square, tower-like bagasse(refuse) burner, built of stone, and looking like the keep of someancient castle.
All along the levee they saw gangs of men at work strengthening theembankments and raising them still higher. They were often hailed andasked to lend assistance, but they felt that their own friends might bein need of them, and so passed on without answer. So changed was theaspect of the country since Solon had last seen it, and so excited didthe old man become as he neared the scenes of former years, that it wasevident he could not be depended upon to recognize Moss Bank when theyshould reach it.
The day was nearly spent before they arrived at what they felt suremust be its immediate vicinity. They had decided to tie up at thefirst good place, and there wait for morning, when Winn called out:
"What is that just ahead? I thought it was a log; but it seems to bemoving towards us, and I believe it is some sort of a small boat with aman in it."
The object to which their attention was thus directed proved to be adecked canoe, the very daintiest craft any of them had ever seen,bearing the name _Psyche_ in gold letters on either bow. In it sat aboy of about Winn's age, urging it forward with vigorous strokes of adouble-bladed paddle.
The raft was close to the levee as he shot alongside.
"Hello!" he shouted; "is this the raft _Venture_?"
"Yes. Are you Worth Manton?"
"No; but I am Sumner Rankin. Worth is down there with his father andall the hands we could raise, working on the levee; but we are afraidit can't stand much longer. I have been out here hailing every raftthat passed, and watching for you for the last three days. I'm awfullyglad you've come, for our men are discouraged, and about ready to giveup. Now, perhaps you will help us."
"Of course we will! Come right aboard and show us where to tie up,"answered Billy Brackett, heartily.
By the time the raft was made fast near the scene of greatest danger,and Mr. Manton, with Worth, had come aboard, the night was as dark aspitch. The lanterns of the working gang glancing here and there likeso many fire-flies were feebly reflected in the angry waters that slidstealthily by with uncanny gurglings and muttered growls.
"The lanterns of the working gang glancing here andthere like fire-flies."]
"If the bank will only hold until morning!" said Mr. Manton, aboutmidnight, as he and Billy Brackett entered the _Venture's_ cosey"shanty" for a brief rest. All but these two and Solon were asleep,laying in a stock of strength for the labors of the next day.
Suddenly there came a frightened shouting from the bank. Then allother sounds were drowned in the furious roar of rushing waters, whilethe raft seemed to be lifted bodily and hurled into space.