l," replied Henry; "but I am much afraid we shall yet have
to stay over Sunday in New Orleans."

"The Lord deliver me!" ejaculated Uncle Nathan. "I will go into the
swamp back of the city, afore I will look upon the iniquities of that
Sodom again."

"Rather a hard penance; but let us first see what this movement will
amount to."

At this moment Captain Drawler descended from the wheel-house, and was
immediately besieged by a dozen angry passengers, who had resolved to
lynch him, or leave the boat,--which he dreaded more,--if satisfaction
was not given.

The stoical captain, with perfect coolness, heard their complaints and
their threats. He waited with commendable patience till they had vented
their indignation, and then informed them that he only intended to
receive a little freight at the lower city, which would not detain him
"ten minutes."

The captain's assertion, with the exception of the ten minutes, was soon
verified by the boat touching at a sort of depot for naval and military
stores. The "_freight_" which the Chalmetta was to take consisted of
several long boxes, which lay near the landing. These boxes contained
coffins, in which were the remains of some sixteen officers, who had
paid the debt of nature in the discharge of their duties in Mexico.

Henry Carroll, with a melancholy heart, witnessed the process of
conveying these boxes to the deck of the steamer. In them was all that
remained of many stout hearts, with whom, side by side, he had marched
to glory and victory. There were the forms with whom he had triumphantly
mounted the battlements at Vera Cruz, and raised the stars and stripes
over the city of Mexico. There, before him, forever silent, were the
dead heroes of Chepultepec and Perote. Those with whom he had endured
toils and hardships of no common nature,--with whom he had contended
against a treacherous foe, and a more treacherous climate,--were there
encoffined before him. They died in defence of their country's honor;
and he almost envied them the death which wrote their names, subject to
no future stain, upon the roll of fame.

The sight of these boxes, and a knowledge of their contents, also
awakened sad reflections in the mind of Uncle Nathan. But his
reflections were of a different character from those of the soldier. War
he regarded as an unnecessary evil,--one which men had no more right to
countenance than they had the deeds of the midnight assassin. The honor
of a nation were