Part 21 (2/2)
PAUL SCOLDS THE FIRST OFFICER OF THE FAWN.
After breakfast the young fishermen cleaned their perch and cod, and before dinner had disposed of the lot. From the proceeds of the sale, Paul purchased a small lantern, which was suspended in the cabin of the Fawn, for the darkness of that gloomy night was not soon to be forgotten.
The next day was clear and pleasant, and the boat went down as usual, and for more than a fortnight, no event worthy of a place in the history of Paul's fortunes occurred. The new boat worked admirably in every respect, and the boys were as proud of her as England has ever been of the Great Eastern. During these two weeks Paul had taken down three fis.h.i.+ng parties, and had given them so good satisfaction, that his services in this line promised to be in demand. As he received four dollars a day for her, including the wages of himself and the first officer, he always welcomed such jobs, and John liked the fun of it even better than fis.h.i.+ng, especially when there were any ladies in the party, for it was very amusing to him to see them in the agonies of sea sickness. He took a malicious delight in stowing them away in the berths in the cabin; yet in spite of the fun he made of them John would do all he could to a.s.sist them.
Just before the arrival of the Fawn in the waters of Bayville harbor, Paul had been unanimously elected a member of the Tenean Boat Club. He was very grateful for the honor conferred upon him, but his business was such that he could not often pull an oar in the boat. The members of the club all treated him with a great deal of consideration, though they were all the sons of rich men; and Paul felt that, if he was not their equal in worldly possessions, he could hold his head up with the best of them in the management of a boat.
One day, when the young fisherman called at the house of Major Kettle to sell fish, he met Thomas in the garden, who unfolded to him a magnificent project in which the Teneans--as the members of the Boat Club were generally called--were about to engage.
”We think of going on a cruise in the Flyaway,” said Thomas.
”Where?”
”I don't know where yet; but we mean to be gone a week or ten days.”
”Who is going with you?”
”Captain Littleton, I suppose, though I had just as lief he would stay at home.”
”Of course he wouldn't let a lot of boys go off for a week in the yacht, without some one to take care of them,” said Paul, with a smile.
”We can take care of ourselves; we don't want any one to take care of us.”
”How many of you are going?”
”Ten or twelve; we want you with us.”
”But I can't go.”
”Yes you can; why not?”
”I have to attend to my business.”
”You can afford to take a vacation of a week or two, I should think.”
Paul shook his head. He was delighted with the idea, and would have been very glad to go, but he could not think of neglecting his business to go away upon a pleasure excursion.
”You must go, Paul; the fellows all want you to go, and we shall have a first-rate time.”
”I have no doubt you will; and I should be very glad to go with you if I could; but it is of no use for me to think of such a thing.”
”It is not fully decided that we are to go yet; but Captain Littleton and my father have consented to let us have the Flyaway. We shall know all about it next week.”
Paul continued his walk, but the project of the excursion in the Flyaway haunted his imagination, and it required a great deal of self-denial for him to forego the antic.i.p.ated pleasure. He felt that the summer season was the harvest time of his business, and he could not afford to waste a week or two in idle play. ”Little by Little,” was his motto, and he was not willing that any of those ”littles” should slip through his fingers.
When they went down in the Fawn the next day, he told John about the excursion, and that he had been invited to form one of the party.
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