The story now moves forward a few weeks. It is November, and
Thanksgiving is close at hand. The fishing season is also nearly over.
In fact the business of the young firm has for some time been
principally the shipping of oysters to the neighboring towns and cities.
Not that they had beds of these delicious bivalves, but had made
arrangements with the owner of an extensive plat a a few miles up the
bay to market the oysters on shares.
Into all the work of the young partners Mr. Boyd had entered with zest;
and under the healthful exercise and invigorating sea-air his usually
slender frame grew strong, his muscles toughened perceptibly, and so
hearty an appetite was created that he himself laughingly declared he
had never eaten so in his life, and he guessed it never would be
satisfied.
There was another inmate of the island home now, also. One day Judd had
taken a trip up to the State Farm, and when he returned his father came
with him, sober and in his right mind. He at first seemed somewhat
ashamed to meet Mr. Boyd, who had known him in the days of his early
manhood, and before the accursed habit of drink had become fastened upon
him; but his brother-in-law met him so kindly, and seemed so thoroughly
interested in his reformation, that he, too, began to take heart, and
said:
"If I can only keep away from the sight and smell of the abominable
stuff, perhaps I can be a man."
So he remained for the most part upon the island. He was particularly
skillful in cutting out oysters, and this soon became his recognized
part of the young firm's business.
There had been frequent talks between the inmates of the island home as
to what they should do as the winter months came on. Delightful as the
place was for the warmer months of the year, it was too bleak for a
winter abode. Then, too, there would soon be but little work in which
they could engage. But as the weather still remained mild and pleasant,
no definite plan was agreed upon; in fact they were all loath to leave a
spot that for many reasons had become inexpressibly dear to them.
So the week before Thanksgiving came, and found them still at the
island. The work for the day was over, and they had gathered, as was
their custom, about the cozy sitting-room fire. The two fathers were
reading, while the boys were busy with their accounts.
"There are nearly one hundred dollars out in small bills that we shall
have to collect before we can tell just what our season's work is going
to amount to," Budd said in a low tone to his partner.
"Well, you call off the names and amounts, and I will fill out the
statements, and we'll send them out at once," Judd responded, drawing a
small writing-desk toward him.
For an hour or longer the lads were engaged in this work; but it was at
length finished, and the account-books were put away.
"I'll tell you, Judd, what I want to do before we leave here," Budd now
said.
"What is it?" his partner asked, with interest.
"Go off for a good long sail; make a day of pleasure of it. For months
we have had nothing but business, and I should really like to put a
dinner on board the sloop, and fuel, so we can make our tea or coffee,
and all of us go off for a day's cruise."
"Where would you go?" inquired Judd, laughingly. "There are very few
places around here that you have not visited."
"Oh! go just where we took a notion to go," Budd replied. "The
enjoyable part of the trip would be in not having a definite place fixed
before we started."
"Well, if to-morrow should prove as pleasant as to-day has been, you
couldn't choose a better time for going," went on his chum. "Father and
Uncle Henry, what do you think of Budd's idea?"
All four were soon busy discussing the suggestion, and they went to
their rooms with the understanding that if the morrow proved a fine day
the trip should be undertaken.
The lads were up early, and found the day was promising to be all that
they could ask. The preparations were rapidly made, therefore, and at
nine o'clock all necessary provisions had been stowed on board the sloop
and they were ready to embark.
"Here, Budd; we are to go where you take a notion to go, so you can take
the helm," cried out Judd, hurrying to cast off the sloop's fastenings
and to hoist her jib and sail.
Budd took the assigned place, and turned the bow of the Sea Witch down
the bay. The wind was from the northwest, and they went along at a good
rate of speed.
Arriving at the mouth of the bay, Budd turned the sloop to the west and
ran in close to the shore, so as to have a good view of the Pier, whose
hotels and cottages, closed for the season, made it seem like a deserted
city. On they went until Point Judith was reached; then Budd put up the
helm and ran directly out to sea.
The north light of Block Island was passed on the left, and along the
west shore of that gem of the sea the boat sped. At the southern end
the sloop was turned to the east, and it was evident that Budd was going
to run around the island. It was now after twelve o'clock, and Judd
asked:
"Shall you land for dinner, Budd, or shall I get it ready in the cabin?"
"We are not going to land anywhere until we touch our own dock," said
Budd, in high glee. "I came out for a sail, and I'm going to have it.
You can get dinner ready when you like."
Judd went into the cabin, built a fire in the tiny stove, and soon the
fragrant odor of coffee filled the air. After awhile he announced
dinner, and Mr. Boyd and Mr. Floyd went down to partake of it.
Budd, left alone on deck, and, as he afterward said, taken with a freak,
put the sloop about again and ran off to sea. Those at dinner thought
little of it until they felt the sloop suddenly heave up into the wind
and heard Budd call out:
"Here, Judd, quick; I want you."
They all jumped to their feet and rushed out of the cabin. The sloop
was miles off the southeast of Block Island, which looked like a mere
cloud at the northwest. Her sails flapped idly in the wind, her helm
was lashed, and Budd, with the scoop-net in band, was trying to reach
several large bunches of grayish matter that were tossing a few feet
away upon the waves.
"What is it?" asked Judd, coming to Budd's assistance, and letting the
sloop off a little so she would swing nearer to the object his partner
was endeavoring to reach.
"I don't know," answered Budd, catching the largest bunch in his net and
drawing it on board, "but I'll soon find out."
But the more he examined the object, the more puzzled he was. While
grayish in color at a distance, on close inspection it proved to be
variegated, like marble. It also had a fatty, oily appearance, but was
solid to the touch, and when rubbed gave forth a peculiar sweet, earthy
odor.
"What do you call it, father?" he at length asked.
"It is evidently a fatty matter of some kind, but I cannot tell its
precise nature," Mr. Boyd replied.
Mr. Floyd, however, with a sparkle in his eye, said:
"My opinion is, lad, that you had better get the rest of it, for if I
mistake not you have found a treasure."
As he spoke he took from his pocket a knife and cut off a thin slice of
the matter, and applied a lighted match to it. It flashed almost like
powder, and the sweet odor was strongly noticeable.
"I thought so," he said, "though I never saw any of the stuff but once
before, and then only a tiny piece. It's ambergris, and it's worth
dollars and dollars a pound."
"I've read about it," said Budd, quickly. "It is a substance that forms
in the intestines of the whale, and is occasionally found floating on
the sea or thrown upon the shore. They use it in the manufacture of
perfumery and cordials; and as Uncle Silas says, it is very valuable.
Here, Judd, help me to get the rest of it."
Elated at their discovery, the boys worked the sloop down near the other
pieces, and gathered them all up. There were a half dozen in all, the
largest being the one that Budd had first secured, while one or two were
comparatively small in size.
"How many pounds do you think there are of it, Uncle Silas?" asked Budd,
when all had been secured.
"Nigh on to thirty pounds, I reckon," he said, lifting the pieces one by
one.
"It is the biggest haul, then, we have made this season," remarked Judd,
with open eyes.
"I rather think so," was Budd's emphatic response.
The ambergris was placed in a tub the lads had on board and taken down
into the cabin. Then the sloop resumed her cruise, which was now in the
direction of the Brenton Reef lightship. From there she went up through
the east passage to Newport, where, contrary to Budd's declaration a few
hours before, a landing was made.
In the lad's opinion, circumstances sometimes justified an alteration in
one's plans, and he was anxious to ascertain if the substance he had
found was really the commercial ambergris it was thought to be. So the
stop was made, and with a small piece of the substance in hand he went
up to a large drug store, and submitted it to the inspection of the
proprietor.
The apothecary, after looking at the substance attentively, went into a
back room. He was gone so long that Budd began to get impatient; but
he, on returning, explained his long absence in these words:
"I have subjected this to every known test, and it proves genuine. Have
you much of it? And where did you find it?"
Budd gave a full account of his finding the substance, and stated how
much he believed he had. Then he ventured to ask its value.
"It is seldom, in these waters, that so much is found," replied the
druggist, "though there was a parallel case with yours a few summers ago
on the shore of Cape Cod. As to the amount you will receive for it,
that depends on the supply on hand at this time, far the larger portion
of this material now used in the country being imported. No retail
druggist would want to buy a hundredth part of what you have. But I'll
tell you what I am willing to do. We, as you may know, have a branch
house in New York City. If you are a mind to leave your find with me, I
will try and dispose of it for you."
"What would you ask for your trouble?" asked Budd.
"Well," said the man, smilingly, "I think we ought to have five per
cent. of the net amount received."
"I'll go down and consult with my partner in the find," said the lad,
"and if we decide to accept the offer we will bring it right up here."
"Very well," the druggist replied.
A consultation with Judd and the two fathers was immediately held, and
the result was the lads took the ambergris up to the store. On reaching
there it was weighed and found to fall a little short of the lads'
expectations, as there were but twenty-six and one-half pounds of it.
"Not a bad find, I assure you," said the proprietor of the store,
filling out a receipt for the substance, which he handed to the boys.
"In about a week you may expect a check from me, and I will guarantee it
will exceed two thousand dollars."
It came within four days, however, and was drawn for the amount of two
thousand five hundred and seventeen dollars and fifty cents, the
ambergris having sold readily for one hundred dollars a pound; and the
druggist, having deducted his five per cent, commission, remitted the
balance to the lads.
"Not a bad sum for deposit, chum," remarked Budd complacently, as he
looked the check over. "Now, if we can finish collecting our bills, we
can draw a balance-sheet on Thanksgiving-day and see what our profits
for the season have been."
Though the inmates of the Fox Island house had received an urgent
invitation to spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Johnson in Boston they had
declined, preferring to spend it at their own home.
When the day came, it found the affairs of the young firm practically
closed up for the season. The pound-nets had been taken up, cleaned, and
returned to Mr. Taylor, the owner. Crates and cars and traps were
stored in an unused room over the kitchen. Bills were collected, and
all expenses paid. The balance-sheet of the firm was drawn, and after
dinner it was read and discussed with much pride and interest on the
part of the young partners.
"Our receipts have been as follows," and Budd read this to his attentive
listeners:
From the fish-pounds, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $331.27
From fish secured in other ways, . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.74
From clams, lobsters, scallops and oysters, . . . . . . 195.20
From sailing and fishing-parties, . . . . . . . . . . . 115.00
From Mr. Benton, as a compensation for taking our boats, 25.00
Our part of Clapp & St. John's reward, . . . . . . . . . 1,000.00
Sale of ambergris, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,517.50
----------
Making a total of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,223.71
Our total expenses have been . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263.19
----------
Leaving a net balance of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,960.52
"This gives to each partner the handsome income of $1,980.26. Hurrah!"
and the lad waved high in the air the balance-sheet he had been reading.
"But what pleases me," said Judd, "is that without the unexpected
amounts that have come from the reward and the remarkable find, we have
had a profitable season. Take the profits of our business alone, and we
have the nice sum of four hundred and forty-three dollars and two cents,
or over two hundred dollars apiece for the season. That is a better
average than I promised you when you came here, Budd."
"Yes, indeed," replied Budd, warmly.
Then he said to his father:
"Of course I have drawn something for personal expenses, and so has
Judd; but on looking over our bank account we find we have on deposit
nearly thirty-seven hundred dollars; so Judd has authorized me to say
that if you would like to have that amount to go into business with, you
are welcome to it. With what you have left of the money Mr. Johnson
refunded, you would have a capital larger than a good many men have
started with."
"I thank you kindly for the offer," said Mr. Boyd with much feeling,
"and in a few days we will see what had better be done. I have enjoyed
staying here very much, and have gained a good deal of strength from
this life; but I am beginning to feel I ought to be doing something more
remunerative, before a great while. You--and Judd, too--however much
you like the business you have engaged in, are capable of something
better, and ought to be in some good school. Perhaps we can arrange the
matter so that a portion of this money can be used for your immediate
expenses in this direction, while I, with the balance, enter business
life again. I have a feeling I should prefer a small business by myself
than to accept a clerkship under another;" and Mr. Boyd dropped his head
upon his hand in deep thought.
At about the same hour Mr. Johnson sat in his library in his palatial
residence in Boston, thinking no less deeply. After awhile he
exclaimed, aloud:
"I will do it!"
Then he took up his pen and wrote a brief note. Placing it in an
envelope, he addressed it to Mr. Boyd, and ringing the bell, he gave it
to the servant who answered his ring, saying:
"Have John carry that out to the nearest box."
Brief as that note was, it was destined to change, and for the better,
the plans that were slowly forming in Mr. Boyd's mind for not only
himself but the other dwellers in that island home.