An exciting incident of the trip was the passing of the American Fur Company’s boat, the _Spread Eagle_. The new opposition of La Barge, Harkness & Co. was a formidable one, and the Company bestirred itself with unusual vigor to be first on the ground with its annual outfit. The _Spread Eagle_ left St. Louis with three days the start, but was overtaken by the _Emilie_ near Fort Berthold. For the next two days the boats were near each other most of the time. The day after leaving Berthold the _Emilie_ passed her rival for good. When the officers of the _Spread Eagle_ saw that they were beaten they played a desperate game, which showed to what lengths the Company’s servants would go when it was a matter of rivalry in trade. [Sidenote: THE “SPREAD EAGLE” RACE.] At the point where the race took place there was a towhead (a newly formed island) which at the stage of the river then prevailing was covered with water. The main channel, and at ordinary stages the only channel, passed on the right-hand side going up, and this channel the _Spread Eagle_ took. But the water was now high enough to give a good channel on the other side of the towhead. As the distance by this channel was somewhat shorter, and as the _Emilie_ was the faster boat anyway, it was a good chance to get well ahead and out of the way. La Barge promptly seized the opportunity. The pilot of the _Spread Eagle_ with quick eye realized that he had been out-maneuvered, and seeing no other way to prevent the _Emilie’s_ passage, determined upon wrecking her. He accordingly left the main channel and made for the chute that the _Emilie_ was entering. He steamed alongside of her for a moment, but found that he was losing ground.[52] The boats were scarcely fifty feet apart, when the pilot of the _Spread Eagle_, seeing that he could not make it, deliberately put his rudder to port, and plunged the bow of the boat into the _Emilie_ immediately opposite her boilers. Several of the guards were broken and the danger of wreck was imminent. La Barge was in the pilot-house at the time and was not looking for such a move, for he did not believe that even the American Fur Company would play so desperate a game when human life was at stake. He instantly called out to Bailey, the pilot of the _Spread Eagle_, to stop his engines and drop his boat back or he would put a bullet through him. The passengers likewise became thoroughly aroused, and some of them got their arms and threatened to use them if the _Spread Eagle_ did not withdraw. These threats were effective; the _Spread Eagle_ fell to the rear and was seen no more on the voyage. She was four days behind at Benton, and a week on the whole trip. She lost four men on one of the rapids by the grossest carelessness. A crew had gone to the head of the rapids to plant a deadman,[53] and having finished this work dropped down to the boat in their yawl. Instead of passing alongside of the steamer they made directly for the bow, and on reaching the boat the