by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER X.
INTELLIGENCE OF THE ISLANDER.
It rained very hard all the rest of the day and all night, and itcontinued to blow heavily until the next morning. It was not till noonthat the ocean looked quiet enough to induce us to take ladies to seaagain, after the experience of the day before. We had lost twenty-fourhours, and if the Islander had not put in at some inlet, or made a leeunder Cape Canaveral, was half way to Key West. It was useless to thinkof overtaking her on the passage, unless she had spent a day inMosquito Inlet.
Colonel Shepard's letter was addressed to Captain Blastblow, though itwas an open one, directing him to await the arrival of the Sylvania atKey West. I had no faith in Cornwood; but I was willing to believe hethought he could intercept the Islander at Key West, or he would nothave gone on a "wild-goose chase" at his own expense. If he recoveredthe steam-yacht he would get two hundred dollars for his services; ifhe failed, he would get nothing. So far as I could see, no risk wasincurred by the colonel in allowing the Floridian to go on thismission.
The weather was delightful after we got outside of the harbor of St.Augustine. The wind was west, and the air was as balmy as summer. Weplaced easy-chairs on the quarter-deck for the ladies. The long swellsof the ocean gave a steady and regular roll to the vessel. The partydeclared that the sail was "perfectly delightful," and they did not seehow the sea could be so angry and savage as it had been the day before.
The mate noted the departure from St. Augustine light at half-pasttwelve. I had a chart laid out on my table in the stateroom, on which Ihad marked the route of the vessel to Key West, with the courses anddistances, in red ink. It was our rule to heave the lead every hour,though the Sylvania made a regular average of ten knots an hour whenshe was not hurried. When we came to a point of land, or any opening inthe coast, we could tell what it was.
According to the Coast Pilot, which was always kept on the shelf, bythe side of the binnacle, it was eighty-five miles to Cape Canaveral.In just eight hours and a half, if we made our ordinary speed, weshould be abreast of this cape. We kept as close to the coast as thedepth of water would permit, for there were no shoals or other dangersto fear. If we went out far enough, we should have the current of theGulf Stream against us.
As soon as we were fairly on our course I began to think over themission of Cornwood. I had no doubt that he was a rascal. I consideredwhether or not it would be possible for him to do me or Colonel Shepardany harm, on the one hand, or any good on the other. He had received nomoney, and was to receive none until he earned it.
He was to arrive at Key West on Sunday morning. The Sylvania would notbe likely to reach the same port before Sunday noon. If the Islanderhad kept on her course during the twenty-four hours we had been atanchor, she would be likely to reach Key West on Saturday afternoon. Idid not know that she had any occasion to put in there at all; if shehad, she was not likely to remain there many hours. If the Islander hadnot put in at any port during the storm, Cornwood would not arrive athis destination until after she had departed.
The interesting question was whether she had or had not made a port inthe storm. If I had had no ladies on board, I should not have thoughtof such a thing as going into St. Augustine on account of the badweather. Captain Blastblow, according to his own statement, was athorough seaman, and, judging by my own feelings, it was not probablethat he had made a port.
But I was not quite satisfied on this point, and I had not so muchconfidence in the captain of the Islander as he seemed to have inhimself. Our chart indicated only one port where he could have gone in,and that was Mosquito Inlet, which had hardly water enough at high tideto allow the Islander to run through the narrow passage that leads fromHillsboro River out into the ocean. The inlet is sixty-five miles fromSt. Augustine light.
The town of New Smyrna is two or three miles up Hillsboro River,between which and St. Augustine and Jacksonville a small steamer pliesregularly. I had about made up my mind to run up the inlet as far asthe depth of water would permit, and see if I could find any one whocould give me any information in regard to the Islander. I had hardlyreached this conclusion when I was called to dinner. I was to dine inthe cabin, and I told the party what I intended to do.
"I don't care to have you delay your voyage for me, Captain Alick,"replied Colonel Shepard.
"We started out to catch the Islander, and I am as anxious to do it asyou are," I added.
"I suppose you wish to get rid of us," interposed Miss Edith.
"Not at all; after I invited you to make the trip with us, and wasanxious to have your company, I shall not be in haste to get rid ofyou. On the contrary, it must be that you wish to get rid of me, or youwould not have chosen to go in the Islander."
"Forgive me, Captain Alick; I did not mean it," replied the fairmaiden. "But we are so comfortable and so happy that we shall be in nohaste to get out of the Sylvania."
"Isn't there danger in going into such a place, Alick," asked myfather.
"I think not, sir," I answered. "I have a chart with the soundings onit, and I am sure I can run into the inlet in the day-time; and it willnot be dark at seven, when we get there."
No further objection was raised to my plan. Just before the time setfor reaching the point off the inlet, all hands were on the lookout forit. From my chart I learned that the inlet, on account of the shiftingsand, had moved to the southward about a quarter of a mile. For aconsiderable distance on each side of the narrow channel leading intothe inlet and river, there were breakers, such as we had seen on thecoast of North Carolina, and at various points south of it.
Washburn was the first to discover the opening, and point it out to me.I looked on the shore for a couple of wrecks whose positions were laiddown on the chart; but I could not find them. The shoals were caused bythe sand brought out of the inlet by the current of the river. The barchanged with every storm; but I could plainly see the channel, for itswaters were less disturbed and broken by the rollers from the sea.
"It looks a little risky," said Washburn, shaking his head.
"I think not; the tide will be high in about an hour, and that willgive about eight feet and a half on the shoalest places," I replied. "Idon't think we are drawing over eight feet now."
"Eight and a half, sure. We might scrape over the bottom an hour fromnow; but we shall stick as sure as we run into that narrow channel. Theworst place is just on the edge of the breakers."
"Sail on the port bow, sir," said Ben Bowman.
It was a small schooner, which I thought might be a fisherman. She washeaded directly for the narrow channel. As we were nearly up with theopening, I rang for the engineer to stop and back her. But the littleschooner had to beat up, and as she was still about two miles off, Iwas soon tired of waiting for her. I rang to go ahead again, and headedthe Sylvania in a direction to intercept the schooner. A few minutesbrought us within hail of her.
"Schooner ahoy!" shouted Washburn.
"'Schooner ahoy!' shouted Washburn." _Page 122._]
"On board of the steamer!" replied the skipper of the craft.
"Where are you bound?" demanded the mate.
"Into New Smyrna. We have been out fishing."
"When did you leave the town?"
"This morning, at four o'clock. Be you the steamer that tried to getinto the inlet yesterday?" asked the skipper, as we were now withineasy talking distance of him.
"Did a steamer try to get in yesterday?"
"Of course, or I wouldn't say so. But it was not full tide by twohours, and she stuck in the sand about as soon as she got in betweenthe shoals."
"What did she do then?"
"She waited till the tide lifted her and then she backed out, andhooked it to the southward as fast as she could. We were at anchorinside of the inlet, and saw the whole of it. She looked just like thiscraft. Plenty of fresh fish on board?"
At my request Cobbington bought a considerable quantity of sheeps-headand cavallo. The only fish we had on board was shad, and we had eatenthat so much d
uring the past month that we were tired of it. Thesefresh fish were therefore a great treat, as we found next morning.
We started the engine again, satisfied that the Islander had not goneinto Mosquito Inlet. I gave the information to Colonel Shepard.
"Then Mr. Cornwood will not be likely to intercept the Islander at KeyWest," said he.
"Not unless she put in at some other port, though I know of none whereshe could have made a harbor until after the storm was over. But shemay stop over at Key West a day or two," I replied. "It all dependsupon what Captain Blastblow understands his instructions to be."
"Cornwood took the train at Jacksonville for Cedar Keys this morning,and will be there this afternoon. He will reach Key West on Sundaymorning," added the colonel.
"We shall be there only a few hours later; and if the weather isfavorable we may get there as soon as the messenger you sent."
"I do not see that we can help the matter. If Cornwood don't get to KeyWest in season to intercept the Islander, he will lose his two hundreddollars, and my runaway craft will continue on her way to New Orleans."
This was all that either of us could make of it, and all we could dowas to wait till we got to Key West for further information. If theIslander was twenty-four hours ahead of us, it was useless to attemptto overhaul her. The Sylvania was a great deal more comfortable for thepassengers when she went along at her ordinary rate than when she wasforced up to twelve knots an hour; and I was not disposed to hurry heron a useless mission. My passengers appeared to be enjoying themselvesall the time. I could not see how they could help being happy.
Some of them were reading books from the library I had started atDetroit, and replenished in several places on the route to the South.Others were playing various games. Mr. Tiffany and my father could playchess all day long, and most of the night. The meals were served aselaborately as at a first-class hotel, and we had everything from themarket that could be supplied in the summer in the northern states. Iwas decidedly of the opinion that our passengers had nothing to worryabout, unless Colonel Shepard could be excused for worrying about hissteamer.
At eight o'clock the first watch went on duty, in charge of Washburn,who was as competent to handle the vessel as I was. He had the chart,with the courses and distances marked on it. When I left thepilot-house, Cape Canaveral, or rather the light on it, was in sight.At nine o'clock we were just abreast of it, which proved that our deadreckoning was correct. From this point the course was south by east,one hundred and five miles.
As soon as the Sylvania was on her new course, I left the pilot-house,where I had gone at nine, and turned in. I had slept all the nightbefore, and the laughter of the younger of the passengers on thehurricane-deck above me did not permit me to sleep. But I heard ColonelShepard call his daughter away at ten, and then I went to sleep. Icould not tell how long I had slept when the stopping of the steamerwaked me.
"What schooner is that?" shouted Washburn, from the pilot-house.
I was on deck soon enough to hear the reply.
"The Violet, New Orleans to New York," came from the vessel hailed.
"Did you see a small steamer about the size of this one?" askedWashburn.
"We passed one about three hours ago. She looked enough like you to bethe same vessel."
"Thanks," shouted Washburn, as he rang the bell to go ahead.
I looked at my watch, and found it wanted but a few minutes of twelve,and I went into the pilot-house.