American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night. There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river. At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground. As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her. But she had run on the bar when going at full speed, and she did not come off so easily as desired.

"How does she head now, Musther Shcott? " asked Felix in a rallying tone.

"South south-west by north north-east," replied the pilot, who was always good-natured except when he got mad.

"Faix, I think she's headed down for the place the volcanos vintilate."

"She isn't making any headway in that direction," added Scott.

"She will come off in a few minutes, for it will not be high tide for some time yet," said Louis. "You may as well stop the screw and take it easy, for she seems to be stuck hard. We are in no great hurry."

"What do you call this river, Scott? " asked Felix.

"The Palmones."

"And what might that mean, Dr. Belgrave?"

"If you mean me, I don't know," replied Louis.

"Is there anything you don't know, Professor?"

"There is at least one thing in particular that I don't know, and that is why you call me doctor and professor, Flix. I am not a pedant, and if you call me by such names, I shall give you the highest-sounding title I can find," replied Louis, rather tartly.

"I won't do it then; I didn't mean to vex you."

"You didn't vex me; but you talk to me as though I set myself up for a very learned or a very pretentious fellow. Barbers and bootblacks call themselves professors in these days; and there is no honor in the title unless a man is really a graduate of a college, and is what the name implies. I don't know what Palmones means, and it may be the proper name of some Spanish don."

"The boat is close aboard of us," said Scott, coming out of the pilot-house.

"And we are in for an advinture," chuckled Felix.

"I don't see any adventure yet," added Louis.

"Steamer, ahoy! " shouted a man in the bow of the boat.

"Answer him, Scott," said Louis.