Don't tell him dat ar?"
There was no time for explanations then, so they hurried Solon ashore
and up to the hotel. There his replies to their questions, and his
questions in turn, only served to deepen the mystery in which the fate
of the _Whatnot's_ passengers had become involved. He could not be
persuaded that they had not been on board at the time of the accident.
Sabella had boon talking to him of what her "Uncle Billy" had just told
her only a few minutes before it occurred. He was also positive that
Winn had been on board the ill-fated craft. He was certain that Reward
died at his post of duty, though of Don Blossom's fate he knew nothing.
How he himself had escaped he could not explain, for he remembered
nothing after the shock of the collision.
"It is evident," said Billy Brackett, at length, "that we must get to
St. Louis as quickly as possible, and strive to unravel this mystery
there."
Cap'n Cod agreed that this seemed the best thing to be done, and as
there was a train about to leave for the South, they hurried to the
station.
As Bim was forced to ride in the baggage-car, and his master declined
to leave him, both Cap'n Cod and Solon rode there as well. All three
spent the hour's run to East St. Louis in discussing the strange
occurrences of the day, and trying to discover some ground for belief
that either Winn or Sabella, or both, might still be alive.
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