Page:Once a Week Volume V.djvu/652





leaving the school-house, Francis hurried to the tavern, which he entered so impetuously, as very much to surprise and amuse a couple of idle fellows who were lounging at the door.

He found the master of the little schooner that had brought him to Long Arrow, and a couple of the sailors in the bar-room, waiting till the hour for supper arrived. “Get your boat ready as quickly as you can,” said Francis, addressing the skipper; “I’ve changed my mind about remaining here to-night, and must be off again immediately.”

The skipper drew a long inward whistle.

“Well, if you must,” he said, “I reckon it won’t be in the ‘Pretty Jane,’ for she don’t stir from her moorings this night, nohow.”

By a desperate struggle, Francis forced himself to speak calmly.

“I believe, Mr. Dawson, I have hired you and your boat for as long a time as I may want you, and if you wish to be paid for your services, you must obey my orders.”

“Not such unreasonable orders as them, I expect,” said Dawson; “me and my men are true, free Americans, not nigger slaves. If you’ve changed your mind we haven’t, and so you must just try and take it coolly till morning.”

“Take it coolly!” Poor Francis. But he knew very well giving way to his passion would not get him away from Long Arrow, so he took a wiser course.

“Suppose I engage to double the sum I agreed to pay you,” he said.

“Oh! that’s another thing,” said the skipper, laughing; “double pay, double work, any day in the year; we’ll all do a deal for the dollars. Ain’t I right, lads?”

The sailors assented; declaring, however, that they would not stir till they had had their suppers.

“But, I guess, what wind there is, is dead a-head,” said one.

“Never mind,” said Francis, “let us get away from this place, at any rate.”

“A few hours ago he was just as eager to get to it,” said the other sailor, half aside to his companion. “I guess he found it different from what he expected.”

“Is there any one else coming back with us, Mr. Coryton?” asked the skipper.

The sailors had all heard that they were to bring back a lady from Long Arrow, and arrangements for her accommodation had been made on board the schooner, under the directions of Francis, and some suspicion of his sudden haste to leave the place he had been so anxious to reach began to dawn on them.

“No one else,” said Francis, angrily. “But, good heaven!” he suddenly exclaimed, “I was forgetting that woman. Get your suppers, men, and I’ll tell her to get ready.”

He went into the “keeping-room,” but Vincent was not there, and the mistress of the tavern said she was taking a cup of tea up-stairs, for she felt very bad after her journey.

Mrs. Abbott did as she was told, but quickly returned, saying:

“She says you never sent her no such message, and that it’s all a mistake of mine.”

“Where is she? I must see her,” said Francis.