at the home of the bride, and
the large number of friends that witnessed it united in declaring that
no handsomer couple ever bowed for Hymen's benediction.

The bridal journey was a trip to Leavenworth on a Missouri steamer. At
that time there was much travel by these boats, and their equipment was
first-class. They were sumptuously fitted out, the table was excellent,
and except when sectional animosities disturbed the serenity of their
decks, a trip on one of them was a very pleasant excursion.

The young benedict soon discovered, however, that in war times the
"trail of the serpent" is liable to be over all things; even a wedding
journey is not exempt from the baneful influence of sectional animosity.
A party of excursionists on board the steamer manifested so extreme
an interest in the bridal couple that Louise retired to a stateroom
to escape their rudeness. After her withdrawal, Will entered into
conversation with a gentleman from Indiana, who had been very polite
to him, and asked him if he knew the reason for the insolence of the
excursion party. The gentleman hesitated a moment, and then answered:

"To tell the truth, Mr. Cody, these men are Missourians, and say they
recognize you as one of Jennison's Jayhawkers; that you were an enemy of
the South, and are, therefore, an enemy of theirs."

Will answered, steadily: "I was a soldier during the war, and a scout
in the Union army, but I had some experience of Southern chivalry before
that time." And he related to the Indianian some of the incidents of the
early Kansas border warfare, in which he and his father had played so
prominent a part.

The next day the insolent behavior was continued. Will was much inclined
to resent it, but his wife pleaded so earnestly with him to take no
notice of it that he ignored it.

In the afternoon, when the boat landed at a lonely spot to wood up, the
Missourians seemed greatly excited, and all gathered on the guards and
anxiously scanned the riverbank.

The roustabouts were just about to make the boat fast, when a party of
armed horsemen dashed out of the woods and galloped toward the landing.
The captain thought the boat was to be attacked, and hastily gave orders
to back out, calling the crew on board at the same time. These orders
the negroes lost no time in obeying, as they often suffered severely at
the hands of these reckless marauders. The leader of the horsemen rode
rapidly up, firing at random. As he neared the