by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XX.
THE THEORY AND THE FACTS.
We spent an hour in searching in every nook and corner of the cabin forthe other half of the lost treasure. Cornwood had not been stupidenough to put it under the companion-way; and Nick had been stupidenough to let his companion know where he had hidden his own share. AsColonel Shepard had suggested, it was probable that the Floridian meantto take it before he went on shore at New Orleans. Cornwood had notconcealed his share of the treasure in the cabin of the Islander, andwe could think of no other place where he was at all likely to depositit.
"I think he has too long a head to hide his money anywhere," interposedCaptain Blastblow. "I should say that any man was a natural fool tohide his money in a vessel, under such circumstances as these fellowscame on board of the steamer. In my opinion, he has concealed themoney on his person, for you seem to have no doubt that he divided withthe young swell."
"That looks very reasonable," added Colonel Shepard. "I think if I hada large sum on board of a vessel, I should provide myself with amoney-belt, and keep the treasure in it at all times."
"All we have to do is to search him," said Captain Blastblow. "We shallsoon find out whether or not he is a party to the robbery. I supposethere isn't any doubt about the young swell, as the steward called him,and which I think is the best description of him."
"The package, with the two tin plates, precisely answers thedescription given of it by the man that lost it," I replied. "But Idoubt whether we have any right to search Cornwood. We are notofficers, and we are now in the State of Louisiana."
"We have as much right to search him as we had to lay hands on him whenwe came alongside of the Islander," replied Colonel Shepard. "I thinkwe can get at the truth better than any court can. At any rate, he hastaken part in stealing my steam-yacht; and I think I have some hold onhim. If it turns out that he has not the money on him, I have no doubtI can make it all right with him. I am willing to take theresponsibility."
"All right. I will help your man bring him down here, for I think wehad better not say anything to Mr. Boomsby until we have settled wherethe other half of the money is," said Captain Blastblow.
"Bring him down here," replied the colonel.
The captain soon returned with the pilot, having Cornwood between them.The prisoner seemed to be somewhat bewildered, for no charge had yetbeen preferred against him.
"Mr. Cornwood, you seem to be acting in a different role than that forwhich I engaged you at St. Augustine," said Colonel Shepard, when thepilot had put his prisoner into a chair.
"It was my intention to place the steamer in your hands by the time youarrived in Key West," replied Cornwood, with dignity.
"You gave me a letter when you came on board the Islander at Key West,"said Captain Blastblow, savagely, to the prisoner.
"I gave you the owner's letter," added Cornwood.
"No, you didn't! you gave me this letter," continued the captain,taking a paper from his pocket. "Is this your letter, Colonel Shepard?"
He gave the letter to his owner. The colonel looked at it and laughed.
"This is not so good an imitation of my handwriting as the otherletter," he added. "I never wrote a line of this letter. It favors thetheory we have adopted, and I will give it to you."
CAPTAIN BLASTBLOW.
DEAR SIR: This letter will be delivered to you by my excellent friend, Mr. Kirby Cornwood, who has been my companion during my trip to the interior of Florida, and I commend him to your acquaintance and good offices. You will give him a state-room on board of the Islander, for he will make the trip with you to New Orleans. You will continue to avoid the Sylvania, and in all matters relating to the steamer you will take the advice of Mr. Cornwood, in whose fidelity and good judgment I have entire confidence.
Very truly yours,
P. G. SHEPARD.
"My excellent friend, Mr. Kirby Cornwood!" exclaimed the colonel. "Didyou ever know a man to have so many excellent friends as I have? Why,they are all willing to sacrifice themselves, and take my steam-yachtand run her at my expense, and even without my knowledge."
"You did not write that letter, colonel?" asked Captain Blastblow.
"Of course I did not," replied the owner, warmly. "Why, the writing isquite different from that given to you by my friend, Mr. Boomsby."
"I am afraid I shall not be willing to take any written orders afterthis, unless the signature is witnessed by some one I know. I am sure Idid not think of such a thing as a counterfeit letter. But did you sendany letter to me by your excellent friend, Mr. Kirby Cornwood?" askedCaptain Blastblow.
"I did send a letter to you by him, instructing you to wait at Key Westtill my arrival there," replied the colonel.
"Will you give me that letter, Mr. Kirby Cornwood?" demanded thecaptain, addressing the prisoner in a very vigorous manner.
"I gave you the letter I received from Colonel Shepard. I have noother," replied Cornwood, doggedly.
"I don't believe you, when Colonel Shepard says he did not write thatletter."
"Do you mean to tell me I lie?" cried Cornwood.
"That's the substance of what I mean," answered the captain, who seemedto hold the prisoner in utter contempt.
"You are a coward, or you would not say that to a man with his armstied behind him," returned Cornwood, repressing his wrath.
"You invited me to say it, and I said it; and it wouldn't make anydifference to me whether your arms were tied or not. But I want theother letter, and I am going to have it. Captain Cayo, we will searchhim, and then we shall know whether he has it or not," added CaptainBlastblow.
The captain and the pilot proceeded at once to execute the threat.Cornwood leaped from his chair, and began to kick at his twopersecutors. He was boiling with rage, or with some other passion. ButCaptain Cayo seized him from behind by the shoulders, and threw himdown before he could do any harm. The captain took from his pocket astrong cord he had evidently brought down for the purpose, and whilethe pilot held him down, tied his ankles together. They then began thesearch, examining all his pockets first. They found neither the moneynor the letter.
"We haven't gone deep enough," said Captain Blastblow, as he thrust hishand into the inside of Cornwood's shirt. The latter seemed tounderstand what this movement meant, and he renewed his struggles inthe most desperate manner.
Captain Cayo put his foot on Cornwood's chest, as he had done when hecaptured the Floridian, and compelled him to lie quiet. Then he threwup his manacled feet; but I took care of them by sitting down upon hislegs. Captain Blastblow then proceeded with his search. He removed aportion of the prisoner's clothing above his trousers, and we could nothelp seeing the wash-leather belt he wore around his waist. Heunbuckled it, and held it up before us.
"Now you may take Mr. Kirby Cornwood on deck," said the captain, in atone of triumph, as he felt the outside of the pocket-book attached tothe belt.
"Do you mean to rob me of my money? Have I fallen among thieves?"demanded Cornwood.
"No; but we have," replied Captain Blastblow.
"This is an outrage, and----"
"Never mind that now; we will hear it another time," interposed thecaptain.
"I protest against----"
"All right," added the captain, as he seated himself at thecabin-table. "Go on deck, Mr. Kirby Cornwood, and take the air. It willdo you good."
The captain handed the money-belt to Colonel Shepard, who opened it,and took from the pocket a large pile of bank-notes.
"That looks more like it," said the captain. "I don't believe thatfellow will prosecute us for anything we have done. He belongs in theFlorida state prison, if they have such an institution."
"I think we had better count the money," I suggested, as I took thepackage we had found under the companion-way from my breast-pocket.
"Yes, count, and see if the rascals made a fair 'divvy' of it," addedthe captain.
Colonel Shepard began to count the bills he had ta
ken from themoney-belt, and I opened the package in my possession. As I did so, Ifound the words, "First National Bank of Florida," as if impressed by astamp, on the wrapper. The two tin plates, by which I had been able torecognize the package, were made by cutting off the round ends of apair of tins used for doubling papers and tearing off checks or otherpapers. I concluded they were a device of the bank messenger, by whichhe could square his package. When I had shown these things to thecaptain, I proceeded to count the money.
"Just two thousand dollars," said the colonel, who finished his worklong before I did mine.
"Nineteen hundred and ninety," I added, when I had finished the count.
"He may have taken out ten dollars," suggested the colonel.
"I don't believe Cornwood did, for I found other money in his pockets,which I did not touch," added Captain Blastblow.
"Count it over again, Captain Alick," said the colonel.
I did so, laying off the bills in hundreds, as they amounted to thissum. My last lot came out right, and I had twenty piles. It made justtwo thousand dollars. It was clear now, if it had not been before, thatCornwood's visit to Key West related to Nick Boomsby, and not to thedetention of the Islander when she arrived there. The equal division ofthe money explained the long and rather stormy conversations betweenthe passengers of the Islander. Cornwood was smart, if he was nothingelse in the way of honesty and uprightness. He had bullied andpersuaded poor Nick Boomsby to give him half the money, and wouldprobably have stolen the other half before the vessel got to NewOrleans, if we had not captured her on the way.
I was sorry for Nick Boomsby, for he had been the playmate of my earlyyears; not so sorry that he had been found out as that he could commita crime. But I could hardly wonder at his guilt when I thought of whathis father had done, and what an example he had given his son. Ithought the father was almost, if not quite, as much to blame as theson.
"What shall be done with this money?" asked Colonel Shepard, when hehad wrapped up both divisions of the money and the money-belt in onepackage.
"What shall we do with our two prisoners?" I inquired, in answer to thequestion.
"We can hand them over to the police in New Orleans," replied thecolonel.
"Then we can hand the money also over to them," I added. "Probably thenews of the robbery of the messenger has been in half the newspapers inthe country, and the police of all the large cities will know all aboutthe case."
It was finally agreed that my father should keep the money till wearrived at New Orleans, as he would be in another steamer from therobbers. Colonel Shepard decided to go on board of the Islander atonce, and his family were assisted to their new quarters.