"It was de new saloon, sar; not boozy at all, sar; Captain Boomsby
keeps dat saloon. Mighty mean man, Captain Boomsby. As soon as he done
read de letter, he put on his coat, and left de saloon."

That was all that Washburn cared to know--that the letter from Cornwood
had gone to Captain Boomsby; and he bestowed a look of triumph upon me.
I paid the boatman a quarter, and we walked up to Bay Street. We had
hardly turned the corner before we came plump upon a man who seemed to
be very anxious to meet my friend and companion. I had never seen him
before.

"Mr. Cobbington, this is Captain Garningham, of the steamer Sylvania,"
said Washburn, chuckling.

"How do you do, Mr. Cobbington," I replied.

"How are you, captain: I'm glad to see both of you," replied
Cobbington. "One of you has got me into a bad scrape, for this morning,
Gavett, the man I boarded with, turned me out of his house because I
had a moccasin snake in a box in my room."

"Rough on you, was he?" added the mate.

"Mighty rough! I have been looking for another room all day, and I
can't get one. I've got to sleep out-doors to-night," replied
Cobbington, with a very long face.

"You shouldn't keep poisonous snakes in your room," I added.

"He never would have known it if this man hadn't told him," said the
snake-man, turning to the mate. "I don't know your name, but you got me
into a very bad scrape for an invalid; and that's the reason why I am
down in Florida, instead of at home where I could earn a decent
living," whined Cobbington. "I shall die in a week, if I have to sleep
out in the night-air: and I don't know of even a shed to get under."

"It was no more than right to tell a man you had a poisonous reptile in
his house," added Washburn. "The snake might have got out, and bitten
his wife and children."

"Early this morning I paid Gavett the last dollar I had for the rent of
the room; and I haven't had a mouthful to eat since I had my breakfast.
How long can an invalid live, sleeping out-doors, with nothing to eat?"
added Cobbington.

I saw the tears roll down the thin cheeks of the man, and my sympathies
were excited. I saw it was the same with Washburn.

"I have been in to see Captain Boomsby; I had a room in his house for a
while, and always paid for it. He wouldn't let me sleep on the floor in
one of his empty chambers, nor give me anything to eat," continued the
poor wretch.

"You shall have something to eat, and a place to sleep,"