o what point Maroney would pay his fare, but as Memphis
seemed to be the objective point, he took a through second class ticket
to that place. The first one hundred and fifty miles of the journey up
the river is though the richest and most beautiful part of Louisiana.
This part of the river is known as the coast, and is lined on both sides
by waving fields of cane, interspersed with orange groves. Alligators
lie basking in the sun, and the whole scene speaks of the tropics.
Beautiful as was the country, it had no charms for Maroney. His mind was
occupied with other thoughts, and he paced up and down the deck as if
anxious to get to the end of his journey.

All went quietly until they reached Natchez, "under the hill," when Roch
was again astonished to see Maroney's trunk being placed on the wharf
boat. He could not understand this move, but had nothing to do but to
follow. Maroney loitered around the wharf-boat, seeming to have no
business to attend to, but when the Morrison steamed up the river, he
advanced to the agent of Jones' Express, had a brief conversation with
him, paid him some money, and an old trunk was delivered to him. Maroney
did not seem to place any value on the trunk, and had it put carelessly
along with his other baggage. Strange indeed, thought Roch, what can he
want with that old trunk? It was an old box, painted black, and thickly
studded with nails. It was a shaky looking affair, and did not look as
if it would stand much of a chance with a modern "baggage smasher." It
had some old tags pasted on it, which showed where it had been. One
which was partly scraped off, read Montgomery, another Galveston, and
still another New Orleans.

There was nothing to show that it was of any consequence, and Roch
looked carelessly at it, as Maroney had left it carelessly on the
wharf-boat, along with his other trunk, and sauntered up the hill.
Maroney put up at the hotel, still leaving his baggage in charge of the
agent of Jones's Express,--who was also proprietor of the wharf-boat.

Roch followed Maroney up town, but, as he did not know when the boats
arrived going up or down the river, and as it began to grow dark, he
concluded he had better stay on the wharf-boat and keep track of the
luggage. Maroney might leave at any hour of the night, as, on the
Mississippi it is not an uncommon occurrence for an unexpected boat to
land or take off passengers with little or no delay, even at the dead of
night. So he got