by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER TEN.
A NEW MODE OF RAISING THE STEAM.
It was near sunset--the fiery disc was going down behind the darkoutline of cypress forest that belted the western horizon, and a yellowlight fell upon the river. Promenading back and forward upon thecanvas-covered roof, I was gazing upon the scene, wrapt in admiration ofits glowing beauty.
My reverie was interrupted. On looking down the river I saw that alarge boat was in our wake, and coming rapidly after us. The volume ofsmoke rolling up out of her tall funnels, and the red glowing of herfires, showed that she was moving under a full head of steam. Her size,as well as the loud reports of her 'scape-pipe, told that she was a boatof the first-class. She was the "Magnolia." She was moving with greatvelocity, and I had not watched her long, before I perceived that shewas fast gaining upon us.
At this moment my ears were assailed by a variety of sounds coming frombelow. Loud voices in earnest tones, the stamping and pattering offeet, as of men rushing over the wooden decks and along the guard-ways.The voices of women, too, were mingled in the medley.
I surmised what all this meant. The approach of the rival boat was thecause of the excitement.
Up to this time the boat-race seemed to have been nearly forgotten. Ithad got abroad among both "hands" and passengers that the Captain didnot intend to "run;" and although this backing-out had been loudlycensured at first, the feeling of disappointment had partially subsided.The crew had been busy at their work of stowage--the firemen with theirhuge billets of cord-wood--the gamblers with their cards--and thepassengers, in general, with their portmanteaus, or the journal of theday. The other boat not starting at the same time, had been out ofsight until now, and the feeling of rivalry almost "out of mind."
The appearance of the rival produced a sudden change. The gamblersflung down the half-dealt pack, in hopes of having something moreexciting to bet upon; the readers hastily closed their books, and tossedaside their newspapers; the rummagers of trunks banged down the lids;the fair occupants of rocking-chairs suddenly sprang to their feet; andall ran out of the cabins, and pressed towards the after-part of theboat.
My position on the hurricane-deck was the best possible for a good viewof the rival boat, and I was soon joined by a number of myfellow-passengers. I wished, however, to witness the scene on thecabin-deck, and went below.
On reaching the main saloon, I found it quite forsaken. All thepassengers, both male and female, had gone out upon the guard-way; andleaning against the guards were anxiously watching the approach of theMagnolia.
I found the Captain under the front-cabin awning. He was surrounded bya crowd of gentlemen-passengers, all of whom appeared to be in a highstate of excitement. One after the other was proffering speech to him.They were urging him to "raise the steam."
The Captain, evidently wishing to escape from these importunities, keptpassing from place to place. It was to no purpose. Wherever he went hewas met or followed by a knot of individuals, all with the same requestin their mouths--some even begging him for "God's sake" not to let theMagnolia pass him!
"Wal, Cap!" cried one, "if the Belle don't run, I guess she'll never beheerd of on these waters agin, she won't."
"You're right!" added another. "For my part the next trip I make I'lltry the Magnolia."
"She's a fast boat that 'ere Magnolia!" remarked a third.
"She ain't anything else," rejoined the first speaker: "she's got hersteam on a few, I reckon."
I walked out on the guard-way in the direction of the ladies' cabin.The inmates of the latter were clustered along the guards, and seeminglyas much interested in the boat-race as the men. I could hear several ofthem expressing their wishes aloud that the boats would run. All ideaof risk or fear of consequences had departed; and I believe that if thecompany had been "polled" at the moment in favour of the race, therewould not have been three dissentient voices. I confess that I, myself,would have voted for running,--I had caught the infection, and no longerthought of "snags", "sawyers," or bursting boilers.
As the Magnolia drew near the excitement increased. It was evident thatin a few minutes more she would be alongside, and then pass us. Theidea was unsupportable to some of the passengers; and loud words couldbe heard, now and then interspersed with an angry oath. The poorCaptain had to bear all this--for it was known that the rest of theofficers were well disposed for a trial of speed. It was the Captainonly who "showed the white feather."
The Magnolia was close in our wake; her head bearing a little to oneside. She was evidently preparing to pass us!
Her officers and crew were moving actively about; both pilots were seenabove at the wheel-house; the firemen were all at work upon the deck;the furnace-doors were glowing red-hot; and the bright blaze stoodseveral feet above the tops of her tall funnels! One might have fanciedshe was on fire!
"They are burning bacon hams!" shouted a voice.
"They are by--!" exclaimed another. "See, yonder's a pile of them infront of the furnace!"
I turned my eyes in that direction. It was quite true. Apyramidal-shaped mass of dark-brown objects lay upon the deck in frontof the fires. Their size, shape, and colour told what they were--driedhams of bacon. The firemen were seen taking them from the pile, andthrusting them one after another up the red tunnels of the furnace!
The Magnolia was still gaining upon us. Already her head was even withthe wheel-house of the Belle. On the latter boat the excitementincreased, and the noise along with it. An occasional taunt from thepassengers of the rival boat added fuel to the flame; and the Captainwas once more abjured to run. Men almost threatened him with violence!
The Magnolia continued to advance. She was now head for head with us.Another minute passed--a minute of deep silence--the crews andpassengers of both boats watched their progress with hearts too full forutterance. Another minute, and the Magnolia had shot ahead!
A triumphant cheer rang along her decks, mingled with taunting shoutsand expressions of insult.
"Throw us a line, and we'll tow you!" cried one.
"Whar's yer old ark now?" shouted another.
"Hurraw for the Magnolia! Three groans for the Belle of the West!Three groans for the old dugout!" vociferated a third, amidst jeers andshouts of laughter.
I can hardly describe the mortification felt by those on board theBelle. It was not confined to the officers and crew. The passengers,one and all, seemed to partake of the feeling. I shared it myself, morethan I could have believed to be possible.
One dislikes to be among the conquered, even on any terms ofassociation. Besides, one involuntarily catches the impulse of themoment. The sentiment that surrounds you--perhaps by physical lawswhich you cannot resist--for the moment becomes your own; and even whenyou know the object of exultation to be worthless or absurd, you arecontrolled by the electric current to join in the enthusiasm. Iremember once being thus carried away, and mingled my voice with therude throats that cheered the passing cortege of royalty. The moment itwas past, however, my heart fell, abashed at its own meanness andwickedness.
Both his crew and passengers seemed to think our Captain imprudent inhis prudence: and a general clamour, mingled with cries of "Shame!" washeard all over the boat.
The poor Captain! I had my eyes upon him all this while. I reallypitied him. I was perhaps the only passenger on board, beside the fairCreole, who knew his secret; and I could not help admiring the chivalricfortitude with which he kept it to himself. I saw his cheek glow, andhis eye sparkle with vexation; and I felt satisfied, that had he beencalled upon to make that promise then, he would not have done so for theprivilege of carrying all the freight upon the river.
Just then, as if to escape the importunities that beset him, I saw himsteal back and pass through the ladies' cabin. There he was at oncerecognised, and a general onset was made upon him by his fairpassengers, who were almost as noisy in their petitions as the men.Several threatened him, laughingly, that they would never travel by hisboat a
gain; while others accused him of a want of gallantry. Surely itwas impossible to resist such banterings; and I watched the Captainclosely, expecting a crisis one way or the other. The crisis was athand.
Drawing himself up in the midst of a knot of these importunates, he thusaddressed them:--
"Ladies! Nothing would give me more pleasure than to gratify you, butbefore leaving New Orleans I gave my promise--in fact, passed my word ofhonour to a lady--" Here the gallant speech was interrupted by a younglady, who, rushing up from another part of the boat, cried out--
"Oh, Capitaine! cher Capitaine! do not let that wicked boat get ahead ofus! do put on more steam, and pass her--that is a dear Captain!"
"Why, Mademoiselle!" replied the Captain, in astonishment, "it was toyou I gave the promise not to run--it was--"
"Pardieu!" exclaimed Mademoiselle Besancon, for it was she. "So youdid. I had quite forgotten it. Oh, cher Capitaine, I release you fromthat promise. _Helas_! I hope it is not too late. For Heaven's sake,try to pass her! _Ecoutez! les polissons_! how they taunt us!"
The Captain's face brightened up for a moment, and then suddenly resumedits vexed expression. He replied--
"Mademoiselle, although grateful to you, I regret to say that under thecircumstances I cannot hope to run successfully against the Magnolia.We are not on equal terms. _She is burning bacon hams_, of which shehas a large supply. I should have had the same, but after promising younot to run, I, of course, did not take any on board. It would beuseless to attempt a race with only common cord-wood--unless indeed theBelle be much the faster boat, which we do not yet know, as we havenever tried her speed."
Here appeared to be a dilemma, and some of the ladies regardedMademoiselle Besancon with looks of displeasure.
"Bacon hams!" she exclaimed; "bacon hams did you say, cher Capitaine?How many would be enough? Would two hundred be enough?"
"Oh! less than that," replied the Captain.
"Here! Antoine! Antoine!" continued she, calling to the old steward."How many bacon hams have you on board?"
"Ten barrels of them, Mademoiselle," answered the steward, bowingrespectfully.
"Ten barrels! that will do, I suppose? Cher Capitaine, they are at yourservice!"
"Mademoiselle, I shall pay you for them," said the Captain, brighteningup, and becoming imbued with the general enthusiasm.
"No--no--no! Let the expense be mine. I have hindered you. They werefor my plantation people, but they are not in want. We shall send downfor more. Go, Antoine! go to the firemen. Knock in the heads of thebarrels! Use them as you please, but do not let us be beaten by thatwicked Magnolia! Hark! how they cheer! Ha! we shall pass them yet."
So saying, the fiery Creole rushed back to the guard-way, followed by agroup of admirers.
The Captain's "dander" was now fairly up; and the story of the baconhams soon spreading over the boat, still further heightened theenthusiasm of both passengers and crew. Three loud cheers were givenfor the young lady, which seemed to mystify the Magnolians, who had nowbeen for some time in the enjoyment of their triumph, and had forged aconsiderable distance ahead.
All hands went to work with a will--the barrels were rolled-up, theirheads knocked in, and part of their contents "chucked" up the blazingfurnace. The iron walls soon grew red--the steam rose--the boattrembled under the increased action of the engine--the bells of theengineers tinkled their signals--the wheels revolved more rapidly, andan increase of velocity was soon perceptible.
Hope had stifled clamour--comparative silence was restored. There washeard only an occasional utterance--the expression of an opinion uponthe speed of the rival boats--the fixing the conditions of a bet--andnow and then some allusion to the story of the bacon hams.
At intervals, all eyes were bent upon the water eagerly glancing alongthe line that separated the rival steamers.