erday?" asked the skipper, as we were now within
easy talking distance of him.

"Did a steamer try to get in yesterday?"

"Of course, or I wouldn't say so. But it was not full tide by two
hours, and she stuck in the sand about as soon as she got in between
the shoals."

"What did she do then?"

"She waited till the tide lifted her and then she backed out, and
hooked it to the southward as fast as she could. We were at anchor
inside of the inlet, and saw the whole of it. She looked just like this
craft. Plenty of fresh fish on board?"

At my request Cobbington bought a considerable quantity of sheeps-head
and cavallo. The only fish we had on board was shad, and we had eaten
that so much during the past month that we were tired of it. These
fresh fish were therefore a great treat, as we found next morning.

We started the engine again, satisfied that the Islander had not gone
into Mosquito Inlet. I gave the information to Colonel Shepard.

"Then Mr. Cornwood will not be likely to intercept the Islander at Key
West," said he.

"Not unless she put in at some other port, though I know of none where
she could have made a harbor until after the storm was over. But she
may stop over at Key West a day or two," I replied. "It all depends
upon what Captain Blastblow understands his instructions to be."

"Cornwood took the train at Jacksonville for Cedar Keys this morning,
and will be there this afternoon. He will reach Key West on Sunday
morning," added the colonel.

"We shall be there only a few hours later; and if the weather is
favorable we may get there as soon as the messenger you sent."

"I do not see that we can help the matter. If Cornwood don't get to Key
West in season to intercept the Islander, he will lose his two hundred
dollars, and my runaway craft will continue on her way to New Orleans."

This was all that either of us could make of it, and all we could do
was to wait till we got to Key West for further information. If the
Islander was twenty-four hours ahead of us, it was useless to attempt
to overhaul her. The Sylvania was a great deal more comfortable for the
passengers when she went along at her ordinary rate than when she was
forced up to twelve knots an hour; and I was not disposed to hurry her
on a useless mission. My passengers appeared to be enjoying themselves
all the time. I could not see how they could help being happy.

Some of them were reading books from the library I had started at