But at last about a dozen of the boldest--and some of them the best--pilots on the river launched themselves into the enterprise and took all the chances.

They got a special charter from the legislature, with large powers, under the name of the Pilots' Benevolent Association; elected their officers, completed their organization, contributed capital, put 'association' wages up to two hundred and fifty dollars at once--and then retired to their homes, for they were promptly discharged from employment.

But there were two or three unnoticed trifles in their by-laws which had the seeds of propagation in them.

For instance, all idle members of the association, in good standing, were entitled to a pension of twenty-five dollars per month.

This began to bring in one straggler after another from the ranks of the new-fledged pilots, in the dull (summer) season.