ADIEU TO THE BOOMSBYS.
Mr. Peverell, the bank messenger, called at the saloon on his way back.
Doubtless he was not a little concerned about meeting the officers of the bank, after the loss of so large a sum of money. By this time they had heard the news, for it was flying all over the city. He looked very much troubled, as well he might.
"It seems very strange to me," said Peverell, after he had discussed the robbery for a while. "n.o.body came into the saloon while I was there but Buckner. I saw him come in, but I took no further notice of him; and I hadn"t the least idea that anything was wrong till I saw Nick leap over the counter. I can"t see how anybody else could have taken the package; and it is just as hard to tell what became of it."
"I haven"t the least doubt but what he threw it into the river," added Nick Boomsby.
"I don"t see how he could have done it without anybody seeing him,"
replied the messenger. "There were plenty of men standing about the pier."
"There seems to be something the matter here," interposed Peeks, coming up to me at this moment with the telegraphic despatch in his hand. "I am sorry to disturb you, Captain Alick."
"It is none of my affairs," I added, hoping the despatch contained no bad news from home.
"I have a message from Detroit informing me that my father is very sick," added Peeks, opening the despatch. "My mother wants me to come home as quick as I can."
"I am sorry your news is so bad, Mr. Peeks; but there is only one thing for a son to do in such a case," I replied, full of sympathy for our steward. "I hardly know how I shall get along without you; but I cannot ask you to remain under such circ.u.mstances."
"I am sorry to leave, Captain Alick, especially for such a reason. My health has been entirely restored by this cruise, and I would not leave you if I didn"t get a cent for my work, though I have been well and promptly paid. My father has considerable property, and my mother is old and feeble. I am afraid I shall not be able to join you again, for if my father dies, as the doctors say he must, I shall have to look out for his affairs at home. But I have no time to lose, for I must take the train for the North this afternoon."
I paid him the balance of wages due him, and we parted with a hearty shake of hands. His going disturbed me not a little, for he was both skilful and faithful, and his services had been invaluable, when I had so many pa.s.sengers on board the Sylvania. He left the saloon, and for some minutes I forgot the exciting events of the day.
If we were to sail on our next cruise, as had been arranged, the next morning, I must look up a competent steward. But the Florida season was over, and I antic.i.p.ated no trouble in finding one.
By this time there was quite a crowd collected in the saloon, and for half an hour longer the robbery was talked over. Nothing new was brought out. Buckner had taken the package from the counter, Nick had pursued him, and the money was not found. They could not get beyond these facts, or beyond these apparent facts, for things are not always as they seem.
Peverell left when he found he could get no further in his investigation, and then for a time there was a lively business done at both bars of the saloon. The negroes had come into the front room to hear what was said, and they could not leave till each of them had imbibed all the cheap whiskey he could get into one of Captain Boomsby"s thick-bottomed tumblers. Nick was just as busy at the front bar. I could not help looking at him as he dealt out the dangerous fluids--doubly dangerous after pa.s.sing through Captain Boomsby"s hands.
I doubted whether he had any ambition to become anything better than a bartender. He was about my age, but not half so robust, for, being an only son, his father and mother humored him, and never compelled him to do anything like hard work, as they had me.
Nick was dressed in rather cheap, but flashy, clothes, and wore an enormous gla.s.s diamond in his shirt front. At the present time he seemed to be doing his dirty work in a very mechanical manner, as though he were thinking of something else. He had to ask every customer twice over what he wanted, and even then gave him the wrong bottle.
But the rush of business was soon over. Captain Boomsby came out of the negro bar, and Nick joined him in the rear of the front saloon. The father looked at the son, and the son looked at the father, and then both of them looked at me, as though they did not care to say anything in my presence.
"I suppose I shall have to go to court, father," said Nick, "and I guess I had better go up stairs and slick up a little."
"You look well enough as you be," replied the elder Boomsby.
"If I am going into the court, I want my best clothes on. Besides, father, you said I might go out this afternoon," replied Nick, who evidently had other views in his head than the court. "Mother had just as lief tend bar this afternoon as not."
"I s"pose she had, but I don"t want her in the bar when I can help it,"
added the captain, whose marital relations had become decidedly unpleasant, as I had learned from observation.
"Well, Captain Boomsby, I must say good-bye to you again," I interposed, not caring to wait for the father and son to settle the question between them.
I offered my hand and he took it; but I don"t think he was inclined to weep at my departure. I thought that Nick looked at me with more than usual interest, and when I took him by the hand to say good-bye to him, he pressed my hand warmly. Before, when I had met him, he was hardly disposed to speak to me at all. He and his mother kept the old sores open.
"I have never been on board of your steamer yet, Captain Alick," said he, with a sort of ghastly grin, which I could not understand. "I wanted to get out this afternoon to make a visit to her."
"She can be seen by everybody who chooses to visit her, and I shall be glad to see you on board of her," I replied. "All hands are on sh.o.r.e now, except Cobbington, who is acting as ship-keeper. He will show you all over the Sylvania, if I am not on board."
"Where are you going from here in her?" asked Nick.
"We shall run down the coast of Florida, then across the Gulf of Mexico, and then up the Mississippi," I replied.
"I wish I was going with you," added Nick.
I did not wish he was going with me, and so I said nothing. I had taken leave of the captain and his son, and was about to depart when Mrs.
Boomsby came into the saloon from the front entry.
"You here, Sandy," said she, bestowing a look of disgust upon me.
"I leave early to-morrow morning, and I dropped in to say good-bye. I will say the same to you, Mrs. Boomsby," I added, moving towards the door.
"You needn"t trouble yourself to say good-bye to me, for sakes knows I don"t keer whether I ever see you again or not," replied the amiable lady, with a frown on her countenance which was enough to prevent me from saying anything more. I bowed and moved towards the door.
"I s"pose you think you are mighty grand, sailin" about in a steam yacht; but you"ll come to a bad end yet," continued Mrs. Boomsby.
That was just what her husband had said to me, and I concluded they had talked the matter over again. I did not wait to hear any more. I entered the saloon on a friendly mission; I had forgiven my worst enemies,--I could conceive of none worse than the Boomsbys,--and I was not willing to have any words with the most virulent one of the family.
I walked out of the saloon. I heard some further uncomplimentary allusions to myself as I closed the door behind me; but I believed that was the last I should ever see of any of the Boomsby family.
I walked up to Colonel Shepard"s house, and found all the family, as well as Owen there. They were evidently engaged in the discussion of some topic of interest when I entered. I had come up to press their acceptance of the invitation I had given them to continue the yachting excursion with me up the Mississippi; but before I had time to say anything about it, Owen told me the Shepards had concluded to decline the invitation. I was rather taken aback by this announcement, for the party were exceedingly pleasant company, and I knew that Margie Tiffany would enjoy being with her friend, Edith Shepard.
"You have treated us exceedingly well, Captain Alick, on board of the Sylvania, and we shall all be grateful to you as long as we live, for all the pleasure you have afforded us," said Colonel Shepard.
"I shall be greatly disappointed, sir, if your family do not go with us," I answered, wondering at his decision. "We can accommodate you very well, and the more the merrier, you know."
"You forget that I am the owner of a steam yacht like the Sylvania,"
continued Colonel Shepard, smiling. "I expected to send her to New York, but I concluded not to do so until we were ready to go ourselves."
"I knew that the Islander was still here, and she can take you anywhere you wish to go as comfortably as the Sylvania; but I should be very glad to have you continue to be our pa.s.sengers."
"As you have your father with you now, I think you will get along very well without us," laughed the colonel. "I only wish I had you and your crew to run the Islander for me."
"Thank you; you are very kind, sir. I am afraid we shall not be able to leave the Sylvania. But where are you going?"
"It is still an open question whether we proceed directly to New York, cruise awhile in the vicinity of Florida, or go with you. I am not quite willing to leave the State until I have pulled in a few more red-fish, black ba.s.s, and other fish such as we caught in Indian River."
"I suppose you don"t propose to take Captain Boomsby with you as captain of the Islander. You remember that he came to Florida in command of her," I added.
"I don"t propose to take any such person. I retain the captain and crew I engaged to take the Islander to New York," replied Colonel Shepard.
"Captain Blastblow has seen service in a yacht, and has commanded a steamer."
"I have no doubt he is entirely competent."
"I think he is, or I would not trust my family to his care. While we were up the St. Johns, he put the Islander in first-rate condition. He has had her boiler and machinery overhauled, and declares she has the best engine he ever saw in a steamer. I went down to see her as soon as we arrived. He has engaged a steward, waiters, and others, and I think we shall be ready to sail as soon as you are," continued the colonel.
"We are off early to-morrow morning," I added.