Eddring fell on the doorkeeper. "Miss Loisson! Where is she? When did she leave?" he demanded; and madame added much voluble French. "Mademoiselle left with a young gentleman a half-hour ago," said the doorkeeper. "I heard him say, 'Drive to the levee.' Perhaps they would see the high water, yes?" "That's likely!" cried Eddring, springing back into the carriage, "but we will go there, too." Hence their carriage also whirled around corner after corner, and presently trundled along the smoother way of the levee. Passing between the interminably long rows of cotton-bales they met a carriage coming away as they approached, and Eddring, upon the mere chance of it, accosted the driver. "Did you bring two persons, a young lady and a young man, here a moment ago?" said he. "Not here," said the driver, pulling up. "But I took them lower down on the levee. They went on board the _Opelousas Queen._ You'll have to hurry if you want to catch, them. She's done whistled, an' 'll be backin' out mighty quick." Eddring hardly waited for the end of his speech. "We must find them," said he to madame at his side, who now was becoming thoroughly frightened. "There is something wrong in this. I must get this message to Miss Loisson, and I must find out what all this means." A few moments later their own carriage brought up with a jerk, and Eddring, dragging madame by the arm, hurried across the stage plank almost as it was on the point of being raised. "What do you mean?" growled the clerk to the hurried arrivals, as the _Queen_ slowly turned out into the stream. "Did a couple come aboard just now, a few minutes ahead of us?" cried Eddring, taking him by the shoulder in his excitement. "Why, yes. But they didn't come in such a hurry as you do. Where are you going?" "Wait," said Eddring. "What was the girl like? Tall, dark hair, wore a cloak, perhaps? And the man--was he rather thin, dark--had oddish eyes?" "Why, yes; I reckon that's who they were," grumbled the clerk. Eddring paid no attention to him. "Madame," said he, "they must be on the boat. "Now look; here is my message, Madame," he resumed, as he led her apart to avoid the clerk. "You will see why I have brought you here, and why I had to find Miss Loisson and this Mr. Decherd." He handed to her two pieces of paper--messages from Colonel Calvin Blount addressed to him at New Orleans. The first one read: "We are organized; come quick. More levee-cutting." "That is three days old," said Eddring. "Here is one sent yesterday. It must have gone out by boat to some railway station, for the roads are washed out for miles in all the upper Delta. 'Shot bad in levee fight. Come quick. We have caught Delphine, ring-leader. More proof implicating Decherd. Louise Loisson our Miss Lady. Find her; bring her. Watch Decherd. Come quick.--Calvin Blount.'