to that, knowing Irving would be on the wharf, eager to meet
me.
In sailing through the Narrows and past Staten Island I was making up my
mind as to the little speech I would make. We rapidly neared the wharf
in Jersey City, and I quickly recognized Irving standing on the edge of
the closely packed crowd, watching the steamer with a nervous look on
his face. A rogue suspects every one, and although by this time he had
become pretty well satisfied as to my good faith, no doubt he would be
happier when he had his share of the plunder safe in his pocket. I was
standing close to the rail between two ladies, and saw Irving before he
saw me. Waving my handkerchief, his eye suddenly fell on me. With a
smile and pointing significantly to my pocket, I gave him a salute. An
eager look came into his face, and waving his hand he cried out: "I am
glad to see you!" and no doubt he spoke the truth. When the gangplank
was thrown ashore, and I saw him making his way toward it, evidently
intending to board the steamer, I thought how surprised he would be when
I told him I would have no more of his game. He sprang on board, rushed
to me with a beaming face, grasped my hand, and putting the other on my
shoulder, led me toward the gangway. He had not spoken yet, but as we
were going down the gangplank he said: "My boy, you have done
splendidly," and then, putting his mouth close to my ear, whispered: "We
have got another job for you, and it's a beauty!"
I don't mean to pester my reader with a moral, or by too much
moralizing, although I am tempted to do so. There is ample material for
a course of sermons in that "we have another job for you" coming to me
just then. But, leaving my reader to draw his own moral, I must go on
with my narrative.
Going up the wharf with Irving, I was on the point of telling him I
wanted no more jobs, but weakly put it off, and by so doing, of course,
made it more difficult. He told me Stanley and White were waiting at
Taylor's Hotel on Montgomery street, a few doors up from the wharf. We
soon were there, and they gave me a warm and even enthusiastic
reception. Then I began to tell some of my adventures on the journey, to
which they listened with unfeigned admiration, and, opening my bag, I
produced the sixteen bills of exchange for $5,000 each, informing them
they should have their cash in ninety minutes. It was curious to see
these men handle the bills of exchange, passing them from one to
another, examin
|