e, and you can visit Miss Edith about
every day after we get into the Mississippi River."

"I am told the Mississippi is a very large river," mused Miss Margie.
"Can you see across it, Captain Alick?"

"No doubt of it," I answered, laughing. "It is not more than a mile
wide, as a rule. You must be thinking of the Amazon, which is a hundred
and fifty miles wide near its mouth. Vessels must get out of sight of
land in crossing it, near the ocean."

"We are all on board, Alick, except Owen," said my father, coming into
the pilot-house. "He should not keep us waiting."

"Perhaps he has decided to go in the other steamer," I suggested.

But I had hardly spoken the words before Owen came on board. He did not
seem to be in despair at his separation from his "bright particular
star," and was in excellent humor when he joined us in the pilot-house.

"Where are the rest of your party, Owen?" I asked.

"Merciful hotandsplosh! Haven't you found out yet that they are going
on the Islander?" demanded Owen.

"I haven't seen them go on board of her yet," I added.

"They took a carriage to the wharf near the boat-house, and I took one
to come here," replied Owen. "They must be on board of her by this
time."

"I think not. The Islander has gone down the river," I answered, as I
ordered the fasts to be cast off.

I backed the Sylvania on the stern line to clear her from the wharf,
and then rang to go ahead. Our voyage around Florida had actually
begun, and I was duly exhilarated by the fact. The Islander had gone
around the bend of the river, and I could see only her masts and
rigging. The wind was blowing fresh from the southwest, and I was not a
little astonished to see that her crew were shaking out her
fore-topsail. This did not indicate that her captain intended to return
to the wharf for his passengers.

"Colonel Shepard and his family must have gone on board of her at least
a quarter of an hour before seven, Owen," I said, unable to account for
the movements of the Islander in any other way.

"But they did not leave the colonel's house till five minutes of
seven--at the same time I started to come here," replied Owen. "What
has happened? What is the matter?"

"I don't know that anything is the matter," I replied. "The Islander
got under way about half-past six, and I supposed she was going to take
a turn on the river before she went up to the wharf. Instead of that
she has been moving steadily down the river since