"Why do they go?" she asked, fancying them as much appalled at her as she herself was, and when the sweet lady could not enlighten her the pilots offered a guess that two had gone to relieve Mrs. Gilmore and her maid and that Hugh would presently join the first clerk by the bell. "There he is now," said Ned, actually expecting her to rise and look down. But she sat still and watched the _Antelope_, wishing her far better speed in view of the letters she carried. So came thoughts of the long telegraphic despatch to her father which Hugh must by this time have written for her mother, as agreed between them, and which was to be sent, in the morning, from Memphis. The door opened and Mrs. Gilmore and "Harriet" came in. "Well," softly inquired the actor's wife, "how do we come on?" and Ramsey answered as softly, yet taking pains that Ned and Watson should overhear: "I've disgraced myself." "Mmm!" mumbled old Joy in corroboration. "What have you done now?" "Nothing. I don't _do_ anything. Only said something, something so silly I can't even apologize." "To whom?" "The baby elephant," said Ramsey and laughed a note or two. The door opened again and Hugh's bell call was explained by the entrance of the texas tender and another white-jacket, each bearing a large tray of cups and plates, hot coffee, and hot toasted rolls and butter. She hadn't dreamed she was so hungry. Watson stared back from the wheel with grim pretence of surprise. "Who sent that here?" "Mr. Hugh Co'teney sawnt it, suh," said the tender, arranging the cups on the bench. "Yass'm," he repeated to the grateful ladies, "Mr. Hugh, yass'm." "Oh! Mr. Hugh," replied Watson. "He must 'a' gave you the order before he come up here this last time." "Yass, suh, but say don't fetch it tell he ring." "Six cups," counted the pilot, "six--You go down with Miss Hayle's compliments to Mr. Courteney, and----" "No-o-o-o!" sang Ramsey, running up the scale. But Watson was firm. "Boy, you heard me, didn't you?" Ned, with his eyes down on the bell, interposed: "Hold on, Wats', three into one you can't. Hugh's in a confab with the senator and the general." Ramsey, eating like a hunter come home, suddenly stood. "Now look, everybody, at the _Antelope_. She's right abeam. Ain't she abeam, Mr. Watson?" Watson drawled that she wasn't anything else, and Ramsey failed to see that he saw her cast an anxious glance down to the bell and the captain's chair beyond it. L "DELTA WILL DO" In Horseshoe Cut-off the course was east. When Ned directed Ramsey's sight to its upper end, where the flood came into view from the north, she feared he would name the point it turned; but he forbore and she gazed on the thin old moon off in the southeast.