an tell me, just
for us two Gilmores exclusively, what your next boat will be named.
Can't you?"

"Yes," said Hugh, "she'll be the--" He let Gilmore speak the name
interrogatively and merely nodded, smiling.

The _Enchantress_ was within five minutes' run of Carrollton when Watson
dropped a quiet word to the roof, where both the Courteneys and Gideon
were looking up-stream at a downward-bound steamer which had rounded to
and landed under Nine-Mile Point.

"What is she?" asked Gilmore of Watson for his group.

"A Hayle boat, the _Troubadour_," said the pilot; "probably putting off
some sugar-house machinery."

The _Enchantress_ neared the huge Carrollton levee. "Good-by."
"Good-by." "Good-by." "Good-by." Down they hurried, the old commodore,
the players, the extraneous pair, and the six from Vicksburg and the
Bends, followed to the stage plank by "California," and waved to from
the after guards by Joy and Phyllis.

"Good-by." "Good-by!" The beautiful craft backed away and turned for
Nine-Mile Point. And here came the _Troubadour_, with whistles
trumpeting a troubadour's salute to the new queen of the river. The
Hayle boat's people had espied their own commodore and the black mass on
their forecastle were singing "Gideon's Band."

With whistles above and song below the _Enchantress_ replied. The
whistles ceased; the song was "'Lindy":

"Come, smilin' 'Lindy Lowe, to meet to paht no mo',
On de finess boat dat eveh float'
In de O--hi--o,
De Mas-sis-sip-pi aw de O--hi--o."

Back at Carrollton on the crown of the levee, standing apart from their
companions, the players gazed after the _Enchantress_. The three Hayles
had returned to their stand by the derrick post. Hugh was near the two
chairs. The actor softly spoke:

"Shall I tell you what Hugh told me?"

"Yes," said the wife.

"Then tell me what Ramsey told you."

"Nothing. She's going to tell it now. Watch!"

They watched together. Ramsey crossed to Hugh, and seemed to speak a
word or two, not more. He sat down in the captain's chair and she took
the one beside him.

Even Vicksburg and the Bends understood that.

"He told me," murmured the actor, "that the next Courteney boat will be
the _Ramsey Hayle_."

[Transcribers Note: # is used to indicate bolded text.]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Gideon's Band, by George W. Cable

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GIDEON'S BAND ***

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