the chief engineer and one fireman had come out of the
hiding-places, and were ready for duty.

"Clear away the starboard quarter-boat," I called. "Mr. Washburn, you
will pick up those men, and do it as quick as possible, for we are
needed at those plantations."

The crew got into the boat and lowered it into the water. In a moment
more they were pulling with all their might for the two men, who were
some distance apart. They picked them up, one at a time, and came back
to the Sylvania. They hooked on the falls, and with the help of Ben
Bowman and Hop Tossford, hoisted the boat up to the davits. The two men
rescued from the water seemed to be very much exhausted, and we helped
them on deck.

The moment the boat was out of the water, I rang to go ahead. I told
Moses to let her run at half speed, for I was afraid she might strike
against some hummock, or other obstruction, and stick in the mud, which
would cause a delay, if nothing worse. I sent Buck to the top-gallant
forecastle with the hand lead, and he reported eleven feet.

"The ground is low here," said the pilot; "but I think we can carry
eight feet up to the knoll on which the houses stood. They must have
had eight or nine in some parts of it, or the cabins of the niggers
wouldn't have been upset."

"I think we can hurry her a little along here," I replied, ringing the
speed-bell.

"By the mark twain," said Buck.

"He threw the lead into a hole that time," added the pilot.

"And a half-one," continued Buck.

"You will hold that all the way till you get to the knoll," said Mr.
Bell. "We are going at a rattling speed."

"We shall be all right as long as we have eight feet. Our coal bunkers
are pretty well emptied, and I don't know but we could go with seven
and a half. It is plain sailing; but we must feel along when it gets
down to eight and a half," I replied.

The two men who had been taken from the water came to the forecastle at
this moment. They were covered with yellow mud, and of course they were
wet to the skin. But it was a hot day, and the sun was shining
brightly. When I asked them, they told me they had come from one of the
steamers that had stopped at the levee to render assistance.

"Eight feet and a half," shouted Buck.

I rang the speed bell, which soon reduced our rate one-half. Buck still
reported eight and a half. We were within a hundred yards of the
mansion-houses, of which I could see four, the lower parts of which
were under