t without him or his family. Is that a fact?"

"It is true, to the letter," I replied. "I took the colonel and his
family on board of the Sylvania, and they are in the cabin now."

"That's very odd--that Captain Blastblow should leave without his
passengers," added Cornwood. "What does it mean?"

"That is more than any one on board of the Sylvania can explain."

"Was there any money on board of the yacht--I forget her name, though I
have heard you mention it several times?"

"The Islander: she is the twin-sister of the Sylvania, and as near like
her as one pin is like another," I answered. "I am not aware that there
was any money on board of her; and I should say there was not, for the
passengers had not sent their baggage on board."

"Does any one know where she is gone?"

"She is bound to the south, for we saw her off St. Johns' bar headed in
that direction. The pilots off the St. Augustine light saw her to-day
noon. We were chasing her when our passengers desired to get out of the
heavy sea."

"I should think Colonel Shepard would have some idea of the motives of
Captain Blastblow."

"He has no more idea than I have, and I have none. We are inclined to
believe that the captain misunderstood his orders, for Colonel Shepard
was in doubt whether or not he should be able to go up the Mississippi
with us. When the mail got in yesterday afternoon, he wrote a card with
his instructions to Captain Blastblow on it, and sent it off to the
Islander by Nick Boomsby, who happened to be talking to me in the
post-office at the time."

"Sent it off by Nick Boomsby," repeated Cornwood; but he did not appear
to be astonished. "How came Nick to be about at that time?"

I told my late guide and pilot all that passed between me and the son
of my ancient enemy, to which he listened with deep interest. He seemed
to be engaged in earnest thought all the time, as though Nick's
movements had some meaning to him, though not a particle to me. I told
him I was in Captain Boomsby's saloon to say good-by to him at the time
the robbery of the messenger occurred. He questioned me very minutely
in regard to the affair, and I told him all I knew about it.

"Buckner sent for me to act as his counsel; but I thought I could make
more by coming down here," added Cornwood. "I lost one case a few days
ago, and I don't care to lose another yet awhile."

Cornwood laughed as he alluded to his defence of Griffin Leeds, the
mulatto employed by him