CHAPTER VI
A NASTY KNOCK
Frost sparkled on the office windows and Cartwright, with his feet onthe hearthrug studied an Atlantic weather chart. The temperaturereported by the liners' captains was low, and winter had begun unusuallysoon. Since Cartwright had hoped for a mild November, this was unlucky.As a rule, cargo is plentiful at Montreal shortly before the St.Lawrence freezes and the last steamers to go down the river do so withheavy loads. Cartwright's plan was to run a boat across at the lastmoment and pick up goods the liners would not engage to carry, and hehad sent _Oreana_ because she was fast. When the drift ice began togather, speed was useful.
A cablegram two or three days since stated that she had sailed, andCartwright, who knew the St. Lawrence, calculated the progress she oughtto have made. Perhaps he had cut things rather fine, but Captain Davieswas a good navigator and would push on. Although the narrow waters belowMontreal, where the stream runs fast between the islands, would be open,Lake St. Peter was freezing, and the liner _Parthian_ had some troubleto get through. Still the channels were not yet blocked, and when Davieshad passed the Narrows he would get open water down the gorge to Quebec.Allowing for cautious navigation, Davies ought to be near Rimouski atthe mouth of the river, and his passing would, no doubt, soon betelegraphed from the signal station. Cartwright admitted that to get themessage would be some relief.
By and by his bookkeeper came in.
"Direct cablegram from Davies, sir."
Cartwright took the form and frowned. The message was not from Rimouskiand ran: "Delayed Peter; passing Quebec."
"Awkward, sir," Gavin remarked sympathetically.
"Very awkward," said Cartwright. "Davies needed all the time he's lost.It will be a near thing if he gets out."
He picked up the weather chart and got no comfort. "Cable Malcolm at St.Johns. You'll find questions in the code-book about ice and wind."
Gavin withdrew and Cartwright grappled with disturbing thoughts. He hadcounted on _Oreana's_ earning a good sum, and had engaged a paying cargofor her when she got back. In fact, the two good runs ought to have madethe disappointing balance sheet he must shortly submit to theshareholders look a little better. All the same, there was no use inmeeting trouble. Davies had passed Quebec, and if he made good progressin the next twenty-four hours, one might begin to hope.
Below Quebec there were awkward spots where steamers used buoyedchannels, and if these were blocked by ice Davies must risk crossing theshoals. If he got across, the water was deep and he need only botherabout the floes until he came to the Gulf. Since Belle Isle Strait wasfrozen, Davies would go South of Anticosti and out by the Cabot passage,but the Gulf was often dark with snow and fog, and one met the oldGreenland ice. Well, much depended on the weather, and Cartwright wentto get his lunch.
The restaurant under a big building was warm, and for a time Cartwrightoccupied his favorite corner of the smoking-room. His tips weregenerous, and so long as he was punctual the waitress allowed nobody touse his chair. The noise of the traffic in the street was softened to afaint rumble, the electric light was cleverly shaded, and his big chairwas easy. He got drowsy, but frowned when he began to nod. The troublewas, he was often dull when he ought to be keen. His doctor talked aboutthe advantages of moderation, but when one got old one's pleasures werefew and Cartwright liked a good meal. At the luncheon room they did onewell, and he was not going to use self-denial yet.
By and by a merchant he knew pulled up a chair opposite. "Very cold andslippery outside," he remarked. "I nearly came down on the floatingbridge, and looked in for a drink. A jar shakes a man who carriesweight."
"What were you doing on the floating bridge?" Cartwright asked.
"I went to the stage to meet some Canadian friends on board the_Nepigon_. They'd a bad voyage; thick mist down the St. Lawrence, andthey lost a day cruising about among the floes in the Gulf. What aboutyour little boat?"
"I understand she's coming down river."
"Hasn't she started rather late?"
"If I'd sent her sooner, the _Conference_ would have knocked me out,"Cartwright rejoined. "I'd have got nothing but low-rated stuff theliners didn't want. One must run some risks."
The other nodded. "That is so, when shareholders must be satisfied.Well, I expect I'm lucky because my partner's a good sort. When youneedn't bother about other folk's greediness, you can take a cautiousline. Now I come to think of it, I heard some of your people grumbling.I hope your boat will get across all right."
He got up and Cartwright pondered. If outsiders knew his shareholderswere dissatisfied, things were worse than he had thought and he mightexpect trouble at the next meeting. Then he looked at his watch, but hischair was deep and when he tried to get up his leg hurt. He sank backagain. Gavin knew where to find him if a reply from St. Johns arrived.
By and by his office boy, carrying a cable company's envelope, came in,and Cartwright's hand shook when he opened the message. It stated thatan easterly gale and snowstorm raged about the Newfoundland coast andthe thermometer was very low. The gale would drive the drift ice up theGulf and pack the floes. Things looked bad. Cartwright felt he ought toget about and make some plans to meet the threatened blow, but he didnot see what he could do.
He sat still. The other customers had gone, and all was quiet but forthe faint rumble of traffic and soothing throb of an electric fan.Cartwright mused about _Oreana_ and pictured Davies sheltering behindthe wind-screens on his bridge and trying to pierce the snow, and thelook-out man half frozen in the spray that leaped about the forecastle._Oreana_ was a wet boat when she was loaded deep. Now and then, perhaps,a buoy loomed in the tossing flakes. One tried to read the number andsee the color. Then the steering-engine rattled as the rudder was pulledacross and _Oreana_ headed for another mark.
The work was nervous, because dangerous shoals bordered the channels andDavies must let the steamer go. He knew when a risk must be run and theengineer was staunch. The trouble was, _Oreana's_ boilers were bad; themoney Cartwright durst not spend on repairs would have been a goodinvestment now. Still, the old boat was fast, and Davies would drive herfull-speed.
The captain's job would not be easier when he left the shoals. Theeasterly gale would send the floes up stream. Cartwright knew thestrange chill one felt when ice was about and the faint elusive _blink_that marked its edge in the dark. Sometimes one did not see the blinkuntil the floe was almost at the bows, and when the look-out's startledcry reached the bridge one must trust to luck and pull the helm overquick. Then to dodge the floe might mean one crashed upon the next. Itwas steering blind, but, as a rule, the sailor's instinct guided himright. Farther on, the river got wide and in thick weather one saw nolights: Davies must keep mid-channel and trust his reckoning while herushed her along. For a thousand miles the old boat's track was hauntedby dangers against which one could not guard, and Cartwright thought shecarried his last chance to mend his broken fortunes.
If she were wrecked, the reckoning he had long put off must be fronted,for when his embarrassments were known his antagonists would combine andtry to pull him down. One must pay for one's extravagance, but to paywould break him, and if he were broken, Mortimer would sneer and Gracetreat him with humiliating pity. He would be their mother's pensioner,and to lose his independence was hard. He had long ruled, and bullied,others.
By and by a waitress moved some glasses and Cartwright looked up with astart. The afternoon was nearly over; he must have gone to sleep.Returning to the office, he gave his bookkeeper some orders and thenwent to the station. The pavements were slippery with frost, and tallbuildings with yellow lights loomed in the fog. Cartwright shivered, butreflected that Davies, fighting the snow and gale, was no doubt colder.For a day or two he must bear the suspense, and then, if no cablegramarrived, he could take it for granted that _Oreana_ had reached theAtlantic. After dinner he sat by the fire and smoked while Mrs.Cartwright knitted.
"In the afternoon I went to Mrs. Oliver's and met Mrs. Seaton," she saidpresently.
"She talked to me for some time. At the beginning, I thoughtit strange!"
"It's pretty obvious that you don't like her," Cartwright remarked.
"Ellen Seaton is not my sort, but I understand she was a friend ofyours."
"She was my friend," said Cartwright carelessly. "It's long since, and Irather doubt if she is my friend now."
"Then why did she buy her shares in the line?"
"Ellen did not buy the shares. Seaton bought them when shipping wasgood."
Mrs. Cartwright looked relieved and Cartwright resumed: "All the same, Idon't see her object for telling you she was a shareholder."
"She wanted to sell her shares to me; I knew she had some plan when shecrossed the floor. I was talking to Janet, but Ellen got Janet away andpersuaded a young man on the other side to move. It was clever. I don'tthink Mrs. Oliver or anybody else remarked what she was doing. But youknow Ellen!"
"I know Ellen rather well," said Cartwright dryly. "However, when yousaw she wanted to get you alone, why did you indulge her?"
"For one thing, I was curious; then it wasn't worth while to spoil herplan. I didn't think Ellen would persuade me, if I did not approve."
Cartwright smiled. Clara did not argue much and generally agreed withhim, but sometimes she was as immovable as a rock. He pictured withamusement the little comedy at Mrs. Oliver's, but all the same he wasannoyed.
"Well, Ellen wanted you to buy her shares? Did she give you anygrounds?"
"She declared she wanted money. Then she said it would help you if Itook the lot. There might be a dispute at the meeting; the directors'report would not be satisfactory. People would ask awkward questions,and she expected some organized opposition. It would be useful for youto command a large number of votes."
Cartwright's face got red. Ellen was well informed; in fact, it wasominous that she knew so much. Had she not been greedy, he thought shewould have kept the shares in order to vote against him, but sheobviously meant to sell them before the crash she expected came. If anumber of others agreed with her, his retirement would be forced.
"What price were you to pay?" he asked.
Mrs. Cartwright told him, and he laughed. "If Ellen found a buyer at anumber of shillings less, she would be lucky! Well, I understand youdidn't take her offer?"
"I did not," said Mrs. Cartwright tranquilly. "When I wanted to buy someshares not long since, you did not approve. Since you refused to let mehelp, I didn't mean to be persuaded by Ellen Seaton!"
"You're staunch," said Cartwright and Mrs. Cartwright resumed herknitting. In the morning he went to the office sooner than usual, butthere was no news and the dark, cold day passed drearily. When hestarted for home Gavin promised to wait until the cable offices closed,and Cartwright had gone to dinner when he was called to the telephone.When he took down the instrument his hand shook.
"Hallo!" he said hoarsely. "Is that you, Gavin?"
"Yes, sir," said a voice he knew. "Cablegram from Davies just arrived,part in code. I'll give it you slow--"
"Go on," said Cartwright.
"_Oreana_ ashore east Cape Chat, surrounded ice, water in fore hold.Think some plates broken; have abandoned ship. Salvage impossible untilice breaks."
There was a pause, and Gavin added: "That's all. Have you got it, sir?"
"I've got enough," Cartwright replied.
He hung up the instrument, and going back to the dining-room, drainedhis glass. Then he turned to Mrs. Cartwright, who had remarked his grimlook.
"I've got a nasty knock. _Oreana's_ in the ice and may be wrecked.Anyhow, we can't get her off until spring, and she's the best of thefleet."
Mrs. Cartwright gave him a sympathetic glance and signed a servant tobring another plate. As a rule she did not say much. She studied herhusband quietly and was not much comforted when he resumed his dinner.This was characteristic, but it was plain he had got a nasty knock.