“They probably went through a ‘cut-off,’” explained Mr. Ringold, “and must have gone aground. Then, before they could float her, the waters took a new direction, made a new channel, and left the steamer where she is. I’ve read of such things, but never saw one. We’ll go over and find out.”
The motor boat was directed to a point nearest the inland steamer, and, taking the camera, Blake and Joe went ashore, followed by the manager and actor.
And, while the boys were taking moving pictures of the men at work digging the trench, to bring the river to the steamer, since the boat refused to go to the water, Mr. Ringold questioned the captain.
“That’s about how it happened,” the latter said, when the manager had asked about the accident. “I tried a short cut, and we anchored for the night right about here. I s’posed I’d have water enough to go on in the morning, and maybe save about ten miles by this ‘cut-off.’ But, by George! When we tried to start in the morning we found the waters going down, and, before we knew it, we were high and dry. I don’t know as we’ll ever get afloat now.”
Indeed it did look like a hopeless task, but the men were working hard to take advantage of the high water. Once the flood subsided the steamer might never be floated, until another period of unusually heavy rain set in.
“Well, I guess we’ve got enough of this,” remarked Blake, as he took the final scenes at the steamer. “Now for some views in the village below.”
Once more they were under way, and a little later they came in sight of the town, which was the principal shipping port for cotton in that vicinity.
“Say, there’s a big crowd working there!” exclaimed Joe, as they headed for the levee, only a small part of which was out of water.
“Yes, there’s a big crowd there, but look at the few who are working at the cotton,” spoke Blake. “There’s a big pile of it, and it’ll take those few men a good while to move it. The water’s rising fast, too.”
The levee at this town was a sloping one, faced with cobble stones, and when the river was low, horses and wagons were driven down it to the landing stages of the steamers. There were no permanent docks, except on the very top of the levee, and it was there the cotton was stored.