CHAPTER XVII.
POOR GRIFF AND HIS COUNSEL.
"Surely, Captain Garningham, you cannot mean to hand the man over tothe police for getting into a common brawl," said Cornwood, when I hadgiven my order.
"We don't allow brawls on board this steamer. This is the first onethat ever occurred on the decks of this vessel," I replied, debating inmy own mind whether or not I should discharge the Floridian, who seemedto be the real culprit, though of course I could not prove that he wasthe octoroon's principal in the business of eavesdropping.
"But this was simply a misunderstanding between the men; and both ofthem will be as good friends as ever before morning," pleaded Cornwood."Mr. Bowman intended to do the boy no harm when he seized hold of him;and poor Griff thought he intended to kill him."
"That's just what I thought," replied the octoroon, who had entirelycooled off.
"But I didn't seize hold of him, as the gentleman says," interposed BenBowman. "I did not lay the weight of one hand on him; I only justtouched him, as I said before; and I don't want anybody to say I seizedhold of him. I didn't do anything of the sort."
"I lay down there and went to sleep, for I have had to work hardto-day. I lay in a hard position, and I suppose it was that which mademe dream that somebody had struck me on the head, and was trying tomurder me," Griffin explained, in the most humble tones. "I woke, andseeing a man bending over me, I thought the dream was a reality."
"Were you dreaming when you drew the knife, at least five minutes afteryou were pinned to the deck by Mr. Bowman?" I asked, sternly. "Yourstory is too thin."
"I was mad, crazy with excitement; I didn't know what I was doing,"pleaded "poor Griff." "Don't give me over to the police! I never wasbefore a court for anything in all my life! Forgive me this time, dearCaptain!"
I was afraid I might do so if he talked to me long in this strain.
"Take him down to the boat! Obey your order, Mr. Washburn!" I said,with energy. "Take the knife with you, and deliver it to the police."
"Captain Garningham, I beg you to consider that you are doing a verygreat injustice to this boy, who, I am certain, intended no harm toanybody," interposed Cornwood again.
"I don't believe in the harmless intentions of a man who can draw abowie-knife on another," I replied; and I had no more doubt of theoctoroon's guilt than I had of my own existence.
"I am very sorry indeed that you should take so serious a view of whathas proved a harmless affray," added Cornwood. "If you deliver him overto the police, which, as the captain of the vessel, you have a right todo, I suppose his case will be called to-morrow forenoon. I must askleave of absence to act as his counsel."
I supposed this was said to remind me of the excursion of the next day,the news of which had been circulated from the steward's department.But the excursion made no difference to me; I felt that I had a duty toperform, and I was resolved to perform it, even if the excursion had tobe postponed to another day. Griffin Leeds was carried into the boat,and the mate departed for the city with him.
"Now, Mr. Cornwood, I should like to see you in regard to the up-rivertrip," I said, as soon as the boat had left the steamer. "We leave onMonday."
"If this affair which has just occurred will permit us to do so," addedthe Floridian, rather stiffly.
"That need not detain us a single day," I replied, decidedly. "We havetwice as many hands as we need for this river navigation; and we canspare all that may be needed as witnesses."
"But I have to remain to defend poor Griff, who, I am persuaded, is avictim of circumstances," said Cornwood, who evidently intended to makeit plain I was to reap the bitter fruits of my folly in thedissatisfaction of my passengers, as they might not be inclined to stayafter they had made up their minds to go.
"Then I shall be obliged to make the trip with a river pilot," I addedpromptly, for I did not intend that the Floridian should get ahead ofme in this business.
The guide bit his lips, as though he did not quite like the situation.He knew enough of Owen Garningham to understand that, after he had madeup his mind to start on the up-river trip on Monday, he would bedetermined to go in the face of all obstacles.
"I can hardly desert the poor fellow in his trouble," sighed Mr.Cornwood.
"That is a question you must decide for yourself," I replied, with asmuch indifference as I could assume. "It seems to me you make a lightmatter of a serious assault, and your sympathy is all with the man whocommitted it. You call him 'poor Griff,' as though he were a persecutedvictim, instead of one who had raised his hand with a knife in itagainst one of the ship's company."
"I have a great regard for that boy, for he saved my life once when Ifell overboard and was injured so that I could not swim, and there werethree large sharks near the vessel. I should be inhuman to desert him,even if he were as guilty as you seem to think he is," continued theguide; but I was inclined to believe that his explanation was more thanhalf an invention.
"In what court will this man be brought up?" I asked.
"He will be brought before the mayor, as magistrate; and if heconsiders it a simple assault, he will fine the boy, or send him toprison; if an assault with intent to kill, he will bind him over to ahigher court for trial."
"In either case, the matter is likely to be disposed of in season forthe excursion to-morrow forenoon. If he is bound over, we can appear,such of us as are required as witnesses, at the proper time," Ireplied, as off-hand as though I had been a lawyer all my days. "Now wewill leave that question, and turn to others of more importance."
"It may be a matter of light importance to have the boy sent off towork with a prison-gang for two or three years, but I don't so regardit," growled Cornwood.
"When a man draws a knife on another, he needs the attention of thecourts. You seem to be so accustomed to that sort of thing that youmind nothing about it. Where I come from we don't use knives with thatsort of freedom."
"If it were not clearly a misunderstanding on the part of poor Griff, Iwouldn't say anything more about it."
"It was no misunderstanding when Griffin leaped to his feet, at leastfive minutes after the struggle with the engineer, and rushed upon himwith a knife. But we will say nothing more about it, anyhow. ColonelShepard says the party wish to go up the river as far as Sanford andEnterprise, and up the Ocklawaha to Lake Griffin."
"As it seems to be very uncertain whether I go with you or not, Iprefer to say nothing about the trip for the present," replied theFloridian, sulkily.
"Very well; then you will consider your engagement at an end," I added,without an instant's hesitation; and already I began to feel somerelief at the idea of getting rid of a suspicious person.
My sudden decision did not seem to suit the guide any better than myposition in regard to Griffin Leeds. I had risen from my chair at thedesk, as though the business was finished, when I gave my decision; andby this time he could believe that I meant all I said.
"There will be time enough to settle this business after the court hasmet to-morrow morning," said he, with an evident intention of "backingdown."
"But my passengers wish to know at once what the plan is, and I desireto procure a pilot for the excursion to-morrow," I replied.
"I will go with you on the excursion, whether I go up the river ornot."
"No, you will not. I have no time to fool with you. I shall engage apilot to-night for the up-river trip, if you cannot go with me," Iadded, indignantly.
"I think I can go with you; in other words, I will go with you. It isnot possible to go up the Ocklawaha in this steamer," said Cornwood,suddenly changing front, somewhat to my regret. "The masts and yardswould be carried away by the trees that overhang the stream, and shedraws too much water for the Ocklawaha or the upper St. Johns."
"That matter is settled, then, and I will report to Colonel Shepard.Will you explain to me where we can go in this steamer."
The guide became as communicative as ever in a little while, and seemedto have forgotten the little differenc
e which had threatened a seriousrupture in our relations. He was as pleasant as though no cloud hadpassed between us. We discussed the up-river trip, and I made memorandaof what he said till ten o'clock, when we retired. If what he saidabout his obligations to Griffin Leeds was true, I could not blame himfor wishing to stand by the waiter. But a fair statement of hisrelations, without any of the bullying he had attempted, would haveaccomplished his wishes better.
When I turned out in the morning, I found the mate had gone ashore. Athalf-past eight, as requested by the chief of police through Washburn,Ben Bowman and I went on shore to attend the mayor's court. I hadstarted in season to call on Colonel Shepard, to whom I related all theevents of the preceding evening, including my interview with theFloridian. The Colonel decided to ask his friend, Colonel Ives, alawyer of influence, and a Floridian, to attend court with me.
Washburn was on hand in season, and the mayor listened to thetestimony. Cornwood had his opportunity to badger the witnesses, and hemade the most of it. The magistrate, in spite of the eloquence of thecounsel for the defence, chose to regard the offence as a seriousassault, and bound the prisoner over for his appearance at a highercourt, three weeks hence. This was about the time we expected to beabsent up the river, and I saw that the Colonel's friend had managedthe case well without saying a word out loud. Cornwood found bail forthe culprit, and he was released.
"I suppose he can return to his duties on board of the steamer," saidthe waiter's counsel.
"No, sir; I would not tolerate such a man on board any more than Iwould a rattlesnake," I replied.
I paid him his wages, and something more, on the spot; and when he leftthe court, his look and his manner indicated that he was more intentupon revenge than anything else. It was quarter of ten when the casewas thus settled for the present, and we hastened to the wharf, and onboard. I had engaged a large barge at the boat-wharf to put thepassengers on board, and they were all taken off at one load.
We had the anchor up by the time they were alongside, and it was only afew minutes after ten when I rang the bell to go ahead.