"Think Delta's above water?"
"Oh—eyes and nose out, Watson allows."
"Delta'll be all right," persisted the senator.
The clerk glanced up to the pilot-house. "Mr. Watson, we'll stop at Delta, to put off a couple o' passengers."
"Yes, sir." The group at the pilot's back gasped at each other. Then Ramsey gasped at him.
"Oh, what does that mean?" she demanded. But his gaze remained up the river as he kindly replied:
"What it says, I reckon. Don't fret, ladies—when you don't know what to do, don't do it."
"Ho-o-oh!" cried Ramsey, whisking away, "I will!"
"Lawd 'a' massy!" Old Joy sprang for the door, but Ramsey was already out on the steps and scurrying down them. On the texas roof, however, she took a wrong direction and lost time; slipped forward round the pilot-house counting on steps which were not, and never had been, out there. Returning she lost more by meeting old Joy in the narrow way between the house and the edge of the texas roof, and when at length she sprang away for the after end of the texas and the only stair she was now sure of, whom should she espy bound thither ahead of her but Mrs. Gilmore. In that order the three hurried down to the guards of the texas and forward along them by its stateroom doors.
Meantime, out at the bell the clerk had left Hugh and privately sent Ned and the cub pilot different ways. Hugh moved a pace or two aside to observe the Antelope out on their larboard quarter. The senator and the general moved with him.