MAJOR TOPPLETON EXPLAINS.
I slept soundly enough that night, in spite of my anxiety concerning
the perilous condition of the relations between the two sides of the
lake. In the morning I called upon Tom Walton. His wound was doing very
well, and he was quite comfortable. He was astonished when I told him
that Nick Van Wolter was the other bank robber, and that he was Lord
Palsgrave. But I was in a hurry to see Major Toppleton, and I could not
stay long, though I gave Tom a bill of sale of the Belle, and received
the payment for her.
I found the magnate of Middleport at home, and of course I had to tell
him all about the bank robbers before anything could be said, though
I had become rather tired of the subject, especially with another and
more interesting one uppermost in my mind.
“You had a breezy time of it, Wolf,” said the major.
“Rather exciting, sir.”
“Where was Colonel Wimpleton all day? I could not find him.”
“He was at Ucayga, looking up the money to pay a note which came due
yesterday.”
“Precisely so; he came over to see me about it in the morning. He was
in a tremendous hurry, and very much excited about the robbery,” added
the major.
“He was excited about something else when I saw him.”
“You don’t mean--”
“O, no, sir,” I promptly interposed, when I saw that he supposed the
magnate of Centreport had been drinking again. “Nothing of that kind.”
“You understand me. Well, I am glad that he has not fallen back. Your
remark startled me, Wolf.”
“I am afraid the colonel is not as kindly disposed towards you as
formerly.”
“Why, what’s the matter?” demanded the major, evidently alarmed at my
suggestion.
“I think there is a misunderstanding. He came over to see you
yesterday morning, and he thought you were not inclined to assist him
in the emergency.”
“What an idea! I intended that his note should be paid, even if my own
was not, though I hurried home to attend to the payment of it. This is
very strange,” mused the major. “I was not aware that I said or did
anything that could give offence to him.”
“I am confident there has been a mistake; but I do not know that I
ought to repeat anything he said to me.”
“In the interest of peace and friendship you may do so, Wolf. What did
he say?” asked the major, anxiously.
“He said that when he informed you he had a note of twenty thousand
dollars to pay, and that the bank had been robbed, instead of helping
him out, you answered that you had a note to pay yourself.”
“I certainly did tell him that I had a large sum to pay; but I also
told him that I would see what could be done. I invited him to
breakfast with me, and told him I would go and see the cashier of our
bank. I did not suppose he had any doubt of my willingness to help
him; and the only question with me was, how it was to be done. He was
in a desperate hurry, and could not wait a minute. The steamer was
coming over after him, before she went up the lake in pursuit of the
robber. I told him then that I would see him on the wharf in ten or
fifteen minutes, and hastened to find the cashier. He was not at home;
but I soon found him, and learned that the funds in our bank were not
sufficient to pay both notes. I immediately decided to raise the amount
needed to pay the colonel’s note, in Ucayga. I sent an order to Lewis
Holgate to get up steam on the dummy, and then went as fast as I could
walk to the wharf. The steamer was just leaving the pier when I came in
sight of it.”
“The colonel waited for you till the time expired,” I added.
“I was not five minutes behind time. The absence of the cashier had
detained me a little, but I could not help it. However, I supposed the
colonel would return before eleven o’clock to raise the money to pay
his note.”
“He was very much excited about it.”
“I am really very sorry. Perhaps I did not speak as explicitly as
I ought to have done; but it never occurred to me that he would
misunderstand my motives. The dummy ran down to Hitaca as a special
express to convey me. I raised the money, and returned by the ten
o’clock train. The steamer had come back from up the lake; but I could
not find Colonel Wimpleton. In the afternoon I heard that he had
gone to Ucayga, and I was on the lookout for him till the last train
arrived. The money has been in our bank since eleven o’clock yesterday,
and I have a check for the amount in my pocket now.”
“The colonel was rather too hasty in his conclusions. The steamer
returned to Middleport at ten, and he took the train for Ucayga, where
he raised the money and paid the note himself.”
“I regret that he has any feeling on the subject,” added the major,
with much anxiety. “I must go over and see him.”
“I am afraid your meeting will not be a pleasant one.”
“I will state the facts just as they are, and I hope he will see
that there has been a mistake. The Ucayga is coming in, and the ferry
steamer will start in a few minutes.”
We walked down to the wharf together. My two bears had just been landed
from the steamer, in charge of one of Captain Portman’s men. They were
very tractable, and were the centre of attraction on the wharf. They
were willing to shake hands with everybody, and seemed to be enjoying
themselves very much. I took charge of one of them, while the man
retained the other, and we led them towards my father’s house, followed
by a large escort of loafers and juveniles. We had a small barn on the
place, in which we secured the bears.
My sisters were very much afraid of them, and my mother declared she
could not have the brutes on the place; but I hoped all of them would
think better of it, and make friends with my pets. After the man had
gone, I brought out my carpenter’s tools, and proceeded to fit up the
barn for the accommodation of the bears. The animals were so full of
fun they would not let me work, and I was obliged to tie them to a
tree in the garden. My mother and my sisters stood at the windows
of the house watching them; but I could not induce them to make the
acquaintance of my new friends. When I found that my sisters were
really afraid of the bears, I was rather sorry I had brought them home.
While I was at work I was surprised by a visit from Colonel Wimpleton
and Waddie. As they entered the yard, both bears stood up, and offered
to shake hands with the visitors. Waddie accepted the proffered paw,
but the colonel was more particular in the choice of his acquaintances.
“Have you seen Major Toppleton this morning?” I inquired of the colonel.
“No; and I have no desire to see him,” replied the magnate, coldly.
“He went over to see you about nine o’ clock.”
“I was not at home. Have you done anything about the steamer, Wolf?”
“No, sir. What do you wish to have done?”
“Didn’t I tell you yesterday what I wished to have done?”
“I haven’t done anything yet, sir.”
“I told you to make the new arrangement.”
“I hope you will see Major Toppleton before anything is done.”
“I shall not see him,” answered the colonel, sourly. “You may notify
the Railroad Company that the present arrangement will be discontinued,
say from the first of next month.”
“Of course I shall do as I am directed, but I am quite sure there is a
misunderstanding between you and the major.”
“I don’t care to argue the matter. What are you going to do with these
bears, Wolf?”
“I’m going to keep them as pets.”
At this moment the one which had frightened Miss Dornwood stood up, and
expressed a desire to shake hands with Colonel Wimpleton.
“They are perfectly harmless, sir,” said I, seeing that the great man
was in doubt.
“Won’t they bite?”
“No, sir.”
Thus assured the colonel took the offered paw of the bear, and in a
few moments they were excellent friends, for Bruin’s ways were very
winning. Waddie was playing with the other, and both my visitors were
very much interested in the animals. While they were occupied in this
manner, Major Toppleton presented himself in the yard.
“Good morning, colonel,” said the major.
“Good morning,” replied the magnate of Centreport, very stiffly.
“I heard you were here, colonel, and I came up to see you. I looked for
you all day yesterday, and have been looking for you all the morning.”
“Sorry you gave yourself so much trouble.”
I saw that Major Toppleton was nettled at the coldness of his
reception, and I was afraid he would be angry. As he approached the
bears, both of them rose and offered their accustomed greeting. The
major shook hands with both of them, for he had already made their
acquaintance on the wharf.
“When I went down to the wharf yesterday, your steamer had been gone
only a few moments,” continued the magnate of Middleport. “I was sorry
that I missed you.”
“It didn’t make any difference,” said the colonel. “You will attend to
the matter of which I spoke to you, Wolf,” he added, edging off towards
the gate.
“Perhaps it didn’t make any difference to you, but it did to me,”
continued the major. “I am afraid I did not, in the excitement of the
moment, express myself as clearly as I should have done.”
“As clearly as was necessary. I understood you perfectly,” replied the
colonel, still edging towards the gate.
“Then you understood that I intended to raise the money you wanted.”
“No, I did not. You told me you had a note to pay yourself, and that
was as much as to say you could do nothing for me.”
“There was, indeed, a mistake then; and I am very sorry that I did not
express myself more clearly.”
“I paid my note, and nothing more need be said about the matter,”
growled Colonel Wimpleton.
“My dear colonel--”
“Don’t ‘dear’ me after this.”
I trembled for the major when this rude remark was uttered, for
his temper was not always to be depended upon, and certainly the
provocation was very strong. I never saw a better opportunity to get
up a quarrel, and nothing but a little forbearance on the part of the
only one of the two who seemed to be capable of exercising this virtue
could ward off the calamity. The colonel was unreasonable; but the
major felt that he had not plainly stated his intentions. As usual,
there was blame on both sides.