itch ever sence. Fo'most of all was this
Hugh Courteney. Fo'most because, he being a man, I wa'n't afraid of him.
But a close second was yo' daughter; second because, she being a woman,
I was afraid of her. Why, even Phyllis, that's now chambermaid on this
boat----"

"By Jupiter!" Gideon Hayle half started from his seat. "On this boat?
our Phyllis? that Ramsey set free?"

"Yes. Captain Hugh's nurse that was."

"Look here, my boy, is that why you're aboard?"

"No, sir-ee! Don't you fret. That trip, I tell you, made another man of
me. It lifted; why, commodore, it made me a poet."

"Made you a--Oh, go 'long off!"

"Yes, sir. Writ poetry ever sence. Dropped prose; too easy. It's real
poetry, commodore; rhymes as slick as grease. Show you some of it
later."

"George! if you do I'll jump into the river."

"Agreed! I've got some that'll make you do that."

"You haven't got any that wouldn't."

Neither smiled, neither frowned. Obviously each knew how to like an
adversary and when "California" rose and the two, glancing aft, saw
another two approaching from the pilot-house, one of whom was Watson,
Hayle touched the poet detainingly and said:

"Don't go 'way, I want some more of your prose."

"Want to know why I'm here? Not countin' the fun o' seein' Captain Hugh,
half the reason's that gentleman yonder comin' with Mr. Watson, and the
other half's his lady, down below a-powwowin' with yo' daughter. Fact is
I'd struck it rich again out West and got restless and come East, and at
Saint Louis I see by a newspaper that them two was allowin' to go down
to Orleans on this boat this trip, and ree-collect-in' the pinch they
got into of old on the _Votaress_, s'I to myself,'me too!'"

Here the other men drew near and, while "California" ran on, silently
pressed the big hand offered sidewise by Hayle.

"And with that I set down and writ a poem--took me a whole night--to the
best half dozen o' them that was on the other trip, invitin' 'em, at my
expense, to jump on when we come by--at New Carthage--Milliken's
Bend--Vicksburg--and trustin' to luck and fresh post stamps to find 'em.
But little did we dream o' seein' you walk aboard, at Memphis, and still
less yo' daughter and her old Joy; did we, Mr. Gilmore?"

LVII

FAREWELL, "VOTARESS"

Montezuma Bend ... Delta ... Delta Bend ... Friar's Point ... Kangaroo
Point ... Horseshoe Bend and Cut-off. Some, at least, of these we
remember. At mention of them the Gilmor