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The calliope player, protected by a forest of brass plu "Yellow Rose of Texas," which fell on several flat tones as holes suddenly appeared in his steam whistles

On thewith Pitt and Giordino, crouched out of sight The cotton balesdefensive works, and no bullets penetrated The open boiler area behind the ht the worst of it Two of McGeen's stokers were hit and the overhead tubing was penetrated, allowing stea streaed in the red He expelled a long sigh A ht The rivets were straining on the boilers He quickly began spinning relief valves to let off the i collision

The Stonewall Jackson's pandle wheels were still driving her at twentyto end up like her forotten bayou or broken up for wharf wood She was going out a legend and ending her life on the water in style

Brushing aside the waves that pounded her bow, shrugging off the frightful torrent of lead that shredded her flied ahead

Lee Tong watched in bitter fascination as the steae and poured a strea to hit a vital part and slow her down But heelephant

He set aside his Steyr-Mannlicher carbine and raised the binoculars None of the creas visible behind the barricade of cotton bales Even the sieved pilothouse looked deserted The gold letters of the smashed nameplate were visible, but all he could make out was the name JACKSON

The flat boas pointed square for the towboat's port side It was a stupid, futile gesture, he reasoned, a stalling technique, nothing more In spite of its superior size, the wooden pandle steae the towboat's steel bull

He retrieved the Steyr-Mannlicher, inserted another ammo clip and concentrated his fire into the pilothouse in an attee the helm

Sandecker and Metcalf watched too

They sat captivated by the hopeless, irresistible nificence of it all Radio contact was attempted with the steamboat, but there was no response Captain Belcheron had been too busy to answer, and the old river rat didn't think he had anything worth saying anyway

Metcalf called Lieutenant Grant "Spiral in closer," he ordered

Grant acknowledged and ht banks over the vessels below The detail of the towboat was quite sharp They could pick out nearly thirtyaway across the water

The stea fro out of the "scape pipes" aft of the pilothouse

"She'll bash herself to bits when she strikes," said Sandecker

"It's glorious but less," Metcalf muttered