Bidwell's Travels, from Wall Street to London Prison: Fifteen Years in Solitude
the baggage housed and the carriage dismissed. In the mean time Mac was
waiting for us in an appointed place not far away, where I joined him,
and we went to the obscure tavern where the room had been engaged.
George was awaiting us.
So far our plan was successful. Mac was safely hidden away, while his
clever friend was speeding miles away on a wild goose chase. There was
only one train a day each way, and we knew the detective could not get
back to Rio until late. We felt certain that when he found Mac was not
on the train he would think his intended victim had slipped off at some
way station--possibly with a view of making his escape into the
interior; even if he sent a dispatch to the bank--an unlikely thing for
a Brazilian to do--it would doubtless be to the effect that his quarry
had left Rio on the early train that morning with him.
We passed some trying hours together. Then George left to take Mac's
baggage off to the steamer. He engaged two stalwart porters; they stand
on every corner busily engaged in plaiting straw for hats while
waiting for a job. Dividing the baggage between the two he had it
carried to the wharf, and, taking a small boat, quickly had it stowed in
the hold and the small articles carried to the stateroom. Soon after he
joined us on shore.
It was but 10 o'clock when he came, and it was with something like
dismay that we realized that the whole day was before us. Until the day
before, when Mac was in the bank, I had never known how long an hour
was, but this day we all came to know how long a day could be.
The Ebro was anchored out in the bay. Her coal was all stowed, but
strings of barges laden with sacks of coffee were alongside. She was
advertised to sail sharp at noon.
I went out once or twice to the bank and police headquarters, hanging
about for a few minutes to see if there was anything suspicious, but
there was nothing, and each time I hastened back to Mac.
Our presence cheered him up, and he could not brook our absence. At last
the long day drew to an end and the shadows, to our intense relief,
began to darken in our little room, where we were holding our watch. The
tropic night closes quickly in. Soon the city was shrouded in darkness,
and we sallied out to the beach at the head of the bay to find relief in
movement. The time passed quicker then, and at last we sat down on some
wreckage there and watched the tropic night as it revealed its wealth of
stars, and sitting there we began to philosophize, moralizing upon the
destiny of man and his relations to things seen and unseen, upon
spiritual force; most of all upon divine justice, which in the end evens
up all things. But like so many other philosophers who write the style
of the gods and make a pish at fortune, we failed to make a personal
application of our philosophy.
Near by there was a boat stand from which we had resolved to embark for
the steamer about two miles away. The night was lovely as a dream, and
we knew that midnight would find a large number of passengers on deck,
many of whom would pass the night there. Forward was all the bustle and
confusion inseparable from receiving and stowing cargo.
At 9 o'clock I left them to go and get the remainder of the gold not yet
on board--some four thousand pounds. The street cars passed near by, and
within half an hour I returned with the gold in a bag swung from my
shoulder by a heavy strap. I also had with me a woman's wrap and a silk
shawl. We sat for an hour longer, and then securing a boat with two
negro rowers, we pulled for the ship. Three or four small boats were
fastened to the companion ladder, and our arrival attracted no
attention. Two officials in uniform--probably custom officers--stood at
the companion way. It was an anxious moment, but we slipped through the
dimly lighted cabins and passages, and were soon safely in the
stateroom. Bidding both good-bye, and promising to be on board again at
8 in the morning, I went ashore and straight to bed, and soon was
dreaming of starlit seas, of tropic woods and Summer bowers, white and
sweet with May blossoms. My health then, as now, was perfect, and I
awoke fresh and hopeful. After breakfasting on a dish of prawns and
another of soft-shelled crabs, I was off across the bay. Soon after 8 I
knocked softly at the stateroom door, was admitted and presented the
lunch I had brought. They gave me a warm greeting, but neither had
slept. The room had been hot and stuffy, and the noise of stowing cargo
had helped to banish sleep. Both were unnerved somewhat, but I had just
come off shore confident and cheerful, and my confidence and spirits
proved infectious.
I knew by sight the chief of police and those just under him. I also
knew Braga, the bank manager, by sight. They, of course, did not know
me, and I could, unsuspected, be a looker-on in Vienna. Soon the
passengers, their friends and many idle visitors came off in boatloads,
while I, of course, scrutinized every boatload as it came up the side of
the ship.
At 9.30 I saw a boat coming, which, when half a mile away, I recognized
as containing the chief of police and several of his subordinates; ten
minutes after Braga and one of the bank officials came, the only
passengers in their boat, and at once joined the police on the after
deck and stood with them waiting and watching the boats as they arrived.
In the mean time babel reigned around the ship. About three score boats
surrounded her, the owners selling to the passengers everything from
oranges to monkeys, snakes and parrots.
I determined to conceal from George and Mac that Braga and the police
were on the ship, and about every twenty minutes I would slip down and
report "All's well;" but soon after 10 o'clock the enemy were joined by
the ticket agent from shore, and I could see they were contemplating
some movement. Slipping down to the cabin, I said: "Boys, everything is
all right; keep perfectly cool. Braga and the police are pulling to the
ship and may search it; if so, it will take half an hour to get here. I
will keep everything in my eye and give you ample notice." I then
returned on deck and stood among the officials. They conversed in
Portuguese, which was Greek to me; soon the agent dived below and
reappeared with the manifest of the passengers, and an enormous heap of
passports. After some conversation they sent the passports back; then,
headed by the agent and purser, manifest in hand, they began to verify
the list and scrutinize the passengers in the staterooms. Once more I
hurried below and reported.
Mac was naturally very dignified, but divesting himself of coat, vest
and dignity at the same time, he planted himself under the berth. Very
close and very hot quarters he found it, and we put the bags of oranges
in front, disposing of them so as to make it appear as if they filled
the whole space, when in reality they were a mere screen.
Then we opened the door to the fullest extent. We had taken off our
coats--it being frightfully hot--and with a bottle of claret and a bowl
of ice standing on the little washstand and two glasses all in full
view, we awaited the arrival of our friends, the enemy.
Our door was flat against the partition, giving a full sweep of the room
to the eye of the passerby, and George and I waited confidently for the
inspection we knew was inevitable. I sat on the foot of the lower berth,
smoking and swinging my feet. George sat on a folding camp-stool, with
his face toward the door, but not obstructing the view. Soon the
procession arrived, with the ticket agent in front. When he saw George
he at once recognized him as the Mr. Wilson who had bought the ticket,
and he simply said: "How do you do, Mr. Wilson?" and passed on without
looking in the room. Braga and the police followed, casually glanced at
us two, and were gone. I put on my coat and followed the procession, and
at 11.30 they went up on the after deck, evidently satisfied that their
man was not on the ship, and contented themselves with watching new
arrivals. I flew down, gave them the good news that the search was over,
and poor Mac, half-roasted, came from behind the bags of oranges.
Declaring he was roasted alive and dying of thirst, he finished the
bottle of iced claret.
Ten minutes before 12 the bell was rung and all people for shore were
warned to leave. Soon we heard the pleasant sound of the steam winch
lifting the anchor, and at noon precisely, to our relief, the screw
began to revolve at quarter speed, and the Ebro to respond by forging
slowly ahead. All boats fell off but ours and the police boat. At last,
after giving a good look up and down the bay, Braga and the police
entered the boats, and, casting off, soon were left behind. Once more
and for the last time I flew down to the cabin. They saw the good news
in my face; then, shaking Mac's hand in hearty farewell, we ran to the
upper deck, down the ladder into our boat, and a moment later the big
ship, putting on full steam, left us astern, we ordering the boatman to
pull hard after the ship. Mac soon appeared on the after deck, and waved
his handkerchief to us in farewell. We gave him three cheers, and,
excited and happy, with our long anxiety over, we returned to the shore.
With Mac sailing northward ho! with Wilson's passport and ticket in his
pocket, and all our money save two thousand pounds in his trunk, our
buccaneering expedition on the Spanish Main was over and all but a
failure when comparing the L10,000 we had captured with our magnificent
expectations.
Here was a gigantic and well-conceived scheme which had almost collapsed
through trifles, which, to an honest enterprise would have been light as
air, but which to us and to our plans were of crushing force, built up,
as all schemes of wrong doing are, on foundations of sand.
To conclude very briefly the narrative of this expedition, I will here
add that the day after Mac's departure, altering his passport to fit
George's description, we sailed on the Chimborazo south to Montevideo.
Upon our arrival we, with all other passengers for the town, were
promptly put in quarantine for ten days in a vile little island called
in irony the Isle of Flowers; but the mails were fumigated and sent
through, as were two additional mails arriving from Europe and Rio. When
our quarantine was over we were permitted to enter the city. We found
that some advice or rumor had reached there, and we feared to venture
our letters of credit for money. So, destroying all documents save our
passports, we paid a visit to Buenos Ayres, and then we embarked on a
French steamer for Marseilles, arriving there without any particular
adventure, and the next day had a happy meeting with Mac in Paris.
CHAPTER XVIII.
LITTLE FISHES WRIGGLING THROUGH GREEN WAVES.
Once more together and our adventures since we separated related, the
question arose: What next?
We determined to abandon our dangerous business, for we had capital
sufficient to start in an honest career, and resolved to do so. For a
long time our attention had been turned to Colorado, and we had
frequently talked over a project of going to some growing city there,
starting a bank and building a wheat elevator and stockyards. Fifty
thousand dollars would start our bank, and $10,000, with some credit,
the elevator and yards. This sum we had, with an additional $10,000 to
pay our way until profit came in from our investments. Here was another
great and honorable scheme--one easily carried out had we only gone on
with it. What a success we might have made, particularly so when
considered in the light of the development of Colorado since 1872 and
our energy and knowledge of business.
In Paris we all stopped at the Hotel Meurice, Rue Rivoli, and spent much