The Boy saw his pony safely housed on board the _Ætna_, and amid the clang of bells and the scream of whistles, the floating wonder swung out from her wharf into the yellow tide of the Ohio.
Scores of people crowded her decks for the pleasure of a ride ten miles down the river to return in their carriages.
The Captain of the _Ætna_, Robinson DeHart, held the Boy in a spell by his lofty manners. He had been a sailor on board an ocean-going brig. To him the landing of his vessel was an event, no matter how often the stop was made, whether to put off a single passenger, or take on a regiment. In fact, he never landed the _Ætna_, even to take on a cord of wood, without the use of his enormous speaking trumpet and his big brass spy-glass.
A beautiful, slow, uneventful voyage on the Father of Waters landed the Boy in safety at the Woodville stopping-place. He leaped down the gang-plank with a shout and clasped his Big Brother's hand.
"Won't little mother be surprised and glad?"
"Let's fool her," the Boy cried. "Let me go up by myself and she won't know me!"
The brother stopped at the village and the young stranger walked alone to his father's house. How beautiful it all seemed--the big log house with the cabins clustering around it! A horse neighed at the barn and a colt answered from the field.
He walked boldly up to the porch and just inside the door sat his lovely mother. She had been one of the most beautiful girls in all South Carolina in her day, his father had often said. She was beautiful still. She had known what happiness was. She was the mother of ten strong children--five boys and five girls--and her heart was young with their joys and hopes. A smile was playing about her fine mouth. She was dreaming perhaps of his coming.
The Boy cleared his throat with a deep manly note and spoke in studied careless tones:
"Seen any stray horses around here, ma'am?"
The mother's eyes flashed as she sprang through the doorway and snatched him to her heart with a cry of joy:
"No--but I see a stray Boy! Oh, my darling, my baby, my heart!"
And then words failed. She loosed her hold and held him at arm's length, tried to say something, but only clasped him again and cried for joy.
"Please, Ma, let me have him!" Polly pleaded.