colonel said he must
smoke his cigar. I conducted him to the pilot-house, where Owen and
Miss Edith were spending the evening. My father was there also; and I
took the occasion to introduce our distinguished guest to him again,
with his title in full.

"So you have found me out, Captain Alick," said his excellency, with a
pleasant laugh, which did much to restore the equilibrium between us.
"That puss of mine has been telling family secrets, and you must
promise not to tell anybody what you have discovered."

"No one not on board," I replied.

"Everybody else will know the secret, so that I shall gain nothing. But
we will not quarrel about trifles."

Everybody on board was tired enough to retire early, and before ten
o'clock we had the deck and pilot-house to ourselves. The watches
continued the same as before. Washburn gave up his berth in our room to
Billy Bell, as we learned to call him, for the captain and mate never
had their watch below at the same time, and we could both occupy the
same bed at different times. The river is a mile wide, and at the
present high stage of the water, there was no difficulty in steering,
under the instructions of the pilot.

We had a sort of panorama, or diagram of the river, which I had
obtained in New Orleans, arranged on the space between the windows of
the pilot-house, so that we could tell where we were at all times. Ben
Bowman had put the chart on rollers, and it could be wound up from one
end to the other. The only things that were likely to bother us were
the bayous and cut-offs; and the pilot was at hand at any moment he
might be needed.

We passed no place of importance during the night; and at five o'clock
in the morning we were at Donaldsonville. We made fast to the levee,
and as we were in no hurry, I did not call any of the passengers. I
told Gopher and Cobbington who the planter we had rescued was, that
they might have things in proper condition at the breakfast-table. I
inquired what boats had stopped at the place, and learned that the
Queen of the South had left two hours before. This showed that her
speed did not exceed that of our little fleet.

I asked if any passengers had landed, and was informed that several had
done so. I thought I would visit the hotels, and see if Cornwood and
Nick were at any one of them. I was about to leave the steamer when the
governor came out of the cabin. He insisted that I should not leave the
vessel, as the rascals might see