Presently the cub closed up on the rank of steamships.

He made me nervous, for he allowed too much water to show between our boat and the ships.

I knew quite well what was going to happen, because I could date back in my own life and inspect the record.

The captain looked on, during a silent half-minute, then took the wheel himself, and crowded the boat in, till she went scraping along within a hand-breadth of the ships.

It was exactly the favor which he had done me, about a quarter of a century before, in that same spot, the first time I ever steamed out of the port of New Orleans.