noon
The peaceful inhabitants , most of them of the old French strain , looked out in amazement at the jaded horses , the hard-faced men . By this time the original half dozen riders had received reinforcements at different plantations , so that a band of perhaps thirty armed men had assembled . It had needed little more for the average listener than a word telling the news . Brief inquiry at St. Genevieve informed them that the little steamer _ Helen Bell _ had passed the town front that day soon after noon . As she depended almost as much upon poles and lines for her up-stream progress as upon her steam , it was thought likely she would tie up for the night at some point not more than ten or twelve miles up-stream . Dunwody therefore determined to ride across the river bed at its shortest distance , in the attempt to intercept the steamer , relying upon chance to secure small boats near at hand should they be necessary . His men by this time were glad enough to dismount and take some sort of refreshment before this last stage of their journey .