CHAPTER V
NAT IN TROUBLE
Captain Marshall proved to be a kind man, but rather strict in hisviews. The pilot introduced Nat to him, and the commander of the_Jessie Drew_ gravely shook hands with the lad.
"I have heard about you," he said, and Nat began to think he wasgetting to be a person of some importance. "I saw what you did the daythat drifting rowboat got in our way, though, at the time, I didn'tknow it was you. Mr. Weatherby has told me what you did for him, and Imust congratulate you on your quickness and wit in an emergency. Thatis what we need on a vessel.
"The purser will tell you what to do. You must remember one thingaboard a ship, especially when we're out on the lake; the thing to dois to obey orders at once, and ask the reason for them afterward. Iexpect you to do that. If you do you'll not get into trouble. I shallhave a friendly eye on you, and I trust you will do as well as thepilot thinks you will. Now you may report to the purser, who reallyis more of a supercargo than he is a purser. He'll find plenty for youto do."
"Yes, sir," replied Nat, wondering just what his duties would be. Heknew where to find the man who was to be his immediate superior, foron the way to the captain's cabin Mr. Weatherby had pointed out to Natwhere the purser's office was.
"Oh, yes; you're the new boy," said the purser, whose name was GeorgeDunn. "Well, come into my office, and I'll show you part of whatyou'll have to do during the voyage."
It was fortunate that Nat knew something about ships and the termsused aboard them, or he would have been sadly confused by what Mr.Dunn told him. As it was, much that he heard he did not comprehend. Hefound that part of his duties were to make out lists of the freight,enter the shipments on bills, put them in various books, check upmanifests and way-bills, and help the purser verify the freight as itwas taken on or put off.
Luckily Nat had had a fair education before his father died, and hecould write a good hand and read excellently. He was not very accurateat figures, but he was bright and quick to learn.
"I guess that will do for to-night," said Mr. Dunn when it came nineo'clock. "I had most of the stuff checked up before you came aboard,or there'd have been more to do. However, we'll manage to keep youbusy in the morning."
"I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to learn to be a pilot?" said Nat,for the purser seemed so friendly that he ventured to speak to him ofthat pet ambition.
"I shouldn't wonder. We're not very busy once we get loaded up, andoften when sailing between ports a long distance apart there is littleto do for days at a time. If you want to learn navigation, and Mr.Weatherby will teach you, I don't see why you can't do it."
"I hope I can."
"Come on, and I'll show you where you'll bunk," went on Mr. Dunn. "Youwant to turn out lively at six bells in the morning."
"That's seven o'clock," observed Nat.
"Right you are, my hearty. I see you know a little something about aship. That's good. Oh, I guess you'll get along all right."
It seemed to Nat that he had not been asleep at all when six strokeson a bell, given in the way that sailors ring the time, with short,double blows, awoke him. He dressed hurriedly, had his breakfast withthe others of the crew, and then did what he could to help the purser,who had to check up some boxes that arrived at the last minute, justbefore the ship sailed.
A little later, amid what seemed a confusion of orders, the _JessieDrew_ moved away down the river, and Nat was taking his first voyageon Lake Michigan as a hand on a ship--a position he had long desiredto fill, but which hitherto had seemed beyond his wildest dreams.
"How do you like it?" asked Mr. Weatherby, a little later, as hepassed the boy on his way to the pilot-house.
"Fine."
"I'm glad of it. Attend strictly to business, and you'll get along.I'll keep you in mind, and whenever I get a chance I'll take you intothe pilot-house, and begin to instruct you in the method of steering aship."
"I'll be ever so much obliged to you if you will."
"Why, that's nothing, after what you did for me," replied Mr.Weatherby, with a kind smile at Nat.
As sailing on large vessels was not much of a novelty to Nat, exceptof late years, since his father's death, he did not linger long ondeck, watching the various sights as the freighter plowed her way outon Lake Michigan. He went to the purser's office, to see if there wasanything that needed to be done. He had temporarily forgotten aboutthe mate's threat to have him discharged.
As Nat drew near the place, he heard voices in dispute, and, when heentered, he was surprised to see the first mate, Mr. Bumstead,standing at the purser's desk, shaking his fist in the air.
"I tell you those boxes are not aboard!" exclaimed the mate.
"And I say they are," replied the purser firmly. "They are down on mylist as being taken on this morning, and--er--what's his name--thatnew boy--Nat--Nat Morton checked them off. You can see for yourself."
"Oh, he checked 'em off, did he?" asked the mate, in altered tones."Now I begin to see where the trouble is. We'll ask him----?"
"Here he is now," interrupted Mr. Dunn, as Nat entered. "Did you checkup these boxes?" he asked, and he handed a part of the cargo list toNat.
"Yes, sir. They were the last things that came aboard this morning."
"I told you so!" exclaimed Mr. Dunn, turning to the mate.
"Wait a minute," went on that officer. "He says he checked 'em off,but I don't believe he did. If he did, where are they? They can't havefallen overboard, and I didn't eat 'em, I'm sure of that."
"I checked those boxes off as you called them to me, Mr. Bumstead,"replied Nat. "You stood near the forward cargo hold, and the boxeswere stowed away there. I was careful in putting them down on mylist."
"Yes! Too careful, I guess!" exclaimed the mate angrily. "You've gotdown ten more boxes than came aboard. That's a nice mess to make ofit! But I knew how it would be if the captain took a greenhorn aboard!Why didn't he get some one who knew how to check a cargo?"
"I know how to check a cargo," replied Nat quietly.
"I say you don't! There are ten boxes missing, and you've got to findthem, that's all there is about it!"
"Everything down on my list came aboard," insisted Nat.
"Well, those ten boxes didn't, and I know it. You made a mistake,that's what you did, or else you let the boxes fall overboard, andyou're afraid to admit it."
"No boxes fell overboard when I was checking up, Mr. Bumstead."
"Well, where are those ten missing ones then?"
"I don't know."
"Of course you don't. And no one else does. You made a mistake, that'sall, and it's going to be a bad one. It puts me to a lot of work. I'llhave to check over all my lists to make up for your blunder."
"I made no blunder."
"I say you did, and I'm going to report you to Captain Marshall. I'mnot going to work with a greenhorn, who don't know enough to check upa simple list. I'll report you, that's what I'll do, and we'll seehow long you'll have a berth on this ship!"
Angrily muttering to himself, the mate started for the captain'scabin, while poor Nat, much distressed over the trouble into which hehad gotten, stood dejectedly in the purser's office.