CHAPTER XXXI
_In Which the "Spot Cash" is Picked up by Blow-Me-Down Rock In Jolly Harbour, Wreckers Threaten Extinction and the Honour of the Firm Passes into the Keeping of Billy Topsail_
The _Spot Cash_ made for the French Shore with all the speed her heelscould command. The seventh of August! How near it was to the first ofSeptember! The firm of Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company, with theskipper and cook, shivered to think of it. Ten more trading days! Notanother hour could they afford if the _Spot Cash_ would surely makeSt. John's harbour on the specified day. And she would--shemust--Archie declared. His honour was involved--the honour of themall--of the firm of Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company. Had not SirArchibald said so?
So in the harbours of the Shore Bill o' Burnt Bay once more tussledvaliantly with "The Lost Pirate," and the flags flew, and thephonograph ground out inviting music, and Bobby North shook thehornpipe out of his active toes, and Bagg double-shuffled, and thetorches flared, and "Kandy for Kids" and "Don't be Foolish and FullyFooled" persuaded the populace, and Signor Fakerino createdmystification, and Billy Topsail employed his sweet little pipe mostwistfully in the old ballad of the coast:
"Sure, the chain 'e parted, An' the schooner drove ashore, An' the wives of the 'ands Never saw un any more, No more! Never saw un any mo-o-o-re!"
It was all to good purpose. Trade was even brisker than in White Bay.Out went the merchandise and in came the fish. Nor did the _Spot Cash_once leave harbour without a hearty, even wistful, invitation toreturn. Within seven days, so fast did the fish come aboard, the holdhad an appearance of plethora. Jimmie Grimm and Bagg protested thatnot another quintal of fish could be stowed away. It was fairly timeto think of a deck-load. There was still something in the cabin:something to be disposed of--something to turn into fish. And it wasArchie who proposed the scheme of riddance.
"A bargain sale," said he. "The very thing."
"An' Jolly Harbour's the place," said the skipper.
"Then homeward bound!" shouted Archie.
They ran into Jolly Harbour on the wings of a brisk southerlywind--and unfortunately in the dusk brought up hard and fast onBlow-Me-Down Rock.
* * * * *
Aground! They were hard and fast aground on Blow-Me-Down Rock in JollyHarbour at high tide. A malignant sea made a certainty of it. Itlifted the _Spot Cash_--drove her on--and gently deposited her with ahorrifying list to starboard. Archie Armstrong wrung his hands andstamped the deck. Where was the first of September now? How was thefirm to--to--what was it Sir Archibald had said?--yes; how was thefirm to "liquidate its obligations" on the appointed day and preserveits honour?
"By gettin' the _Spot Cash_ afloat," said Skipper Bill, tersely.
"And a pretty time we'll have," groaned Archie.
"I 'low," Bill drawled, "that we may be in for a prettier timestill."
"Sure, it couldn't be worse," Billy Topsail declared.
"This here," Bill explained, "is Jolly Harbour; an' the folk o' JollyHarbour isn't got no reputations t' speak of."
This was hardly enlightening.
"What I means," Skipper Bill went on, "is that the Jolly Harbour folkis called wreckers. They's been a good deal o' talk about wreckers onthis coast; an' they's more lies than truth in it. But Jolly Harbour,"he added, "is Jolly Harbour; an' the folk will sure come swarmin' inpunts and skiffs an' rodneys when they hear they's a vessel goneashore."
"Sure, they'll give us help," said Billy Topsail.
"Help!" Skipper Bill scornfully exclaimed. "'Tis little help _they'll_give us. Why, b'y, when they've got her cargo, they'll chop off herstanding rigging and draw the nails from her deck planks."
"'Tis a mean, sinful thing to do!" cried Billy.
"They live up to their lights, b'y," the skipper said. "They're anhonest, good-hearted, God-fearin' folk on this coast in the main; butthey believe that what the sea casts up belongs to men who can get it,and neither judge nor preacher can teach them any better. Here liesthe _Spot Cash_, stranded, with a wonderful list t' starboard. They'llthink it no sin to wreck her. I know them well. 'Twill be hard to keepthem off once they see that she's high and dry."
Archie began to stamp the deck again.
* * * * *
When the dawn broke it disclosed the situation of the schooner. Shewas aground on a submerged rock, some distance offshore, in a wideharbour. It was a wild, isolated spot, with spruce-clad hills, whichhere and there showed their rocky ribs rising from the edge of thewater. There was a cluster of cottages in a ravine at the head of theharbour; but there was no other sign of habitation.
Evidently the schooner's deep list betrayed her distress; for when theday had fully broken, a boat was pushed off from the landing-place androwed rapidly towards her.
"Here's the first!" muttered Skipper Bill. "I'll warn him well."
He hailed the occupant, a fisherman with a simple, good-humoured face,who hung on his oars and surveyed the ship.
"Keep off, there!" shouted the skipper. "We need no man's help. Iwarn you an' your mates fair not to come aboard. You've no right hereunder the law so long as there's a man o' the crew left on the ship,and I'll use force to keep you off."
"You're not able to get her off, sir," said the fisherman, rowing on,as if bent on boarding. "She's a wreck."
"Billy," the skipper ordered, "get forward with a gaff and keep himoff."
With that the fisherman turned his punt about and made off for theshore.
"Aye, aye, Billy!" he called, good-naturedly. "I'll give you no callto strike me."
"He'll come back with others," the skipper remarked, gloomily. "'Tis abad lookout."
"We'll try to haul her off with the punt," suggested Archie.
"With the punt!" the skipper laughed. "'Twould be as easy to haulBlow-Me-Down out by the roots. But if we can keep the wreckers off, bytrick or by force, we'll not lose her. The _Grand Lake_ passed up thecoast on Monday. She'll be steamin' into Hook-and-Line again onThursday. As she doesn't call at Jolly Harbour we'll have t' go fetchher. We can run over in the punt an' fetch her. 'Tis a matter o'gettin' there and back before the schooner's torn t' pieces."
At dawn of the next day Skipper Bill determined to set out forHook-and-Line to intercept the steamer. In the meantime there had beenno sign of life ashore. Doubtless, the crew of the _Spot Cash_thought, the news of the wreck was on its way to neighbouringsettlements. The wind had blown itself out; but the sea was stillrunning high, and five hands (three of them boys) were needed to rowthe heavy schooner's punt through the lop and distance. Muscle wasneeded for the punt; nothing but wit could save the schooner. Whoshould stay behind?
"Let Archie stay behind," said Billy Topsail.
"No," Skipper Bill replied; "he'll be needed t' bargain with thecaptain o' the _Grand Lake_."
There was a moment of silence.
"Billy," said the skipper, "you'll stay."
Billy nodded shortly.
"Now, Billy Topsail," Skipper Bill went on, "I fear you've never readthe chapter on' Wreck an' Salvage' in the 'Consolidated Statutes o'Newfoundland.' So I'm going t' tell you some things you don't know.Now, listen careful! By law, b'y," tapping the boy on the breast witha thick, tarry finger, "if they's nobody aboard a stranded vessel--ifshe's abandoned, as they say in court--the men who find her can haveher and all that's in her. That's pretty near the law o' theland--near enough for you, anyway. Contrary, by law, b'y," withanother impressive tap, "if they is one o' the crew aboard, he's aright to shoot down any man who comes over the side against his will.That's _exactly_ the law. Do you follow?"
"But I've no mind for shootin' at so good-natured a man," said Billy,recalling the fisherman's broad grin.
"An' I hope you won't have to," said the skipper. "But they's no harmin aiming an empty gun anywhere you've a mind to. So far as I
know,they's no harm in firin' away a blast or two o' powder if you forgett' put in the shot."
Billy laughed.
"Billy, boy," said Archie, tremulously, "it's up to you to save thefirm of Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company."
"All right, Archie," said Billy.
"I _know_ it's all right," Archie declared.
"They's just two things to remember," said the skipper, from the bowof the punt, before casting off. "The first is to stay aboard; thesecond is to let nobody else come aboard if you can help it. 'Tis allvery simple."
"All right, skipper," said Billy.
"Topsail--Armstrong--Grimm--_and_--Company," were the last words BillyTopsail heard; and they came from Archie Armstrong.