Now the boat was in the pilot's hands. Hugh joined Madame Hayle and the two commodores at the derrick post. The same shrewd texas tender who had once abstracted the weapons of the twins from their stateroom set a second chair beside the captain's. Hugh offered the two seats to the commodores, but both declined. They of Vicksburg and the Bends watched the gorgeous October sunset beyond the low, flat orangeries on their right. "California" was with them and told them of the sunsets on the great plains. Gilmore generously kept the one-time lender of the field-glass and the lender's mouse of a wife beguiled with anecdotes while Mrs. Gilmore talked on with Ramsey, making fond and welcome incursions into her confidence. "Isn't it ridiculous," murmured Ramsey, "that he seems condemned to do everything in the tamest possible way? Not that he cares; he seems almost to like it so. It's so right now. He can't proclaim anything. And--you see why, don't you?--neither can I." "Ramsey, you needn't. Only do one thing for us, Gilmore and me, and we'll know. When we've landed and the boat starts away again and he--" She finished in a voice too small for type. At Six Mile Point the actor escaped his bonds and for a moment got Hugh into his sole possession. "Certainly, under these conditions," he assented, "you can't _assert_ anything--of that particular sort. But see here: You can tell me, just for us two Gilmores exclusively, what your next boat will be named. Can't you?" "Yes," said Hugh, "she'll be the--" He let Gilmore speak the name interrogatively and merely nodded, smiling. The _Enchantress_ was within five minutes' run of Carrollton when Watson dropped a quiet word to the roof, where both the Courteneys and Gideon were looking up-stream at a downward-bound steamer which had rounded to and landed under Nine-Mile Point. "What is she?" asked Gilmore of Watson for his group. "A Hayle boat, the _Troubadour_," said the pilot; "probably putting off some sugar-house machinery." The _Enchantress_ neared the huge Carrollton levee. "Good-by." "Good-by." "Good-by." "Good-by." Down they hurried, the old commodore, the players, the extraneous pair, and the six from Vicksburg and the Bends, followed to the stage plank by "California," and waved to from the after guards by Joy and Phyllis. "Good-by." "Good-by!" The beautiful craft backed away and turned for Nine-Mile Point. And here came the _Troubadour_, with whistles trumpeting a troubadour's salute to the new queen of the river. The Hayle boat's people had espied their own commodore and the black mass on their forecastle were singing "Gideon's Band." With whistles above and song below the _Enchantress_ replied. The whistles ceased; the song was "'Lindy": "Come, smilin' 'Lindy Lowe, to meet to paht no mo', On de finess boat dat eveh float' In de O--hi--o, De Mas-sis-sip-pi aw de O--hi--o."