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1、Chapter7 ADaringDeed WHENIreturnedtothepilot-houseSt.LouiswasgoneandIwaslost.Herewasapieceofriverwhichwasalldowninmybook,butIcouldmakeneitherheadnortailofit:youunderstand,itwasturnedaround.Ihadseenitwhencomingup-stream,butIhadneverfacedabouttoseehowitlookedwhenitwasbehi
2、ndme.Myheartbrokeagain,foritwasplainthatIhadgottolearnthistroublesomeriverBOTHWAYS. Thepilot-housewasfullofpilots,goingdownto'lookattheriver.'Whatiscalledthe'upperriver'(thetwohundredmilesbetweenSt.LouisandCairo,wheretheOhiocomesin)waslow;andtheMississippichangesitschann
3、elsoconstantlythatthepilotsusedtoalwaysfinditnecessarytorundowntoCairototakeafreshlook,whentheirboatsweretolieinportaweek;thatis,whenthewaterwasatalowstage.Adealofthis'lookingattheriver'wasdonebypoorfellowswhoseldomhadaberth,andwhoseonlyhopeofgettingonelayintheirbeingalwa
4、ysfreshlypostedandthereforereadytodropintotheshoesofsomereputablepilot,forasingletrip,onaccountofsuchpilot'ssuddenillness,orsomeothernecessity.Andagoodmanyofthemconstantlyranupanddowninspectingtheriver,notbecausetheyeverreallyhopedtogetaberth,butbecause(theybeingguestsoft
5、heboat)itwascheaperto'lookattheriver'thanstayashoreandpayboard.Intimethesefellowsgrewdaintyintheirtastes,andonlyinfestedboatsthathadanestablishedreputationforsettinggoodtables.Allvisitingpilotswereuseful,fortheywerealwaysreadyandwilling,winterorsummer,nightorday,togooutin
6、theyawlandhelpbuoythechannelorassisttheboat'spilotsinanywaytheycould.Theywerelikewisewelcomebecauseallpilotsaretirelesstalkers,whengatheredtogether,andastheytalkonlyabouttherivertheyarealwaysunderstoodandarealwaysinteresting.Yourtruepilotcaresnothingaboutanythingonearthbu
7、ttheriver,andhisprideinhisoccupationsurpassestheprideofkings. Wehadafinecompanyoftheseriver-inspectorsalong,thistrip.Therewereeightorten;andtherewasabundanceofroomfortheminourgreatpilot-house.Twoorthreeofthemworepolishedsilkhats,elaborateshirt-fronts,diamondbreast-pins,k
8、idgloves,andpatent-leatherboots.TheywerechoiceintheirEnglish,andborethemselveswithadignityproper
