"I am afraid not. I never tried it."
"Well, step up here and see what you can do," said Mr. Black, moving away from the wheel, but still keeping his right hand upon one of the spokes. "We often have passengers come up here and steer for us. One of those boys who got off at Natchez, steered for me yesterday for over three hours; but then he is a pilot's son, and has made a good many trips up and down the river. Don't get in front of the wheel," he added, as George stepped down from the bench and laid his hands upon the spokes. "Stand at the side of it—so. Now you have got perfect control of it. Do you see that white pole out there in the bow? That is the jack-staff, and the large black ball you see about half way up the staff, is the night hawk."
"What is it for?"
"That is what we steer by in the night."
"I shouldn't think you could see it."
"O yes, we can. It shows almost as plainly as it does in the daytime, and by keeping one eye on it we can tell which way the boat is swinging. Do you see that leaning tree up there in the bend? Well, keep the jack-staff pointed straight toward it."
"If I do that I shan't keep the boat in the middle of the river," said George.
"I don't want you to keep in the middle of the river. I want you to go where the water is the deepest."
Mr. Black moved away from the wheel, and George had the swiftly-moving boat under his own control.