ted
at intervals by the screams of the ladies in their cabins. The alarm of
the "woman overboard" was nothing to this new scene of excitement and
confusion. But what was most mysterious was the fact that no killed or
wounded individual could be found, nor any one who had either fired a
pistol or had seen one fired! no man had been shot, nor had any man shot
him!

What the deuce could it mean? Who had cried out that some one was shot?
That no one could tell! Mystery, indeed. Lights were carried round
into all the dark corners of the boat, but neither dead nor wounded, nor
trace of blood, could be discovered; and at length men broke out in
laughter, and stated their belief that the "hul thing was a hoax." So
declared the dealer in hog-meat, who seemed rather gratified that he no
longer stood alone as a contriver of false alarms.

CHAPTER FORTY NINE.

THE SPORTSMEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

Before things had reached this point, I had gained an explanation of the
mysterious alarm. I alone knew it, along with the individual who had
caused it.

On hearing the shots, I had run forward under the front awning, and
stood looking over the guards. I was looking down upon the
boiler-deck--for it appeared to me that the loud words that preceded the
reports had issued thence, though I also thought that the shots had been
fired at some point nearer.

Most of the people had gone out by the side entrances, and were standing
over the gangways, so that I was alone in the darkness, or nearly so.

I had not been many seconds in this situation, when some one glided
alongside of me, and touched me on the arm. I turned and inquired who
it was, and what was wanted. A voice answered me in French--

"A friend, Monsieur, who wishes to do you a service."

"Ha, that voice! It was you, then, who called out--"

"It was."

"And--"

"I who fired the shots--precisely."

"There is no one killed, then?"

"Not that I know of. My pistol was pointed to the sky--besides it was
loaded blank."

"I'm glad of that, Monsieur; but for what purpose, may I ask, have
you--"

"Simply to do _you_ a service, as I have said."

"But how do you contemplate serving me by firing off pistols, and
frightening the passengers of the boat out of their senses?"

"Oh! as to that, there's no harm done. They'll soon got over their
little alarm. I wanted to speak with you alone. I could think of no
other device to separate you from your new acquaint