Billy Topsail & Company: A Story for Boys

  CHAPTER XXIII

  _In Which Sir Archibald Armstrong Is Almost Floored By a Business Proposition, But Presently Revives, and Seems to be About to Rise to the Occasion_

  Sir Archibald Armstrong was a colonial knight. His decoration--one ofHer late Majesty's birthday honours--had come to him for beneficentpolitical services to the colony in time of trouble and ruin. He was aNewfoundlander born and bred (though educated in the English schools);and he was fond of saying in a pleasantly boastful way and with alittle twinkle of amusement in his sympathetic blue eyes: "I'm afish-merchant, sir--a Newfoundland fish-merchant!" This was quitetrue, of course; but it was only half the truth. Directly orindirectly, Sir Archibald's business interests touched every port inNewfoundland, every harbour of the Labrador, the markets of Spain andPortugal, of the West Indies and the South American Republics.

  Sir Archibald was alone in his cozy office. The day was raw and wet.There was a blazing fire in the grate--an agreeable bit of warmth andbrightness to contrast with the rain beating on the window-panes.

  A pale little clerk put his head in at the door. "Beg pardon, sir," hejerked. "Master Archie, sir."

  "Master Archie!" Sir Archibald exclaimed.

  Archie entered.

  "What's this?" said Sir Archibald, in amazement. "Back from RuddyCove?"

  "On business," Archie replied.

  Sir Archibald laughed pleasantly.

  "Don't make fun of me, father," said Archie. "I'm in dead earnest."

  "How much is it, son?" This was an ancient joke between the two. Bothlaughed.

  "You'd be surprised if you knew," the boy returned. "But look here,father! please don't take it in that way. I'm really in earnest."

  "It's money, son," Sir Archibald insisted. "I know it is."

  "Yes," said Archie, with a grave frown; "it _is_ money. It's a gooddeal of money. It's so much money, dad, that you'll sit up when youhear about it."

  Sir Archibald looked sharply into his son's grave eyes. "Ahem!" hecoughed. "Money," he mused, "and a good deal of it. What's thetrouble, son?"

  "No trouble, father," said Archie; "just a ripping good chance for funand profit."

  Sir Archibald moved to the chair behind a broad flat-top desk by thewindow. This was the queer little throne from which all businessproblems were viewed. It was from the shabby old chair--with a broadwindow behind--that all business judgments were delivered. Did anoutport merchant want credit in any large way, it was from theopposite chair--with the light falling full in his face through thebroad window--that he put the case to Sir Archibald. Archie sat downin that chair and leaned over the desk. Sir Archibald stretched hislegs, put his hands deep in his pockets, let his chin fall on hisbreast and stared searchingly into his son's face. The rain was drivennoisily against the windows; the fire crackled and glowed. As betweenthe two at the desk there was a momentary silence.

  "Well?" said Sir Archibald, shortly.

  "I want to go trading," Archie replied.

  Sir Archibald lifted his eyebrows--then pursed his lips. The matterof credit was evidently to be proposed to him. It was to be put,too, it seemed, in a business way. Very well: Sir Archibald woulddeal with the question in a business way. He felt a little thrillof pleasure--he was quite conscious of it. It was delightful to havehis only son in a business discussion, at the familiar old desk,with the fire glowing, the wind rattling the windows and the rainlashing the panes. Sir Archibald was a business man; and now herealized for the first time that Archie was grown to a companionableage. This, after all, he reflected, was what he had been working for:To engage in business with his own son.

  "Then you want credit?" said he.

  "Look here, dad!" Archie burst out; "of course, I want credit. I'lltell you all about it," he rattled anxiously. "We want--we means BillyTopsail, Jimmie Grimm, Donald North and me--they're all Ruddy Covefellows, you know--we want to charter the _On Time_ at Ruddy Cove,call her the _Spot Cash_, stock her cabin and hold--she's only atwenty-tonner--and ship Bill o' Burnt Bay for skipper and trade theports of White Bay and the French Shore. All the boys----"

  "--WE WANT TO CHARTER THE _ON TIME_ AND TRADE THE PORTS OFTHE FRENCH SHORE."]

  "My traders," Sir Archibald interrupted, quietly, "are trading WhiteBay and the French Shore."

  "I know it, dad," Archie began eagerly, "but----"

  "Will you compete with them?" Sir Archibald asked, his eyes wide open."The _Black Eagle_ sails north on a trading voyage in a fortnight.She's loading now."

  "That's all right," said Archie, blithely. "We're going to----"

  "Encounter harsh competition," Sir Archibald put in, dryly. "How willyou go about it?"

  Archie had been fidgeting in his chair--hardly able to command hispoliteness.

  "A cash trader!" he burst out.

  "Ah!" Sir Archibald drawled, enlightened. "I see. I see-ee!"

  "We'll be the only cash trader on the coast, dad," Archie continued;"and we'll advertise--and carry a phonograph--and sell under thecredit prices--and----"

  Sir Archibald whistled in chagrin.

  "And we'll make good," Archie concluded.

  "You little pirate!" Sir Archibald ejaculated.

  Father and son laughed together. Then Sir Archibald began to drum onthe desk with his finger-tips. Presently he got up and began to pacethe floor, his hands thrust deep in his pockets, his lips pursed, hisbrows drawn in a scowl of reflection. This was a characteristic thing.Sir Archibald invariably paced, and pursed his lips, and scowled, whena problem of more than ordinary interest engaged him. He knew thatArchie's plan was not unreasonable. There _might_--there _ought_ tobe--good profit in a cash-trading voyage in a small schooner to theharbours of White Bay and the French Shore. There are no shops in mostof these little settlements. Shops go to the people in the form oftrading-schooners from St. John's and the larger ports of the moresoutherly coast. It is in this way that the fisher-folk procure theirflour and tea, their medicines and clothing, their tackle, theirmolasses, pins and needles, their trinkets, everything, in fact, boththe luxuries and necessities of life. It is chiefly a credit business,the prices based on credit; the folk are outfitted in the spring andpay in salt-cod in the late summer and fall. Why shouldn't acash-trader, underselling the credit plan, do well on the coast in asmall way?

  By and by, his face clearing, Sir Archibald sat down at the deskagain.

  "How much do you want?" he asked, directly.

  Archie took a grip on the arms of his chair and clenched his teeth. Ittook a good deal of resolution to utter the amount.

  "Well, well?" Sir Archibald impatiently demanded.

  "A thousand dollars," said Archie, grimly.

  Sir Archibald started.

  "Two hundred and fifty dollars in cash," Archie added, "and sevenhundred and fifty in credit at the warehouse."

  "What's the security?" Sir Archibald blandly inquired.

  "Security!" Archie gasped.

  "It is a customary consideration in business," said Sir Archibald.

  Archie's house of cards seemed to be tumbling about his ears.Security? He had not thought of that. He began to drum on the deskwith his finger-tips. Presently he got up and began to pace the floor,his hands thrust deep in his pockets, his lips pursed, his brow drawnin a scowl of reflection. Sir Archibald, recognizing his own habit inhis son's perturbation, smiled in a fatherly-fond way. The boy wasvery dear to him; no doubt about it. But Sir Archibald was notsentimental in the affection.

  "Well, sir," said Archie, by and by, his face clearing as he sat down,"I could offer you security, and good enough security, but it doesn'tseem quite fair."

  Sir Archibald asked the nature of the bond.

  "I have a pony and cart, a motor boat and a sloop yacht," Archiereplied, grinning. "I 'low," he drawled, with a sly drooping of hiseyelids, "that they're worth more than a thousand dollars. Eh, father?What do _you_ think?"

  Sir Archibald guffawed.

  "The trouble is," Archie went on, seriously, "that you gave them
tome; and it doesn't seem fair to you to offer them as security. But Itell you, dad," he declared, "if we don't make good in this tradingcruise I'll sell those things and do without 'em. It isn't fair, Iknow--it seems pretty mean to you--it looks as if I didn't care forwhat you've given me. But I do care; and you know I care. The troubleis that I want awfully to go trading."

  "It is the only security you have?"

  "Except mother," said Archie. "But," he added, hastily, "I wouldn't--I_won't_--drag a lady into this."

  Sir Archibald threw back his head and roared.

  "What you laughing at, dad?" Archie asked, a little offended, if aquick flush meant anything.

  "I'm sure," his father replied, "that the lady wouldn't mind."

  "No," said Archie, grave with his little problem of honour; "but Iwouldn't let a lady in for a thing like that."

  "Son," said Sir Archibald, now all at once turning very serious, "youhave better security than your pony and sloop."

  Archie looked up in bewilderment.

  "It is your integrity," Sir Archibald explained, gently, "and yourefficiency."

  Archie flushed with pleasure.

  "These are great things to possess," said Sir Archibald.

  "Thank you, sir," said Archie, rising in acknowledgment of this heartycompliment.

  The lad was genuinely moved.