CHAPTER XX.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY OF DEPARTURE.
Except in Jacksonville, there was no market on the St. Johns River; andMr. Peeks had been not a little disturbed in relation to the culinarydepartment of the Sylvania. He could not go on shore at the villages onthe river, and buy what he wanted; but with several steamers every daygoing up to Pilatka, and several every week going up the Ocklawaha, Iassured him he would have no difficulty about feeding his passengers.He made an arrangement with the keeper of the stall where he hadobtained his best meats to forward to him, on his order, such suppliesas would be needed, including ice, which was a prime necessity, not somuch to preserve the meats as to cool the water, and put variousarticles in condition for the table.
In spite of the general belief in the dampness of a Florida atmosphere,I learned that meats would keep longer than in Michigan. There are nocellars in Florida, and the dwelling-houses are usually set on postsplanted in the ground. Meats are hung up in a shady place, where theywill keep for a week or more; and even then they are dried up, insteadof being tainted or putrefied. The steward had filled the ice-housewith the best beef, mutton, and poultry he could find, most of whichcame from New York, though some of the Southern markets are suppliedwith beef from Tennessee and Kentucky. Most of the cattle of Floridarange through the woods and pick up their living, so that they are notproperly fatted for the market, and look like "Pharaoh's lean kine."
No particular hour had been fixed upon for starting on the up-rivertrip, but the passengers came on board at ten in the forenoon. At thistime steam was up in the boilers, and everything ready for an immediatedeparture. But Mr. Cornwood had not put in an appearance. I had notseen him since he went on shore at the wharf, on Saturday evening. Iwas not much annoyed, for I knew where I could get a pilot at fifteenminutes' notice.
Chloe, Griffin Leeds's wife, had come off with the ladies. She remainedperfectly neutral, though she knew all about the troubles with herhusband. I looked at her with some interest when she came on deck; butshe seemed to be as cheerful and pleasant as ever. If she had saidanything to the ladies about Griffin, nothing had come to me. As herhusband was not to be on board, I told the steward to give her one ofthe after-berths in the cabin. She was so polite, attentive, and kind,so wholly devoted to her duties, that the ladies had become very muchattached to her, treating her more like a friend than a servant.
Chloe was not more than twenty-two years old. She had been a stewardesson a Charleston steamer, running up to Pilatka, at the time of hermarriage to Griffin Leeds, who was second waiter in the same boat. Shewas entirely familiar with her duties, and when they were reduced toattendance upon three ladies, she discharged them with the mostpunctilious care.
"What are we waiting for, Alick?" asked Washburn, as I seated myself inthe pilot-house when all the preparations for our departure werecompleted, and I could think of nothing more to be done, though I hadleft the port boat in the water in case it became necessary to go onshore for a pilot.
"Cornwood has not come off yet," I replied.
"Where is he?"
"I have no idea."
"Does he intend to play us a trick, and leave us in the lurch, now thatwe are all ready for a start?" asked the mate, with some anxiety on hisface.
"I don't know, and I don't much care," I replied. "I don't know that Iought to blame him much, since no fixed hour was named for starting."
"He ought to be on board like the rest of us, so that whenever hisservices are required he may be ready to do his work," added Washburn,impatiently. "You say you don't much care whether or not he intends toplay us a trick and leave us in the lurch. How are you to get onwithout a pilot?"
"I can have one on board in half an hour at the most. There are plentyof them, and I find they are glad to serve in such a nobby craft as theSylvania, where they have easy work and the best of grub," I replied.
"There comes a boat. I see the Panama hat and light clothes in it,"added Washburn, evidently relieved, for he was impatient for the voyageto begin.
In a minute more the pilot was on the deck of the steamer.
"I hope I have not delayed you," said he, when he saw that we were allready to leave.
"Not long," I replied, wishing to make things as pleasant as possiblewith him for the trip of three weeks.
"I did not know at what hour you intended to leave, or I should havebeen on board before," pleaded Cornwood. "I have been very busy withsome legal business this morning."
"If you are all ready, we will be off at once," I continued.
I hastened to the pilot-house, expecting him to follow me; but insteadof doing so, he passed through the engine-room, and disappeared on theother side of the vessel. I concluded he had gone below for anothercoat he wore when at the wheel. I went into the pilot-house, thinkinghe would appear in a moment. The anchor was hove up to a short stay;but the wind was blowing quite fresh from the south-west, and I did notcare to get under way in his absence from the wheel. I waited tenminutes; and then my patience began to give out. I left thepilot-house, with the intention of sending below for the pilot, when Iwas informed that a boat had just come alongside.
It contained Captain Boomsby and Griffin Leeds.
Though I had tried to make myself proof against harboring anysuspicions, I thought the long delay of Cornwood was explained. He hadbeen very busy with legal business that morning. Did it relate to theaffairs of Griffin Leeds and my ancient enemy?
"Allow no one to come on board," I said to the mate, who had told me ofthe coming of the boat, and who were in it.
I went aft. The gangway steps had been taken in-board, and stowed awayafter Cornwood came. Captain Boomsby was rather more than half full ofwhiskey. I found there was a third person in the boat, who proved to bean officer. He had come to attach the steamer on the suit of CaptainBoomsby, to obtain possession of her on his old claim, and to trusteeOwen Garningham for any money that might be due to me. I allowed theofficer to come on deck. He was a very gentlemanly man, and had appliedto Colonel Ives when the writ was given to him. The colonel had filledout a bond as surety for the defendant, to be signed by ColonelShepard; and that gentleman at once put his autograph on the document.
The officer was entirely satisfied, and was about to take his departurewhen Cornwood appeared; but he offered no objection, and the writ hadnot come from his office. Captain Boomsby was in a violent passion whenhe learned that the steamer was to be allowed to proceed on her voyageup the river. He swore at the officer, and declared that he had notdone his duty. The steamer belonged to him, and he insisted on comingon board.
"I came off for my wife," said Griffin Leeds. "I want her to go onshore with me."
This demand seemed to me a more serious complication than that ofCaptain Boomsby's ridiculous suit. I did not know much about law, but Ihad an idea that a man had a right to his own wife. Colonel Shepard wasa lawyer, though he did not practise his profession, and I was entirelywilling to leave this matter to him, for he was more interested in itthan any other person, as his wife was an invalid, and needed Chloe'sattentions more than the other ladies.
"Don't let her go," said the Colonel; and so said all the ladies.
"You can't separate man and wife," said Cornwood.
"We don't propose to separate man and wife," replied Colonel Shepard,before I had time to say anything. "If his wife wants to go, she is atperfect liberty to do so. Ask Chloe to come on deck," he added, turningto the steward.
The stewardess appeared a minute later.
"Here, Chloe, I want you to come on shore with me," shouted GriffinLeeds, when he saw his wife. "I have got a room all furnished for you,and I've got a situation as second waiter at a hotel."
"No, I thank you!" replied Chloe, pertly. "I'm going to stay where Iam."
I was not a little surprised to hear her make this answer, for Isupposed she would follow the fortunes of her husband, whatever theywere. I knew nothing in regard to their marital relations, whether theywere pleasant or otherwi
se, though I had never seen anything to lead meto suppose they were unpleasant.
"I want you to come with me; you are my wife and you must come!" saidGriffin, angrily. "I forbid your going in this steamer."
"You can forbid all day if you like; I'm going in the steamer!"answered Chloe, very decidedly. "I don't go with you any more, if I canhelp it."
"You are my wife, and you can't help it," retorted the husband.
"I haven't got anything more to say about it. I won't go with you; andthat's the whole of it," said the stewardess, retreating to the cabin.
Griffin Leeds swore like a pirate, and declared he would be the deathof his wife if she didn't come with him. He called upon the officer toarrest Chloe, and compel her to go on shore with him.
"Give me a proper warrant, and I will arrest her," replied the officer,laughing.
"I am her husband; and I tell you to take her out of that steamer,"cried Griffin, foaming with wrath.
"I don't know that you are her husband; and if I did, I would notmeddle with her," replied the officer, who seemed to enjoy thesituation. "Our business is finished on board of this craft:" and hereturned to the boat.
"This seems to be rather a hard case," interposed Cornwood. "I don'tthink we have any right to separate man and wife."
"The woman is a free citizen of Florida," added the officer; "and shecan go where she pleases without any restraint."
"So far as the legal question is concerned, I suppose the woman cannotbe put under any restraint," said Cornwood; "but the idea of carryingoff the woman against the protest of her husband, is not, morally, theright thing to do. I think you had better discharge the woman, and thenyou will be free from the possibility of blame."
"I don't propose to meddle with the matter in any way," I repliedpromptly. "I don't know but you have a wife. If she should come hereand protest against my carrying you off up the river, I don't think Ishould pay any attention to her."
"That's another question," replied Cornwood, smartly.
"I don't think it is: what is sauce for goose is sauce for gander. Youwill take the wheel, Mr. Cornwood. Forward, there! Heave up theanchor."
As soon as the anchor was atrip, I rang the bell to go ahead.