"She'll pass you again at Delta," remarked the senator. "You see, general—you see, Mr. Courteney,—at Delta they" (the players) "can very plausibly explain—there won't be more than two or three, if any, to explain to—that they're running from the cholera and want to hail the Westwood, which they won't more than just have time to do.
"She won't mind taking them," he babbled on, "already having the cholera herself. Not many up-river boats would answer a hail from Delta, but she will, for she'll see they're from this boat and that it's your wish. There she comes round the bend now. Yes, Delta's a lot safer for 'em than Helena with its wharf-boat and daylight crowd and those three red-hots going ashore with 'em. On the Westwood they can put up with any yarn that'll carry 'em through. They're actors and used to that sort o' thing."
Musingly Hugh broke in: "Counting all the chances, isn't there a touch of cruelty in this, to the lady at least?"
"Oh, now, my young friend—" the senator began to rejoin, but two men lounging by stopped to ask after the father and grandfather. They were the second engineer and his striker, presently to go on watch.
Mrs. Gilmore, coming along the texas guards, met the cub pilot. He perched on the railing to let her pass and a few strides farther on began to do the same for Ramsey.
LI
LOVING-KINDNESS
Ramsey stopped and the boy's heart rose into his throat.
"Whe're you going?" she asked.