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At his suggestion they retired to a hotel for the night, for the mosquitos were in undisturbed possession of the Chalmetta. " And deep the waves beneath them bending glide. The youth, who seemed to watch a time to sin, Approached the careless guide, and thrust him in." "Accoutred as I was, I plungéd in."
It was ascertained that the Chalmetta had received no serious damage in her hull; and as all the survivors had been picked up, the Flatfoot took her in tow, and proceeded up the river. Emily had been stunned by the explosion, and ere she could recover, Vernon, with a strong arm, bore her to the main deck.
He wore the uniform of the army, and was battling the mosquitos with the smoke of a plantation cigar, which bore a very striking resemblance to those rolls of the weed vulgarly denominated "long nines." This gentleman was Henry Carroll, who had been in waiting three days for the sailing of the Chalmetta. On his return from Georgia he had not deemed it prudent to visit Bellevue.
But this fear was not realized; the Chalmetta gave the levee a wide berth. The Rubicon was passed; the shades of doubt and anxiety were supplanted by the clear sunshine of a bright prospect. "We are at last fairly started," said Henry, seating himself by the side of Uncle Nathan, on the boiler deck. "Thank fortin, we are!" responded the farmer, heartily.
The Flatfoot, No. 3, approached within a short distance of the wreck, and a line was passed from her to the bow of the Chalmetta. Her passengers and crew were humanely assisting in rescuing those who had jumped or been thrown overboard in the disaster. By the aid of a fire-engine on board of the Flatfoot, which had approached near enough to render it available, the flames were extinguished.
Vernon was impatient to begin; for, as he averred, he did not like to lose a whole night's sleep in so small an affair. But nothing could be done while Henry retained his present position, unless they silenced him by force; and he seemed an ugly customer. The Chalmetta pursued her way, stemming with difficulty, as it would seem by her lazy pace, the current of the mighty river.
For nearly an hour she sat in the darkness of the room, during which time the danger seemed momentarily to increase, until, no longer able to endure such agonizing suspense, she was about to leave the room. At this moment Vernon was about to enter, when the explosion took place. The forward part of the Chalmetta was completely torn in pieces.
Her strong constitution will resist all fatal consequences." "I trust it may, for this has been a day of disaster, without the loss of more life." "You were a passenger in the Chalmetta?" "I was." "Then you have had a narrow escape." "But a more narrow one since the explosion. Thank Heaven, I have been preserved from both calamities!" "Had you no friends on board?"
To a man not intoxicated by the dream of young love these facts would have indicated a great increase in the speed of the boat; but he noticed them not. By the motions of the Chalmetta it was plain that, though incapable of accomplishing any wonderful feat in the attainment of speed, she had a considerable amount of that commodity somewhat vulgarly termed "spunk."
This was particularly true on board the Chalmetta, for she was crowded to nearly double her complement of cabin-passengers, and the space usually devoted to exercise was too much crowded to render it very pleasant. When, therefore, the Chalmetta touched at a wood-yard, after leaving Baton Rouge, the passengers hurried on shore, to enjoy the novelty of an unconfined promenade.
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