Each of our pilots ran such portions of the river as he had run when coming up-stream, because of his greater familiarity with it; but both remained in the pilot house constantly.
An hour before sunset, Mr.Bixby took the wheel and Mr.W----stepped aside.

For the next thirty minutes every man held his watch in his hand and was restless, silent, and uneasy.

At last somebody said, with a doomful sigh-- 'Well, yonder's Hat Island--and we can't make it.' All the watches closed with a snap, everybody sighed and muttered something about its being 'too bad, too bad--ah, if we could only have got here half an hour sooner!' and the place was thick with the atmosphere of disappointment.
Some started to go out, but loitered, hearing no bell-tap to land.

The sun dipped behind the horizon, the boat went on.

Inquiring looks passed from one guest to another; and one who had his hand on the door-knob and had turned it, waited, then presently took away his hand and let the knob turn back again.