eyes fairly open, there was no one in sight, but he
heard the sound of a steamer's bell, followed by the hoarse commands of
the mate, and when he reached the door, he found the whole yard lighted
up by a torch which the steamer had placed in her bow. The boat was made
fast to the levee when he got there, and her crew were making ready to
carry on her load of wood, but Tom paid no attention to them. More than
half asleep, he made his way on deck and into the saloon, which he found
deserted by all save a party of men who were engaged in playing cards.
They never looked up as Tom entered, being deeply interested in the
piles of money before them, and he passed on to the desk and made
application for a room to a man with a pen behind his ear. Without
saying a word he took down a key from a board by the side of his desk
and led Tom along the cabin and unlocked a door and showed him two
bunks. The lower one had evidently been occupied during the afternoon.

"Take the upper bunk," said the clerk. "The lower one belongs to a man
who is playing cards, but I guess he won't care. Good-night."

Tom was much too sleepy to know or care who owned the lower bunk; he
pulled off his clothes and with a mingled sigh of satisfaction and
comfort climbed into the upper one, and composed himself to sleep. He
awoke once during the night, only to find that the steamer had finished
taking on her load of wood, and was now ploughing her way along the
river; and, having satisfied himself on this point, Tom rolled over and
went to sleep again.

The next time he awoke it was broad daylight, and the boat was rocking
as boats always do when they have nothing to do but to make their way to
their destination as soon as possible. The stool (there were no chairs
in the state-room) which he had left unoccupied had been drawn close to
the door, and a man's coat and vest lay over it; but it was not that
that attracted Tom's attention, and caused his eyes to open to their
widest extent. It was a revolver, a murderous-looking thing, and
carrying a ball as big as an army musket. Tom thought it would be a good
plan to get out of the way of that thing, and, holding in his breath, he
slipped out of his bunk; but cautious as he was in his movements, the
man heard him. He opened his eyes and gazed fixedly at Tom, then caught
up his revolver and thrust it under his pillow, seized his coat and vest
and threw them between the bulkhead and himself, and then rolled over