by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XXII.
A "MEWEL" NAMED "REWARD."
It being thus settled that the search for the raft was to be continued,the Sheriff said: "I wish I could go with you, Mr. Brackett, and seethis affair through; but those fellows are beyond my hunting-groundnow, and I've got important business to attend to up the river. I'lltell you what I will do, though. I'll appoint you a deputy, and giveyou a bit of writing witnessed by a notary, as well as a badge. Thepaper will identify you, and state that you are engaged on governmentbusiness, which entitles you to official aid wherever you may demandit. I will also give you samples of the bills those fellows arecirculating. They are fives and tens, and by far the best specimens ofthat kind of work I have ever seen. Of course, if you don't catch themit will be all right; but if you do, perhaps you'll remember oldfriends when the reward is paid."
Billy Brackett thanked Mr. Riley, and accepted these friendly offers,though he afterwards remarked to Winn that as they were searching for alost raft, and not for a gang of counterfeiters, he thought it unlikelythat he should ever play the part of Sheriff.
"But you'd try for that reward if you had the chance, wouldn't you?"asked Winn.
"No, I would not," was the prompt reply. "Man-hunting, and especiallyman-hunting for money, is not in my line. It is a duty that Sheriffsare obliged to perform, but, thank goodness, I am not a Sheriff."
At the conclusion of all these explanations and arrangements, theentire party adjourned to the _Whatnot_, to which Sabella had alreadyreturned, and where they were to dine, by Cap'n Cod's invitation.
What a good dinner it was, and what a merry one! How Solon, who in aspeckless white apron waited at table, grinned at the praises bestowedupon his cooking! How they all chaffed each other! Winn wasironically praised for his success in losing rafts, and the Sheriff forhis in capturing counterfeiters; Cap'n Cod was gravely congratulatedupon the result of his efforts to entertain the public, and evenSabella was highly praised for her skilful performance on thehand-organ. With all this banter, Cap'n Cod did not lose sight of theobligation under which Billy Brackett had placed him the eveningbefore, and so sincerely regretted that he and Winn were not tocontinue their voyage down the river on the _Whatnot_, that the formerfinally said:
"Well, sir, if you really want us to, I don't see why we shouldn'ttravel with you until we overhaul our raft. I am rather taken withthis show business myself, and have always had a desire to appear onthe stage. As for Winn, and that other young monkey, Don Blossom--"
"All right," laughed Winn. "I'd rather take the part of monkey than ofmule, any day."
"Other young monkey," continued Billy Brackett, gravely, withoutnoticing this interruption, "we'll hitch them together and exhibit themas Siamese twins. Oh, I tell you, gentlemen, we'll give a show such asnever was seen on this little old river. I don't suppose this craft isas fast as some of the larger steamboats, but she can certainlyovertake a raft, and we might just as well have some fun out of thetrip as not."
"But she is not a steamboat," confessed Cap'n Cod.
"Not a steamboat! What is she then, and how do you propel her?"
"She is only a mule-boat, and at present, as we have no mule, we merelydrift with the current."
At this Billy Brackett became thoughtful, and asked to be shown intothe engine-room. He had not appreciated Winn's reference to acting thepart of a mule until now; but at sight of the treadmill, and a suddenrealization of the part his nephew had taken in the performance of thepreceding evening, he laughed until the tears filled his eyes, and theothers laughed in sympathy.
"Oh, Winn, Winn!" he cried. "You'll be the death of me yet! I wonderif ever an uncle was blessed with such an absurd nephew before?"
"That's all right, Uncle Billy," said Winn; "but you just step in andwork that treadmill for an hour. Then see if you'll laugh. Eh, Solon?"
"No, sah. Ole Solom he don' git in dere no mo'. He gwine strike, heam, agin dish yer mewel bizness."
"Look here, Winn," said Billy Brackett, when he had recovered hisgravity, "didn't I offer a reward for your discovery?"
"To be sure you did; and I meant to claim it, too. That's what I gotthe printer to point out Mr. 'Brickell' for. So I'll take it now, ifyou please."
"That is one of the rewards I expected to earn," remarked Cap'n Cod."And I wrote to your father for full particulars concerning yourdisappearance; but I don't suppose there is any chance for me now, solong as you have discovered yourself, unless you could make itconvenient to get lost again."
"I was rather expecting to come in for that reward myself," said theSheriff.
"While I," said Billy Brackett, "had about concluded that if any onewas entitled to it, it was the young rascal's worthy uncle. But I'lltell you how we will settle these several claims. Solon here is almostthe only one who has not applied for the reward, though I am convincedthat he is as well entitled to it as any of us. Therefore I am goingto pay it to him--"
At this the old negro's eyes grew wide as saucers. He had never beenpossessed of a hundred dollars in his life.
"On condition," continued the young engineer, "that he immediatelyinvests it in a mule, which he shall offer to our friend Cap'n Cod as asubstitute for himself and Winn in the treadmill. I shall receive myreward by being permitted to travel on the _Whatnot_ and study for thestage, while the Sheriff shall be rewarded by being allowed to name themule."
Although they all laughed at this scheme and considered, it a goodjoke, Billy Brackett was deeply in earnest beneath all his assumedfrivolity. He realized that finding the raft and taking possession ofit were no longer one and the same thing. The fact that it was in thehands of a gang of men who were at once shrewd and desperate renderedits recovery an affair requiring all the discretion and skill that hecould command. For the purpose in view, a boat like the _Whatnot_,with which he could stop when and where he pleased, as well as visitplaces unattainable by larger craft, was much better suited than asteamboat that would only touch at certain fixed points. Then again heand Winn would be less likely to arouse the suspicion of those whomthey sought if attached to Cap'n Cod's show than if they appeared tohave no definite business or object in view. He calculated that byusing mule-power in the daytime and drifting with the current at nightthe _Whatnot_ could be made to reach St. Louis as soon as the raft, andstill allow time for several exhibitions of the panorama on the way.From the outset he had expected to take the raft at least as far as St.Louis, and now was perfectly willing that its present crew should havethe labor of navigating it to that point. Thus the plan of travellingby the _Whatnot_ commended itself strongly to his judgment, besidesproving highly satisfactory to all those interested in it.
Even Bim approved of it, for in addition to showing a decidedappreciation of Sabella's friendship, this intelligent animal evinced adesire to become more intimately acquainted with Don Blossom, who wasthe first of his race he had ever encountered.
The mule selected by Solon, and guaranteed by that expert in mules tobe "a turrible wukker, 'kase I sees hit in he eye," was purchased thatvery afternoon, and immediately introduced to the scene of his futurelabors.
"The mule was purchased that afternoon."]
Sheriff Riley named him "Reward." Then bidding these strangely foundfriends good-bye, and taking his recovered property with him, heboarded an up-bound steamboat and started for home.
As there was no reason why the others should not also begin theirjourney at once, the _Whatnot_ was got under way at the same time, andheaded down the stream.
Cap'n Cod proudly occupied the pilot-house; Solon attended to thefour-legged engine; Sabella was making preparations for supper; whilethe two who would be raftmates, provided they only had a raft, pacedslowly back and forth on the upper deck, enjoying the scenery anddiscussing their plans.
"If we only knew how those fellows had disguised the raft, and what shelooked like now!" remarked Billy Brackett.
"I'm certain that I should recognize it under any disguise," asse
rtedWinn, positively.
"That may be, but it would simplify matters if we could have somedefinite description of the craft. Now we shall have to board everyraft we overhaul, on some pretence or other, and make inquiries. Andthat reminds me that the _Whatnot_ does not seem to be provided with askiff."
"Yes, Solon said there was one on this deck, covered with canvas. Thatmust be it there," replied Winn. As he spoke he lifted an edge of thebit of old sail that protected some bulky object from the weather, andlooked beneath it. Then he uttered a cry of amazement, and tore thecanvas completely off.
"It's my canoe, as sure as I'm standing here!" he shouted. "The veryone that was carried off on the raft!"
