Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 289 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

| | — - eel om a ame ln Flush Fred’s Full Hand. 9 Indeed, it was a most amazing streak of luck | ward part of the cabin, to learn what had hap- that he sbould find her there, and yet more amazing that she should have sent for him. He had counted ita ‘‘dead sure thing” that she had already reached Louisiana; but there she happened to be, on the very boat on which he had bap ened to take passage. ‘‘ Please bring up a chair, Mr, Henning,” said she. “I want to talk to you face to face, I saw you down yonder, and was so glad that [ could not help sending for you.” ‘** You have done mea great favor,” answer- ed Fred; ‘‘ but are you sure that you have been quite discreet?” ‘* Discreet? What do you mean?” “You know that my business, if it may be called a business, is that of a card-player. lam known as a river gambler to most of the peo- ple on this boat, and perhaps—” ‘Parhaps what, sir?” ‘‘Perhaps you might not be willing to ac- knowledge my acquaintance here.” ‘Indeed, Mr. Henning! Wo you think so poorly of me as that? Iam not only glad to see you here, but am proud to claim you as an ac- uaintance. Do you suppose I have forgotten the time when you rendered such unselfish ser- vices to my people and others? If our fathers and brothers are pleased to asscciate with you, why should not we be equally pleased? Are we 80 much better than they, or so much worse?’ ‘You argue very well, Miss Helmsley; but the fact remains that men of my class are pretty much looked down upon, and it is my duty to warn you against them.’ ‘« Besides,” continued Kate, pursuing her own train of thought, ‘I am here alone, and am naturally glad to meet somebody 1 know. By the way, Mr. Heaning, you do not seem to be surprised at seeing me traveling alone.” ‘Oo, I know all about that. But I am sur- prised at finding you here, when I supposed that you were already in Louisiana.” ‘*“What do you know about my going to Louisiana?” Fred told her of his sarge | with Mrs. Bren- ner at Gravelly Bayou, of the letter he had written to her brother when he reached Mem- phis, and of the answer he had at last received. “From what Arthur wrote,” said he, ** I con- cluded that you had left Memphis several days ago. ‘*I came to Memphis several days ago,” she replied, “ and stayed there with a friend while I was waiting for this boat. Do you know why I waited for the Sabine?” Fred could not hit upon any particular reason, though he was sure that the Sabine was a good boat to wait for. | ‘‘ Because, Mr. Henning, I had heard a story about this boat with which you were connected. It was a story which my friend in Memphis, who is a pilot’s wife, was proud to tell, because it was about a man whose skill and bravery had saved the boat when the pilot fell dead at his post, and the man who took that pilot's place at a perilous crisis was not a pilot, either.” “Ob, that affair,” remarked Fred, with another blush. ‘‘ That was of no consequence.” ‘*f suppose it was not, in your opinion, though other peppie make much of it. Sol waited for the Sabine, you see, because that made her seem like an old friend to me, and because I believed that on that account she must be a lucky boat. I am not used to travel- ing, Pt know, and have my prejudices.” he Sabine isa very good boas and a reliable boat, Miss Helmsley, and I have no doubt that she will carry you safely to your destination.” Ona was évery reason to believe that she w f There was not the slightest visible ground for a suspicion that the Sabine was about to meet with a sudden and violent termination of her bie such as should close her career as a steam- at She was a safe craft in every respect, and her cers and crew were of the best, and the pilot on duty was thoroughly reliable, and the river was at a good medium stage, and there were no Special difficulties of navigation, and the night was clear and moonlit. Yet fate had placed an obstruction in the way, where the keenest-eyed pilot would not suspect its existence, as it rai not the least ripple on the surface of the river, and the Sabine was heading directly for it when Flush Fred spoke s9 confi tently, Hardly were the words out of his mouth when there was a shock that made the big steamboat obiter from stem to stern, from keelson to pilot- ouse, It was accompanied b rending of timbers, and sbouts of command. The Sabine, though under full headway, almost s at the instant of the shock, then went ahead a little, and then stopped entirely. Hastily the bells had jingled at the engine amidships, and as soon as le the great wheels ceased to move. A scene of confusion and terror followed. State-room doors flew open, tables and chairs ‘were overturned, and passengers and waiters, all shouting or talking ether, and some searcely balf-dressed, hurried toward the for- the crashing and y cries of fear and RS nn pened, or to seek a way of escape. Kate Helmsley gave a little scream as the shock was felt, and started to rise; but a look at Fred Henning restored her self-possession, He was sitting there quietly, as cool and calm as if nothing unusual bad happened. ‘** We have picked up a snag,” said he, ‘‘ a bad one, I judge. Have the kindness to stay right where you are, on that sofa, while I go forward and see what the danger amounts to.” She obeyed him as a matter of course. His words and his manner were sufficient to inspire her with a serene confidence in the re- sult as regarded herself, whatever might have ee to the boat. red walked down the cabin briskly, but not excitedly, and passed through the turbulent throng with no oo peg effort. He returned to Kate leisurely, and seemed to be as placid as when he had left her. Yet there was sufficient cause for alarm, and it was no wonder that many of the passengers, even some of the crew, were clamoring for life- preservers, and making frantic efforts to do they knew not what, In vain Captain Spillers was talking to them and endeavoring to calm them, assuring them that there was no immediate danger, and that their best hope of safety lay in keeping quiet and awaiting bis orders. As for the clerk, he was busy getting together his cash and his books, The truth was that the Sabine had strucka peculiarly vicious snag, which was located just far enough below the surface of the water to do ber the greatest possible damage, It had torn a at hole in ber hull at the bow, and she had impaled herself upon it so that there was no possibility of extrication. Fortunately it bad been too low to fly up into the boiler-deck and increase the calamity; but the water was rushing in at the hole in the bow, and it was to be expected that the Sabine would soon fill and sink. But Flush Fred took matters so easily that he seated himself before he explained to Kate the extent of the disaster. ‘It is worse than I thought it was,” said he. ‘The old Sabine is bound to be a wreck, and this cabin here must soon be flooded, as her stern will be likely to sink in deep water. But there is a boat coming down to us, and Ff think, from the look of her chimneys, that it is the Royal Arch. She will take off the passengers easily enough, though there won’t be much chance for anything else.” Kate Helmsley looked at him a little curious- y. Could there really be anything serious the matter, when he was so very cool about it? ‘We must go up to the hurricane roof,” said Fred. ‘‘ Perhaps you had better take my arm.” She was excited and very pale, though she tried to appear otherwise, The noise and confusion at the forward part of the cabin was enough to upset her, in spite of the calmness of her companion, She rose hastily, and took bis arm, and he made a way for her through the crowd, and mn others they ascended to the hurricane eck, There were many people there, and more were coming: but there seemed to be eee the matter with the Sabine until they looke below. Then they saw that the water was running over the boiler deck at the bow, Looking aft they saw that the stern of the Sabine was settling, and it was clear that she must soon sink, and then her upper works might be swept away by the swift current, But the steamer from up the river, which Fred Henning had made out to be the Royal Arch, was close at band, and another was ap- proaching from below. There are be = question - ee safety of the lives, an rhaps some o @ property might be betel, he Royal Arch rounded to.on the lower side of the Sabine, and began to take off her pas- sengers. | Among those who were safely transferred was Kate Helmsley, and Fred Henning was at her side. But she was no sooner in safety than an ex- pression of pain clouded her features. “How careless I have been!” she cried. “TI ought to have behaved better; but I could not help getting excited.” ** What is the matter?” asked Fred. “‘T left my sachel on the sofa in the cabin. It contained all my money and my jewelry.” ‘*T will go down and get it.” ‘You must not run anv risk for my sake.” ‘‘There is no danger. The boat bas not sunk as soon as I expected it to.” ‘ Fred was quite correct in saying that there was no danger, as the ca of bags of grain had prevented the water from filling the hold as rapidly as it would otherwise have done, and the Sabine was still afloat. | He ran down into the cabin, and secured Kate Helmsley’s sachel, which he found where she had left it, and also got his valise from his state-room., When he reached the hurricane deck he discovered, greatly to his surprise and displeas- ure, that the Royal Arch had parted company with the Sabine. She had taken off all the people who were in sight, and her captain was in a hurry to con- tinue his trip. Therefore she had backed away from the snegged steamer, and was preparing to turn a Flush Fred mounted to the hurricane eck, On her upper guard he saw Kate Helmsley standing and gazing at the Sabine. Near her stood the dark-featured man who bad first attracted his attention at Martigny landing, and Fred could have sworn that there was a triumphant look on his face, CHAPTER XIT. THERE HAS BEEN FOUL PLAY. THE Sabine was sinking pretty rapidly just then; but Flush Fred did not consider himself in any danger, as a small steamboat was coming up the river, and was near at hand. ‘* An’ so yez got lift, me b’ye,” said a cheery voice near him, and be turned and saw Denny the Drummer. ‘* Bus how did you happen to get left?’ in- quired Fred, ‘* Jist beca’se I meant to shtick to yez, as I said I w’u’d. I mane to go phwere you goon this trip, an’ phwere there’s wan av us there’s two, jist like shnakes. But, be jabers, me b’ye, we'll both be goin’ undher moighty soon now, if that little devil av a fly-up-the-creek don’t put more life into its motions.’ Indeed, the Sdbine was fast settling down into the water, and the eveaking. and straining and rending of timbers atid the ike, as the swift and turbid current rusbed and swirled about and through her, portended a general break-up of the doomed steamboat. But the little stern-wheeler came up in time to take off the two men, and her cross-eyed cap- tain would have saved some of the property if there had been a chance. There was no chance, and as she backed away from the wreck, the wounded Sabine gave up the struggle for life. . Soon there was nothing to be seen of her but the tops of her chimneys, ber pilot-bouse, and a bit of the forward end of the hurricane roof. The stern-wheeler eeded on her way up the river, and Fred Henning insisted on being put off at the nearest landing, as he had a strong 3 pee to going any further northward. t was more than ever necessary, it seemed, that he should follow Kate Helmsley, and see that she reached her destination in sadcha There was no reason to suppose that the.dark- featured man had any designs upon her, or was in any way connected with her fortunes; yet his presence there and his actious were some- what liar, and it was only natural that Fred Henning should bave an uneasy feeling concerning bim. Besides, be had Kate’s sachel that contained her money and jewelry, and was anxious to re- store it to her. ; Dennis Malone left the stern-wheeler with him, and ata lonesome and unattractive landing they waited impatiently for a boat to take them down the river. | They got ove at last, and continued their journey down-stream as far as Vidalia, where they went ashore, as that was the nearest land- ing to Mrs, Brenner’s plantation, and it was to be posed that Kate had left the Royal Arch sup there. But a brief inquiry satisfied Fred that she had not been there. In fact, the Royal Arch had made no landing at Vidalia, Fred was greatly worried by this circum- stance, and he confided to Denny Malone his suspicions of the dark-featured man. ‘*I noticed that black-faced divil, mesilf, answered the Irishman, “‘an’ I didn’t like the looks av him at all at all. Whin you was talkin’ wid the young lady back in the cabin, he stood there glowerin’ at both av yez, an’ I wondhered phwat he had to do wid yez.” ““T don’t know the man, Denny, and I can’t guess what he could have todo with either of us; but I must confess that his looks and actions have made me suspicious of him,” oh py, phwat are yez goin’ to do now, me ye? . “‘Tam going to find out whether Miss Helms- ley has reached the place she was intending go to,” Fred got a borse and buggy from his friend, Antoine, and drove with Dennis to Mrs. Bren- ner’s plantation. He did not forget, by the way, to pay the Creole the amount of a bet be bad made with him on a previous occasion. | A Brenner’s another disappointment awaited bim. Kate Helmsley was not there. Mrs. Brenner was expecting her about that time, but had not seen or heard anything of her. She and her family were greatly troubled b Fred Henning’s account of the loss of the Sa- coim S) JOO (E (ECO) |