Budd Boyd's Triumph Part 7

Suiting the action to the word, he emptied his basket in a shallow pool close beside him.

Budd followed his example, and with many an exclamation of delight at the quant.i.ty they had obtained, the lads soon completed this work, and entering the yawl pulled back to the sloop. Ten minutes later she was tacking across the bay for the fishing-grounds, known as "Hazard's pork-barrel."

Budd soon found that his comrade had not over-estimated the piscatorial possibilities of the place. Scarcely were their baited hooks cast into the briny deep when the fish began to bite with a steadiness and greed that would have delighted the most ambitious angler. For three hours this continued, then suddenly all the biting ceased.

"Our luck is over for to-day," Judd announced, pulling in his lines.

"We may as well weigh anchor and start for home."

"We have done well, anyway," Budd said, with a touch of pride, as he gazed at the fish they had caught.

"We needn't be ashamed of the morning's work," put in his partner, laconically. "We'll find a great many mornings when we won't do as well."

The fish had been thrown, as they were caught, into a sort of "well"

that Judd had arranged in the bow of the sloop for them, and the boys did not overhaul them until they had reached the island. Here, however, they were sorted and put into "cars" that were anch.o.r.ed just off the wharf.

"Twenty tautog, a dozen rock-ba.s.s and three dozen sea-perch make quite a showing," commented Budd as the sorting was finished. "Do you suppose we will sell all of them?"

"Not any of the sea-perch," replied Judd. "Some of those we must eat ourselves. There are several ways to cook them, and you won't find them bad eating. We shall want the rest of them as bait for our lobster-pots. All the other fish will sell, however, without trouble."

The lads had eaten their luncheon while sailing homeward, but their appet.i.tes were only partially appeased, and so they immediately set about preparing what they called their "chief" meal. The fire was kindled, and a large kettle partly filled with water fresh from the well was put over it. Then a dozen of the larger perch were dressed, cut into small pieces, and put into the kettle just as the water reached a boiling-point; some potatoes, nicely peeled and sliced, were now added; and salt, pepper, a few slices of salt pork, and an onion or two, for seasoning, followed, and soon the delightful aroma of a fish-chowder began to fill the kitchen. While that was cooking the table was set, the johnny-cake baked, and the coffee made. In a little over an hour after landing the boys had everything in readiness, and sat down to a dinner that, as they expressed it, was "fit for a king." Good appet.i.tes made it indeed a royal feast, and scarcely a vestige of the chowder remained when the lads rose from the table.

An hour or two of rest followed the clearing of the table, but just about six o'clock the partners put the gill-net into the yawl and pulled over to "the narrows," at the south of "The Hummocks." Before dark the net was stretched into place, made secure to stout stakes, and the boys were ready to return home.

"The tide is nearly out now," remarked Judd as they were leaving, "and so our best catch to-night will be on the incoming tide. To get the full advantage of this place, we want first an outgoing, then an incoming tide upon the net; but of course we have got to run our chances on that."

When back at the island, the day's work for the lads was by no means done. During the evening the kitchen was turned into a workshop, and with an old lobster-pot for a pattern, the partners began the manufacture of their new ones. Four of these were completely finished before they went to bed, and Judd expressed his satisfaction in the words:

"Four pots already done; and if, to-morrow night, we can finish four more, we shall have eight to put in on Wednesday morning, which will doubtless furnish us with some lobsters for our Friday trade."

At the pulling of the gill-net the next morning there was not as large a catch as the boys had hoped for; still what fish they did get were of good size and of the very best quality. There were six succoteague, weighing from two to four pounds each, one blue-fish, four scup and a striped ba.s.s.

Returning to the island for their other fish and the clams, the lads'

plans for the day were speedily arranged. Budd was to take the yawl and a minor part of the stock in trade, and landing at "The Hummocks," was to secure, if possible, a horse and wagon of the nearest farmer, and peddle through the manufacturing villages in the western part of the county, while Judd was to take the larger part of the stock into the sloop and go up to the large town, a mile and a half up the bay. Each lad had provided himself with a note-book to take orders for their Friday trade; and wishing each other the best of success, they went their different ways.

Judd was the first to return to the island, arriving there about two o'clock with nearly all of his stock disposed of, and three dollars and twenty cents in cash in his pocket. Budd arrived an hour later, having sold everything he had carried, but had only two dollars and ten cents to show for his sales, as he had paid the farmer a dollar for the use of his horse and wagon.

Five dollars and a half was not, however, a bad showing for their first day's sale; and greatly encouraged by the outlook, the boys discussed further plans for the increase of their business.

The rest of the week was given to hard work. In no sense could it be said the lads were idle. Neither one thought of making their undertaking a mere pleasure; it was their _business_, and as such must have their best thought and their hardest labor. They took pride not only in success, but it must be the very best success they could possibly achieve.

The eight lobster-pots were put down Wednesday morning just off Thurston's Rocks, three miles down the bay. Each night saw a few more made, and each day a few more put down, until there was a string of the tiny buoys marking their whereabouts for two miles along the coast.

Fish were angled for and clams were dug; and when one place failed others were visited, until the due quota of each had been secured. The gill-net was hauled and reset with all the regularity of the rising and setting sun. On Friday morning the persistent efforts of the lads had been fairly rewarded, and with double the amount of stock they had had on the previous Tuesday they set out, each to go his chosen route. But the demand equaled the supply, and both boys returned to the island without fish or bivalve.

The firm had agreed that Sat.u.r.day should be their home day--the day they repaired their net, and traps, and pots, overhauled and fixed their boats, and attended to such other work as was necessary to keep their island and house in thorough order. On that night, too, they were to cast up accounts for each week, and find their financial standing.

The partners sat in their little sitting-room when this first casting was made and the result of the week announced:

"Twelve dollars and fifty-two cents above all expenses," declared Budd, who had been appointed the book-keeper for the firm.

"Not a bad amount for our first week," said Judd. Then with a quizzical look he asked, "Do you want to go back to Benton's, chum?"

"No, I guess not," replied Budd with a smile; "but haven't we enough cash on hand now to have the alterations made in the sloop?"

"Yes, I think so," replied his partner; "and if you are agreed, we'll take her down to Saunderstown, Monday morning, and leave her there for the alterations. We ought to get her again by Wednesday or Thursday, and can spare her better the fore part of the week than the last."

"All right," consented Judd.

It would be altogether too long a story, however interesting it might be, to follow the lads in their work day by day. Not every day was a fortunate one; nor did they always sell their stock completely out.

Still, as June came in there began to be some demand for the sloop for fishing or sailing-parties, and this helped out the revenue. There also came occasionally an unusual haul of fish, which added no small sum of money to their treasury.

For instance, one June morning the lads were running down the bay to visit their lobster-pots. All at once Budd, who was forward, called out:

"Judd, look at this school of fish!"

The lad addressed glanced in the direction his companion had pointed, and the next moment had altered the course of the sloop and was running directly for the school. When within a few rods of it he exclaimed:

"It is as I thought; they are mackerel, and we are in luck. Get out our lines, take off the sinkers, and tie on some bits of white rag as quick as you can."

In wonder, Budd obeyed the directions. Meantime Judd had brought the sloop directly into the head of the school, and put up her helm and lashed it.

"Now throw over your lines, and pull in as fast as possible," were Judd's orders.

What sport followed! Up and down through that school, and it was an immense one, the sloop went, the lines trolling behind. In and out were the lines drawn and thrown until the boys' arms ached, and their backs felt like breaking. Larger and larger grew the pile of great mackerel on the bottom of the sloop, until the lads could literally fish no longer.

"Enough!" Budd cried. "I'm satisfied. Let us quit."

His comrade was not loath to follow his suggestion. A counting revealed the astonishing fact that over three hundred mackerel had been caught, and they were sold that afternoon in the city of Newport, where the lads carried them, for twenty-five dollars.

But just about the time the summer hotels were opening a circ.u.mstance happened that put the young partners in a position to do a larger work than even their ambitions had antic.i.p.ated.

A few days after the surprising capture of mackerel the lads had taken a fishing-party down to Beaver Tail. On the return, late in the afternoon, and just as the sloop pa.s.sed Dutch Island, Budd called his chum's attention to another sloop just ahead of them that had suddenly luffed up into the wind and nearly capsized. A moment later she fell off before the wind, her sail flapped loosely at the mast, and then it was seen that the man at the tiller had disappeared.

"Has the man fallen overboard?" was Budd's startling question.

"No," replied Judd, putting up his helm and running down toward the other sloop. "That is Ben Taylor's boat, and he is subject to fits. He has fallen into one, and that has let the vessel fall off before the wind."

A few minutes later the Sea Witch ran alongside of the drifting sloop; and, as Judd had said, her owner was lying in her bottom, unconscious.

After a little consultation, Budd and one of the fishing-party boarded the craft, and carrying the man into the cabin and laying him in a berth, they put the boat before the wind and followed the Sea Witch up the bay to Wickford, where the unfortunate man belonged.

He was then taken to his home and a doctor summoned, who p.r.o.nounced the man alive, and under skillfully-applied restoratives he soon began to recover. Budd waited just long enough to know the man was out of danger; then he joined Judd at the wharf, and together they sailed off to their island home.

Three or four mornings later they were surprised by a visit from Mr.

Taylor himself. After thanking the lads for the part they had taken in his rescue, he said:

"The doctor tells me I'm liable to have these turns almost any time, and with recurring frequency. That makes my wife opposed to my going on the water any longer, and I've come over to see if you lads won't take my business."

The boys knew he was the owner of three fish-pounds at various points on the bay, and with some eagerness they asked him his terms.