le round that pint."

"Splendid night for a race," muttered Styles. "Will she overtake us,
Cap'n?"

"Wail, maibee!" replied the old river dog, while the most professional
grin shot over his hard-wooden features. "Specially ef I ease up this
'ar ole gal."

"Ha! Now we'll have it. We won't turn in just now," chuckled Styles,
banging me in the back.

Almost imperceptibly our speed slackens, the thin dark column creeps
nearer round the trees on the point in our wake; at last the steamer
bursts into sight, not a pistol shot astern.

There is a sharp click of our pilot's bell, a gasping throb, as if our
boat took a deep, long breath; and just as the "Senator" makes our
wheel we dash ahead again, with every stroke of the piston threatening
to rack our frail fabric into shreds.

The river here is pretty wide and the channel deep and clear. The
"Senator" follows in gallant style, now gaining our quarter, now a
boat's length astern--both engines roaring and snorting like angry
hippopotami; both vessels rocking and straining till they seem to paw
their way through the churned water.

Talk of horse-racing and _rouge-et-noir_! But there is no excitement
that can approach boat-racing on a southern river! One by one people
pop up the ladders and throng the rails. First come the unemployed
deck-hands, then a stray gentleman or two, and finally ladies and
children, till the rail is full and every eye is anxiously strained to
the opposite boat.

She holds her own wondrous well, considering the reputation of ours. At
each burst, when she seems to gain on us, the crowd hold their breath;
as she drops off again there is a deep-drawn, gasping sign of relief,
like wind in the pines. Even the colonel has roused himself from dreams
of turtle at the St. Charles, and red fish at Pensacola; coming on deck
in a shooting jacket and glengary cap, that make him look like a jaunty
_Fosco_. He leans over the stern rail, smoking his cabana in long,
easy whiffs as we gain a length; sending out short, angry puffs at the
"Senator" as she creeps up on us.

Foot by foot, we gain steadily until the gap is widened to three or
four boat-lengths, though the "Senator" piles her fires till the shores
behind her glow from their reflection; and her decks--now black with
anxious lookers-on--send up cheer after cheer, as she snorts defiantly
after us.

Suddenly the bank seems to spring up right under our port bow! We have
cut it too close! Two sharp, vici