Oh, I see. Named for your daddy's
Orleens brother, the cripple! Yes! yes! Did Richard leave you as big a
pile of money as folks say? It must have been a heavy slam on you,
Evaleen, when he dropped off. Lucky, too, in another pint of view;
he's better off, and so are you--lots better off."

Danvers and Lucrece, wishing to prevent posthumous comments on Uncle
Richard, came to Evaleen's rescue.

"You are a frequent comer to this island. You know its products and
topography?"

"Topography, yarbography, bugology and the dickens knows wot ology.
The ground is jest kivered, in places with Injun arrers, and pipes and
stone hatchets, and I've dug up some of the durndest queer-shaped
arthen pots you ever sot eyes on. Yes, I reckon I know Bacchus Island,
major."

"Not major," interrupted Arlington. "He was promoted after the battle
of New Orleans. He is now Colonel Danvers."

"Jehoshaphat! Let's shake hands on that, Danvers. No resk this time,
Arlington, _is_ there? You recollect, don't you? the day I first seed
you and Hoopsnake on the roof of his flatboat? I read t'other day in
the noospaper that Harry Clay met the aforesaid in the court-house in
New York. The sarpent put out his hand, but Harry wouldn't tech it. By
gum, Clay was smarter than me."

Danvers and Lucrece looked mystified. Byle winked at Arlington.

"Don't tell 'em my disgrace. So cap's a colonel? This _is_ a surprise.
I'm just back from a jant to Cinc'natti. Stayed there a coon's age
with brother Virgil, who moved down from the Yok, last fall, and went
into the pork trade. Virgil's married, same as you four, but I'll be
dadbanged if he wasn't fooled in his woman. I tell _you_, Mrs.
Danvers, matrimony ain't always sich honey in the comb as Warren is
swallerin'. Virgil's wife looks nice, but Spanish flies! how he enjoys
her going away from home. Well, that's _that_. I went down on the
Enterprise. You've rid in a steamboat, I dare say, going to see your
pa, in Orleens? How's he? I forgot to ask. They say the old man's got
to be stylisher than ever. Jest run slap bang into rich relations. How
much is the doctor wuth? He never met me, but they say Deville is a
choice mackerel, for a Frenchman. I was about to say, I went down to
Cinc'natti on the Enterprise last December. Best boat on the river,
Captain Shreve says, and the fourth one built. I have saw the Orleens,
the Comet and the Vesuvius, but the Enterprise knocks 'em all.
Keelboats and barges is clean cut