in her handwriting. The one directed to
Mr. Winn Caspar, Mandrake, Iowa, read as follows:

"MY DARLING BOY,--How could you leave us as you did? And why don't you
come home? Don't lose a minute in hunting up your Uncle Billy, who is
now in Mandrake. He will supply you with money, and tell you what to
do.

"Ever lovingly, but in great haste,

"YOUR OWN MOTHER."

To the Captain of the _Whatnot_ Mrs. Caspar wrote:

"Sir,--In the absence of my husband, I took the liberty of opening your
note to him of the 1st inst. In it you write that you are anxious to
discover our boy's whereabouts, when, by the same mail, I am advised by
him that he is on board the very boat of which you claim to be Captain
and owner. I of course take my boy's word in preference to that of any
stranger. Having thus detected the hollowness of your sympathy, and
the falseness of your pretended friendship for my husband, I must
request you to refrain from further meddling in this matter. Yours
etc.,----ELLEN CASPAR."

Fortunately, as this letter was addressed to Captain Cod, Esq., instead
of to Mr. Aleck Fifield, the old man never received it, and in due time
it was returned to the writer from the Dead-letter Office.

To Billy Brackett Mrs. Caspar wrote:

"MY DEAR GOOSE OF A BROTHER,--I have just received a letter from Winn
written at Mandrake. He is on the _Mantel-piece_, and out of money.
Please supply him with whatever he needs, and bring him home to me as
quickly as possible. As for the raft, I am sorry, of course, that you
cannot find it; but so long as Winn is safe, nothing else seems to
matter.

"John writes full of enthusiasm concerning the contract, and I shall
tell him nothing of your absurd doings until you and Winn are safely
back here. Ever lovingly your sister,----ELLEN."

CHAPTER XX.

BIM GROWLS.

During the following day, while these letters were on their way to the
little Iowa town in which the principal actors in this story were
playing at such cross-purposes, active preparations were being made on
board the _Whatnot_ for the first exhibition of its panorama. In those
days the panorama filled the place now taken by the stereopticon; and
though its crude pictures lacked the photographic truth of lantern
slides, they were by no means devoid of interest. In fact, their
gorgeousness of color, and the vagueness of detail that allowed each to
represent several scenes, according to the pleasure of the lectu