AMONG  THE  SIOUX  OF  DAKOTA.  27

This  failing,  recourse  was  had  to  the  huge
wooden  spars,  shod  with  iron  points,  which
were  suspended  by  lines  and  pulleys  on  either
side  of  the  forward  deck.  When  needed,  their
lower  ends  were  thrown  overboard,  the  lines
from  their  upper  ends  fastened  by  a  system  of
blocks  and  pulleys  to  the  donkey  engine,  and
the  latter  put  in  motion  by  an  order  to  "  Go
ahead  on  the  nigger."  In  this  way  the  steam
boat  was  on  legs  for  the  time  being.
With  these  auxilaries,  the  k'deadman"  and
capstan,  the  spars  and  donkey  engine,  the  craft
was  generally  "  grasshoppered  "  over  the  sand
bars,  but  when  these  failed  downright  disap-
j)ointment  brooded  over  the  navigator's  face,
and  u double  tripping"  was  the  last  resort.
This  was  the  simple  process  of  leaving  half  the
freight  on  shore  ;  after  which  the  lightened
steamboat  could  pass  over  the  shallow  water  to
a  point  above.  Here  the  remainder  of  the
freight  must  be  unloaded,  while  she  went
back  for  the  first  half ;  and  then  on  her  re
turn,  of  course,  all  must  be  once  more  taken
on  board.  A  slow  and  laborious  process,  which
it  was  no  wonder  was  the  dread  of  the  river
men.
The  passengers  all  seemed  to  take  the  live
liest  interest  in  the  boat'js  progress,  and  many
were  the  comments  on  the  probability  of  arriv
ing  at  some  woodyard  at  a  certain  time  ;  or  the


^8  AMONG  THE   SIOUX   OF  DAKOTA.
passing  of  some  bad  place  in  the  river,  with
which  they  had  had  previous  experience.
