rfectly consistent
with all I knew of the man. I did not care to say anything more about
the case.

"After hearing your version of the affair, Captain Garningham, I am
inclined to return to Jacksonville this afternoon, and offer my
services to the prisoner. When he gets out of jail he will have money
enough to pay me handsomely," chuckled the lawyer; "but perhaps I can
do something better if I can recover Colonel Shepard's lost
steam-yacht."

"Do you think you can recover it?" I asked, curiously.

"I am quite confident I can. I suppose you will sail as soon as the
weather will permit?" continued Cornwood.

"We shall. As I said, I am convinced that Captain Blastblow has simply
misunderstood his orders. I think he will proceed directly to New
Orleans, possibly touching at Key West."

"He will certainly put in at Key West; but he will probably be from ten
to twenty hours ahead of the Sylvania, and he will not wait for you. I
should like to see Colonel Shepard."

I called the colonel up from the cabin, and as it was raining in
torrents, I conducted him and the lawyer to my stateroom.

"For two hundred dollars--I can't work for nothing, and find myself,
though I should be glad to do so for Colonel Shepard--I will recover
and return your yacht to you at Key West, or at some point this side of
there; half down to pay my expenses, and half when the Islander is
delivered to you," said Cornwood.

"I haven't much confidence in you, Mr. Cornwood, and I don't care to
advance any money to you," replied the owner of the lost steamer.

"Quite natural, colonel. I will do it without any advance. But in half
an hour it will be too late to do anything," replied Cornwood, not at
all repelled by the colonel's lack of confidence in him. "I must be in
Cedar Keys to-morrow night; and I must be in Jacksonville this evening
in order to do it. I shall get to Key West Sunday morning, and find the
Islander there."

The plan was considered at length, and finally the colonel assented to
it, and wrote the instructions for Cornwood. He hastened on shore.

CHAPTER X.

INTELLIGENCE OF THE ISLANDER.

It rained very hard all the rest of the day and all night, and it
continued to blow heavily until the next morning. It was not till noon
that the ocean looked quiet enough to induce us to take ladies to sea
again, after the experience of the day before. We had lost twenty-four
hours, and if the Islander had not put in at some inlet, or