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"Perhaps the letter is important," said the first middy, "and may mean business at last." "I hope not," said the other. "I'm sick of it. Nothing but wild-goose chases after phantom ships. I don't believe there are any slavers on the coast." "Oh, aren't there, Bob?" "Don't seem like it. Where are they, then; and why don't we catch 'em?" "I dunno."
Landlords and barmaids remembered a few commercial travellers by referring to old lodgers, but they one and all united in the opinion that New Year's Eve was a most unlikely time for the hotels to contain casual visitors. "I was afraid it would be a wild-goose chase from the start," opined Winter.
Wrathfully and at length he informed Blood that they had put into Port Royal last evening to find its Deputy-Governor absent. "He had gone on some wild-goose chase to Tortuga after buccaneers, taking the whole of the fleet with him." Blood stared in surprise a moment; then yielded to laughter.
"The dog will never be able to pick up the ether as our trail," panted Kennedy; "that is, if he is any good and trained not to go off on wild-goose chases." On we hurried from the woods to the now dark and silent town.
Wild-Goose Jake's words came slow and went more slowly as he looked at the river and spoke, but rather to himself. "It warn't long, though. I expect it warn't three minutes till the water was all there was left there. My stars, what a lot of it! And I might hev been part of that cargo, easy as not. Freight behind time was all that come between me and them that went.
This expedition, or wild-goose chase, was continued to Warrenton Junction, where General George D. Stoneman found the enemy in force, but returned without attacking them.
"Ah!" said Kilsip, becoming very attentive. "Yes," said Calton, turning to Kilsip, "your hunt after Moreland is a wild-goose chase, for the murderer of Oliver Whyte is discovered." "Discovered!" cried Kilsip and the doctor in one breath. "Yes, and his name is Mark Frettlby."
"Oh, shelter me; save me; take care of me!" he prayed to the old fire-king, and forgot poor little man, that he had come on this wild-goose chase northward to save and take care of Hirschvogel! After a time he dropped asleep, as children can do when they weep, and little robust hill-born boys most surely do, be they where they may.
Drawing his little craft out of the water, the young man took some food from its interior, and was about to begin his truly simple meal by eating it raw, when a distant sound arrested his hand on the way to his mouth. He turned his head slightly on one side and remained for some moments like a singularly attentive statue. Presently the voice of a wild-goose was faintly heard in the far distance.
"We know who we thought you were, but I am beginning to doubt your being the right man. Peter, take his hat off." I straightened up bareheaded, the faint star-gleam on my face. The lieutenant remained quiet, but Peter broke his sphinx-like silence. "Tain't him, is it?" "No; he must have taken the other road after all," with a slight laugh. "We've been on a wild-goose chase.
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