each
other called her American--bad manners. It made Hugh inwardly
bad-mannered just to feel in himself this lack, and tempted him to think
what a comfort it would be to apply the wrestler's art physically and
heave the senator overboard.

Said that gentleman--"For you saw I wouldn't let the matter come up at
the table. A lot of those men who signed this paper--which your grandson
suggested last night, you know--" He smiled at Hugh. "Now, I am never
touchy, and I know, commodore, that you're not. But, Lord, so many of
us--maybe Democrats a little more than Whigs--are! We take our politics,
like our bread, smokin' hot." He put away his smile. "My dear sir, to us
the foreigner--as you saw last night at supper--has become a political
problem, a burning question. Yet I propose to keep this whole subject so
unmenacing to you personally, you owners of this boat, that I won't let
a word be risked where any one might take even a tone of voice
unkindly."

"So, then, Hugh can take care of it."

The senator tossed a hand in amiable protest: "Oh, sir, you see it much
too small! My half of it is large enough for me, with forty times this
young gentleman's experience. I don't see just this one boat and trip
and these few hundred native-American citizens in deadly contact with a
few hundred of Europe's refuse. I see--your passengers see--we view with
alarm--a state of affairs--and a test case!"

The old commodore's eyes flashed to retort, but the senator forced a
propitiative smile, adding: "However, let that pass just now, here's
something else."

"Is it also in that paper?"

"It is."

"Tell it to Hugh--or let him read it."

But as the old gentleman would have moved away, the senator, ignoring
the suggestion, stepped across his path:--

"Last night, commodore, this matchless new boat"--he paused to let the
compliment sink in, his eye wandering to Watson, who had sauntered down
from the texas roof--"this _Votaress_, swept past everything that had
backed out at New Orleans ahead of her."

"Built to do it," put in Hugh while the commodore, by a look, drew
Watson to them and the senator flowed on.

XXIV

A SENATOR ENLIGHTENED

"But, lying at Bayou Sara this morning," said the senator, "everything
worth counting left us behind again."

"For the time being," said Hugh.

"Good for you," said the senator. "Mr. pilot, this paper, of a hundred
signatures, petitions this boat to put off her foreigners at Natchez