THE HON. PARDON TIFFANY'S WARNING.
I learned the next day, from one of the negro policemen who had been
called in, that the snake had got out of the room where I left him, and
that he had been found on the stair-rail, a floor below where I had
confronted him. My informant told me he had killed him as he was
crawling along the rail, on his way down another flight.
"He was only tryin' to git away, sah," added the policeman. "Dey allus
run away when dey can, dem moccasins do; but dey spring at folks, and
bite when dey git cornered. Awful bad snake, sah. Wuss'n a rattlesnake.
Bite kill a man, suah."
When I left the saloon, I walked with Cornwood to the post-office. When
we were in the street, he volunteered the opinion that Captain Boomsby
was the greatest scoundrel in Jacksonville; and without going into the
comparative merits of the question, I was not disposed to dispute the
point. Cornwood seemed to feel relieved after he had expressed this
opinion, and the subject was dropped.
I had told a colored clerk in the post-office to keep all letters for
me until my return, for when we left Jacksonville I could not tell
where we were going, and I expected to be back a month sooner. He
greeted me very politely when I presented myself at the window, and
handed me a large package of letters, secured with a rubber band. I
thanked him for his kindness; and I must add that this one and another
colored clerk I saw in Charleston, were more polite and gentlemanly
than many a white clerk I have encountered in more northern cities.
Though I had received no letters for over two months, I had not failed
to write them regularly to Mr. Brickland, and to my father since I had
been assured that he was still living. I looked over the package that
had been handed to me. There were two from my father. My heart thrilled
with emotion when I recognized the handwriting. I thought no more of
Captain Boomsby and his snake.
"Will there be anything I can do for you to-day or to-night, Captain
Garningham?" asked Cornwood, as I stood looking at the outside of my
letters.
"Nothing," I replied.
"Then I think I will sleep on shore, if you have no objection," he
added.
"None whatever," I answered; and with the bundle of letters in my hand,
I was glad to get rid of him, for he was rather officious, and often
interrupted me in my state-room when there was not the least need of
it.
Cornwood raised his Panama hat, bowed politely to me, and then hastened
out of the building. He had hardly disappeared before the Hon. Mr.
Tiffany came into the office. He dropped some letters into the box, and
then approached me with a smiling face. All I had seen of this
gentleman pleased me very much. My father called him his best friend in
the letter of introduction brought to me. For this reason, if for no
other, I should have respected and esteemed him; but I was not glad to
see him at this moment. I wanted to be alone with my letters.
"Good evening, Captain Alick," said he. "I see you have a large packet
of letters, and I won't interrupt you but for a moment. Are you going
on board of the steamer now?"
"Yes, sir; I thought I would go on board and read my letters. Two of
them are from my father--the first I have received from him for many
months," I replied, wishing to have him understand my situation fully.
"I will not keep you from them a moment," he added, considerately. "But
I suppose you will not attempt to read them till you go on board?"
"No, sir," I answered, putting the two letters from my father into my
breast-pocket, with my most valuable papers, and dropping the others
into a side-pocket. "I can't read them very well in the street."
"Then I will walk with you to your boat," continued Mr. Tiffany.
"I shall go to the wharf on which the market is located, and hail the
steamer. I have found that is the best place to land."
We left the office, and walked up the street. My companion evidently
had something to say to me, and had possibly started to go on board for
the purpose of seeing me. I did not feel much interest in anything he
might have to say under the circumstances.
"Just before I joined you in the post-office, I saw you with Mr.
Cornwood. Pray don't think I wish to meddle impertinently with your
affairs, Captain Alick," said Mr. Tiffany; and he seemed to be somewhat
embarrassed about saying what he wished to say.
"By no means, sir," I replied, beginning to feel an interest in the
conversation; but rather on account of the manner than the matter of
what he said.
"Then if you won't take offence, I wish to say that I desire to warn
you in regard to this man Cornwood," continued the friend of my father.
"You desire to warn me in regard to Mr. Cornwood!" I exclaimed,
stopping short on the sidewalk, so great was my surprise at his words,
as well as his manner.
"I beg you will not take any offence at what I say, Captain Alick, for
I assure you I have nothing but the best of motives towards you,"
protested Mr. Tiffany, as we resumed our walk.
"I shall not take offence at anything you say, sir," I answered.
"After the very great service you have rendered me, you must think I am
inhuman to be ungrateful to you so soon," continued Mr. Tiffany. "I
assure you there is nothing like ingratitude in my heart; and I would
wrong myself a thousand times before I would wrong you once."
"I believe every word you say, sir: and it has not even occurred to me
to suspect your motives," I replied with energy. "The letter you
brought me from my father would cause me to put entire confidence in
you; but without that, I should not for an instant suspect you of
anything unworthy towards me, or anybody else. When you warned me
against Mr. Cornwood, I was surprised on account of something which
occurred this afternoon."
"I shall not even ask you what occurred this afternoon; and you may
keep your own counsel in regard to Mr. Cornwood. I repeat that I have
not the least desire to meddle with your affairs."
"As the best friend of my father, I am sure I should value your advice
and counsel very highly."
"I do not often counsel or advise anybody out of my own family, unless
I am asked to do so. Here is the market wharf; and I have said all I
have to say in regard to Mr. Cornwood. I only desire to warn you to
keep your eyes wide open in dealing with him, for I learned from Owen
that you have engaged the Florida person for your journey up the
river."
"Do you know anything about him, Mr. Tiffany?" I asked, as much
surprised to hear that he had nothing more to say as I had been, in the
first place, to learn that he had anything to say in regard to the
guide.
"I can't say that I do," he replied, with a rather vacant look.
"Why do you warn me against him, then?"
"That is certainly a very pertinent question, Captain Alick. I have no
right to say anything against this person, for I know nothing against
him. While I will not harm him, I warn you to look out for him."
"I suppose you must have some reason for what you say," I added, as I
waved my handkerchief in the direction of the Sylvania, as a signal for
a boat.
"Undoubtedly I have some reason for what I say. It may be enough to
cause me to suspect him. I have only asked you to look out for him, for
I do not feel at liberty to utter a word to his disparagement until I
know it is true."
Mr. Tiffany seemed to be very earnest in what he said; but I was
disappointed because he did not say more. He had been in Jacksonville a
week before he went to St. Augustine; and it was possible that he had
seen something of the guide during his stay.
"I see that you are not quite satisfied with what I have said. I cannot
blame you for feeling so; but I should blame myself if I said anything
more about this man," continued my father's friend. "I make no charge
against Cornwood; I only say, as I might if we were facing a strange
snake, he may do us harm, and we must look out for ourselves. Really,
that is all I can say about the matter."
By this time the port boat had come up to the wharf. Mr. Tiffany bade
me good night, and hastened up the pier. I was not satisfied, as he had
suggested. He suspected Cornwood of something, but he did not even say
what, much less give me the grounds for his suspicion. But I could
obtain no more, and went into the boat. In a few minutes I was on the
deck of the steamer. My supper was all ready, and I was obliged to
attend to it before I looked at my letters.
My state-room was lighted, and I was by myself. At last I was alone
with my letters. Washburn was on the forward deck, discussing the
condition of the South with Griffin Leeds. I took out the two letters
from my father. Both of them were mailed in London, though my father's
home was in Shalford, Essex, about fifty miles from the great city. One
was postmarked December 15th, and the other January 2d. I opened the
one of the earliest date.
It was written immediately after his return to England from India. He
had received no letters or intelligence of any kind from me for many
months. He had been so worried about me that he could hardly stay to
complete his business in India. He found nothing from me on his arrival
at his home, nothing at the office of his solicitor, to whom all my
letters had been forwarded, in London. He wrote that he found Mr.
Carrington had gone to America, and his office was in charge of his
confidential clerk.
I understood it all. This clerk must have destroyed all my letters to
my father as soon as they reached the office, as he had been instructed
to do by his employer. I felt sick at heart when I realized the
distress of my father at getting no tidings from me. But since I sailed
on this cruise from Detroit, six months before, I had supposed he was
dead, and of course I wrote no letters to him.
I took up the second letter, expecting to read more of my father's
despair on account of my long silence. I opened it: it was bright and
cheerful as the first was gloomy and despondent. He had received my
"welcome letter of December 4th," which I had written at Jacksonville,
after the discovery of all the details of the conspiracy against me. I
had written a full account of the matter, with the history of the
voyage up to that date. It was after Colonel Shepard's house had been
damaged by fire, and the West India trip had been arranged. I had asked
him to write me at Jacksonville, but not to be alarmed if he did not
hear from me for some time, for I hardly knew where we were going. He
had been amazed at the contents of my letter. The clerk had confessed
all to him. I was entirely satisfied with the conclusion of the matter.
The rest of the letters were from my friends at the North.