The rest of the trip was pretty much along the lines as the first few days. Bill did his deck walking before breakfast, and after breakfast they gathered at the fantail and shot at clay discs. Bill was surprised at how good he got with the pistol although the three always bested him. However, when it rained Bill bested them in shooting pool.

  It was on the day before docking that Bill joined them for some after-dinner drinks in Don’s room. Sitting at the round bamboo table, Don raised his glass of wine and said, “To great friends, old and new.”

  They touched glasses and took a sip of their drink.

  “You know, Bill,” said Walter; “you made us break a promise that we made to each other before coming aboard this ship.”

  “I did? Can you tell me what that was?”

  Maryellen spoke first, “We said that we would keep to ourselves and speak to no one else.”

  Don sat forward and said as he poured another round of drinks, “That’s because when people find out that we are in the banking business, they probe and ask questions, hoping we’ll give them a shortcut to getting rich, that’s all.”

  Walter took a sip of the red wine and said, “And you never did, Bill. You just took us at face value. We had no reason to shun you.”

  “And,” added Maryellen with a big smile, “you’re pretty good with a hand gun . . . something we all have in common.”

  They all laughed and Bill said, “Well, once I figured out your banking business I figured it best to just go along with your story.”

  “What do you mean, ‘once you figured out our banking business’?” asked Don with raised eyebrows.

  Bill grinned and said, “Well I know that Butch Cassidy and Harry Longbaugh, also known as The Sundance Kid, must be on vacation especially when they bring along the beautiful Etta Place.”

  The three just looked at him with disbelief on their faces until Don asked, “You mix us up with them outlaws?”

  Bill shrugged his shoulders and said, “I think you three are going to Argentina to look the place over and perhaps retire from the ‘banking business.’”

  Maryellen started laughing and soon Don and Walter joined in.

  “Gents,” she said looking at her two companions, “it seems that our new friend has a crystal ball.” She looked at Bill and went on, “What was the tip off?”

  “The first time we sat and Walter wanted to sit with his back to the wall as though he might get back shot. Then the way the three of you probably destroyed all of the clay discs the ship had. And the bottom line is: you just don’t look like bankers.”

  “Well,” said Walter with a smile, “we are in the banking business, it’s just that we always withdraw rather than deposit.” Now all four broke into laughter.

  “So,” asked Don, “are you going to let the law know that you guessed right and we are heading to South America”?

  Bill shook his head and said, “Nope! None of my business. As far as I’m concerned I met three fellow passengers who just wanted to relax and get the sun.”

  Maryellen put her glass down and said, “I believe him, gents. He didn’t have to tell us that he knew who we were.”

  “So do I,” added Don and Walter smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

  They finished their drinks and Bill stood and said, “Best that I get some sleep. We dock tomorrow and I have some packing to do. See you all for breakfast?”

  “We’ll be there, partner,” said Walter.

  The next day was hectic. Breakfast was rushed, all passengers who wanted their baggage carried off the ship had to line them up on the deck while others who decided to carry their own, were lining up next to the gangway as sailors ran to and fro. The closer they got to the dock the busier they became: moving deck chairs back inside to make the aisles on deck wider, hanging thick matts made of leather and rope over the side so the ship won’t get damaged when they hit the wooden dock, pulling out long manila docking ropes, all the while the deckhands looked at the dock for their loved ones and friends.

  The ship docked and the gangway was rolled out as the first officer went down to the dock to supervise the unloading. The ship gave a short blast of its whistle and the people went down the gangway in an orderly fashion and ten minutes later Bill, Maryellen, Walter and Don stood on the dock.

  “What is it that you do next?” asked Don to Bill.

  “I have an hour to board The River Queen. She takes me upriver to St. Louis for another connection. What about you folks?”

  “We catch the Juan Manuel de Rosas and go south.” He put his hand out and said as they shook hands, “Mighty pleased to have met you, Bill and I hope we share another bottle of wine again.”

  Walter shook hands and winked at him, “Stay safe, my friend and remember to always sit with your back to the wall.”

  Maryellen hugged Bill and said, “Thanks for being a good friend and not telling people about your suspicions.”

  Bill watched his three friends walk away and wondered if there was any truth to the story that although there was a shootout in Bolivia with the Bolivian Army, the two men escaped and joined Maryellen in New York and all lived a long life in America. He hoped so and decided that someday he would take a trip back to find out.

  Looking around at the long dock he saw five side-wheeler steamboats loading or unloading goods and people and he picked up his valise and walked down the line for his boat. All of the steamboats were painted white, but the fourth boat had red trim all around the deck. Looking close, he saw her name painted in red on the bow: River Queen.

  White smoke drifted lazily out of the tall, twin smoke stacks. As Bill got closer he could hear a band playing jazz and the men loading bales of hay were singing as they worked. The time traveler felt a spring in his step; She is a beauty, he thought, even though the deck is almost even with the water.

  A line of passengers were boarding and Bill had to grin at the lack of frills such as a covered gangway. Instead a long, flat boarding plank was swung out and lowered from the ship’s deck to the dock. To board, all the passengers had to do was walk across the horizontal bridge. He got on the line and in a few minutes stepped aboard the River Queen. A boy who looked to be about twelve years old tipped his straw hat and took Bill’s ticket, tore it in half and handed him back the half that had his cabin number on it.

  Casual down here, he thought as he headed towards his cabin, which was located on the top deck of the three-deck ship. As he walked past what looked like the main room he found the source of the jazz music: the ship’s band was having a good time and was surrounded by many of the passengers. He watched for a while and then went to his cabin.

  He opened the door to cabin 112 and saw that the key was on a small table next to the door. Next to the key was a brochure of the steamboat. He put the key in his pocket and checked out his cabin. Boy, he thought as he looked around, I’ve never been on a real Mississippi steamboat before except for a ship that was converted into a restaurant. He placed his valise on a flat chest at the foot of the bed and checked the room out. The room was on the small side when compared to the ship he just left. The high bed had netting hanging from the four posts and there was a small table on one side that held a vase with flowers in it. On the other side of the bed was a three-drawer dresser with a small mirror over it. He opened a door and saw it was a small closet. Another door next to the closet led to a very small washroom with a toilet bowl and pedestal sink. He grinned as he looked down the toilet bowl to see the Mississippi River. No problem with pollution yet, he thought as he went back to the main room.

  To the left of the cabin door was a square table with an easy chair next to it and two wooden chairs tucked under it. It was then that he realized that the entire room was painted white, the bedposts as well, along with the bed covering and curtains that hung over the single round porthole type window.

  Bill put as much of his clothes away that he could. From what I’ve seen of the passengers, I don’t think they carried a whole lot of extra clothing. I wonder how many are going upriver as far as I am? Closing the door behind him, he stepped out on deck and lit a cigar. Hearing the music, Bill walked towards the large room. As he approached it he looked down at the dock and saw a group of men pulling long ropes that lifted the plank severing the link between the ship and the dock. Suddenly the band left the room, playing as they strutted along the deck while many of the deckhands and passengers followed singing and dancing. The crowd on the dock joined in and when the ship blew its whistle they started dancing too.

  My gosh! Bill thought, these people are really enjoying themselves. He took a long pull on his cigar and followed them thinking, Of course they’re enjoying themselves. They have no television or electronic games and a steamboat offers them some fun-time and gossip. Before I go to bed tonight I’m going to read about the River Queen in the brochure in my cabin.

  Leaning on the ship’s rail Bill watched as young boys ran barefooted through the mud waving up to the ship and as she picked up speed they slowed to a stop. The time traveler grinned as he thought, Watching a steamboat is like a boy in my time watching an aircraft takeoff. Exhilarating!

  There was a group of passengers standing at a bulletin board and as they seemed very animated, Bill joined them. It was the seating instructions for the evening dinner.

  Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight’s dinner will be served in two seating’s. Decks one and two will sit at five o’clock and Deck one will sit at eight o’clock.

  Thank you, Captain Joseph Kipp.

  Knowing he had a bit of a wait, Bill did his usual walk around the ship. He did five circuits before going back to his cabin. As he entered he saw that one of the deckhands slipped a menu under his door. He sat in an easy chair and went over it.

  Appetizers:

  Pimento Cheese Ring with crackers

  Buttermilk Hush Puppies

  Cajun Crawfish Dip

  Main Course:

  Southern Ham

  Barbecued Ribs

  Fried Chicken

  Sides:

  Greens with bacon and onion

  Cole Slaw

  Salad with buttermilk dressing

  Mashed potatoes

  Sweet corn on the cob with chili butter

  Cornbread muffins with sweet butter

  Desserts:

  Coconut layer cake

  Banana Pudding

  Pecan pie

  And don’t forget the sweet tea!

  “Wow! Glad I did my walk before dinner,” he said as he put the menu down.

  Just before eight p.m. Bill entered the grand room, as it was called. It was the length and width of the steamboat with two rows of floor to ceiling wooden columns.

  Once again the entire room was painted white except for the floor, which was made of Cherry hardwood. It was highly polished and reflected the seemingly endless rows of oil lamps on all four walls. The room had as many windows as possible and all were stained glass and open to catch the cool evening breeze. The steady throb of the engine could be felt through the boat and the gentle splashing of the turning paddles at the ship’s rear added to the music being played by the ship’s band.

  Bill sat at a table near one of the open windows. The room quickly filled and it looked more like a wedding as the southern gentlemen entered the room with a beautiful woman on his arm. All wore long, bell-shaped dresses that ended on the very top of their sequenced, low-heeled shoes. All of their sleeves ended between their shoulders and elbow which accentuated their white, elbow length opera gloves and all seemed to be fanning themselves with beautiful linen and silk fans some of which had long strips of silk attached to the bottom of their fan along the lines of a train on a dress. Of course, all of the men wore their best four-button double-breasted jackets and matching pants. While all wore white shirts, many had a frill down the center of theirs and all wore various colored string ties. They seemed to favor cloth-covered button-down shoes as many had them dyed to match their spats.

  Perplexed at seeing the kitchen and dining room staff peeking from the door at the side of the room, it dawned on him, Wow! This is a fashion parade right out of 1892. It’s obvious that this steamboat trip is regarded as an ocean cruise in my time.

  Being next to the window, Bill’s table filled up fast and Bill was glad that he wore a three piece suit as all of the men at his table looked as though they had just stepped out of GQ magazine. Introductions took place as the waiter appeared and took their order. Bill went for the Pimento Cheese Ring with crackers as a starter and Southern Ham for the main dish along with greens with bacon and onions and mashed potatoes with sweet corn on the cob with chili butter and cornbread muffins with sweet butter. For desert, he ordered the Pecan pie and the sweet tea.

  It was a two-hour dinner and Bill was totally stuffed as he excused himself and walked the deck with a Cuban cigar. The deck was almost inky black as the tall trees on both sides of the river grew right down to the water’s edge blocking out any light from the moon. He turned a corner and, as an opening in the tree line allowed a moment of moonlight to illuminate the area, he saw a couple approaching him arm-in-arm. The young woman was dressed in the bell-shaped dress of the times, but it was her hair that Bill found intriguing: She wore it high and every inch of it was done in curls including the very long ones that reached the middle of her back and down and around her pretty face. Then a bearded man stepped into the light and Bill saw that he was dressed like any of the other men aboard but his long white hair was pulled back into a ponytail. As their eyes met Bill felt a chill, as the man’s jet black eyes seemed to penetrate him.

  “Good evening, sir,” the man said as the young woman simply smiled and nodded.

  “Ahh, good evening to you too. Beautiful night . . . “

  The man and woman walked into the darkness and Bill was alone again.

  “Brrrrr,” he said to himself. “Scary guy!” He walked to his cabin and changed into his nightshirt, grabbed the brochure about the ship, fluffed up his pillows and lay back to read.

  The cover showed the River Queen sitting on the river on a bright sunny day and across the top it read, RIVER QUEEN. Bill opened the two-page brochure and read the copy.

  Welcome aboard the River Queen! She is the finest flat-bottomed, rear paddleboat that was ever built. The River Queen was launched August 1, 1879 by the Cincinnati Marine Ways. She has a length of 303 feet with a beam of 45.5 feet and the deck where the cabins are located is 10 feet by 38.5 feet. She has eight steel boilers that are 36 feet long and a diameter of 42 inches and is powered by 13 engines. She has 47 elegant staterooms each of which has its own washroom including hot and cold running water. One hour after each meal the grand room will be set up with gambling tables, wheels and such for the passenger’s enjoyment. They will be removed one hour before the next meal. Whale Arts Inc decorated the River Queen.

  Bill closed the brochure, put out the oil lamp and lay in the dark listening to the throb of the engines and the songs of the crickets and bullfrogs coming from the mudflats on either side of the steamboat as she went upriver.

  It was two o’clock in the morning as the steamboat oozed into a new mud bank and came to a halt. The paddle wheels did nothing but churn up more mud that ended up on the ship’s rear woodwork. Bill joined the other passengers at the front as crewmen with long ropes around their waist and tied to the ship jumped off the front of the ship.

  A crewman stepped in front of the passengers and said, “Ladies an’ gents, nothin’ we can do right now but light every lamp we have to make sure another ship don’t bump into us while we’re stuck here on this mud bank.”

  “Excuse me,” said Bill to the man, “are those crewmen with the ropes around them going to pull the ship out of the mud?”

  The man grinned, “First time on the Mississippi, right, friend?”

  At Bill’s nod he said, “Nope. They wear a rope so we can stop them from sinking into the mud and dying. They walk as far as they can to see how far the mud bank is.”

  “Is this common?”

  The man shrugged, “Depends on what ya call common. The river is always shifting the mud about and we just happen to be the first boat to go this way since she made the new mud bank.”

  “So, how do we get out of it?”

  “Well, since the paddles don’t seem ta be able to get her out, we got ta wait til morning and dig her out.”

  They didn’t leave until one o’clock the next morning and while Bill was nervous about losing so much time, he had to admit that the passengers took the delay as a lark. The captain allowed the band to play on the forward deck and the passengers danced as though it was New Years Eve. When the diggers stepped to the side and the paddles turned slowly and the ship finally moved forward, he heard many of them moan that the party was over.

  The next day the time traveler was up early and after doing five laps around the ship, had a hearty breakfast, wondered what to do with his time. There’s no TV or radio. I can’t sit at the bar all day, and I can only walk so many miles. I need a good book. He asked a crewmember if there was a library and he told him, “Second deck, all the way in the rear.”

  The library was small and as he entered a thin elderly woman behind the desk stood and said as she fiddled with her gray hair, “Sir, this is the library. I’m sure you are looking for another room and have entered here by mistake.”

  “No,” answered Bill, “I was looking for the library.”

  “You were? You mean that you are here to take out a book?”

  “Yes. If that is okay with you.”

  The woman’s eyes were wide and she clasped her hands in front of herself as she answered in an excited voice, “Sir, that is excellent with me. Why I might see one passenger in three trips. In fact, I see many by mistake as they enter this room while looking for the gambling room.”