Chapter 24 Chapter 23 Mississippi River, on board the Eli Reynolds, October 1957

Abner Marsh did not sleep that night.With his back to the dim lights of Vicksburg, he sat all night in a chair on the light deck above, looking out over the river. Marsh was inexplicably infected by the beauty of the night, and it was this dark charm that moved Josh so much.Marsh leaned back his chair, looked at the moon, the stars, and the river, thinking that this might be the last time he would enjoy such peace.By tomorrow, at least the day after tomorrow, they will find Pfeiffer's Dream, and the summer nightmare will reappear. Dawn is still an hour away.Jorgo and Groff appeared on the upper deck, bringing with them two chairs and a pot of coffee.They sat down quietly beside Marsh and poured his arms over him.The coffee was hot and dark.Marsh took a grateful sip.

"Now, Captain Marsh," said Jorgo after a while, his long face pale and tired, "don't you think you should tell us what's going on?" "Since we got back to St. Louis," said Grove, "you haven't said anything except that we're going to get the boat back. To-morrow, we might find her. And then? You haven't said a word, Captain, just I said I didn't want to involve the police. If your boat was stolen, why didn't you call the police?" "Same reason I don't tell you, Mr. Grove. They will never believe my story." "The crew is curious," Grove said, "and so am I."

"It's none of their business," said Marsh. "I own the steamboat, don't I? You work for me, and so do they. Just do what I say," "Captain Marsh," said Jorgo, "this old lady has been running with me on the river for many years. You gave her to me when you first got your second steamboat, the old Nicholas Perrault, I think. , in 1852. I have been in the care of this lady ever since, but you still do not trust me. You have not fired me, sir. If you want to fire me, you can say so; if I am still your captain, Then tell me what the steamboat is up to. I deserve it."

"I told Jonathan Jeffers, and he died because of it. Maybe Shaggy Michael died too, I don't know." Grove leaned over gracefully and poured his cold coffee into a marsh mug. "Captain," he said, "from the little you've told us, we don't know Shaggy Michael is Not really dead. But that's not what I'm talking about. You don't know the whereabouts of the others either: Whitey Baker, your helmsman, everyone on the Pfeiffer's Dream. Did you tell them? .!" "No." Marsh had to admit. "Then don't hesitate any longer," Grove said.

"If there is a crisis downstream, we have a right to know," Jorgo said. Abner Marsh thought about it and felt that it was so. "You're right," he said, "but you won't believe it. Besides, I can't let you go. I need this ship." "We're not going anywhere," Grove said, "tell us the story." Abner Marsh sighed and told the story again.After he finished speaking, he looked at his two companions.They all had vigilant expressions on their faces, cautious and noncommittal. "It's really unbelievable," said Yorgo. "I believe," said Grove, "that it's no harder to believe than a ghost. I've seen ghosts, damn it, dozens of times,"

"Captain Marsh," said Jorgo, "you've been talking about how to find the Pfeiffer's Dream, but you've rarely mentioned what you want to do when you find it. Do you have any plans?" Marsh thought of the flames, the booming and exploding boilers, the screams of the enemies.He chased those thoughts away. "I'm going to get my ship back," he said. "You've seen the gun. As long as I blow Julian's head off, Josh should be able to take care of the rest." "You say you tried, with Jeffers and Dunn, when the steamboat and sailors were still in your possession. But now, if the detectives are not mistaken, the ship is full of slaves and rascals , you will be recognized as soon as you get on the boat, how can you kill Julian?"

Abner Marsh had not given much thought to this question.Hearing Jorgo say this, he immediately realized that he couldn't stride across the gangway alone with a buffalo gun-he almost thought so in the past.Marsh thought about it, if he could pretend to be a passenger on board...but Jorgo was right, it couldn't be.Even if Abner Marsh had shaved, there would be no one on the river with his striking features. "We'll take the men up," said Marsh, after a moment's hesitation, "and I'll take the Reynolds crew. Julian and Saul Billy may think I'm dead, so let's catch them by surprise. Of course, if it is during the day, with the help of daylight, I have a better chance. These blood races have never seen the Eli Reynolds, and I guess only Josh has heard of the name. We will find the place where the Pfeiffer Dream is docked, Parked directly next to her. Waited until one sunny morning and I rushed to the boat with everyone who would go with me. Scum is scum after all, and the rogue scoundrels Saul Billy found in Natchez will not risk it With guns and daggers, maybe we'll have to get Saul Billy out of the way, but then it'll be all right. This time, I'm gonna make sure I'm right before I fucking knock Julian's head off." He put Spread your hands together, "Satisfied?"

"Sounds okay," Gloss said.Jorgo seemed skeptical, but neither of them could come up with any other decent suggestions, so after a short discussion they agreed to his plan. By this time, the morning light had caressed the cliffs of Vicksburg.The Eli Reynolds was also steaming.Abner Marsh stood up and stretched.For someone who's been up all night, he feels pretty good about himself. "Get her out of port," Marsh called out to the helmsman who happened to be passing them on his way to the modest, cramped pilothouse. "Natchez!" The sailors let go the cables that tied the boat to the pier, the stern wheel reversed, and the steamboat fell back into the channel.Red and gray shadows began to chase each other on the east bank, and the clouds in the west turned rose red.

Abner Marsh was sitting on the faded yellow sofa in the pilothouse when Natchez came into view on the hill that towered over the cliff.He put the coffee mug on the billowing stove and got up to stand behind the helmsman who was busy turning.Marsh ignored him, and looked directly at the distant pier, where more than twenty steamboats were nestled in the arms of Natchez down the mountain. There she was, just as Marsh had expected. Marsh recognized it instantly.She was the biggest steamer by the pier, a good fifty feet taller than the little one next to her, and had the tallest funnel. As the Eli Reynolds drew closer, Marsh realized they hadn't changed the ship much: her main colors were still blue, white and silver.But the wheelhouse was painted a gaudy bright red.Her name was written in scrawled yellow letters - Ozymantis.Marsh frowned.

"See that big one?" he said to the helmsman, pointing to his own boat. "Get as close to her as possible, understand?" "Yes, Captain." Marsh stared at the city ahead in disgust.Dark shadows had filled the streets, and the river was stained with the blush and gold of the setting sun.The sky was covered with dark clouds, thick as hell. Captain Jorgo walked into the pilothouse, came to him, and said what was in Marsh's mind: "You can't go tonight, Captain Marsh, it's too late, and it will be dark within an hour. Wait until tomorrow .” "You take me for a goddamn fool?" said Marsh. "Of course I'll wait. I've made a goddamn mistake once and I won't do it again." He thumped his stick on the deck in frustration .

Jorgo started talking again, but Marsh didn't listen, he was still watching the big broadside paddle steamer by the pier. "Damn it," he said suddenly. "What's wrong?" Marsh pointed forward with his walnut cane. "Smoke," he said. "Damn it, those people set the steam up! Must be leaving." "Don't worry," Jorgo warned. "If she's going out, let her out, and we'll catch her somewhere downriver." "They must have sailed her at night," said Marsh, "and docked during the day. I should have thought of that." He turned to the helmsman and said, "Mr. At the first lumberyard you see, wait for this ship to pass, then follow her as hard as you can. She's a hundred times faster than the Reynolds, so it doesn't matter if you get left behind. Just keep going Go downstream and keep the distance as short as possible." "At your command, Captain," replied the helmsman.He turned the old wooden rudder round and round, and the Eli Reynor swung back and turned into the river. They waited an hour and a half at the lumberyard.More than 20 minutes after nightfall, Pfeiffer's Dream passed by.Marsh shuddered as he saw her approach.The great steamboat sailed downriver with such graceful smoothness that it reminded him of the way Danmond Julian walked, in a sense of calm and harmony.The ship was half-dark, with a pale pink glow from the fires on the main deck, but the topmost cabins were pitch black, as was the pilothouse.Marsh seemed to see a lone figure standing at the helm of the boat, but the boat was too far away to be seen clearly.The red wheelhouse of the Eli Reynolds looked grimy by comparison with the starlight shining on her white paint and silver trim.As the Pfeiffer's Dream passed, the lights of another steamer appeared downstream, coming toward her.They signal each other.Marsh thought he could hear her whistle anywhere; but now there seemed to be a cold sadness in the tone he had never heard before, like a melancholy sigh of pain and sorrow. despair. "Keep your distance," he said to the helmsman, "but keep up." A sailor let go of a cable tied to a pier stake, and the Eli Reynor gulped down a hunk of tar and pine knots, puffing out smoke.Enter the river and keep up with the wayward cousin ahead. In a minute or two the strange steamer bound for Natchez passed the Pfeiffer's Dream, and came toward them with a muffled whistle.The Reynolds echoed, but her voice was thin and feeble, nothing compared to the wild, terrified whine of the Pfeiffer's Dream. He had expected the Pfeiffer's Dream to shake them off in a few minutes, but it didn't.The Eli Reynolds followed her trail for two hours, losing track of her several times in bends of the river, but always seeing her again within a few minutes.The distance between the two ships was gradually widening, but the process was so slow that it was imperceptible. "We're going full speed, or at least nearly full speed," Marsh said to Captain Yorgo, "but they're just taking a walk. Unless they want to turn into the Red River, it's supposed to be anchored at Sara Bay. We'll be at catch up there." He smiled, "It went well, didn't it?" Near the confluence of the Red River and the broad Mississippi, the two steamboats kept a distance of not far, not far, a mile.Marsh brought a jug of fresh coffee into the pilothouse and poured a cup for the helmsman. The man glanced ahead and said suddenly, "Look, Captain, it seems the current has pushed her sideways. There's no need for that place to go sideways." Marsh put down his glass and looked carefully.He felt that the Pfeiffer's Dream was much closer at once.The helmsman was right, he could see the port side of the big ship sticking out—either it was going sideways, or it was being thrown off course by the water force of the tributary.But Marsh knew that a decent helmsman would never allow that to happen. "Just going around an obstacle or a sandbar," Marsh said, but his tone was uncertain. As he continued to watch, the steamer seemed to be drawing nearer, forming almost a right angle with them.He could read the letters on the opposite wheelhouse in the moonlight.The Pfeiffer Dream looked almost like it was adrift, but the smoke and sparks were still pouring from its funnel.Now her bow was in Marsh's view. "Damn it!" cried Marsh.He was cold and felt like he had fallen into the river again. "She's turning. Damn it! She's turning! She saw us following her, and she's coming after us!"