DELIVERED.
Notwithstanding the Perseverance might bring a cargo that must be
discharged in Boston or Salem, it was considered a settled fact by all
at home, that she would, when arriving on the coast, steer first for
Pleasant Cove, and Captain Rhines was expecting her daily. The interest
felt there in respect to her coming was not a little increased by the
return of Ben (Peterson's oldest son) in the Casco.
Ben brought home considerable money, having been fortunate in a
"venture." The first thing he did was to clothe his mother and the
three youngest boys, one eleven, one thirteen, and the oldest fifteen;
the next, to clapboard the house which, Peterson having lately built
it, was still unfinished. While Ben's hands were busy driving the
nails, his thoughts were on the stretch respecting the best place from
which to watch for the arrival of the Perseverance. He well knew there
was no place to compare, in that respect, with the big maple on the
heights of Elm Island. To Elm Island he hurried (when he had driven the
last nail), and repaired the platform in the top of the tree and the
ladder leading to it, both having become somewhat decayed since the
boy-days of John Rhines and Charlie Bell. He erected a signal staff on
the point of the island, from which to display a white cloth to give
notice to the people on the main land when the vessel hove in sight.
For the first few days he flattered himself that every vessel sighted
was the one so anxiously sought; but there were many fore-and-afters,
at that season of the year, making their way to the Bay of Chaleur,
Labrador, the Penobscot, or bound from the eastern ports and Nova
Scotia, to the westward. At last the poor boy, becoming quite
discouraged, said to Lion Ben at the supper table,--
"I believe I shall go home. If I was there I might be earning
something. I am spending time to no purpose, and shall wear out my
welcome."
"Don't go, Ben," replied Sally; "we love to have you here."
"Don't go," said the Lion; "I'll hire you to hoe corn, and then you
can earn something, and watch for the vessel, too."
Two mornings after this conversation Ben was in the tree just as the
day was breaking, in order that he might make his observations before
it was time to go to hoeing. There were plenty of schooners, but none
of them _the schooner_. At length he espied one that seemed to be
steering in a different direction from the rest.
Long and patiently he watched her progress.
"She is heading directly up the bay; a pink-stern I guess, and about
the right size. It ain't her, after all," he exclaimed; "this vessel is
rigged different; and yet how much she looks like her!"
At this he caught sight of Lion Ben, who was turning the cows into the
pasture.
"Mr. Rhines," he cried, "I wish you would come up here. A pink is
coming up the bay, steering straight for Uncle Isaac's Cove. She hasn't
varied a pint this hour and a half. I could swear it was the schooner,
only she's rigged differently."
"How is this one rigged?"
"She's got two jibs and two gaff-topsails."
"So has the Perseverance."
Peterson was not aware of the change that had been made in her rig, it
having been done while he was at sea.
The moment Lion Ben put the glass to his eye he said, "It's her."
Old and young were now flocking to every place commanding a good view
of the water. Half way between Elm Island and the main was a whale-boat
containing Ben Peterson, Lion Ben, and all his family, the Lion pulling
two oars, and Peterson one. Doubts now began to be freely expressed by
some of the least sanguine, and indignantly scouted by others.
"That's the vessel, to be sure," said Joe Bradish, always a prophet of
ill omen; "but no knowing as Peterson's in her. He might be dead when
they got there, or that planter might have sold him to another planter
on some other island, or they might not be able to get him."
"Just shut up your clam-shell--will you? You're always an off-ox,"
said Joe Griffin, seeing poor Luce tremble and the tears rundown
her cheeks,--as she stood holding the two youngest children by the
hand,--at the words of Bradish. "She's deep-loaded; that, to my mind,
shows for itself that they've sold their cargo and had good luck; don't
it captain?" turning to Captain Rhines.
"I think it does, Joseph. Cheer up, my girl," to Luce, "and hope for
the best."
But, to the disappointment of all, the wind, that had been moderating
for some time, died away to a flat calm, the tide turned, and the
vessel so anxiously expected was obliged to anchor.
"Neighbors," said Lion Ben, "what say you for towing her up?"
"That's the talk, Ben," said Joe Griffin.
"Boats and boys!" shouted Joel Ricker.
"Hurrah for a tow!" echoed the crowd.
Thanks to Charlie Bell, whale-boats were plenty enough now.
"Father," said Ben, "you shall be fleet commodore."
It was but a short time before twelve boats and fifty men were ready.
Joe Bradish was getting into Joe Griffin's boat.
"You shan't go, you small concern," said Joe, and pitched him head
foremost into the water.
"Jonah's overboard--we shall have good luck, now."
"I'll hoist the flag, neighbors," said the captain, as they were
shoving off, "if they've got him."
"If you want to get Peterson home," said Dick Cameron, "take the boat
and pull up. I'll keep ship."
"No need of that," said Walter, "for here comes the whole neighborhood."
"I seed him! I seed dad!" screamed little Ike, who was nestled close to
the side of Captain Rhines.
"So do I see his old black face," said the captain, standing up. He
waved his hat, when a cheer arose from the fleet of boats astern. Like
bees they swarmed aboard the schooner, completely covering her deck,
while Peterson embraced his two boys, and clasped the hands of his
neighbors.
"They've got him, Luce; there goes the flag," cried Will Griffin; "I
can see it plain with the glass; they are stringing out the boats."
After a while,--
"Here she comes! Beeswax, don't she come!"
And well she might, with fifty of the strongest men in the town towing
her, three to each of her own sweeps, and Lion Ben to lead.
A shout arose from the crowd that made the shores ring as the sweeps
were shipped aboard the schooner, and Peterson, walking out on the
bowsprit, waved his hand to his friends.
Tears of joyous sympathy moistened many a cheek when Luce flung herself
into her husband's arms, while the little ones clasped his legs.
* * * * *
Walter and Ned have now become accustomed to hardship, had experience
of danger, and incurred responsibility. The next volume of the series,
the Cruise of the Casco, will exhibit their capabilities when thrown
more entirely upon their own resources, and placed in trust of a large
interest under circumstances of deadly peril.