CHAPTER PAGE
I.[The Steamboat Levee]1
II.["The Votaress"]5
III.[Certain Passengers]9
IV.[The First Two Miles]13
V.[Ramsey Hayle]17
VI.[Hayles's Twins]25
VII.[Supper]31
VIII.[Questions]37
IX.[Sitting Silent]43
X.[Peril]50
XI.[First Night-Watch]57
XII.[Hugh and the Twins]68
XIII.[The Superabounding Ramsey]75
XIV.[The Committee of Seven]83
XV.[Morning Watch]90
XVI.[Phyllis]95
XVII.["It's a-Happmin' Yit—to We All"]106
XVIII.[Ramsey Wins a Point or Two]113
XIX.[This Way to Womanhood]122
XX.[Ladies' Table]131
XXI.[Ramsey and the Bishop]138
XXII.[Basile and What He Saw]147
XXIII.[A State of Affairs]152
XXIV.[A Senator Enlightened]158
XXV.["Please Assemble"]164
XXVI.[Alarm and Distress]173
XXVII.[Pilots' Eyes]180
XXVIII.[Words and the "Westwood"]186
XXIX.[Studying the River—Together]195
XXX.[Phyllis Again]203
XXXI.[The Burning Boat]211
XXXII.[A Prophet in the Wilderness]222
XXXIII.[Twins and Texas Tender]229
XXXIV.[The Peacemakers]234
XXXV.[Unsettled Weather]246
XXXVI.[Captain's Room]252
XXXVII.[Basile Uses a Cane]260
XXXVIII.[The Cane Again]272
XXXIX.[Fortitude]280
XL.[Ramsey at the Footlights]289
XLI.[Quits]299
XLII.[Against Kin]306
XLIII.[Which from Which]313
XLIV.[Forbearance]319
XLV.[Applause]327
XLVI.[After the Play]331
XLVII.[Insomnia]337
XLVIII.["California"]347
XLIX.[Kangaroo Point]354
L.["Delta Will Do"]365
LI.[Loving-Kindness]374
LII.[Love Runs Rough but Runs on]383
LIII.[Trading for Phyllis]393
LIV.["Can't!"]404
LV.[Love Makes a Cut-Off]412
LVI.[Eight Years After]425
LVII.[Farewell, "Votaress"]436
LVIII.['Lindy Lowe]443
LIX.["Conclusively"]446
LX.[Once More Hugh Sings]460
LXI.[Wanted, Hayle's Twins]469
LXII.[Euthanasia]478
LXIII.[The Captain's Chair]493
[Ramsey][Frontispiece]
FACING
PAGE
["Stop!... Stop! the safest place for you on this boat now is right where you are standing—Phyllis"][258]
["My heavenly Father wouldn't 'a' had to call me in out of the storm"][334]
["For I believe that we belong to each other from the centre of our souls, by a fitness plain even to the eyes of your brothers"][420]

GIDEON'S BAND

I

THE STEAMBOAT LEVEE

Saturday, April, 1852. There was a fervor in the sky as of an August noon, although the clocks of the city would presently strike five.