she left the _Belle Julie_, and walked up the levee to go
aboard the _Star of the North_.

XII

MOSES ICHTHYOPHAGUS

After suffering all the pangs of those who lose between the touch and
the clutch, Griswold had found the red-handkerchief bundle precisely
where it had been hidden; namely, buried safely in the deck-load of
sacked coffee on the engine-room guard.

It came to light in the final half-hour of the voyage, when he and his
mates were transferring the coffee to the main-deck, forward. It had not
been disturbed; and what had happened was obvious enough, after the
fact. After its hiding, arm's-length deep, in a cranny between the
sacks, some sudden jar of the boat had slightly shifted the cargo,
closing one cranny and opening another.

With the money once more in his possession he had a swift return of the
emotions which had thrilled him when he found himself standing on the
sidewalk in front of the Bayou State Security with the block of
bank-notes under his arm. Once more he was on fair fighting terms with
the world, and the star of hope, which had gone out like a candle in a
gust of wind at the discovery of his loss, swung high in the firmament,
shining all the more brightly for its long occultation.

As to the battle for the keeping which was probably awaiting him at the
St. Louis landing, the prospect of coming to blows, man-fashion, with
the enemy, was not wholly unwelcome. With all of his incompletenesses
this young rebel of life was no coward. If the New Orleans thief-takers
were waiting for him in the shadows of the great city's landing-place,
so be it; he would try to give them their money's worth: and an eager
impatience to be at it got into his blood.

The few necessary preliminaries were arranged while the _Belle Julie_
was backing and filling for the landing. Since to be taken with the
money in his possession was to give the enemy the chance of winning at
one stroke both the victory and the spoils, he made a confederate of the
negro whose part he had taken in the quarrel with M'Grath. The man was
grateful and loyal according to his gifts; and Griswold's need was too
pressing to stick at any trifle of unintelligence.

"Mose, you'll go ashore with me on the spring line," he said, when he
had found his man at the heel of the landing-stage.

"Yes, suh, Mars' Gravitt; dat's me, sholy."

"All right. You see this bundle. If anybody tackles me while we're
making fast, I'm going to drop it