by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VII.
A FOG OFF THE FLORIDA COAST.
The Sylvania was close-hauled, and I gave out the course southsouth-east. This was the navigation to take the steamer around thepeninsula into the Gulf of Mexico, though we intended to put in at KeyWest, in order to see the place. Washburn noted the departure on thelog slate in the pilot-house, and, as it was necessary for us to run byour dead reckoning, the log was heaved every hour. In a short time wewere buried in the fog, and kept our steam-whistle going at the properintervals.
The young ladies soon deserted the pilot-house, for we were obliged tokeep the front windows open, and the air was cold and moist. Owen leftwith them, and my father and Colonel Shepard soon took their places.The owner of the Islander was still too much excited to keep still. Hetried to see through the fog; but he might as well have attempted tolook through a rocky hill.
"How far ahead do you think the Islander is now, Captain Alick?" askedthe Colonel.
"About eight miles, I should judge, unless Captain Blastblow hassucceeded in getting more speed out of the Islander than any one elseever could," I replied at once, for I had estimated the distancebefore.
"Do you really think you are gaining on her?"
"I have no doubt of it," I replied, confidently. "They hurried theIslander down the river; and when both vessels are doing their best theSylvania gains about a knot an hour on the Islander. I have tried thiswith her when she had a sailing-master on board who knew all about her,and had sailed her hundreds of miles. I don't believe Captain Blastblowcan do any better with her than Captain Braceback; and I used to beathim every time."
"I dare say you are quite right, Captain Alick," added Colonel Shepard."It is reasonable to suppose that a man who is used to a vessel can dobetter with her than a stranger."
"I got only a glimpse of the Islander when the fog lifted for a moment,and saw only her spars and sails," I continued. "I have hadconsiderable experience in judging of distances on the water. I shouldlike to have you ask the others on board how far off they think theother steamer was when we saw her."
The colonel liked the suggestion, and he was so much interested in thequestion that he wished to have the best information he could obtain. Icalled Washburn first. No one but Hop Tossford at the wheel had heardthe conversation, and they could not be influenced by my opinion of thematter. The mate said seven miles. Buck Lingley made it nine miles, andthen Ben Bowman was summoned.
"Just about eight miles, I should say," replied Ben, when the questionwas put to him.
"No two of them agree, though they do not differ widely," said theColonel, when all who had seen the Islander had answered.
"Ben Bowman has had more experience than all the rest of us puttogether," I added. "But, Colonel, if you will average all the answers,you will find the result is just eight miles. We may be all wrong.Captain Blastblow talks louder than the rest of us, but when he beatsthe Sylvania in a fair stand-up run, I wish you would let me know it,if I don't find it out before you do."
I felt almost absolutely certain of the ground I stood on, for I hadtried this same issue when the result was almost a case of life anddeath with me. The Sylvania had been built after the Islander, and herconstructor had an opportunity to improve on her model. Our engine wasa little more powerful than that of the other yacht, and a defect inthe lines of the latter had been corrected in building ours. But thefact of our superior speed had been several times demonstrated byactual trial, and the improvements in our model and machinery onlyexplained what had been proved. It was of course possible that CaptainBlastblow had some "knack" of getting more speed out of a steamer thanI had; but I was willing to believe, in this case, only what was fairlyproved.
"We may miss the Islander in this fog," continued Colonel Shepard,peering anxiously through the fog.
"We may, sir," I replied. "There is nothing to prevent her from comingabout and running back to Jacksonville."
"What if she should do that?" asked the owner of the stray yacht.
"We are in the dark as to the intentions of her captain; and everythingdepends upon them," I answered.
"What can his intentions possibly be?" inquired the colonel, knittinghis brow, as he recurred once more to the well-worn topic for at leastthe twentieth time.
"It is quite impossible to conjecture his motives. He has either made amistake in regard to his instructions, or he means to run away with theIslander."
"What mistake could he have made in regard to his instructions?"demanded the colonel, who had not admitted the possibility for aninstant of any mistake. "Last night I wrote his instructions to beready to sail at seven, and sent them off to him by the young man whowas with you."
"Did you write seven this morning, sir?" I asked.
"I think I did, though I should not be willing to swear to it," repliedthe colonel, looking a little blank at the idea of such a mistake.
"If you simply said seven, he may have taken it to mean seven thisevening," I suggested.
"He could not have thought we intended to go down the river and crossthe bar in the night."
"I should say not; but Captain Blastblow is a very brilliant man, andhas been around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope so many times thathe ought to know what he is about," I replied, letting out a little ofmy pique at the commander of the Islander for his implications againstme.
"Allowing that I wrote 'seven P.M.,' or that I did not write eithermorning or evening, what is Captain Blastblow doing down here?"demanded Colonel Shepard, warmly.
"If he understood that you were not to sail till this evening, he mayhave brought the Islander out here to try her, and enable him to getaccustomed to her ways before he took on board his passengers. That isall the explanation I can suggest, but I don't think it will holdwater. He knows very well, for he has been around Cape Horn severaltimes, that if he comes out here in a fog, he may not be able to getback to Jacksonville in time to take you on board to-night, or evento-morrow or next day."
"If Captain Blastblow had any doubt in regard to my orders, he couldhave sent one of his men up to my house, and ascertained just what Iintended," said the owner, rather wrathfully.
"That is what I should have done; but Captain Blastblow has had moreexperience than I have," I replied, with a smile.
"Did you notice anything unusual about the Islander, or the conduct ofthose on board of her, when you saw her this morning, Captain Alick?"continued the colonel.
"Nothing at all, sir. A boat went off to her a few moments before sheweighed her anchor," I answered. "There were two persons in the boatwhen it went alongside the Islander, but only one returned to the shorein it. I concluded some one of her officers or crew had remained ashoreover night, and came off in a shore boat. I did not think of the boattill you asked the question."
"I don't see that the boat throws any light on the transaction," musedthe owner. "We don't know who was in the boat, though if we were inJacksonville, we could easily ascertain."
"I don't have any idea that we shall know anything about this matteruntil we overhaul the Islander," I added. "We can guess for the nextweek, but we are as likely to guess wrong as right."
"I can't help being considerably disturbed about this mysteriousconduct of Captain Blastblow; but I do not see that we are likely to beany wiser in regard to it, as Captain Alick says, till we see thecaptain," replied the colonel. "We have got to make the best of it, andbe patient till we learn more. What do you think of it, MajorGarningham?"
"I don't think it is possible to form an intelligent opinion withoutfurther information in regard to the facts," replied my father. "I ammore inclined to believe that Captain Blastblow has made a mistake ofsome kind, than that he means anything wrong. It would be worse thanfolly for him to attempt to run away with the steam-yacht, for he issure to be discovered and punished."
"If it is a mistake or a misunderstanding, it is a very queer one. ButI am not disposed to worry about the matter, and I shall try toreconcile myself to the situation," replied Col
onel Shepard, strugglingto laugh off his anxiety for the safety of his yacht.
I think it was the want of her, more than the value of the craft, thattroubled and vexed him. He was a very wealthy man, and if she was lostentirely to him, it would hardly impair his fortune.
"We shall do the best we can to solve the problem, and overhaul theIslander," I continued; "but, after all, we may miss her. If CaptainBlastblow has made a blunder, or there is any misunderstanding, he mustsoon discover it. If he has only come out here for a trial trip, andshould happen to pass us in the fog without our seeing him, he knowsthe Sylvania will put into Key West. If he gets back to Jacksonville,and finds that you have left in our steamer, he will return at once,and find us at our anchorage in port."
"When shall you reach Key West, Captain Alick?" asked the colonel.
"If we have good weather, it is a run of from forty-two to forty-fivehours. If this fog continues, it will take longer than that, for thenavigation is not all plain sailing," I replied.
"And you think you can overtake the Islander in about eight hours?"
"I think so, sir; but I can't say that we shall come near enough to seeor hear her in this fog," I answered. "I think you had better make yourparty comfortable on board of the Sylvania, and leave the rest of thematter to me and my officers."
"I am confident that is the better way for you; and I am sure Alickwill do all he can both to make you and your family comfortable in thecabin, and to find your runaway vessel," added my father.
Colonel Shepard yielded to this advice, and I went down into theafter-cabin with all the passengers to arrange about the staterooms andberths. Our involuntary guests declared that they were very sorry tomake so much trouble, and especially to disturb our arrangements onboard. Both my father and I assured them they made no trouble, and thatwe were not at all disturbed by their presence, inasmuch as we hadinvited them to take the cruise in the Sylvania, and were glad to havethem on board.
I had made a diagram of the cabin, and assigned rooms and berths to allthe passengers, when I supposed they were to sail with us. I proceededto arrange our guests in accordance with this plan.
"Let me have a berth in the fore-cabin, Alick," said Owen to me in awhisper.
"There is no need of that, Owen," I replied. "There is room enough forall of you in this cabin, and some to spare. Colonel and Mrs. Shepardwill occupy the port stateroom, as before, when they have sailed withus," I continued, consulting my diagram.
The colonel protested that he would not occupy the best stateroom; butI insisted, and went on giving out the apartments.
"Miss Edith and Miss Margie will take the starboard stateroom."
Both of them screamed with delight at this disposition of them, andMargie declared that I was a "dear, good little Captain Alick," thoughI was bigger in stature than her father. I had given the two largerrooms to those who were to double-up in them; and of the two remainingrooms, I gave one to my father and the other to Mr. Tiffany. Owen andGus were assigned to the two berths next to the rooms, which left twoothers for Chloe and the steward. The curtains drew out in front of theberths, so that the spaces within them were almost the same asstaterooms. All were satisfied. I gave orders to Cobbington to providetables for all. Leaving the passengers to arrange their baggage intheir new quarters, I returned to the deck.
The fog was as dense as ever, and we could not see more than a ship'slength ahead. Ben Bowman was on the top-gallant forecastle, and BuckLingley on the fore-yard, keeping the lookout. We were driving thesteamer in spite of the fog, and I had some hope that we might soon geta sight of the chase, or at least hear the sound of her whistle.