by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXIV.
UP THE RIVER.
Clarence called a dray, and had all Flora's things conveyed to the househe was fitting up as his residence. The raft and its apparatus he sold,and he gave me the money. This was the end of the craft which hadbrought us on our voyage of seventeen hundred and fifty miles. Wereturned to the house of Mr. Goodridge in the afternoon.
The physician had only repeated his advice that Emily must have a changeof climate. Her father had already decided to accompany her to the Northhimself. Clarence declared that Flora must not stay in the city duringthe sickly season. He had been married a month before, and if we hadremained in Torrentville, the letter he wrote to us just before thehappy event would doubtless have reached us. It had been his plan tostart for New York early in August, and to return to New Orleans by theway of the West in October, taking Flora and me with him. Our unexpectedarrival changed his purpose. In the course of a week it was arrangedthat we should go to Torrentville at once, and Mr. Goodridge and hisdaughter were to accompany us.
Flora and I remained at the house of the merchant during our stay in thecity, though we frequently saw my brother's wife. She soon became muchattached to Flora; the gentle invalid was so patient and loving that shecould not help it. If there had been no cloud hanging over me, I shouldhave been very happy in the bright prospect before me; but I hoped, whenwe arrived at Torrentville, that Squire Fishley would find a way toextricate me from my dilemma.
"Buck," said Clarence to me, on the day before we started, "you beginlife under brighter auspices than I did. Mr. Goodridge has just paidover to me the sum of ten thousand dollars, to be invested for you, andto be paid over to you when you are of age."
"Ten thousand dollars!" I exclaimed, amazed at the magnitude of the sum.
"And the same sum for Flora. Well, twenty thousand dollars is not muchfor him. He is a very rich man, and Emily is his pet. He has three sons;but all of them are bad boys, and all his hope in this world rests inhis daughter. You are a lucky fellow, Buck."
"I didn't think of anything of this kind," I added, filled with wonderat my good fortune.
"I don't say you didn't deserve it; for, according to all accounts, youbehaved well, and the girl would certainly have been drowned if you hadnot saved her. I am proud of you, Buck; but I wish you were well out ofthis Torrentville scrape."
That worried him; and, indeed, it worried me, after I had heard so muchsaid about it. If I had understood the matter as well in the time of itas I did afterwards, doubtless I should not have trusted to flight forsafety, but faced my accusers. My sudden departure could not have failedto confirm the suspicions of Captain Fishley, and probably Ham had madethe best use of the circumstances.
The next day we went on board of a fine steamer bound to St. Louis.State-rooms had been engaged for the whole party, and I should be gladto tell the story of the journey if space would permit. We enjoyed itvery much, and on the way I pointed out to my companions the variousobjects of interest connected with the slower voyage of the raft. Atfirst Emily was timid on board of the steamer; but her father introducedthe captain to her, and he assured her that the boilers were new, andthat he never raced with other boats under any circumstances. Sheacquired confidence. Her health had improved a great deal, and she wasable to sit up all day.
At St. Louis we took another steamer, and from that were transferred toa third, which went up the Wisconsin River. When we arrived atRiverport, I felt as though I was at home, though I dreaded to appearagain in Torrentville. At St. Louis I had written a long letter toSquire Fishley, narrating all the facts of the robbery of the mail, andthe charge against me. I assured him I should keep the promise I hadmade to him, if I had to die in jail for doing so, and that he might doas he pleased about assisting me. I told him our party would be inRiverport by the 10th of June, and wished him to write me there,advising me what to do.
On my arrival at Riverport I went to the post-office, and obtained theletter which was waiting for me. The senator wrote that he would meet mein Riverport as soon after the 10th of June as his business wouldpermit. He thanked me very warmly for keeping his secret so well, andassured me I should not suffer for my fidelity to him.
This letter made me happy. I told Clarence that the gentleman who hadgiven me the money was coming to my relief, and would be in Riverportwithin a few days. As the party were pleasantly situated at the hotel,it was decided to remain until the "mysterious personage," as Clarencecalled him, made his appearance. Then the awkward fact that when he didcome he would be recognized, by my friends, as the tippler who hadfallen overboard, would be disclosed; and I blamed myself for what I hadsaid to them. I stated my dilemma to Clarence, and he placed the wholeparty under the seal of secrecy.
I had promised not to tell who had given me the money. I had not doneso; but I had said enough to enable my friends to know who he was whenthe squire came. It was awkward, but I could not help it, though Iblamed myself for saying even as much as I did.
Emily and I had become fast friends. Before we started from New Orleans,Clarence had dressed me up in a new suit of black clothes, and Iflattered myself that I was not a bad-looking fellow. I was satisfiedthat Emily did not think I was an ill-favored young man. We had somepleasant walks at the places where we stopped.
I was very impatient for the arrival of Squire Fishley. I expected himthe day after we reached Riverport; but he did not come. In the eveningI went to the vicinity of the post-office, and had a view of Darky andthe wagon; but it was driven by a strange boy, who had been employed totake my place. I did not care to be recognized by any one fromTorrentville; but as this boy did not know me, I ventured to go up andpat my friend the black horse on the neck. The old fellow seemed toknow me, and whether he enjoyed the interview or not, I am sure I did.While I was caressing the horse, the new boy came out of the office withthe mail-bag in his hand. He looked curiously at me, and seemed towonder how I happened to be on such good terms with his horse.
"What's the news up to Torrentville?" I asked.
"Nothing particular, as I know of," he replied, looking hard at me.
"Is Captain Fishley there now?"
"Yes."
"How's Ham?"
"First rate."
"How long have you driven the mail team?"
"Going on three weeks. You see the feller that drove it before robbedthe mail, and had to run away."
"Did he? What became of him?"
"That's what puzzles 'em. They can't git no clew to him. He clearedabout two months ago, and they hain't seen hide nor hair on him sence.Do you know him?"
"Know whom?" I asked, startled by this direct question.
"Buck Bradford, the feller that robbed the mail and run away."
"Why do you ask?"
"O, nothin'; only the postmaster here told me to tell Captain Fishleythat a letter came here for Buck Bradford, and that a young feller tookit out. You haven't seen nothin' on him--have you?"
I did not choose to answer this question, and I edged off, withoutmaking any reply. It appeared that I was generally known in Torrentvilleas the mail robber, who had run away to escape the consequences of hiscrime. The reflection galled me; but the day of redemption was at hand.I did not quite like it that the postmaster had sent word of my presencein Riverport to my tyrants; for I did not wish to be taken up before thearrival of my most important witness. I deemed it prudent, therefore, tokeep out of sight to some extent, though I did not put myself out muchabout it.
Squire Fishley did not come on the second day after our arrival, to myvery great disappointment, for I began to fear that I should be snappedup by some greedy constable. The keeper of the hotel, who did notrecognize me in the trim suit I wore, had a very handsome keel boat,prettily painted, which he kept for the use of the pleasure travelfrequenting his house. Sim and I had rowed our friends up and down theriver in this boat, and I engaged it for the third day, as soon as Ifound that the senator was not a passenger on the down-river steamer. Iintended to make a long excurs
ion in her, as much to keep myself out ofthe way, as for the fun of it. I invited Emily and Flora to go, and theygladly accepted the invitation.
THE ARREST OF BUCK BRADFORD.--Page 277.]
After breakfast we embarked, with a plentiful supply of luncheon onboard, for we did not mean to return till the middle of the afternoon. Iproposed to go up the creek, and then up the branch to the swamp, wherewe had started on our long voyage upon the raft. Sim and I pulledcheerfully, and our passengers were delighted with the trip. We enteredthe gloomy swamp; but the river had fallen, so that its banks were nolonger covered with water. I showed Emily the place where Sim and I hadbuilt the raft. We landed, and walked up the slope far enough for her tosee the house and store of the Fishleys. In the cool shade of theswamp we lunched, and enjoyed ourselves to the utmost. My fair companionwas an interested listener, and wished to know every particular inregard to the raft, which had been the means of saving her life.
About three o'clock we started to return, and the passage was sopleasant that it seemed like a dream of fairy-land. I sat at the afteroar, with Emily directly in front of me; and I am not altogether surethat this circumstance was not the origin of the fairy idea; at anyrate, her presence enhanced the joy of the occasion. All went merry as amarriage bell till we reached a part of the river called the Ford.
At this stage of the river the water was not three feet deep; and, justas we were passing the shoalest part of the Ford, two men leaped intothe water, and waded out to the boat. Sim and I were resting on our oarsat the time, and so sudden was the movement that I had no time to getout of the way.
One of these men seized the boat, and the other, in whom I recognizedStevens, the constable from Torrentville, grasped me by the collar, anddragged me out of the boat to the shore.
"We have got you at last," said the officer.
"Hookie!" shouted Sim, as he stood up in the boat gazing at me, with hiseyes distended, and his mouth wide open.
My tyrants had me again.