ee. Whether acting as the paid devil of
another, or on his own responsibility, he bowed to no power but his own
will. His physical courage was well known to be of the most obstinate
character. When the coward dandy had an enemy to punish, Vernon, for a
hundred dollars, would first insult and then fight the luckless
individual. This had formerly been a lucrative part of his trade; but
latterly his claims to the distinction of _gentleman_ and _man of honor_
had been of such a questionable character, that the man who refused to
meet him did not lose caste among the bloods of the city.

Vernon was now on his way to a wider sphere of action than New Orleans,
with its yellow fever season at hand, afforded him. As usual, he
practised his arts on board the Chalmetta, which, however, afforded him
but a narrow field, the passengers being mostly officers, who had left
their pay in the _cabarets_ of Mexico.

By some means he had ascertained that Henry Carroll was in possession of
a considerable sum of money. By all the arts in his power he had
endeavored to lure him to the gambling-table, which was constantly
spread in the cabin, and surrounded by unfortunate victims, vainly
striving against the coolness and trickery of professional blacklegs, to
recruit their exhausted finances, or retrieve the ruin to which an
unlucky hour had enticed them. Henry obstinately refused to take a hand;
but Vernon's heart was set upon the bag of gold he knew was in Henry's
trunk, and he resolved to possess it,--a feat not easy to accomplish on
board a crowded steamer.

After Maxwell had recovered from the blow which had felled him to the
deck, and while Henry was soothing the distress of Emily, he met Vernon,
who was in the act of reconnoitring the young officer's state-room.
Vernon was just the person to serve him in this extremity. The protector
of Emily must be removed from his charge, as her uncle had been by De
Guy. He resolved upon a consultation with the blackleg. Accordingly he
expressed his desire, to which the gambler replied by requesting him to
give notice of the approach of any one, while he did a little business
in the state-room.

Maxwell vainly remonstrated, but was obliged to comply with the wishes
of the robber, or lose his services.

Vernon, thus protected from intrusion, entered the room, and by the aid
of a pick-lock soon succeeded in obtaining possession of all poor
Henry's earthly wealth. Beckoning Maxwell to follow, he des