Part 40 (2/2)

Well, now we shall see how he got on as officer in command of the _Eva Maria, vice_ that careful old model of a skipper, Bernt Jorgensen. The vessel was fixed for Dundee, with a cargo of battens from Drammen, and Bernt had himself seen to everything in the matter of stores and provisions, etc., according to the old regime. Nils Petter certainly found the supplies of meat and drink on board a trifle scanty--drink, especially so. Six bottles of fruit syrup--h'm.

Nils Petter thought he might at least make a cautious suggestion.

”Say, Brother Bernt, you're sure you haven't forgotten anything.

Fresh meat, for instance, and a bottle or so of spirits?”

”Never has been spirits on board the _Eva Maria_,” answered Bernt shortly. And Nils Petter was obliged to sail with fruit syrup instead.

Just outside Horten, however, they were becalmed, and the _Eva Maria_ anch.o.r.ed up accordingly.

”D'you know this place at all, Ola?” said Nils Petter to his old friend Ola Simonsen, the boatswain, as they got the anchor down.

”Surely, Captain--know it? Why, I was here with the old _Desideria_ serving my time.”

”Right you are, then. We'll get out the boat and go on sh.o.r.e first for a look round.”

It was late that night when they returned, Nils Petter at the oars, and Ola sleeping the sleep of the just in the bottom of the boat.

Nils Petter was singing and laughing so he could be heard half a mile off. After considerable effort he managed to hoist the boatswain over the vessel's side, the whole crew laughing uproariously, including Nils Petter himself, who was quite pleased with the whole adventure, and cared not a jot for discipline and his dignity as skipper.

Ola Simonsen having been safely deposited on board, Nils Petter handed up a number of items in addition. One large joint of beef, six pork sausages, one ham, one case of tinned provisions, and one marked significantly, ”Gla.s.s: with care.”

Towards morning a light, northerly breeze sprang up, and they weighed anchor again. Nils Petter, instead of pacing the after-part with his hands behind his back, as became the dignity of a captain, came forward and took up his post beside the windla.s.s, sent the rest of the crew briskly about their business, and fell to singing with the full force of his lungs, till the agent on the quay went in for his gla.s.ses to see what was happening.

Nils Petter was the very opposite of his brother, who would make a whole voyage without saying a word to his crew except to give the necessary orders. Nils Petter, on the other hand, chatted with the men and lent a hand with the work like any ordinary seaman.

Altogether, the relations between captain and crew were such as would have been thoroughly pleasant and cordial ash.o.r.e.

There were beefsteaks for dinner as long as the beef lasted out, and Nils Petter shared in brotherly fas.h.i.+on with the rest--there was no distinction of rank on board in that respect; it was an ideal socialistic Utopia!

The case marked ”Gla.s.s: with care” was opened, and each helped himself at will, till only the straw packing remained. It was a cheery, comfortable life on board, as all agreed, not least Nils Petter, who laughed and sang the whole day long. No one had ever dreamed of such a state of things on board the _Eva Maria_, least of all Bernt Jorgensen, who was fortunately in ignorance of the idyllic conditions now prevailing in his beloved s.h.i.+p.

The only occasion throughout the voyage when any real dissension arose between Nils Petter and his crew was when opening one of the tins brought on board at Horten. The contents defied identification despite the most careful scrutiny. The label certainly said ”Russian Caviare,” but Nils Petter and the rest were none the wiser for that.

A general council was accordingly held, with as much solemnity as if the lives of all were in peril on the sea.

”I've a sort of idea the man in the shop said eat it raw,” ventured Nils Petter.

Ola Simonsen was reckless enough to try.

”Ugh--pugh--urrrgh!” he spluttered. ”Of all the....”

”Itsch--hitch--huh!” said Th.o.r.esen, the mate. ”Better trying cooking it, I think.” (This Th.o.r.esen, by the way, was the husband of Trina Th.o.r.esen, before mentioned, and a good friend of Nils Petter, who, in moments of exaltation would call him brother-in-law, which Th.o.r.esen never seemed to mind in the least.)

While the tin of caviare was under discussion, all on board, from the s.h.i.+p's boy to the captain, were a.s.sembled in the forecastle, intent on the matter in hand. So much so, indeed, that the _Eva Maria_, then left to her own devices, sailed slap into a schooner laden with coal, that was rude enough to get in her way.

Fortunately, no great damage was done beyond carrying away the schooner's jib-boom, and matters were settled amicably with the schooner's captain, whom Nils Petter presented with an odd spar he happened to have on deck and the six bottles of fruit syrup, which he was only too pleased to get rid of. And the _Eva Maria_ continued her course in the same cheerful spirit as heretofore.

Nils Petter's first exploit on arriving at Dundee was to send the harbour-master headlong into the dock, whence he was with difficulty dragged out. He got off with a fine of 20, which was entered in the s.h.i.+p's accounts as ”unforeseen expenses.”

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