Part 27 (2/2)
As it drew near, he was amazed to see that instead of a river steamer, such as he had expected, the red-cross boat was a fine sea-going yacht; and as she came das.h.i.+ng towards him, her sharp stem cleaving the brown waters like a knife, her s.h.i.+ning black hull, varnished houses, polished metal, and plate-gla.s.s flas.h.i.+ng in the light of the setting sun, this sailor son of a sailor father thought her the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She slowed down at his signal, and in another minute he was alongside.
A line was flung to him, and making it fast to the _Psyche's_ painter, he clambered up a ladder that had been dropped from the gangway. As he reached the deck, a fine-looking young fellow, apparently but little older than himself, and wearing a natty yachting uniform, stepped forward to meet him.
Sumner briefly explained his errand, and pointing to the red-cross flag at the foremast-head, added that he believed aid might be expected from those who sailed under it.
”Indeed it may,” responded the other, heartily; ”and our present business is to discover just such cases as you describe. Although the _Merab_ is, as you see, a private yacht, in which we happened to put into New Orleans during a winter cruise to the southward, she is at present in the service of the Red Cross Society, of which I am a member, and devoted to the relief of sufferers by this awful flood.
May I ask your name? Mine is Coffin--Tristram Coffin; though I am better known as Breeze McCloud, and that of my friend (here he turned to another young man, also in navy blue) is Mr. Wolfe Brady.”
Half an hour later the beautiful _Merab_ lay at anchor as near the stranded raft as it was safe to venture, and its occupants were being transferred to her hospitable deck by one of her boats. Another boat, laden with provisions, was on its way to the starving refugees in the great house.
The young owner of the _Merab_ insisted that all those who came from the raft should be his guests, at least for that night.
The invitation was accepted as promptly and heartily as it had been given, and soon afterwards two very hungry but very merry parties sat down to bountiful dinners in two entirely distinct parts of the yacht.
Along the mess-table of the galley--or the ”camboose,” as the yacht's cook insisted upon calling it--were ranged three gentlemen of color, each of whom treated his companions with the greatest deference, though at the same time believing himself to be just a little better posted in culinary matters than either of the others.
”Dish yer wha' I calls a mighty scrumptious repas',” exclaimed Solon, after a long silence devoted to appeasing the pangs of his hunger.
”But fo' de true ole-time cookin' gib me de Moss Back kitchin befo' de wah.”
”I specs dat ar' berry good in hits way,” remarked Quorum; ”same time I hain't nebber eat nuffin kin compare wif de cookin' er dem Seminyole Injuns what libs in de Ebberglades. Dat's whar I takin my lesson.”
”Sho, gen'l'muns! 'pears to me lak you don't nebber go on er deep-sea v'yge whar you gets de genuwine joe-flogger, an' de plum-duff, an' sich like,” said Nimbus, the yacht's cook. ”Ef you had, you wouldn' talk.”
In the luminous after-saloon the other party was seated at a table white with snowy damask, and gleaming with silver, which was at once the pride and care of old Mateo, the Portuguese steward.
It was a party so overflowing with merriment and laughter, jokes and stories, that from one end of the table the young owner of the yacht was moved to call to his friend at the other,
”I say, Wolfe, this reminds me of the mess aboard the old _Fish Hawk_, when we were 'Dorymates' together off Iceland.”
”It reminds me,” said Glen Elting, ”of the jolly mess of the Second Division, when Billy Brackett and Binney and I were 'Campmates'
together in New Mexico.”
Said Sumner Rankin, ”It reminds me of the cabin mess of the _Transit_, when we went 'Canoemates' together, through the Everglades. Eh, Worth?”
”While I,” chimed in Winn Caspar, ”am reminded of the happy mess-table of the good s.h.i.+p _Venture_, on which we 'Raftmates' have just floated for more than a thousand miles down the great river.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: A reunion of ”mates.”]
”Gentlemen,” said Mr. Manton, rising, and holding high a gla.s.s filled with amber-colored river-water, ”as I seem to have become a s.h.i.+pmate of Dorymates, Campmates, Canoemates, and Raftmates, I am moved to propose a toast. It is, 'Long life and prosperity, health and happiness, now and forever, to all true mates.'”
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