ts to
Vicksburg, for there is no railroad from any point this side of that
city. It is thirty-five miles from here to Bayou Sara. The steamer may
stop there, and may not," said the governor, musing. "That is the last
place in this State at which she is at all likely to make a landing. I
will telegraph at once."

Without waiting to see any of our passengers ashore, I went with the
governor to the telegraph office. He sent the dispatch to an official,
directing him to board the steamer, if she did not stop, and arrest the
fugitives, a sufficient description of whom I gave him. When this was
done, Colonel Hungerford had time to attend to the landing of the
party. He insisted that all the passengers should go to his residence
and stay over Sunday with him. Colonel Shepard declined, and declared
that he and his family had no claims upon his hospitality. A
good-natured controversy ensued, and ended in the Colonel and all the
others yielding the point.

Three carriages started for the residence of the chief magistrate, and
another was awaiting his orders at the levee. By this time a reply came
from the official in Bayou Sara, in which he promised to follow the
instructions of the governor as soon as the steamer came in sight, for
she had not yet appeared.

"Now, Captain Alick, if you will get into the carriage, I will take you
up to the house," said Colonel Hungerford.

"You must excuse me, sir, for I have to attend to the affairs of the
vessel," I answered.

"Must I argue this same question with you, too?" demanded the governor.

"I hope you will not, for I think it will do no good," I added,
laughing. "Your excellency forgets that I am the captain of the
Sylvania, and a true sailor never gives up his ship."

"Your ship is all well enough. You must go to my house, and bring Mr.
Washburn with you."

"Impossible, sir! Our steamer is not a river boat, and she is not a
flat-bottomed craft," I tried to explain. "Her keel does not take
kindly to the levee. I must stay here and look out for her; but I will
call at your house this evening."

But it was no use to argue the point; the governor persisted, and I
finally compromised with him by agreeing that either Washburn or myself
should be at his house all the time we remained in the place; in other
words, we were to have "watch and watch" in visiting him. I took my
first turn.

Nothing could be more delightful than the home of the governor, and I
think I never saw so ma