Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 365: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

356 This whispered conversation had been overheard by the stranger, Mr. J. Meredith Cozzens by the ship’s books. ‘I will get my traps, too; it will not take me a minute,’ said he. ‘Qh, I remember,” said Mr. Simms. ‘1 am sorry, but my friends here will really tax the capacity of my yacht.” ‘What do you mean? You with- draw your offer?” ‘“T am afraid I must withdraw my as- sent to your request.” ‘See here! I must get ashore. I will give you a thousand dollars ” “You can as soon purchase good breeding as me, sir!” was the reply. Twenty minutes later Mr. Cozzens saw Mrs. Mountain swung over the side in a cradle and lowered to the vacht’s dingey, while Guy and Schuy- ler dropped into it from the rope ladder. He said something fiercely under his breath, then shrugged his shoulders philosophically. “ What odds? They can’t know for a week yet—or a month. I can be in— in Greenland by then.” iil. THIRTY six hours later the Bavaria was laboring along still many miles from Halifax harbor. Her list had not increased owing to her stanch bulk- heads, that divided the ship into almost hermetical compartments. Tt was clear for a wonder, and a thin line of black smoke on the horizon de- noted the approach of a steam craft. Others, too, were soon similarly beto- kened, and at length quite a fléet was observed to be coming, with the “ yacht Petrel, Simms, of New York” well in the lead. Again she hove to and her boat put off. Mr. Simms was the first on board; he was followed by a big man with a large auburn mustache, and last on board, to the surprise of some of the passengers, came Schuvler Mountain, who, in company with Mr. Simms, disappeared in the captain’s cabin. THE ARGOSY.. The big man with the red mustache being left on deck, circulated for a few minutes among the passengers, spoke to one or two of the officers and the deck steward and then disappeared down the grand stairway, while the passengers all crowded forward to view the relief fleet that was now near at hand. When the four conferees came out of the captain’s cabin on the deck, they, too, made their way below, and, led by the purser, filed forward and opened the door of No. 97. The first thing they saw was Mr. J. Meredith Cozzens calmly biting off the . end of a cigar as he handed another to the man with the fiery mustache. ‘““Ah! got to business already,” said. Mr. Simms, addressing the latter, while they all eyed the mysterious passenger curiously. “ It’s all right,” to the cap- tain; “ we'll leave at once.” ‘Tl see you in New York, Silver,” was Schuyler’s remark to the big man, who answered as he held the match to his cigar: “ All right. So long!” “ Yes, I remember now,” said Schuy- ler to Mr. Simms, “I have seen him once or twice before at Uncle Peter’s.” The captain shook hands heartily with Mr. Simms and Schuyler at the rail. When the unknown and mysterious individual went ashore with the big man of the mustache, doubtless none guessed that the latter had taken the first train from New York on receipt of the telegraphic news of the Bavaria’s mishap; but a few may have had a no- tion of the identity of the passenger, they having read the following under its startling headlines, in the newspaper dropped by Schuyler: ANOTHER TRUST BETRAYED. $s0.000 1y Bonps TAKEN From A SAFE Deposit VAULT AND HyYPOTHECATED. The Mountain Estate the Sufferers. It will be remembered that when the death of the late head of the Knickerbocker family GOH GOOO SS CO