lake. She had not met with an accident, but had been detained at Palatka
waiting for a passenger of whom the captain had been apprised.

"He may be a trifle late, but if he is, wait. He must take your boat,"
Tom Hardy had said to the captain when engaging passage for his friend,
and Tom Hardy was not one whose wishes were often disregarded. "Them
Hardys does more business with me in one year than ten other families
and I can't go agin Tom, and if he says wait for his friend, why,
there's nothing to do but wait," the captain said, as he walked up and
down in front of his boat, growing more and more impatient, until at
last as he was beginning to swear he'd wait no longer for all the Hardys
in Christendom, two men came slowly towards the landing, talking
earnestly and not seeming to be in the least hurry, although the "Hatty"
began to scream herself hoarse as if frantic to be gone.

"How d'ye, Cap," Tom said, in his easy, off-hand way. "Hope we haven't
kept you long. This is my friend I told you about. I suppose his berth
is ready?"

He did not tell the name of his friend, who, as if loath to cross the
plank, held back for a few more words. Tom gave him a little push at
last, and said, "Good-bye, you really must go. Success to you, but don't
for a moment think of carrying out that quixotic plan you first
mentioned. Better jump into the river. Good-bye!"

The plank was crossed and pulled in, and a mulatto boy came forward to
take the stranger's bag and pilot him to his stateroom, which opened
from what was called the ladies' parlor. Coiled up in a corner on the
deck was a bundle of something which stirred as they came near to it,
and began to turn over, making the stranger start with a slight