lmore, "that's the captain."

Vicksburg and the Bends sent up smiles and faint wavings to Ramsey and
her mother and only did not call to them because they were in a great
city. It made them very proud and happy to see Hugh the master of this,
to them, matchless wonder of utility and beauty, and they could not help
saying things to each other with voice enough to let strangers around
them know he was their personal friend. While they did so who should
alight from a cab and glance up to Hugh but his grandfather. Hugh
answered with a gesture toward the Gilmores, to whom the old gentleman
promptly turned. There had arisen among the boats a good-natured custom
of giving friends a free trip eight miles up the river, to the suburb of
Carrollton. So a word from the commodore was enough; the players and
their group hurried aboard with him and as they touched the lower deck
the last bell sounded and the lines were cast off.

When they reached the hurricane-deck they were in the middle of the
stream. They did not join the senior Hayles at once; Ramsey met them and
with her they stood on the skylight roof watching the shores to see when
they should stop drifting and gain headway. Over on the "Algiers" side
of the harbor lay the _Paragon_, repairing a smashing she had got at the
wharf through the bad handling of another boat, else the Hayles would
hardly have been going home on the _Enchantress_.

The crew of the _Enchantress_ stood about her capstan and their
chantey-man, ready to sing when the swivel should peal and her burgee
run down; but the Gilmore group were too far aft to see them. The
player's wife, speaking gravely with Ramsey in low tones, remarked with
sudden gayety:

"I see why we're here behind the bell. You're afraid they'll sing----"

Ramsey made a pleading gesture.

"Why, what can you expect," asked her friend; "not 'Bounding Billow'?"

Ramsey, laughing, could only repeat the gesture. The swivel pealed, down
sank the burgee, a wind began to ruffle their brows, and up rolled the
song:

"Come, smilin' 'Lindy Lowe, whah de sea ships come an' go,
On de finess boat dat eveh float," etc.

It was still coming up when a young man not of the Gilmore group
surprised the actor a moment aside.

"Mr. Gilmore, is that Commodore Hayle over there?... I thought it must
be. I suppose he's going up home to settle his two sons' affairs. Mr.
Gilmore, they wan't bad, they were only wild. Sad, their having to be
b