o a hotel for the night, for the mosquitos were in undisturbed
possession of the Chalmetta.

CHAPTER VII.

"--And deep the waves beneath them bending glide.
The youth, who seemed to watch a time to sin,
Approached the careless guide, and thrust him in."

PARNELL.

"Accoutred as I was, I plunged in."

SHAKSPEARE.

Early on the following morning, Henry Carroll and Uncle Nathan were on
board the Chalmetta, ready and eager for a start. But they were doomed
to more disappointment. Nearly all day the bell banged and the steam
hissed; the captain told a hundred lies, but the boat did not budge an
inch from her berth. Still there were certain signs that the hour of
departure could not be far distant. Fresh provisions and ice in
unusually large quantities were received on board about noon, and these
are unfailing prognostics of "a good time coming."

At about five o'clock in the afternoon, the captain's ten minutes, with
which he had secured an occasional fresh passenger, seemed actually to
have expired. Our two friends on board, however, had been so often
disappointed that they did not allow a single bright anticipation to
enliven their hearts, till they actually heard the order given "to cast
off the fasts and haul in the planks." And even then their hopes were
instantly dampened by the sudden reversion of the order.

This unexpected change had been produced in the mind of the captain by
seeing a splendid equipage dashing at a furious pace across the levee,
the driver of which had, by his gestures, made it appear that his
vehicle contained passengers.

The carriage drew up opposite the boat, and Emily Dumont and Jaspar
alighted from it. Picking their way through the crowd of dealers in
cigars, shells, and obscene books, who had just been ejected from the
boat, they were soon on board. A few moments' delay in getting up the
baggage of the new comers, and the welcome "cast off the fasts and haul
in the plank" was again heard. The rapid jingling of the engineer's bell
succeeded, and, to the joy of some three hundred souls on board, she
backed out into the stream and commenced her voyage. Uncle Nathan
breathed freely; the load of anxiety which had oppressed him was
removed. But his joy was short-lived, for Henry Carroll informed him
that the boat was headed _down_ river!

"What in all natur' can be the meanin' of this?" exclaimed our
Northerner, wofully perplexed.

"I cannot tel