CHAPTER XXI
IN WHICH MR. PEPPER MAKES A PROPOSITION TO CALEB AND DON
“YOU see,” the ship owner began, as soon as he was assured of the attention of his audience, “I have had my eye on these whaleback steamers from the start. Three years ago, you know, nobody but Captain Alexander MacDougall, the inventor, knew anything about them.
“We are altogether too conservative here in the East,” continued Adoniram warmly. “It takes the Westerners to get hold of new things, and practically test them. These whalebacks are a Western idea and were first used and tested on the Great Lakes.
“You don’t seem to realize, Caleb, that the boat was never built which could sail as easily as those whalebacks. In the heaviest gales they only roll slightly, as a log would at sea. The waves can beat against the curved steel sides of the craft as much as they like, or wash clean over her; but the boat is not affected by them in the least.”
“It’s the most wonderful thing I ever heard of,” Brandon declared.
“They are wonderful boats, as you will declare, yourself, when you see Number Three, tomorrow,” Adoniram returned. “My whaleback is 265 feet long, 38 feet beam, and 24 feet deep. She is warranted to carry 3,000 tons of grain on a sixteen and one half foot draft. You see, for her size, she carries an enormous cargo, for between the collision bulkhead forward, and the bulkhead in front of the engine room aft, the whole inside of the craft is open for lading.
“But my scheme—the reason I bought this vessel, in fact—is this,” went on Mr. Pepper.
He hesitated a moment, and looked just a little doubtfully at Caleb.
“I presume this is what you will call a ‘crazy idea,’ Caleb,” he said. “Several months ago my attention was drawn to the fact that great numbers of these derelicts now afloat in the Atlantic, north of the equator, are richly laden merchant vessels on whose cargoes and hulls a large salvage might be demanded by any vessel towing them into port.
“Now and then, you know, it happens that somebody does recover a derelict with a valuable cargo. In these times, when the crews of American ships, and even many of the officers, are ignorant and untrustworthy fellows, lacking altogether the honor arm perseverance which were characteristics of sailors forty years ago (I don’t say that all are so, but many) under these circumstances, I say, many a vessel which might be worked safely into port, is abandoned in mid ocean by the frightened crew.
“With a vessel like Number Three one could recover and tow into port many of these hulks, and net a large salvage from the owners. Vessels which would not be worth saving themselves, might still contain articles which it would pay to transfer to the hold of the whaleback, before they were sunk; for it was my intention to have Number Three destroy all the wrecks which are not worth saving.
“I have even sounded the Washington officials in the matter of aiding me in the work of destroying these derelicts; but I find that the Hydrographic Office is trying to get an appropriation from Congress to build a vessel of about 800 tons burden, especially for the work of blowing up these wrecks. Until that matter is decided, of course I can get no bonus on what I do.
“Nevertheless,” Mr. Pepper continued, “I believe that there is money enough in it to amply reward me for my outlay. Why, look at that New England whaler which found the British ship Resolute fast in the ice of Melville Bay in the summer of ’55.
“She was one of three vessels sent out by the British government to find Sir John Franklin. She was ‘nipped’ by the ice in the winter of ’51 and was abandoned. The whaler brought her to New London, and Congress bought her for $200,000 salvage and sent her to England. Of course, I shouldn’t expect to get many such prizes as that,” and the little man laughed, “but I do expect to make a handsome profit on the venture.”
“Take, for instance, the case of the Silver Swan. I’ll make you a proposition, Brandon, and you see if it isn’t a fair one. Caleb shall judge himself. I’ll send the whaleback out after the brig at my own expense. If we are successful and find the derelict and tow her to port, I will take the cargo (I know it to be a valuable one) for my pains—of course, not including the diamonds, which are your own personal property, my boy. The brig herself is Caleb’s, any way, according to the terms of your father’s will. Now what do you say?”
“I say it’s a good offer!” exclaimed Caleb, slapping his thigh heartily. “You’re a man and a gentleman, Adoniram. And far from thinking this scheme of yours crazy, I think well of it—mighty well.”
“That’s because it ‘hits you where you live,’ as the saying is,” returned Mr. Pepper, smiling slily.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about whalebacks,” began Caleb.
“But you will,” the merchant declared, interrupting him. “I haven’t got through with my proposition yet.”
“Fire ahead, old man,” said Caleb puffing steadily on his pipe.
“Well, then, first I want you for the captain of the steamer, Caleb.”
“Yes, so I supposed,” remarked the mate of the Silver Swan imperturbably. “What else?”
“I want Brandon for second mate.”
“Me?” exclaimed Don. “Why, I never was aboard a steamship in my life.”
“Oh, that doesn’t make any difference, Don,” returned Caleb sarcastically. “It would be just like him (if he wanted to) to send the vessel out with every blessed one of the crew landlubbers. It don’t make a particle o’ difference.”
“Now, Caleb,” said the merchant deprecatingly.
“No, Adoniram, we can’t do it. The boy knows nothing at all about a steamship, and I know but little more.”
“You’ve been mate on a steamer, Caleb.”
“On a dredger, you mean,” returned the old sailor, in disgust.
“There’s no reason why you can’t do it—both of you,” the ship owner declared. “If I’m satisfied, you ought to be. I’ve already engaged Lawrence Coffin for mate.”
“Coffin!” ejaculated Caleb, his face lighting up, as he forgot to pull on his pipe in his interest. “Got him, eh? Well, that puts a different complexion on the matter. I could sail the Great Eastern with Lawrence Coffin for mate.”
“I thought so,” said Mr. Pepper, laughing gleefully. “Then I’ve got a man by the name of Bolin for third. He’s a good man, and knows his business, too.”
“That would make Don’s duties pretty light,” said Caleb reflectively.
“Of course. I shall put in rather a larger crew than a whaleback usually carries—fourteen at least,” Mr. Pepper added; “to handle the cargoes I shall expect the steamer to recover.”
“Well, well,” said Caleb, rising; “let’s sleep on it. It’s never best to decide on anything too quickly.”
“If you’ll take up with my offer,” concluded the merchant, rising, too, “the craft can be made ready, and you can get away this day week.”
“Let’s think it over,” repeated the old sailor, bound not to be hurried into the business; but Don went to bed so excited by the prospect that it was hours before he was able to sleep.
“Did a fellow ever have a better chance for fun and adventure?” was his last thought as he finally sank into a fitful slumber.