The Cruise of the Snowbird: A Story of Arctic Adventure

addressing himself moreparticularly to McBain, "of all that our voyage has cost us, and takingeverything into consideration, I find that we couldn't have travelledhalf so cheaply on shore, nor could we have lived as cheaply even athome. We did not pay much for the cutter and all her fittings, and ifwe had cared to do a little more fishing, and sent more boxes oflobsters down with the southern steamers, I think we would positivelyhave made a good deal of profit."

  "You are thoroughly practical," said Ralph; "I like you for that."

  "Well, but," said Allan, half apologetically, "neither of us, you know,is extra rich, and I think it is some satisfaction to look back to atime spent most pleasantly and enjoyably, without either extraexpenditure, or--or--what shall I say?"

  "Prodigality," suggested Ralph.

  "That word will do," said Allan; "but I do declare I'm nearly halfasleep."

  "I expect," said McBain, trying to repress a yawn, "that we will allsleep to-night without rocking."

  Two hours afterwards they _were_ all asleep, and the yacht rose and fellgently on the rippling water, the moon shone over the mountains, makingthe houses in the little town all look as if their walls were marble andtheir slated roofs were burnished gold.

  They would have gone right up Loch Linnhe, instead of calling at Oban,only Rory wished to do a little extra varnishing and gilding beforetheir return, so they stopped here for two days.

  Yes, there is no mistake about it, there was a commotion in and aroundthe old castle. As Allan and his friends came filing up the glen,headed by Peter, who had gone to meet them with the bagpipes, in trueHighland fashion, I think the dogs were the first to hear the wildjoyous notes of the pibroch. Every one of them found his way out intothe courtyard; the inner gate of the drawbridge was closed, so Oscar andBran stood and barked at it, just as if that would open it; the smallerdogs yapped at their heels, for whatsoever Bran and Oscar did, thecollie and Skyes followed suit; every feathered biped about the placejoined in the chorus, and then, for just a moment, there was a slightlull, and Allan's favourite pony was heard laughing loud and shrill tohimself in the stables.

  "Och! and och!" cried old Janet, rushing out to open the gate for thedogs, "it's the happy day for old Yonish (Janet) and it's the happy dayfor the whole of us. Go doggies, go craytures, and meet the dearmaster!"

  The dogs needed no pressing. Headed by Bran, with Oscar in the rear--for these dogs always kept up a certain decorum in presence of theothers--out they rushed, and next moment Allan was in the midst of them.

  He would not check them in their glee for all the world, but, with Branon one side of him, and Collie on the other, and all the Skyes dancinground his feet, it must be confessed that for fully five minutes he hadrather a rough time of it. Oscar, after kissing his master on the ear,picked off his hat, and trotted away back with it to the castle.

  So Allan returned bareheaded, but laughing, to receive the affectionategreetings of his mother and sister. But who is that tall, handsome,elderly gentleman in company with the latter? You would have requiredno answer to that question had you but seen the rich blood mantling inRalph's cheeks the moment he saw him, or marked the glad glitter in hiseyes. He seemed to clear the drawbridge at a couple of bounds.

  "Father! father!"

  "Ralph, boy!"

  "Your runaway son," said Ralph, laughing.

  "My sailor boy!" said his father, smiling in his turn.

  Those last words made Ralph's heart bound with joy. He knew his fatherwell, and he knew when he said "my sailor boy" that he did not mean torepent his promise anent the yacht.

  Allan was talking to his mother and sister, Helen McGregor hanging onhis arm, and looking fondly up in his face.

  But poor Irish Rory stood shyly by himself, close by the drawbridgegate. At present there was nobody to speak to him; for the time being,at all events, there was no one to bid him welcome back.

  "Och!" he said to himself, with a sigh, "the never a father nor motherhave I. Sure I never remember feeling before that I was an orphanentirely."

  A big cold nose was thrust into his hand. Then a great dog rubbed itsshoulder with rough but genuine kindness against his legs. It wasBran's mother, and her behaviour affected him so that he was almostletting fall a tear on her honest head, when he suddenly spied oldJanet, and off went the cloud from his brow in a moment--and off wenthe, to pump-shake the old lady by the hand, and vow to her that this wasthe happiest day in his life.

  And old Janet must needs wipe her eyes with her apron as she called him,much to his amusement, "mo chree" and "mo ghoal" (love), and "the bonnieboy that he was," and a hundred other flattering and endearing epithets,that made Rory laugh and pump-shake her hand again, and feel on thewhole as merry as a cricket. But when Helen herself came runningtowards him, and placed both her hands in his and welcomed him "home,"then his cup of joy was about full, and he entirely forgot he was anorphan. Then she dragged him over to her mother, and the firstgreetings over--

  "Isn't he sunburnt?" said Helen; "but do, mamma, look at Allan and hisfriend."

  "Well," said Allan, "what colour are we?"

  "Oh, just like flower-pots," said Helen, laughing.

  That same afternoon Allan was sitting talking to Rory in his "sulky,"when in burst Ralph. He had just returned from a long walk with hisfather, and he was looking all over joyous.

  "Why, what do you think, boys?" he cried, rubbing his hands, and thenmaking believe to punch Allan in the ribs; "what do you think, old man?"he added.

  "Something very nice, I'll be bound," said Allan, "or staid steady Ralphwould not be so far off his balance."

  "It is pleasant in the extreme," said Ralph, taking a seat in front ofthem, "and so very unexpected too.

  "Now guess what it is."

  "Oh; but we can't, we never could," said his friends.

  "Out with it, Ralph," cried Allan, "don't keep us in `tig-tire.'"

  "Yes, don't be provoking, Ralph," added Rory.

  "Well, then," said Ralph, speaking very slowly, just a word at a time,"father--has--been--down--to Cowes--and--bought--"

  "The yacht!" cried Allan, interrupting him. "Hurrah!"

  "Just one moment, my boys," cried Rory. "I must blow off steam or I'llburst." So saying, he seized his violin and commenced playing one ofthe wildest, maddest Irish melodies ever they had listened to. Youmight have called the air a jig, but there was a certain sadness in it,as there is in even the merriest of Ireland's melodies; tendernessbreathed through every bar of it. You might have imagined while Roryplayed that you saw his countrymen dancing at a wake, and heard eventheir wild "Hooch!" but at the same time you could not help fancying yousaw the mourners crooning over the coffin, and heard the broken-heartedwail of the coronach.

  Both Allan and Ralph were pretty well used to all Rory's queer,passionate, and impulsive ways, and so they always gave him what sailorscall "plenty of rope," and landsmen call "latitude."

  When he had finished and quieted down, then did Ralph explain to hisfriends all about the purchase of the yacht.

  "Not a toy, mind you," he said, "a really first-rate seagoingschooner-yacht, A1 at Lloyd's, and all that sort of thing. New onlythree years ago, copper fastenings, wire rigging, and everythingcomplete."

  "And what is her size?" said Allan.

  "Oh?" said Ralph, "there is plenty of room to swing a cat in her, I canassure you; she is nearly two hundred tons."

  "Two hundred tons! why she'll take some managing, won't she?"

  "Father says she will be as easily sailed with the crew we will have,and with ordinary caution, as our little cutter yacht."

  "Of course," said Rory, "we will have trial trips and all that sort ofthing."

  "Ay, ay, lad," said Ralph; "but don't you imagine that my father willtrust this fine yacht in such juvenile hands as ours, without anexperienced sailing-master being on board."

  "And I wonder who that will be," said Rory, "for you know we wouldn'ttake to every stranger."

  "Boys," said Allan, "I d
on't think we will have a stranger over us assailing-master. I can tell you a bit of a secret; or perhaps, Ralph,you can guess it, if I ask you a question or two. Well, then, what doyou think McBain has been studying his Rosser so earnestly for theselast many months?"

  "I have it," cried Rory, "sure he's going to take out a Board of Tradecertificate as master."

  "You're right," said Allan, "and I think he could take one now even, forhe is well up in