They were traveling to Kansas, steerage, saving
their money so they might have it to invest in homes when they reached
their destination. They had all heard of me, and now proposed to arm
and defend me should there be any further hostile demonstrations. I
gladly welcomed their support, more for my wife's sake than for my own.

"My wife," I said, "firmly believes that I am an outlaw."

"You can't blame her," said the spokesman of the party, "after what has
happened. But wait till she gets among Union people and she will learn
her mistake. We know your history, and of your recent services to
General Sherman. We know that old 'Pap' Sherman wouldn't have an
outlaw in his service. If you had seen some of the interviews he has
given out about your wife's father and his friends there would have
been trouble at the start."

My new-found friends did not do things by halves. In order to be able
to give a ball in the cabin they exchanged their steerage tickets for
first-class passage. That night the ball was given, with my wife and
myself as the guests of honor.

The Independence crowd, observing the preparations for the ball,
demanded that the captain stop at the first town and let them off. They
saw that the tide had turned, and were apprehensive of reprisals. The
captain told them that if they should behave like ladies and gentlemen
all would be well.

That night they stood outside looking in while my wife, now quite
reassured, was introduced to the ladies and gentlemen from Indiana, and
danced till she was weary.

We looked for trouble when we reached Independence the next day. There
was a bigger crowd than usual on the levee, but when it was seen that
my Yankee friends had their Spencer carbines with them all was quiet.
As we pulled out the old captain called me outside.

"Cody, it is all over now," he said. "But don't you think you were the
only restless man on board. When I backed out into the river the other
night I had to leave four of my best deckhands either dead or wounded
on the bank. I will never forget the way you walked out through the
crowd with that pair of guns in your hand. I have heard of the
execution these weapons can do when they get in action."

When we stopped at Kansas City I telegraphed to Leavenworth that we
were coming. As the boat approached the Leavenworth levee my soldier
friends were out on deck in their dress uniforms, and I stood on the
deck, my bride on my arm. Soon we heard the music