SALVAGE.
It would have been a hard task to find a happier family, either on the
keys or the mainland, than that composed of the castaways. Since Dr.
Harlan had taken his departure there was nothing to fear, and Gertie
and Ben, with Jake acting as guard and guide, explored every portion of
that quaint little city known as Key West.
Each morning they visited the market, where provisions of all kinds are
disposed of at auction rather than by private sale, and the novelty of
such a proceeding afforded them no slight amount of amusement. At other
times, and very often, they went to the docks where the sponge-fishers,
with a fleet of boats towed behind a wide-beamed schooner, brought from
the gulf all sorts of queer-looking marine plants, shells or turtles.
The fish-wharf, crowded with smacks, canoes or tiny vessels was
another favorite resort, and Gertie was soon able to give the proper
names to the grunts, groupers, porgies, snappers, hog-fish, Jew-fish,
yellow-tails, spots, Spanish mackerel or king-fish.
At least twice each week the little party searched for shells, always
returning home with a large collection of beautiful specimens, and once
Jake hired a sponge-fisher’s outfit, which they used unsuccessfully for
about twelve hours.
During an excursion to the fish market they saw three of the
Seminole Indians from their reservation in the Everglades, and very
disappointing was the sight to Gertie. She had expected that real
Indians always wore plenty of feathers, carried a quantity of weapons,
and were fierce in the extreme; but here was Little Tiger, Big Charley
and Tommy Doctor appearing as mild as Quakers.
They wore calico shirts, buckskin leggings and moccasins, with huge,
bright-colored turbans; but with neither hatchet nor scalping-knife in
sight, and they bargained and haggled over the sale of their fish like
any peaceable native.
Ben wanted to ask them about their villages on the mainland; but Gertie
felt such a sense of injury at their very ordinary appearance that she
would not stop for an interview, and when the children left, the son of
the once dreaded Tiger Tail was disputing with a negro woman over the
price of a very small snapper.
The time of waiting for the adjudication of the salvage claim seemed
neither long nor dreary, even though it was six weeks before the matter
was settled. Old Chloe was well content to remain at home with the cat;
Captain Irwin had quite as much business on hand as could be attended
to, and the others spent nearly all the hours of daylight in the open
air.
Finally the day came when there was nothing more for which the
castaways were obliged to remain at Key West. The claim for salvage was
adjusted, and Ben was absolutely astonished at his share of the amount,
which proved to be one thousand dollars. Captain Irwin received three
thousand, while Jake and the sole survivor of the Mermaid were awarded
two thousand each.
“It was hard work,” Captain Irwin said on the night after the money
had been paid and “the family” were discussing the matter, “but we made
good wages. How much of your father’s money was spent for Gertie, Ben?”
“Almost two hundred dollars.”
“Then you’ve got eighteen hundred in all, and the three of us are
worth nearly seven thousand dollars, quite enough for a good start
in business. Now, I have a proposition to make, and if it doesn’t
suit either you or Jake, don’t hesitate to say so. There is a little
schooner called the Restless--one of the prettiest models I ever
saw--lying off the fish-wharf for sale. She has been in the New York
fruit trade; but her captain, who was also the owner, is dead, and his
heirs want to dispose of her for cash. We can close the bargain for
five thousand dollars, and she is actually worth seven. I have been
talking with the firm who chartered her during the past three years,
and they agree to give me the first call if I buy her. Now, I’ll take
three-fifths, and Jake and Ben one-fifth each, or we’ll go in as equal
partners.”
“How large is she?” the cook asked.
“One hundred and eighty tons, with the neatest little galley that ever
held a stove.”
“Then I go in for buying her,” Jake replied promptly.
“How much will one-third cost?” Ben asked.
“Sixteen hundred and sixty-six dollars and a few cents.”
“Then I go in for an equal share,” Ben said, delighted at having such
an opportunity to become a ship-owner, and Jake concluded that it would
be to his advantage to own as much as either of his companions, instead
of allowing the captain to be the largest stockholder.
“We’ll go down to-morrow morning and have one more look at her. Chloe
and Gertie had better come along also, for they’ll surely want to know
what the cabin is like.”
“Is she hitched up to de wharf?” the old woman asked quickly.
“No; she’s anchored out in the harbor; but one of the tenders is moored
at McKesson and Robbins’ dock, and it is large enough----”
“Dey can’t make dem little aig-shells big enuff fur yer ole mammy,”
Chloe said with great emphasis. “I’se ’bused my po’ bones too much
sence I done lef’ Georgy, an’ I ain’t gwine to drag ’em ’round any mo’.”
“Then you shall stay here and cook a regular thanksgiving dinner, for
most likely it will be ship-owners instead of poor castaways who’ll
dine with you this noon.”
“Who ever dey is de vittles ’ll be right dar smokin’ hot, an’ it won’t
be no sich trash as sailor-men hab ter eat.”
“Just wait till you get on board of our schooner to go to New York,”
Jake said, laughing heartily at the old woman’s allusion to his skill
as a cook, “an’ then you’ll find out that sailor-men ain’t starved,
more especially them as lives in the cabin.”
“I spects dat’ll be the time when I’se done gone choked to deaf fur a
piece of bread,” old Chloe replied, raising her hands in horror with
such a quick motion that the cat, who had been sleeping peacefully on
her broad lap, jumped down in alarm.
The prospective ship-owners were ready to inspect the schooner at a
very early hour next morning, and when they arrived on board Jake and
Ben were in a perfect fever of delight.
The Restless had indeed a beautiful model, and Captain Irwin’s praise
of her was not half-strong enough, so his companions thought. As
she swung at anchor, pulling gently at her cables now and then, the
spectator would have said that she was a pleasure yacht, and but one
glance at the shapely black hull with its narrow band of gilt, was
necessary to give a good idea of how swiftly she would fly before the
wind when her white wings were spread.
“I never saw nothin’ like her before,” Jake said, as he stood aft and
looked forward across the decks, which glistened white and smooth in
the sunlight. “It don’t seem as if a craft like this oughter be made to
work.”
“She was built especially for the fruit trade, and I fancy that nothing
can catch her when once she’s given her head,” Captain Irwin said with
an air of pride. “Now we’ll show Gertie the cabin, and then look around
forward.”
The saloon, which seemed very large for a craft the size of the
Restless, was what one might expect from the appearance of the
outside--cool, dainty and finished in the best of taste, with various
kinds and colors of polished wood. The furniture was cane, with the
exception of a stationary dining-table, and the swinging-trays of
highly polished glasses, lamps and mirrors gave a sparkle and life to
the interior which exactly accorded with Gertie’s fancy.
Leading from this apartment were four tiny state-rooms, each containing
two bunks, a chest of drawers, wash-stand, mirror, lamp and one chair.
These sleeping quarters were not more than half as large as those on
the Sea Queen, but that was by no means a serious defect in the eyes of
the party who proposed to purchase what Captain Irwin pronounced the
most perfect vessel he had ever seen.
“She’s just beautiful!” Gertie exclaimed, after every room had been
inspected and they were in the saloon once more. “If you buy her, and
let Chloe, the cat and me sail with you all the time, there’ll be
nothing more for which we can ask.”
“I’m afraid you would think differently after we made two or three
voyages and you saw other girls with pretty dresses or trinkets,” the
captain said laughingly. “I’ll promise that you shall cruise in her
now and then; but you and Ben are going to school when we arrive in
New York, and it’ll be a couple of years at least before he signs the
shipping papers.”
“Then we’ll spend our vacations on board, and call every night while
you are in port,” Gertie said gleefully as the captain led the way
forward, where Jake in turn expressed his perfect satisfaction with
that portion of the schooner which would most naturally interest him.
“That’s a galley what is a galley, an’ after I’ve been in it
twenty-four hours I’ll knock old Chloe’s eye out with the style of our
dinners, or agree never to lift a skillet agin.”
From stem to stern, above and below, the prospective purchasers of the
Restless went on their tour of inspection, and when it was finished no
one had a single fault to find. It was not necessary for the captain to
ask Jake and Ben if they were still willing to buy the schooner; both
urged him to go on shore with the least possible delay and conclude the
trade, lest some one else should accept the offer.
Two hours later the transfer of the jaunty little vessel was effected,
and when they went home to the feast Chloe was supposed to be
preparing, the Restless had been chartered to load with fruit as soon
as she could be made ready for sea.
Old Chloe was the only one who did not feel delighted because of this
accession of property, and her failure to participate in the general
joy arose from the dislike of trusting her precious body on the water
again.
“I don’t like dis yere scurryin’ ’roun’ on de sea,” she said very
decidedly. “Ef yer wants ter go any whar in de steam-cars, Mammy
Chloe’s on han’, an’ den she knows all de time whar she is; but dis
gittin’ inter a little boat an’ bein’ blowed frum one part ob de world
to de odder is jes’ flyin’ in de face ob Providence, kase yer nebber
knows noting ’bout youseself.”
“We won’t ask you to take but one trip, aunty,” Captain Irwin said when
mirth would permit of speech. “After we arrive in New York you shall be
anchored in some comfortable little cottage, and you needn’t ever so
much as look at water, except while washing your face.”
“If I kin drag my po’ ole bones dat far it’ll be a marcy,” Chloe said
with a sigh, “but I ’specs we’se all gwine ter be drowned two or free
times ’fore we gits dere.”