IN WHICH MR. PEPPER MAKES A PROPOSITION TO CALEB AND DON
“YOU see,” the ship owner began, as soon as he was assured of the
attention of his audience, “I have had my eye on these whaleback
steamers from the start. Three years ago, you know, nobody but Captain
Alexander MacDougall, the inventor, knew anything about them.
“We are altogether too conservative here in the East,” continued
Adoniram warmly. “It takes the Westerners to get hold of new things,
and practically test them. These whalebacks are a Western idea and were
first used and tested on the Great Lakes.
“You don’t seem to realize, Caleb, that the boat was never built which
could sail as easily as those whalebacks. In the heaviest gales they
only roll slightly, as a log would at sea. The waves can beat against
the curved steel sides of the craft as much as they like, or wash clean
over her; but the boat is not affected by them in the least.”
“It’s the most wonderful thing I ever heard of,” Brandon declared.
“They _are_ wonderful boats, as you will declare, yourself, when you
see Number Three, tomorrow,” Adoniram returned. “My whaleback is 265
feet long, 38 feet beam, and 24 feet deep. She is warranted to carry
3,000 tons of grain on a sixteen and one half foot draft. You see, for
her size, she carries an enormous cargo, for between the collision
bulkhead forward, and the bulkhead in front of the engine room aft, the
whole inside of the craft is open for lading.
“But my scheme--the reason I bought this vessel, in fact--is this,”
went on Mr. Pepper.
He hesitated a moment, and looked just a little doubtfully at Caleb.
“I presume this _is_ what you will call a ‘crazy idea,’ Caleb,” he
said. “Several months ago my attention was drawn to the fact that great
numbers of these derelicts now afloat in the Atlantic, north of the
equator, are richly laden merchant vessels on whose cargoes and hulls a
large salvage might be demanded by any vessel towing them into port.
“Now and then, you know, it happens that somebody _does_ recover
a derelict with a valuable cargo. In these times, when the crews
of American ships, and even many of the officers, are ignorant and
untrustworthy fellows, lacking altogether the honor arm perseverance
which were characteristics of sailors forty years ago (I don’t say that
_all_ are so, but many) under these circumstances, I say, many a vessel
which might be worked safely into port, is abandoned in mid ocean by
the frightened crew.
“With a vessel like Number Three one could recover and tow into port
many of these hulks, and net a large salvage from the owners. Vessels
which would not be worth saving themselves, might still contain
articles which it would pay to transfer to the hold of the whaleback,
before they were sunk; for it was my intention to have Number Three
destroy all the wrecks which are not worth saving.
“I have even sounded the Washington officials in the matter of aiding
me in the work of destroying these derelicts; but I find that the
Hydrographic Office is trying to get an appropriation from Congress to
build a vessel of about 800 tons burden, especially for the work of
blowing up these wrecks. Until that matter is decided, of course I can
get no bonus on what I do.
“Nevertheless,” Mr. Pepper continued, “I believe that there is money
enough in it to amply reward me for my outlay. Why, look at that New
England whaler which found the British ship Resolute fast in the ice of
Melville Bay in the summer of ’55.
“She was one of three vessels sent out by the British government to
find Sir John Franklin. She was ‘nipped’ by the ice in the winter
of ’51 and was abandoned. The whaler brought her to New London, and
Congress bought her for $200,000 salvage and sent her to England. Of
course, I shouldn’t expect to get many such prizes as that,” and the
little man laughed, “but I do expect to make a handsome profit on the
venture.”
“Take, for instance, the case of the Silver Swan. I’ll make you a
proposition, Brandon, and you see if it isn’t a fair one. Caleb shall
judge himself. I’ll send the whaleback out after the brig at my own
expense. If we are successful and find the derelict and tow her to
port, I will take the cargo (I know it to be a valuable one) for my
pains--of course, not including the diamonds, which are your own
personal property, my boy. The brig herself is Caleb’s, any way,
according to the terms of your father’s will. Now what do you say?”
“I say it’s a good offer!” exclaimed Caleb, slapping his thigh
heartily. “You’re a man and a gentleman, Adoniram. And far from
thinking this scheme of yours crazy, I think well of it--mighty well.”
“That’s because it ‘hits you where you live,’ as the saying is,”
returned Mr. Pepper, smiling slily.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about whalebacks,” began Caleb.
“But you will,” the merchant declared, interrupting him. “I haven’t got
through with my proposition yet.”
“Fire ahead, old man,” said Caleb puffing steadily on his pipe.
“Well, then, first I want you for the captain of the steamer, Caleb.”
“Yes, so I supposed,” remarked the mate of the Silver Swan
imperturbably. “What else?”
“I want Brandon for second mate.”
“Me?” exclaimed Don. “Why, I never was aboard a steamship in my life.”
“Oh, that doesn’t make any difference, Don,” returned Caleb
sarcastically. “It would be just like him (if he wanted to) to send the
vessel out with every blessed one of the crew landlubbers. It don’t
make a particle o’ difference.”
“Now, Caleb,” said the merchant deprecatingly.
“No, Adoniram, we can’t do it. The boy knows nothing at all about a
steamship, and I know but little more.”
“You’ve been mate on a steamer, Caleb.”
“On a dredger, you mean,” returned the old sailor, in disgust.
“There’s no reason why you can’t do it--both of you,” the ship owner
declared. “If I’m satisfied, _you_ ought to be. I’ve already engaged
Lawrence Coffin for mate.”
“Coffin!” ejaculated Caleb, his face lighting up, as he forgot to
pull on his pipe in his interest. “Got _him_, eh? Well, that puts a
different complexion on the matter. I could sail the Great Eastern with
Lawrence Coffin for mate.”
“I thought so,” said Mr. Pepper, laughing gleefully. “Then I’ve got
a man by the name of Bolin for third. He’s a good man, and knows his
business, too.”
“That would make Don’s duties pretty light,” said Caleb reflectively.
“Of course. I shall put in rather a larger crew than a whaleback
usually carries--fourteen at least,” Mr. Pepper added; “to handle the
cargoes I shall expect the steamer to recover.”
“Well, well,” said Caleb, rising; “let’s sleep on it. It’s never best
to decide on anything too quickly.”
“If you’ll take up with my offer,” concluded the merchant, rising, too,
“the craft can be made ready, and you can get away this day week.”
“Let’s think it over,” repeated the old sailor, bound not to be hurried
into the business; but Don went to bed so excited by the prospect that
it was hours before he was able to sleep.
“Did a fellow _ever_ have a better chance for fun and adventure?” was
his last thought as he finally sank into a fitful slumber.