The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-10-26
turn to it. His ostensible destination

turn to 1t. His Ostensiblo destination
was the house in Grosvenor Square,
but he passed the night at hotel and
started the next morning for Liver
pool. In his red wig and queerly cut
clothes his own valet would not have
recognized him. At Liverpool he took
a Storage passage for New York, for
he was man who rather liked trough
ing it" than otherwise, and, once on the
voyage, he began to feel that half his
plan was accomplished. But the ques-
ton as to how he was TO prove his own
death bothered him considerably. The
ship had not, however, been day at
sea before most remarkable and for
tunate circumstance occurred. Sir Toby
was light sleeper, and was not very
much at home in his uncomfortable
quarters; so the first night after leav-
ing Queenstown he paced the deck for
several hours. In the course of his
nocturnal rambles he kept meeting a
man whom he could not help noticing
from the very fact that he seemed des-
perately anxious to avoid his. Sir
Toby's observation. "Some thief or
forger bolting," thought Sir Toby, and
he kept his eye on the man from idle
curiosity, and gradually fell to lodging
about the deck and watching him
closely. Presently the man. when he
thought himself unobserved, did a very
strange thing; he took off his coat and
laid it carefully on the deck. Then he
glanced hurriedly round, mounted the
bulwarks and leaped into the sea. One
of the ships officers just caught sight
of him as he disappeared; an alarm
was quickly raised, and the engines
notice or think of the coat; but Sir
Toby always prided himself on his
presence of mind. Instantly he seized
it. tore off his own coat. which con-
tanned the pocket-book and the papers,
laid it down on the deck and put on
the coat left behind by the suicide. 1t
was a master-stroke, veritable in
spiration. and Sir Toby retired to his
berth knowing that the odds were at
least hundred to one against a rescue.
At his leisure he examined the pockets
of the strangers garment; the only
thing OF Importance it contained was
letter, apparently addressed to the
dead mans wife. "As l thought" said
Sir Toby to himself, when he read it at
leisure. ordinary case of forgery, can
not live any longer-the usual bosh! l
don't think that Mrs. Bowston will
ever get this letter." And he burned
it carefully, and night or two later
took an opportunity OF throwing the
coat itself overheard. "Now am
really all right" he reflected.
There was great hue and cry in
London when it was reported that Sir
Toby Bunskin had actually disappeared.
Half the detectives were employed to
look for him. advertisements were in
serted by the score. even placards were
posted on the boardings; no exertion,
in fact, and no expense were spared to
discover his whereabouts. But not the
slightest result followed until the news
arrived from America that Sir Toby
had jumped from an Atlantic steamer
and had, of course, been drowned, leav-
ing behind him. no doubt for purposes
of Identification, coat, in the pocket
of which was pocket-book containing
cards and private papers obviously be-
longing to the unfortunate Baronet. 1t
was nine-days' wonder, but as no one
cared a straw about Sir Toby when
alive. people soon got tired of specu-
lating as to the cause which had
prompted the "rash act" And as soon
as certain necessary legal formalities
had been complied with. Jack Bunskin,
found himself Sir John Tobias Bunskin,
Baronet, of Bunskin Hall and Gros-
venor Square, and the possessor OF a
substantial rent-roll and a goodly sum
of ready money. Now, it was not very
likely that Jack should feel any pro-
found grief for his uncle. The manner
of the old mans death certainly shocked
him considerably, but the pleasures
and duties of his new position speedily
banished the unpleasant subject from
his mind.
He had. too. plenty of things to look
after. His creditors, of course. came
down upon him in hungry horde, and
the amount of post-obits which he had
to pay off was quite alarming. More
over. he had no intention of leading
the sober and quiet life that had suited
his uncle. He bought yacht, started
a small racing-stud, and began to dab
BILE in city companies-all of which
things demand considerable amount
of time and attention, not to mention
money. So a couple of years passed.
lack in common narlance went the