Billy Topsail & Company Part 29

CHAPTER XXVII

_In Which the Amazing Operations of the "Black Eagle"

Promise to Ruin the Firm of Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company, and Archie Armstrong Loses His Temper and Makes a Fool of Himself_

Trade was brisk next day--and continued brisk for a fortnight. From Coachman's Cove to Seal Cove, from Seal Cove to Black Arm, from Black Arm to Harbour Round and Little Harbour Deep went the _Spot Cash_. She entered with gay signal flags and a mult.i.tude of little Union Jacks flying; and no sooner was the anchor down than the phonograph began its musical invitation to draw near and look and buy. And there was presently candy for the children; and there were undeniable bargains for the mothers. In the evening--under a quiet starlit sky--Skipper Bill "tussled" gloriously with "The Lost Pirate," and Bobby North shook the hornpipe out of his very toes, and Bill Topsail wistfully piped the well-loved old ballads of the coast in a tender treble; and after that Senor Fakerino created no end of mystification and applause by extracting half-dollars from the vacant air, and discovering three small chicks in an empty top-hat, and producing eggs at will from Bagg's capacious mouth, and with a mere wave of his wand changing the blackest of ink into the very most delicious of lemonade. The folk of that remote coast were delighted. They had never been amused before; and they craved amus.e.m.e.nt--like little children.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SEnOR FAKERINO CREATED APPLAUSE BY EXTRACTING HALF DOLLARS FROM VACANCY.]

Trade followed as a matter of course.

Trade was brisk as any heart could wish up the White Bay coast to the first harbours of the northern reaches of the French Sh.o.r.e; and there it came to an appalling full stop. The concerts were patronized as before; but no fish came aboard for exchange.

"I can't bear to look the calendar in the face," Archie complained.

The _Spot Cash_ then lay at anchor in Englee.

"'Tis the fifth o' August," said Billy Topsail.

"Whew!" Archie whistled. "Sixteen days to the first of September!"

"What's the matter, anyhow?" Skipper Bill inquired.

"The _Black Eagle's_ the matter," said Archie, angrily. "She's swept these harbours clean. She cleaned out Englee yesterday."

"Stand by, all hands!" roared the skipper.

"What's up, skipper?" asked Archie.

"Nothin'," replied the skipper; "that's the trouble. But the mains'l _will_ be up afore very long if there's a rope's end handy," he added.

"We'll chase the _Black Eagle_."

They caught the _Black Eagle_ at anchor in Conch that evening. She was deep in the water. Apparently her hold was full; there were the first signs of a deck-load of fish to be observed. In a run ash.o.r.e Archie very soon discovered the reason of her extraordinary success. He returned to the deck of the _Spot Cash_ in a towering rage. The clerk of the _Black Eagle_ had put up the price of fish and cut the price of every pound and yard of merchandise aboard his vessel. No wonder she had loaded. No wonder the folk of the French Sh.o.r.e had emptied their stages of the summer's catch. And what was the _Spot Cash_ to do?

Where was she to get _her_ fish? By selling at less than cost and buying at more than the market price? Nothing of the sort! Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company were not going to be ruined by that sort of folly. Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company couldn't _have_ any fish.

The powerful firm of Armstrong & Company of St. John's was going to put the poor little firm of Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company out of business--going to snuff 'em out--_had_ snuffed 'em out. The best thing Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company could do was to get to cover and call cash trading as big a failure as had ever been made in Newfoundland business.

"Isn't fair!" Archie complained, aboard the _Spot Cash_. "It's dirty business, I tell you."

"Let's fire away, anyhow," said Jimmie Grimm.

"It isn't fair of dad," Archie repeated, coming as near to the point of tears as a boy of his age well could. "It's a low trick to cut a small trader's throat like this. They can outsail us and keep ahead of us; and they'll undersell and overbuy us wherever we go. When they've put us out of business, they'll go back to the old prices. It isn't fair of dad," he burst out. "I tell you, it isn't fair!"

"Lend a hand here," said Bill. "We'll see what they do."

A pretense of hauling up the mainsail was made aboard the _Spot Cash_. There was an immediate stir on the deck of the _Black Eagle_; the hands were called from the forecastle.

"Look at that!" said Archie, in disgust.

Both crews laughed and gave it up.

"It isn't _like_ your dad," said Bill o' Burnt Bay. "I'll lay you alongside the _Black Eagle_, Archie," he added, "an' you can have a little yarn with Skipper George."

Skipper George Rumm was glad to see Archie--glad in a too bland way, in which, however, Archie did not detect a very obvious nervousness.

Three eighty-five for fish? Yes; the skipper _did_ believe that Tommy Bull was paying three eighty-five. No; he didn't know the market price in St. John's. Flour and pork and sugar and tea? No; the skipper didn't know just what Tommy Bull was selling flour and pork and sugar and tea at. You see, Tommy Bull was clerk of the _Black Eagle_; and that was the clerk's business. Tommy Bull was ash.o.r.e just then; the skipper didn't just quite know when he'd come aboard. Were these prices Sir Archibald's orders? Really, Skipper George didn't know.

Tommy Bull knew all about that; and Tommy Bull had clerked in these waters long enough to keep the firm's business to himself. Tommy Bull was closemouthed; he wouldn't be likely to blab Sir Archibald's orders in every harbour of the coast or whisper them in the ear of a rival trading clerk.

This last thrust was too much for Archie's dignity. He leaped from the deck of the _Black Eagle_ into his own punt in a greater rage than ever.

"There's t' be a spell o' rough weather," were Skipper George's last words.

The punt moved away.

"Skipper Bill," said Archie, "the nearest telegraph station is at Tilt Cove. Can we make it in a night?"

"If the wind holds," the skipper answered.

"Then we'll try," said Archie.

The predicament was explained to Donald North and Jimmie Grimm and Billy Topsail. The _Spot Cash_ could have no more fish as long as the _Black Eagle_ paid three eighty-five with the St. John's market at three thirty-five. But _was_ the market at three thirty-five? Hadn't the _Black Eagle_ later information? That must be found out; and from Tilt Cove it could be discovered in two hours. So up went the sails of the _Spot Cash_, and, with the _Black Eagle_ following, she jockeyed out of the harbour. Presently, when she had laid a course for Cape John and Tilt Cove, the _Black Eagle_ came about and beat back to Conch.

Next morning--and dirty weather was promised for the day--the _Spot Cash_ dropped anchor in the shelter of the cliff at Tilt Cove and Billy Topsail pulled Archie ash.o.r.e. It was in Archie's heart to accuse his father's firm of harsh dealing with a small compet.i.tor; but he resolved to do no more than ask the price of fish. The answer would be significant of all that the lad wished to know; and if the great firm of Armstrong & Company had determined to put obstacles in the way of Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company, even to the point of ruin, there was no help for Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company. Archie would ask no quarter.

"Make haste!" Skipper Bill called from the deck of the _Spot Cash_.

"I've no love for this harbour in a gale o' wind."

It was poor shelter at best.

"Much as I can," Archie shouted back.

The boy sent this telegram:

Tilt Cove, August 6.

Armstrong & Company, St. John's.

Price of fish.

Topsail, Armstrong, Grimm & Company.

There was now nothing to do but wait. Sir Archibald would be in his little office overlooking his wharves and shipping. It would not be long. And the reply presently came:

St. John's, August 6.