Chapter 4

"Galveston is a big port city. Nearly as big as New Orleans," Matt said. "It will be like being back home. Just watch out for the pick pockets."

"And the press agents," Mark added. "Don't want to lose you to some cargo carrier short a few deck hands. Galveston is good for that."

"Thanks for the warning," Jules said, laughing through his nervousness.

The pickpockets in Texas Jules did not worry about. He had nothing in his pockets to pick except the watch Phileas had given him. It was a fine watch, and he would hate to lose it, even if it ran backwards. The press agents he might ought to be more concerned for but wasn't. Verne's greatest concern was for what the twins had in mind when they reached home.

Jules looked across the deck, watching the sun go down on their third night at sea. The American Ambassador had booked second-class passage for them to Texas on a large steamship. He was having many second thoughts about agreeing to come to America with the Ridgemont brothers. The twins were four years his junior, but as a matter of life experience, they were somewhat–no, face it, Jules. They are well ahead of you.

The twins had earned a living, which he had not as yet; despite all the paper he had laid ink in the last few years. They had traveled extensively, and he had only made the trip between Nantes and Paris before meeting the Foggs. He did not count what came of their association. That had been done in high style and from the safety of the Aurora. Yet, more than that, before coming to Paris, Jules had received his education in the confines of a Catholic boarding school. Not a place that taught much about getting along in the world.

The naivety of his upbringing had been explained to him clearly back when Verne had made the trip to Paris to take his first law exams. Hardly anyone who had not studied in Paris had passed those rigorous tests. Jules had only done so by the skin of his teeth. Disabused of the idea that his Britton schooling would be enough, Jules convinced his father of the need for him to continue his studies in Paris. Pierre Verne had agreed, but with much misgiving. Misgivings Jules had added to by putting more energy into his writing than in the law.

How many misgivings will father have about my leaving England in the dead of night with a pair of Americans bound for far away Texas? He sighed. Father doesn't even know I was starting studies in England. Didn't tell him. Didn't think he would see it as an honor–would have railed at me for leaving my studies in Paris.

What if he knew I was being sought by the League of Darkness? Or that a former English Secret Service agent was keeping me safe and has been for nearly two years. No, I've kept that secret. They know nothing of those things.

Jules watched the Ridgemonts walk across the deck while he stood at the rail. After checking around the port for their uncle's steamer and visiting their mother, they intended to look for the League base. They had a letter from the American Ambassador in England explaining the danger the League posed to them. They intended to make their search and then turn the information and that letter over to the military. The south had been broken up into military districts after the war. The boys did not think there would be any trouble finding some zealous commander to go after foreign troublemakers importing arms.

Over the next four days, Jules wrote his impressions of shipboard life.

Day 3 at Sea

The sunsets at sea are spectacular! The weather has been good, thus far. I have experienced no motion sickness or discomfort at all. We were given a room for four for the trip. The fourth bed is vacant. Matthew said that was a good thing, as some roommates are not the most scrupulous in manners or cleanliness.

Matt and Mark are playing poker tonight. I do not join them in these games, as I have no stake to use. It reminds me of watching Fogg do the same on our trip down the Mississippi. After picking clean the players at his table tonight, Matthew won the attentions of one fair lady named Doris. They went for a walk together. Mark and I did not see him again until morning.

Day 4 at Sea

Mark was put on notice to behave himself at his brother's insistence. He tried to walk into a fight between two men. I don't know what the fight was about, only that Matt pulled his brother out of it before fists could fly and lectured him soundly. We left London with only the travel funds the twins still had and the money the Ambassador had given Matt for necessities during the voyage. Matt warned he could not pay Mark's way out of the brig if he indulged himself. However, at the rate Matt and Mark are winning at cards, that might not be a problem soon.

Matt and Miss Doris went walking again this evening. He returned from it quickly. There seemed to have been an argument between them. Matt consoled himself at cards until ten this evening when a lady named Rose took notice of him and asked for his company.

Finally, they disembarked in Galveston. Jules set foot on dry land, looking out over a very busy port town. The bustle of the docks was a familiar sight to Jules, but the City of Galveston was not as advertised. It was not Nantes. This was a small, very new port town by Britton standards. There were no two-hundred-year-old stately homes, and the streets were not waterways.

Jules followed the boys out of the main city area to a small farmhouse. It was a pretty two-story frame house with a whitewashed fence and flowers all around. Mrs. Georgina Ridgemont opened the door at Matt's knock with wide eyes at the surprise and tears of joy at seeing them. Matthew and Mark's mother had gold hair shot with silver. Unlike her sons, she was a tiny woman. Not at all what Jules had expected of the mother of these two tall, muscular young men.

She dropped the basket she had been carrying, giving them enthusiastic hugs. "Oh, my boys, I've missed you so!" she cried in the most delightful, lilting, southern accent Jules had heard since his visit to Georgia. Before those sweet words died away, she changed her tone, dressing them both down to their drawers for not writing her of their return.

After entering the house, the returning sons explained, or more properly invented reasons, for leaving Cambridge because of a delay in their starting date. "We won't start classes until fall next year," they told the woman without shame. Their mother accepted this without a single suspicion, welcoming them home until they returned to school.

"Your uncle is on a trip to Columbia. I don't expect him to be back for at least a month. Just as well," she added, "I would not have parted with you, anyway. I have seen so little of you these past years."

To deflect themselves from their mother's fussing, Jules was introduced to the lady. The widow took to Jules as if he were one of her own. He was fussed over, in turn, and declared far too thin for a man of his age. "But I'll fix that," she said with conviction.

Jules enjoyed the next two weeks, seeing Galveston Island and being fed liberally. Mealtimes at the Ridgemont house were sociable affairs with hardy meals. Pork, chicken, and game meat were the staples along with fresh vegetables out of Mrs. Ridgemont's garden served with potatoes or rice. The boys brought in the game meat. Rabbits and squirrels were pest animals that, if allowed their heads, would ravage the garden. For several nights, they did their duty controlling those pests and Jules had been treated to rabbit stew and fox squirrel battered and fried in bacon grease, the same as the chickens when they weren't oven baked.

The boys had also brought down raccoons, armadillo, and a few possums. These were not eaten, although Mrs. Ridgemont said that some people did. The raccoons were skinned for the fur and the possums given to another family for food. The odd little armadillos were just buried.

Jules and the brothers were also force-fed doses of quinine to ward off yellow fever. Their mother warned them that the dreaded port disease was going around and had been steadily increasing its number over the past few months. That curtailed further trips into the city. Instead, Jules was shown the lay of the countryside and treated to fishing on the beach.

Soon, the time came for the boys to set out for their search. Jules wanted to come with them, but they refused him.

"Sorry Jules, but you're no woodsman," Mark said. "If the League settlement is where we think it is, we will run the swamps around Harrisburg, where we used to feather hunt. A city boy like you would be miserable doing that." Jules got an ear full about the swampy prairie that was the mainland and reluctantly agreed.

"Just stay put and keep mother company until we get back," Matt said. "She likes you. As long as ma is busy fattening you up, she won't worry about what we're doing."

"And as far as she knows," Mark said, "We are on a two-week feather hunt. If all works out, we will have everything taken care of in four to ten days' time."

The brothers left the next morning at sunup.