"Always give those fellows," he joked, "all the leeway they ask for; Worst kind of thing on the river you want your boat to run into. Where had I got about Captain Dunlevy? Oh yes, I remember. Well, when the railroads began to run away from the steamboats, Taking the carrying trade in the very edge of the water, It was all up with the old flush times, and Captain Dunlevy Had to climb down with the rest of us pilots till he was only Captain the same as any and every pilot is captain, Glad enough, too, to be getting his hundred and twenty-five dollars Through the months of the spring and fall while navigation was open. Never lowered himself, though, a bit from captain and owner, Knew his rights and yours, and never would thought of allowing Any such thing as a liberty _from_ you or taking one _with_ you. I had been his cub, and all that I knew of the river Captain Dunlevy had learnt me; and if you know what the feeling Is of a cub for the pilot that learns him the river, you'll trust me When I tell you I felt it the highest kind of an honor Having him for my partner; and when I came up to relieve him, One day, here at the wheel, and actu'lly thought that I found him Taking that island there on the left, I thought I was crazy. No, I couldn't believe my senses, and yet I couldn't endure it. Seeing him climb the spokes of the wheel to warp the _Kanawha_, With the biggest trip of passengers ever she carried, Round on the bar at the left that fairly stuck out of the water. Well, as I said, he learnt me all that I knew of the river, And was I to learn _him_ now which side to take of an island When I knew he knew it like his right hand from his left hand? My, but I hated to speak! It certainly seemed like my tongue clove, Like the Bible says, to the roof of my mouth! But I had to. 'Captain,' I says, and it seemed like another person was talking, 'Do you usu'lly take that island there on the eastward?' 'Yes,' he says, and he laughed, 'and I thought I had learnt you to do it, When you was going up.' 'But not going _down_, did you, captain?' 'Down?' And he whirled at me, and, without ever stopping his laughing, Turned as white as a sheet, and his eyes fairly bulged from their sockets. Then he whirled back again, and looked up and down on the river, Like he was hunting out the shape of the shore and the landmarks. Well, I suppose the thing has happened to every one sometime, When you find the points of the compass have swapped with each other, And at the instant you're looking, the North and the South have changed places. _I_ knew what was in his mind as well as Dunlevy himself did. Neither one of us spoke a word for nearly a minute. Then in a kind of whisper he says, 'Take the wheel, Captain Davis!' Let the spokes fly, and while I made a jump forwards to catch them, Staggered into that chair--well, the very one you are in, ma'am.