appen
next,--whether or not the boiler would explode, and the deck be torn
up beneath me,--I waited in feverish anxiety for the result. Then I
heard the splash of the wheels; the crank turned, rumbled, and jarred
on its centre, but went over, and continued to turn. The Adieno moved,
and the motion sent a thrill through my whole being. It was fortunate
for us that she lay at the pier in such a position as to require no
special skill in handling her. The open lake was astern of her, with
clear sailing for two miles.

I was not a steamboat man; I had never even steered any craft with a
wheel, and I did not feel at all at home. But I had often been up and
down the lake in this very steamer, and being of an inquiring mind, I
had carefully watched the steersman. It had always looked easy enough
to me, and I always believed I could do it as well as anybody else. I
tried to keep cool, and I think I looked cool to others; but I was
extremely nervous. I did not exactly know which way to turn the wheel.

When I found there were no obstructions astern of the steamer, I
brought the flagstaff on the bow into range with the end of the
pier,--or rather I found them in range,--and with these to guide me, I
soon learned by experience which way to turn the wheel; and the moment
I got the hang of the thing, I had confidence enough to offer my
services to pilot any steamer all over the lake. The paddles kept
slapping the water, and the boat continued to back until she was a
quarter of a mile from the land, when I thought it was time to come
about, and go forward instead of backward. There were two bell-pulls
on the wheel-frame, and at a venture I pulled one of them. I did not
know whether Vallington understood the bells or not; but there was
only one thing to be done in this instance, and he did it--he stopped
the machinery.

After pausing a moment for the steamer to lose her sternway, I rang
the other bell, intending to have her go ahead; but the engineer did
not heed my summons. A moment afterwards Vallington appeared on the
forward deck, wiping from his brow the perspiration, which indicated
that the engine-room was a hot place, or that his mental struggles
were very severe.

"What was that last bell for?" he asked, hailing me in the
wheel-house.

"To go ahead," I replied.

"You haven't got the hang of the bells, commodore," said he, with a
smile; "but come down, and we will talk the matter over, and find out
what we are going t