Part 29 (1/2)

CHAPTER XXVII

_In Which the Ale”

Pro, Gri Loses His Temper and Makes a Fool of Himself_

Trade was brisk next day--and continued brisk for a fortnight From Coachman's Cove to Seal Cove, from Seal Cove to Black Arm, from Black Arm to Harbour Round and Little Harbour Deep went the _Spot Cash_ She entered with gay signal flags and a ; and no sooner was the anchor down than the phonograph began its musical invitation to draw near and look and buy And there was presently candy for the children; and there were undeniable bargains for the --under a quiet starlit sky--Skipper Bill ”tussled” gloriously with ”The Lost Pirate,” and Bobby North shook the hornpipe out of his very toes, and Bill Topsail wistfully piped the well-loved old ballads of the coast in a tender treble; and after that Senor Fakerino created no end ofhalf-dollars fro three ss at will fro's capaciousthe blackest of ink into the very most delicious of lehted They had never been amused before; and they craved amusement--like little children

[Illustration: SEnOR FAKERINO CREATED APPLAUSE BY EXTRACTING HALF DOLLARS FROM VACANCY]

Trade followed as a matter of course

Trade was brisk as any heart could wish up the White Bay coast to the first harbours of the northern reaches of the French Shore; and there it ca full stop The concerts were patronized as before; but no fish cae

”I can't bear to look the calendar in the face,” Archie colee

”'Tis the fifth o' August,” said Billy Topsail

”Whew!” Archie whistled ”Sixteen days to the first of September!”

”What's the le's_ the rily ”She's swept these harbours clean She cleaned out Englee yesterday”

”Stand by, all hands!” roared the skipper

”What's up, skipper?” asked Archie

”Nothin',” replied the skipper; ”that's the trouble But theif there's a rope's end handy,” he added

”We'll chase the _Black Eagle_”

They caught the _Black Eagle_ at anchor in Conch that evening She was deep in the water Apparently her hold was full; there were the first signs of a deck-load of fish to be observed In a run ashore Archie very soon discovered the reason of her extraordinary success He returned to the deck of the _Spot Cash_ in a towering rage The clerk of the _Black Eagle_ had put up the price of fish and cut the price of every pound and yard of merchandise aboard his vessel No wonder she had loaded No wonder the folk of the French Shore had ees of the summer's catch And as the _Spot Cash_ to do?

Where was she to get _her_ fish? By selling at less than cost and buying atof the sort! Topsail, Ar to be ruined by that sort of folly Topsail, Ar, Grimm & Company couldn't _have_ any fish

The powerful fir to put the poor little firoing to snuff 'e Topsail, Aret to cover and call cash trading as big a failure as had ever been made in Newfoundland business

”Isn't fair!” Archie complained, aboard the _Spot Cash_ ”It's dirty business, I tell you”

”Let's fire away, anyhow,” said Jimmie Gri as near to the point of tears as a boy of his age well could ”It's a low trick to cut a small trader's throat like this They can outsail us and keep ahead of us; and they'll undersell and overbuy us wherever we go When they've put us out of business, they'll go back to the old prices It isn't fair of dad,” he burst out ”I tell you, it isn't fair!”

”Lend a hand here,” said Bill ”We'll see what they do”