CHAPTER X
A BOLD SPECULATION
After weighing for some weeks all he could learn about the wreck on theAfrican coast, Cartwright went to London and was carried up one morningto the second floor of an imposing office block. Black marble columnssupported the molded roof of the long passage, the wide stairs wereguarded by polished mahogany and shining brass, and a screen of artisticiron work enclosed the elevator shaft. Cartwright's fur coat and glovesand varnished boots harmonized with the surroundings; he looked rich andimportant, but as he went along the corridor his face was stern. He wasgoing to make a plunge that would mend or break his fortune. Unless hegot straight in the next six months, he must retire from the Board andmake the best bargain possible with his creditors.
He opened a door, and giving a clerk his card, was shown into a handsomeprivate office. Mr. Morse at a writing-table indicated a chair, and whenCartwright sat down, rested his chin in his hand.
"We have considered your letters, and my partner, Mr. Bull, agrees that,if we can come to terms, your suggestion has some advantages," he said.
"The advantages for your clients are obvious," Cartwright remarked.
The other smiled. "They paid out a good sum when _Arcturus_ was wrecked,and would frankly like to get something back. Well, we understand youare willing to buy her, _as she lies_."
"At my price! I'll give you a check when the agreement's signed."
"Then, I expect you have made some calculations and know all about theefforts to float the wreck. If we sell her to you, the job is yours, butI admit some curiosity. Why do you expect to float her when the salvagecompany failed?"
"For one thing, they started the job on extravagant lines," Cartwrightreplied. "They sent out two first-class tugs and a number of highly-paidmen; they ought to have hired negro laborers at the spot. The surf isoften bad, they could only work when it was calm, and while they weredoing nothing, wages mounted up. So did their bills for the coal theymust bring from Sierra Leone, where coal is expensive. Then they werebothered by fever and were forced to send men home. They saw thecontract would not pay and let it go. The job was not impossible; it wascosting too much."
Mr. Morse agreed that Cartwright's statement was plausible and probablyaccurate, but thought he rather labored his argument.
"You mean to use another plan?" he said.
"My outfit will be small and cheap. This has the advantage that when mymen can't work, I won't pay much for wasted time. All the same, my riskis obvious. The thing's a rash speculation, on which I can't embarkunless you are satisfied to take a very small price."
For a few moments the ship broker pondered. Cartwright's line was theline a man who wanted to buy something cheap would take. All the same,Mr. Morse did not altogether see why he wanted to buy the wreck.
"What about the cargo?" he suggested. "Of course, you understand that Ihave no authority to sell this; you noticed the wording of our originaladvertisement? 'And for the salving of the cargo,' Precisely it is onthat basis alone that the cargo underwriters will deal. Together withyour offer for the steamer as she lies, you must accept a percentage ofthe value of the cargo you save."
"What is the cargo?"
"She carried palm-kernels in the forehold; I expect they have fermentedand rotted. Perhaps the palm oil aft isn't spoiled."
"The barrels will have gone to bits."
"Oak barrel staves stand salt water long."
"The iron hoops do not," Cartwright rejoined. "Anyhow, I don't reckon onthe cargo; I expect to make my profit on buying the hull."
"Yet the cargo is worth something. I imagine you know she carried somevaluable gums, ivory and a quantity of gold?"
Cartwright smiled. "I do know the goods were on the ship's manifest. Howmuch gold did the salvage company get?"
"Six boxes; but this was not all that was shipped."
"I imagine it's all that will be recovered!" Cartwright remarked.
The other looked hard at him, but his face was inscrutable and he wenton: "Well, I don't want the cargo, and may be forced to heave much of itoverboard in order to lighten the hull. However, if we find stuff worthsaving, we'll put it on the beach and I'll take a third-part of thevalue, and you can send out an agent to tally the goods."
"Very well," said the other, who approved the latter plan, although heimagined Cartwright knew something he did not. "Let's be frank," heresumed. "Personally, I felt from the beginning there was a mysteryabout the wreck."
"Oh, well," said Cartwright, "the owners of the boat went broke, and themerchant who put the goods on board died. His son sold the business to asmall company, in which he took shares. The new house is prosperous andrespectable; it would be necessary to know your ground well before youbothered them. Then I have nothing to go upon but a vague supposition.In fact, the thing's a risky plunge, and if you refuse my offer, I won'tgrumble. All the same, I doubt if anybody else would give you, forexample, five hundred pounds for _Arcturus_."
"Five hundred pounds is, of course, ridiculous," the other rejoined, andthey began to bargain.
When Cartwright left the office he was, on the whole, satisfied. Hecould finance the undertaking, but this was all. There would be nomargin to cover unforeseen difficulties. It was his last gamble, and,besides his money, he staked his post and reputation. If he lost, he wasdone for, and the house must fall. Soon after his return he sent forLister and told him about the wreck and his salvage plans.
"I had some bother to get a captain," he said. "The job has not muchattraction for a sober man, but Brown is not sober; he's franklyreckless and irresponsible. The strange thing is, I've known him makegood where cautious men have failed. Then much depends on the engineer.I brought you across to ask if you would go."
Lister's eyes sparkled. "Yes, sir. I've been looking for a chance likethis."
Cartwright studied him quietly. Lister's keenness was obvious; the youngfellow liked adventure, but Cartwright imagined this did not account forall.
"From one point of view, I think the chance is pretty good," he said."If you can float the wreck and bring her home, I expect some of the bigsalvage companies will offer you a post. Anyhow, you'll get your pay,and if we are lucky, a bonus that will depend on the cost of theundertaking and the value of all we salve."
"I'm going," Lister declared, and Cartwright noted that he did notinquire about the pay. Then he hesitated and resumed: "But I haven't gotan English chief-engineer's certificate."
"I don't know if it's important. I expect you'll find the adventure ismarked by a number of small irregularities. However, to satisfy theBoard of Trade is my business."
"Then you can reckon on me; but there's another thing. Why do you hopeto lift the wreck when the salvage men could not?"
Cartwright smiled. "I have been asked this before, but saw no groundsfor satisfying the inquirer's curiosity. All the same, I'll enlightenyou."
He did so, and Lister looked up sharply. He had known Cartwright wasclever, but the old fellow was cleverer than he thought. It was possiblehe had solved a puzzle that had baffled the salvage engineers. Afterall, perhaps, it was not strange they were baffled. They had reckoned onmechanical obstacles; Cartwright had reckoned on the intricacies ofhuman nature.
"I expect you have got it, sir," Lister agreed. "If her bilge was in thesand and the divers couldn't break into the engine-room--" He paused andlaughed. "A powerful centrifugal pump lifts some water, but you can'tpump out the Atlantic!"
"It looks as if the salvage company tried," said Cartwright, dryly."However--"
He talked about the undertaking, giving Lister particulars he thought heought to know, and when the young man went off, all important plans hadbeen agreed upon. Soon afterwards Cartwright went home and found Mrs.Cartwright had gone to bed. He was getting disturbed about her, butsince the doctor had said she must rest, he talked to Barbara in theevening. He told her about the wreck, and smiled when he stated thatLister would have control.
"I think you declared he was the man for an awkwar
d job," he said.
Barbara looked at him rather hard. "Perhaps I did say so. You don'timply you are sending Mr. Lister because you thought I'd like it?"
"Not at all," said Cartwright. "The thing's a business venture. Stillyour statement carried weight. I admit your judgment sometimes issound."
She turned her head and when she looked up and replied, her voice wasrather hard.
"You must not trust my judgment. I have been cheated."
"My dear!" said Cartwright. "Perhaps my remark was unlucky, but thecleverest of us is sometimes cheated, and you were not cheated long.We'll let it go. I'm bothered about your mother. She feels the damp andcold and is not picking up. Perhaps we ought to send her South. I musttalk to the doctor."
In the morning he saw the doctor, who said they had better wait for atime, and Cartwright occupied himself by outfitting the salvageexpedition. Finding it necessary to go to London, he called on thegentleman from whom he had bought the wreck a short time ago.
"When we made the agreement, you asked if I knew anybody who would giveme five hundred pounds for the boat," remarked Mr. Morse. "Just then Idid not know, but not long since I was offered a better price thanyours."
"Ah," said Cartwright, thoughtfully. "She lay in the sand for some timeand nobody bothered about her. Who was willing to buy?"
The other smiled. "A shipbroker stated a sum at which he would take heroff our hands. It was plain he was an agent, but he wouldn't give hiscustomer's name. I don't imagine you will find out from him. I tried!"
Cartwright said it was strange, and went off soon afterwards. When hewent down in the lift he smiled, for he thought he saw a light; afterall, his speculation was not as rash as it looked.
When he got home Mrs. Cartwright had come downstairs and she joined theothers at dinner. The doctor said she was stronger and might soonundertake a journey South; he suggested the Canaries, and Cartwrightapproved.
"If you sail by a Cape liner, it's a short run, and after you leave theSpanish coast the sea is generally smooth," he said. "Since I must stayat the office, we must decide who is going with you."
Hyslop said he would like to go, and would do so if it were necessary,but to get away just then was awkward. Grace declared somebody must stopto look after Cartwright and the house, and she imagined this was herpost. For all that, since she was older than Barbara, it was hard to seeher duty. Mrs. Cartwright did not indicate whom she wanted, although sheglanced at Barbara. Since she was ill she had got very languid, andCartwright did not meddle. He knew his stepchildren, and it wascharacteristic that Grace talked about her duty; taking care of aninvalid at a foreign hotel had not much charm for Grace.
"Very well," said Barbara, "I gave you and Mortimer first chance,because I'm not important, but since you have good grounds for staying,we won't argue." She turned to Mrs. Cartwright: "I'm going, because Iwant to go."
Mrs. Cartwright gave her a gentle smile and it was plain that she wassatisfied, but when she had gone to bed and Cartwright was alone, hepondered. Barbara loved her mother and would have gone had she notwanted to go, but he thought she did want and had an object. He had toldher something about his plans, and had stated that he would use GrandCanary as a supply depot for the expedition; then he had found the girlstudying an Atlantic chart in the library. Barbara had no doubt notedthe island lay conveniently near the African coast, and knew it was animportant coaling station, at which steamers bound South from Liverpoolcalled. Cartwright wondered whether she had argued she might see Listerat Grand Canary.