Part 29 (1/2)
The new captain nodded. ”Got engaged when I pa.s.sed for my master's ticket. Arranged to be hitched so soon as I found a s.h.i.+p.”
Kettle sighed drearily. ”I was that way, my lad. I was married, and a kid had come before I was thirty. Not that I ever regretted it; by James! no. But for long enough I was never able to provide for the missus in the way I'd like, and I can tell you it was terrible gall to me to know that our set at the chapel looked down on her because she could only keep a poor home. Yes, my lad, you'll have a lot to go through.”
”Well,” said Murray, ”I've got this promotion, and I'm not going to worry about dismals. I suppose you go straight home by mail from Aden here?”
”Hullo, haven't they told you?”
”My letter was only the dry, formal announcement that you were promoted to the new s.h.i.+p, and I was to take over the _Parakeet_.”
”They don't waste their typewriter in the office. I suppose they thought I'd hand on my letter if I saw fit. Read through that,” said Kettle, and handed across his news. This is how it ran:--
BIRD, BIRD & CO., s.h.i.+p and Insurance Brokers, Agents to the Bird Transport Company.
Managers of the Bird Steam Company.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
759, Euston Street, LIVERPOOL, 21st March, 1896.
_Swan_, 375 tons. Captain R. Evans.
_Sparrow_, 461 tons. Captain James Evans.
s.s. _Starling_, 880 tons. Captain Enoch Shaw.
s.s. _Parakeet_, 2,100 tons. Captain Murray.
s.s. Building, 3,500 tons. Captain O. Kettle.
s.s. Building, 3,500 tons. Captain ...
s.s. Building, 4,000 tons. Captain ...
”The superb vessels of the Bird Line!”
_Dear Captain Kettle,--
Having noted from your cables and reports you are making a good thing for us out of tramping the ”Parakeet,” we have pleasure in transferring you to our new boat, which is now building on the Clyde. She will be 3,500 tons, and we may take out pa.s.senger certificate, she being constructed on that specification. Your pay will be 21 (twenty-one pound) per month, with 2-1/2 per cent. commission as before. But for the present, till this new boat is finished, we want you to give over command of the ”Parakeet” to Murray, and take on a new job. Our Mr. Alexander Bird has recently bought the wreck of the s.s. ”Grecian,” and we are sending out a steamer with divers and full equipment to get the salvage. We wish you to go on board this vessel to watch over our interests. We give you full control, and have notified Captain Tazzuchi, at present in command, to this effect_.
_Yours truly, p.p. Bird, Bird and Co. (Isaac Bird.)_
_To Captain O. Kettle, s.s. ”Parakeet,” Bird Line, Aden._
”I see they have clapped me down on the bill heading for the _Parakeet_ already,” said Murray, ”and you're s.h.i.+fted along in print for the new s.h.i.+p. Birds are getting on. But I've big doubts about three new boats all at one bite. One they might manage on a mortgage. But three? I don't think it. Old Ikey's too cautious.”
”Messrs. Bird are your owners and mine,” said Kettle significantly.
”Oh!” said the newly-made captain, ”I'm not one of your old-fas.h.i.+oned sort that thinks an owner a little tin G.o.d.”
”My view is,” said Kettle, ”that your owner pays you, and so is ent.i.tled to your respect so long as he is your owner. Besides that, whilst you are drawing pay, you're expected to carry out orders, whatever they may be, without question. But I don't think we'll talk any more about this, my lad. You're one of the newer school, I know, and you've got such a big notion of your own rights that we're not likely to agree. Besides, you've got to check my accounts and see I've left it all for you s.h.i.+p-shape, and I've to pull my bits of things together into a portmanteau. See you again before I go away, and we'll have a drop of whisky together to wish the _Parakeet's_ new 'old man' a pile of luck.”
At the edge of the harbor, Aden baked under the sun, but Kettle was not the man to filch his employer's time for unnecessary strolls ash.o.r.e. The salvage steamer rolled at her anchor at the opposite side of the harbor, and Kettle and two portmanteaux were trans.h.i.+pped direct in one of the _Parakeet's_ boats.
He was received on board by an affable Italian, who introduced himself as Captain Tazzuchi. The man spoke perfect English, and was hospitality personified. The little salvage steamer was barely 300 tons burden, and her accommodation was limited, but Tazzuchi put the best room in the s.h.i.+p at his guest's disposal, and said that anything that could act for his comfort should be done forthwith.
”Y'know, Captain,” said Tazzuchi, ”this is what you call a 'Dago' s.h.i.+p, and we serve out country wine as a regular ration. But I thought perhaps you'd like your own home ways best, and so I've ordered the s.h.i.+p's chandler ash.o.r.e to send off a case of Scotch, and another of Chicago beef. Oh yes, and I sent also for some London pickles. I know how you English like your pickles.”