We tied up at the shore above 21, and got ready.  It was a foul night, and the river was so wide, there, that a landsman’s uneducated eyes could discern no opposite shore through such a gloom.  The passengers were alert and interested; everything was satisfactory.  As I hurried through the engine-room, picturesquely gotten up in storm toggery, I met Tom, and could not forbear delivering myself of a mean speech—­

‘Ain’t you glad you don’t have to go out sounding?’

Tom was passing on, but he quickly turned, and said—­

’Now just for that, you can go and get the sounding-pole yourself.  I was going after it, but I’d see you in Halifax, now, before I’d do it.’

‘Who wants you to get it?  I don’t.  It’s in the sounding-boat.’

’It ain’t, either.  It’s been new-painted; and it’s been up on the ladies’ cabin guards two days, drying.’

I flew back, and shortly arrived among the crowd of watching and wondering ladies just in time to hear the command: 

‘Give way, men!’

I looked over, and there was the gallant sounding-boat booming away, the unprincipled Tom presiding at the tiller, and my chief sitting by him with the sounding-pole which I had been sent on a fool’s errand to fetch.  Then that young girl said to me—­

’Oh, how awful to have to go out in that little boat on such a night!  Do you think there is any danger?’

I would rather have been stabbed.  I went off, full of venom, to help in the pilot-house.  By and by the boat’s lantern disappeared, and after an interval a wee spark glimmered upon the face of the water a mile away.  Mr. Thornburg blew the whistle, in acknowledgment, backed the steamer out, and made for it.  We flew along for a while, then slackened steam and went cautiously gliding toward the spark.  Presently Mr. Thornburg exclaimed—­

‘Hello, the buoy-lantern’s out!’

He stopped the engines.  A moment or two later he said—­

‘Why, there it is again!’

So he came ahead on the engines once more, and rang for the leads. 
Gradually the water shoaled up, and then began to deepen again!  Mr.
Thornburg muttered—­

’Well, I don’t understand this.  I believe that buoy has drifted off the reef.  Seems to be a little too far to the left.  No matter, it is safest to run over it anyhow.’

So, in that solid world of darkness we went creeping down on the light.  Just as our bows were in the act of plowing over it, Mr. Thornburg seized the bell-ropes, rang a startling peal, and exclaimed—­

‘My soul, it’s the sounding-boat!’

A sudden chorus of wild alarms burst out far below—­a pause—­and then the sound of grinding and crashing followed.  Mr. Thornburg exclaimed—­

’There! the paddle-wheel has ground the sounding-boat to lucifer matches!  Run!  See who is killed!’