CHAPTER XVIII.
THE EXCURSION TO MANDARIN.
The band struck up a lively air as the boat started; and nothing couldbe more exhilarating than the strains of the music, in the softsunshine and mild, sweet air of that semi-tropical region. It wasMarch; but the air was like summer. As soon as we had passed the firstbend, the St. Johns appeared more like a far-reaching lake than astream. The river is from one to six miles wide below Pilatka. Theshores are never elevated, for there is not a bluff upon it that ismore than thirty feet high, while generally the land is only a few feetabove the level of the water. The highest elevation near the riverhardly exceeds sixty feet.
The country is almost wholly covered with woods, as seen from theriver. With the exception of a few villages, hardly a house can be seenfrom the passing steamer. One seems to be nearly alone with naturewhile voyaging on this broad tide. The trees are pines and magnolias,and now and then one sees a patch covered with jasmine, the vine ofwhich climbs the trees and shrubs, and blossoms there. There are plentyof flowers, even in the early spring. Compared with Maine or Michigan,where I had spent most of my life, it was fairy-land in March.
"What are you doing here, Cornwood?" asked Colonel Ives, as he enteredthe pilot-house, soon after we were under way.
The party was somewhat larger than it had been the day before, and boththe Mayor and Colonel Ives, with their families, were on board.
"I am the pilot of this steamer for the present," replied Cornwood; andI thought he felt a little "cut" by the question.
"Isn't this a little derogatory to the profession?" laughed theColonel.
"I don't practise at the bar much, as you are aware: my health does notadmit of the confinement," the pilot explained.
"That is often the case with practitioners who don't have much to do intheir profession."
"I have always had all I could do at the bar; but the open air and anactive life agree best with me."
"It does with everybody who is short of cases."
"But he is a good pilot down the river, and I have no doubt he is justas good up the river, Colonel Ives," I interposed. "His knowledge ofhis native State surprises us all."
"I was only bantering him, captain," replied the passenger. "I think heis a very good lawyer too, though he did not have a good case thismorning."
"When it comes to trial, I will show you that it is a better case thanyou think it is," replied Cornwood, with more spirit than he had beforeexhibited. "'Prisoners hang that hungry jurymen may dine,' and you andthe Mayor were in a hurry to finish the case, so that you could jointhis excursion."
"I was not in the case," added the Colonel.
"But you prompted the magistrate to end it as soon as possible."
"What was the use of talking all day over a matter that was as plain asday? The rascal would have killed the engineer, if the deck-handshadn't interfered," replied Colonel Ives. "The case might have beenfinished in ten minutes, as well as in three-quarters of an hour."
I was willing the lawyers should fight it out between themselves, and Ileft the pilot-house, which Owen and his ladies had not yet invaded. Isaw Washburn on the top-gallant forecastle, looking at the scenery ofthe river, and I joined him in this retired place. I had not yet had anopportunity to ask him if he had found Cobbington, and I went to theforecastle for this purpose.
"I found him," replied the mate, in a disgusted tone. "But I might aswell not have found him."
"Why so?" I inquired, rather amused by the manner of my friend.
"Since I came on board, I have found out something more than I knewbefore. Last evening, while you were ashore, Cornwood called a boatthat was passing, and sent a letter ashore by the boatman," continuedWashburn, as much dissatisfied as though he had been personallyinjured. "Of course that note went to Captain Boomsby."
"How do you know Cornwood sent a letter on shore last night?"
"Buck," called the mate to the deck-hand who was on duty forward.
"On deck, sir," replied Buck, touching his cap to the mate.
"You told me this morning, when you set me ashore, that the pilot senta letter to the city last night by a boat he hailed."
"Yes, sir; three or four of us were on deck at the time, if there isany doubt about it," replied the deck-hand.
"No doubt at all about it. Did you notice the boatman that took theletter?"
"It was a blacky I have seen a dozen times about the steamer and on thewharf, looking for jobs for that boat-yard," replied Buck. "He was inthe barge that brought off the passengers to-day."
"All right, Buck;" and the deck-hand retired. "After I heard about thisletter, I didn't expect anything of Cobbington, if I found him."
"Did you find him?"
"I did; he was not out of his bed when I called for him. He told me hehad two water moccasins, and one of them had got away while he had aroom at Captain Boomsby's. He did not know what became of him. He hadlooked all about the house without being able to find him."
"Did he tell you what became of the other?"
"I asked him that question, and he told me he had him still. I askedhim to let me see him, but he refused in spite of all I could say toinduce him to show him. He said the snake was nailed up in a box, withonly some holes bored in it to admit the air; and he could not show thesnake without taking off the cover of the box. The moccasin was adangerous fellow, and he didn't want to run any risks with him. He hadleft his last boarding-place because they killed a rattlesnakebelonging to him. I asked him to show me the box, but he wouldn't evendo that, and said it was all nonsense to show the box."
"You made up your mind that he had no moccasin?" I added.
"No more than I had. On my way down from the house I met his landlord,coming home from the market. He asked me if I had found Cobbington. Itold him I had, and then informed him his lodger kept a live moccasinsnake in his room. He was greatly astonished at what I told him, anddeclared that he wouldn't have a moccasin in his house for all themoney there was in Jacksonville; the snake might get loose, and bitehis wife or one of his children. He intimated that he should hastenhome and turn Cobbington out of his house: he would not have any manunder his roof who would endanger the lives of his wife and children."
"That was bad for Cobbington," I replied, with a smile.
"I told the landlord what his lodger said, that he had the moccasinnailed up in a box. He didn't care how he kept him: he would not havesuch a fellow about his house. I added that I did not believeCobbington had any such snake in his room, though he insisted that hehad. Then he either had a moccasin, or he lied about it, and in eithercase he didn't want the fellow in his house. I came to the conclusionthat the landlord wanted to turn out his lodger, and only wished for areasonable excuse for getting rid of him. I left him; and I supposeCobbington has been turned out by this time. I shouldn't want apoisonous snake in my house."
"Nor a man who would lie without a reasonable excuse," I added.
The steamer went along at her usual speed. I returned to thepilot-house, where by this time Owen had installed all the young ladieshe could get into it. They were all full of fun and jollity, and wereenjoying the excursion to the utmost. As it seemed to me that theyought to do so, I found no occasion to complain. I could not helpsuspecting that the pilot might be guilty of some treachery, after theevents of the morning, and I deemed it advisable to have a close watchupon him. But he kept the steamer in the middle of the river, where Ihad been informed there were no shoals; and certainly no rocks, for notone could be found in this part of the state, even big enough to stonea stray dog.
"Mulberry Grove on the right," said Cornwood, who did not neglect hisduties as guide, while he attended to those of pilot.
We could see little besides a long pier, though there was a glimpse tobe obtained of a house through the vista of trees.
Twenty minutes later we ran up to the pier at Mandarin, where the pilotmade as handsome a landing as I ever saw in my life. It was half-pasteleven when we had secured the steamer to th
e wharf. The band playedsome popular airs, and in a few minutes I judged that we had the entirepopulation of the village on the wharf. It was a lively time forMandarin, which is a remarkably quiet place. I believe I saw somethinglike a store there, though I am not quite sure. About all the housesare on the bank of the river, and were reached by a long, narrowfoot-bridge, built over the lagoon. From the main bridge, cross bridgesextended to each house.
At twelve the lunch was ready, and the excursionists went down into thecabin to attend to it, while the band on the hurricane-deck continuedto play. An oyster chowder and baked shad were the principalsubstantials of the lunch; and while they were served, Gopher was thegreatest man on board. As soon as the lunch was disposed of, and thecook had been sufficiently complimented, the party went on shore.Cornwood led the way over the long foot-bridge.
"There is an alligator in the wild state," I said to Miss Margie, as Iwas walking with her and her father.
"I don't see anything," she replied.
"Don't you see that splashing in the water, with something black in themidst of it? That is an alligator, the first one I ever saw," I added.
It looked like a stick of wood. A little farther along we saw one on alog. He was not more than three feet long. He attracted the attentionof the party, who had never seen one in his native element before; butwe expected to see larger ones in the course of a week or two. Mrs.Stowe's cottage was one of the first we came to. It was a one-story,wooden house, with no pretensions to elegance. An immense live-oak grewnear it, and covered the cottage with its branches. Around it was anorange grove, on the trees of which many oranges still remained. Thedistinguished lady was not at home, and we did not see her.
We walked to the end of the bridge, looking at the pretty dwellings onthe shore, and then went upon the land, where we had quite a ramble.But an hour enabled us to see all there was of the place, and weembarked for the return. Before five o'clock we were in sight ofJacksonville. The pilot ran the boat as near the shore as it was safeto go, and the barge I had engaged to be present transported the partyto the shore. Mrs. Mitchell's house looked very pleasant from theoutside; but we were principally interested in the garden and orangegrove. It was said that over five thousand oranges had been gatheredfrom one of the trees we saw. We examined a great variety ofsemi-tropical trees and shrubs, such as lemon, banana, grape-fruit, andothers I cannot remember.
The party dined on the river, and landed at the market at six.