The Merry Anne 14

The Merry Anne 14

Dick turned and looked him over sharply. "How do I know you wouldn't run

her aground? You seem to be raising the devil generally."

 

"I ain't a fool," replied the mate, with an impatient gesture.

 

"I'd feel a little safer if you were. Well, all right, Pink, make her

fast. We 'll let him try it."

 

McGlory took the wheel, and Dick sat by him on the cabin trunk. They

went out as they had come in, gaining a rod here and a yard there, as

the vagrant night breezes stirred the trees and faintly rippled the

water. Up forward the men settled down as quietly as if working out of

Burnt Cove after midnight were a part of the daily routine. Dick smoked

in silence. The mate alone was nervous. For some reason he seemed

as anxious now to get out of the Cove as he had been to get into it.

Occasionally his eyes wandered back toward the darker spot where the

landing was. Once he seemed to hear something,--they were then in sight

of the open lake,--and he swung her off quickly to gain headway. Finally

Dick asked:--

 

"Got another o' your lady friends stowed away up here?"

 

The mate grunted.

 

"Maybe you thought you'd just drop around for a little call. That the

idea?"

 

"No, that ain't the idea."

 

"I didn't know you were a Mormon."

 

Another grunt.

 

"Case o' temporary mental aberration, perhaps. You thought you owned the

schooner. Or maybe you dreamed I was going to give it to you--not for

its intrinsic value, but as a token of affection _and_ esteem. That it?"

 

"No, that ain't it, an' you know it ain't."

 

"Oh, I'm in the secret, am I?"

 

McGlory leaned across the wheel and looked at him. "Are you a-tryin' to

make me think you don't know why I come here?"

 

"I certainly am."

 

"Well, you beat me."

 

"Then we're in the same condition. It isn't exactly usual, you know, to

take another man's schooner off for a summer cruise without asking him

if he don't mind. Of course, between friends, it's all right---only

there are some little formalities that are customary. But I suppose you

aren't going to tell me anything about it--why you did it."

 

The mate said nothing. They were now slipping out into deep water, where

the breeze could fill the sails, and the schooner began to heel and to

nose through the ripples with a grateful sound. The light was stronger

out here, and the mate could see the Captain's face more plainly. What

he saw there answered several questions that lay, unspoken, in his mind.

 

"I 'll take the wheel now," said Dick. "Hold on, don't you go forward.

Wait here till I get through with you." He raised his voice and called

to the others. "Come back here, boys, all o' you." And when the crew

was grouped about the wheel: "Pink, here, is going to be my mate for

the rest o' this trip. I want you to take his orders the same as if

they were mine. McGlory has nothing more to say on this schooner. That's

all."

 

The men looked at each other. The Swedes were slow to grasp what was

said. McGlory stood back in the shadow, and his face told nothing.

Harper was excited.

 

"That's all, I tell you. You can go back."

 

They went at this--all but Pink, who lingered. "Cap'n--"

 

"Well, what is it?"

 

"I was just goin' to say--it's more'n square--you've been more'n white

to me--"

 

"Hold on there. You needn't bother about engrossing any resolutions.

You 'll find it hard enough."

 

"Well--I'm mighty obliged for--"

 

"Not at all."

 

Thirty-six hours later, when the Merry Anne was slipping through the

islands west of the straits and heading southward for the run down Lake

Michigan, McGlory slipped aft and addressed Harper, who had the wheel.

"I was sort o' hasty awhile ago, Pink, when I hit you that time. I hope

you ain't a-layin' it up against me."

 

Pink stared at him, but offered no reply.

 

"I was a little excited. You see, Cap'n Smiley's a good sailor, but he

don't know where his own interest is."

 

"I ain't got nothin' to say to you about Cap'n Smiley."

 

"I know. Say, you ain't got no objections to turnin' an honest penny,

have you?

 

"That depends."

 

"Or say maybe it was a neat little five hundred--good hard stuff."

 

"Where's it cornin' from?"

 

"You know where we was--over in Canada?"

 

"I ought to."

 

"Well, Smiley knows all about that."

 

"The---------he does!"

 

"Sure thing. He's been there before, more'n once."

 

"Funny he didn't know the channel then. There ain't a place around the

Lakes he couldn't sail the _Anne_ through if he'd smelled it once."

 

"I know. That's the queer part of it. He knows it with his eyes shut. He

had some reason or other for puttin' up the bluff he did, an' I'd give

just about ten round dollars to know what it was."

 

"Better ask him."

 

"Watch me. This ain't the kind o' thing you can talk out about. I know

he knows, an' he knows I know; but he's down on me an' there's nothin' I

can say--here, anyway."

 

"What do you want o' me?"

 

"You're the right sort--you've got nerve an' a head on you. Help me

carry this business through, an' I 'll divvy up with you--five hundred,

sure, to start with."

 

"What am I to do?"

 

"Nothin' hard. You've got a good stand in with Smiley. Just put in a

word for me, so's he won't fire me before another trip, anyway. You

fellows made a mistake this time in not standin' by me. I can do better

by you than he can--a lot better. Help me to stay aboard for the next

trip, an' I 'll hand you fifty right now for a sweetener."

 

"Well, I 'll see what I can do."

 

"I've got the fifty down below. I 'll get it."

 

"Hold on--don't be in a hurry. You'd better see what I can do for you

before you do any sweetenin'."

 

McGlory nodded and slipped back to his station. When the watch was

changed, he went below and settled down to writing a letter on crumpled

paper with a pencil. He seemed to be thinking hard. Three times he made

a start, only to hold the paper up to the lantern, shake his head over

it, tear it up, and stuff the pieces into his pocket. But the fourth

attempt, which follows, suited him better.

 

"Dear Estelle: I ain't done the trick I was going to do this trip. The

Captain woke up too soon and stoped me. But I've got a fellow here on

bord that's going to see me threw next trip so don't you go down to

Saginaw yet. Wait til you see me at Spencer's and Ile tell you al about

the scheme itll be worth a thousand cool anyway I should say its worth

waiting for. I'm doing it for you you know so don't you get impatent but

just wait a litle longer and we 'll have a gay old time.

 

"Joe."

 

When he gave the wheel to Dick, Harper repeated to him the whole

conversation and asked him what he made of it.

 

"Give it up."

 

"You don't think he's layin' for you, do you? I couldn't tell what he

was up to. Of course he wouldn't hardly let me see into his game the

first time we talked."

 

"Oh, no,--hardly."

 

"Will I go on lettin' him talk to me?"

 

"If you see any fun in it."

 

"It ain't that--I thought maybe we could find out what he's after."

 

"I don't want to know about it."

 

"But you don't think he 'll try to--stick it into you anyway?"

 

"Let him try. He can't do much harm."

 

"Well--"

 

"Take my advice, Pink, and quit thinking about him. I don't like this

business any more than you do, but the worse it is the less I want to

know about it. When we get back we 'll fire him, and that will end it."

 

"Don't you think we'd better tie him up, or somethin'?"

 

"That wouldn't do any good. You'd better tumble below and get some

sleep. There's nothing like it when you're a little worked up."

 

Dick had indeed something else to think of than his rascal of a mate.

Only four days of sailing, if the wind should hold, lay between the

_Merry Anne_ and the Annie for whom she had been named. These days would

slip away before he knew it, and then? The uncertainty was hard, but

still he dreaded the meeting--that might be harder still.