tance of the
invalid lady. But Mrs. Shepard recovered from her agitation in a few
minutes.

"I say, Alick, how much more of this sort of thing are we to have,"
asked Owen, when the excitement had subsided. "Are we to have a scene
like this every day in the week?"

"I hope not," I replied.

"We had better let the man's wife go than have him following us in this
sort of fashion. How came the fellow up here, when we left him at
Jacksonville this forenoon?"

"I suppose he came up in that steamer," I answered, pointing to a boat
a couple of miles up the river. "The hands ought not to have let the
fellow come on board."

"The rascal is a regular butcher, and we must all follow the American
fashion of carrying a revolver."

"I see just how it was: we had to run in at the side of this pier, so
that a steamer that had occasion to stop here could make a landing at
the end of the wharf."

"Is that the reason why that villain wanted to stab somebody?" asked
Owen, with a wondering stare.

"Well, not exactly. The crew of the Sylvania were on the forecastle,
under the awning, for I saw them rushing aft when I heard the woman
scream," I continued.

"Then it was because the crew were on the forecastle?" inquired my
cousin, with open mouth.

"When Griffin landed from that steamer, he probably saw Chloe on the
quarter-deck, or if he did not, he went into the cabin and found her.
The crew being forward of the deck-house did not see him. She refused
to leave the steamer with him, and he undertook to take her away by
force," I explained.

"And you think that makes it all right, Alick?" asked Owen.

"I think not. If I had thought of such a thing as Griffin's coming on
board, I should have set a watch to prevent him from doing so. I shall
take this precaution in future."

"Does that mean that you will set a watch in the future?" asked Owen,
seriously.

"That is just what it means: and one is lucky when the dull brain of a
Briton catches the idea," I replied.

The appearance of the young ladies called Owen away, and I announced to
the passengers that they would want their fishing-gear in the course of
half an hour. I had plenty of fishing-tackle of all sorts which I kept
on board; and I knew that all the gentlemen in the cabin, unless it was
Mr. Tiffany, were supplied with all the implements for fishing and
shooting. Cornwood had procured a supply of bait while we were at
dinner. The fasts were cast off, and we backed out