CHAPTER VII.--BUSINESS BOOMS.
The cry, "Wake up, Budd! All hands ahoy!" greeted Budd's ears earlyMonday morning. He opened his eyes at the command.
The sun had not yet risen. The faint light of early dawn was coming inthrough the last window of the room. Judd was out of bed and busilydressing, and he it was who had given the call. The next moment Buddwas beside him, and they chatted away like magpies as they completedtheir dressing. The whole outline for the day's work was soon laid out.
"It will be low tide at nine o'clock, and we must have breakfast eatenand be on our clamming-grounds at least two hours before that," Juddsaid, by way of beginning the conversation.
"And where is it you said we would go?" Budd responded.
"Down the bay to the upper end of Plum Beach Point," was the answer."There hasn't been much digging there this season, and we ought to findclams plenty and of good size. We'll dig there until the turn of thetide; then we'll go across the bay, under the lee of Conanicut, wherethere is a sunken ledge, off which, if I'm not much mistaken, I'll showyou as good fishing as you ever enjoyed."
"What'll we be likely to catch?" Budd then inquired, just as they bothentered the kitchen and began preparations for breakfast.
"Rock-bass, tautog, and the everywhere-present and forever-bitingsea-perch," Judd laughingly answered.
"What about the gill-net?"
"Oh, we'll put that in just at night, and get another run of fishentirely different. Scup, butterfish, and succoteague, or weak-fish,will probably be the principal kinds we shall haul then. That will giveus quite a variety for our sale to-morrow," explained Judd.
Breakfast was eaten, a lunch packed, and lines, baskets and hoes stowedon board the sloop by sunrise. In fact the golden orb peeped aboveConanicut, and sent a dazzling gleam down across the dancing waters,just as the lads weighed anchor, hoisted the sails, and with a gentlebreeze from the northwest started down the bay. A half-hour later theyhad run within fifty yards of Plum Beach Point, where they anchored.Putting baskets and hoes in the yawl, which was in tow, they cast offthe painter and rowed ashore. The tide was well out. Under the clickof the hoes the clams sent up their tiny spouts of water, revealingtheir hiding-places; and, throwing off their coats, the boys were soonat work.
For over two hours they toiled without interruption; then Judd, who hadbeen watching the waves for an instant, cried out:
"Hold up, Budd! The tide has turned, and we must be off for ourfishing-grounds. First, however, we will wash and sort over thesebivalves--the large and sound ones for the trade, the small and brokenones for bait. Here goes!"
Suiting the action to the word, he emptied his basket in a shallow poolclose beside him.
Budd followed his example, and with many an exclamation of delight atthe quantity they had obtained, the lads soon completed this work, andentering the yawl pulled back to the sloop. Ten minutes later she wastacking across the bay for the fishing-grounds, known as "Hazard'spork-barrel."
Budd soon found that his comrade had not over-estimated the piscatorialpossibilities of the place. Scarcely were their baited hooks cast intothe briny deep when the fish began to bite with a steadiness and greedthat would have delighted the most ambitious angler. For three hoursthis 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 hegazed 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 aswell."
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 boysdid not overhaul them until they had reached the island. Here, however,they were sorted and put into "cars" that were anchored just off thewharf.
"Twenty tautog, a dozen rock-bass and three dozen sea-perch make quite ashowing," commented Budd as the sorting was finished. "Do you supposewe will sell all of them?"
"Not any of the sea-perch," replied Judd. "Some of those we must eatourselves. There are several ways to cook them, and you won't find thembad eating. We shall want the rest of them as bait for ourlobster-pots. All the other fish will sell, however, without trouble."
The lads had eaten their luncheon while sailing homeward, but theirappetites were only partially appeased, and so they immediately setabout preparing what they called their "chief" meal. The fire waskindled, and a large kettle partly filled with water fresh from the wellwas put over it. Then a dozen of the larger perch were dressed, cutinto small pieces, and put into the kettle just as the water reached aboiling-point; some potatoes, nicely peeled and sliced, were now added;and salt, pepper, a few slices of salt pork, and an onion or two, forseasoning, followed, and soon the delightful aroma of a fish-chowderbegan 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 hourafter landing the boys had everything in readiness, and sat down to adinner that, as they expressed it, was "fit for a king." Good appetitesmade it indeed a royal feast, and scarcely a vestige of the chowderremained when the lads rose from the table.
An hour or two of rest followed the clearing of the table, but justabout six o'clock the partners put the gill-net into the yawl and pulledover to "the narrows," at the south of "The Hummocks." Before dark thenet was stretched into place, made secure to stout stakes, and the boyswere ready to return home.
"The tide is nearly out now," remarked Judd as they were leaving, "andso our best catch to-night will be on the incoming tide. To get thefull advantage of this place, we want first an outgoing, then anincoming tide upon the net; but of course we have got to run our chanceson that."
When back at the island, the day's work for the lads was by no meansdone. During the evening the kitchen was turned into a workshop, andwith an old lobster-pot for a pattern, the partners began themanufacture of their new ones. Four of these were completely finishedbefore they went to bed, and Judd expressed his satisfaction in thewords:
"Four pots already done; and if, to-morrow night, we can finish fourmore, we shall have eight to put in on Wednesday morning, which willdoubtless furnish us with some lobsters for our Friday trade."
At the pulling of the gill-net the next morning there was not as large acatch as the boys had hoped for; still what fish they did get were ofgood size and of the very best quality. There were six succoteague,weighing from two to four pounds each, one blue-fish, four scup and astriped bass.
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 anda minor part of the stock in trade, and landing at "The Hummocks," wasto secure, if possible, a horse and wagon of the nearest farmer, andpeddle through the manufacturing villages in the western part of thecounty, while Judd was to take the larger part of the stock into thesloop and go up to the large town, a mile and a half up the bay. Eachlad had provided himself with a note-book to take orders for theirFriday trade; and wishing each other the best of success, they wenttheir different ways.
Judd was the first to return to the island, arriving there about twoo'clock with nearly all of his stock disposed of, and three dollars andtwenty cents in cash in his pocket. Budd arrived an hour later, havingsold everything he had carried, but had only two dollars and ten centsto show for his sales, as he had paid the farmer a dollar for the use ofhis horse and wagon.
Five dollars and a half was not, however, a bad showing for their firstday's sale; and greatly encouraged by the outlook, the boys discussedfurther plans for the increase of their business.
The rest of the week was given to hard work. In no sense could it besaid the lads were idle. Neither one thought of making theirundertaking a mere pleasure; it was their _business_, and as such musthave their best thought and their hardest labor. They took
pride notonly in success, but it must be the very best success they couldpossibly achieve.
The eight lobster-pots were put down Wednesday morning just offThurston's Rocks, three miles down the bay. Each night saw a few moremade, and each day a few more put down, until there was a string of thetiny buoys marking their whereabouts for two miles along the coast.Fish were angled for and clams were dug; and when one place failedothers were visited, until the due quota of each had been secured. Thegill-net was hauled and reset with all the regularity of the rising andsetting sun. On Friday morning the persistent efforts of the lads hadbeen fairly rewarded, and with double the amount of stock they had hadon the previous Tuesday they set out, each to go his chosen route. Butthe demand equaled the supply, and both boys returned to the islandwithout fish or bivalve.
The firm had agreed that Saturday should be their home day--the day theyrepaired their net, and traps, and pots, overhauled and fixed theirboats, and attended to such other work as was necessary to keep theirisland and house in thorough order. On that night, too, they were tocast up accounts for each week, and find their financial standing.
The partners sat in their little sitting-room when this first castingwas 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 quizzicallook 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 enoughcash on hand now to have the alterations made in the sloop?"
"Yes, I think so," replied his partner; "and if you are agreed, we'lltake her down to Saunderstown, Monday morning, and leave her there forthe 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 mightbe, to follow the lads in their work day by day. Not every day was afortunate one; nor did they always sell their stock completely out.Still, as June came in there began to be some demand for the sloop forfishing or sailing-parties, and this helped out the revenue. There alsocame occasionally an unusual haul of fish, which added no small sum ofmoney to their treasury.
For instance, one June morning the lads were running down the bay tovisit 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 runningdirectly 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 ourlines, take off the sinkers, and tie on some bits of white rag as quickas you can."
In wonder, Budd obeyed the directions. Meantime Judd had brought thesloop directly into the head of the school, and put up her helm andlashed it.
"Now throw over your lines, and pull in as fast as possible," wereJudd's orders.
What sport followed! Up and down through that school, and it was animmense one, the sloop went, the lines trolling behind. In and out werethe lines drawn and thrown until the boys' arms ached, and their backsfelt like breaking. Larger and larger grew the pile of great mackerelon the bottom of the sloop, until the lads could literally fish nolonger.
"Enough!" Budd cried. "I'm satisfied. Let us quit."
His comrade was not loath to follow his suggestion. A counting revealedthe astonishing fact that over three hundred mackerel had been caught,and they were sold that afternoon in the city of Newport, where the ladscarried them, for twenty-five dollars.
But just about the time the summer hotels were opening a circumstancehappened that put the young partners in a position to do a larger workthan even their ambitions had anticipated.
A few days after the surprising capture of mackerel the lads had taken afishing-party down to Beaver Tail. On the return, late in theafternoon, and just as the sloop passed Dutch Island, Budd called hischum's attention to another sloop just ahead of them that had suddenlyluffed up into the wind and nearly capsized. A moment later she felloff before the wind, her sail flapped loosely at the mast, and then itwas 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 theother sloop. "That is Ben Taylor's boat, and he is subject to fits. Hehas fallen into one, and that has let the vessel fall off before thewind."
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 boardedthe craft, and carrying the man into the cabin and laying him in aberth, they put the boat before the wind and followed the Sea Witch upthe bay to Wickford, where the unfortunate man belonged.
He was then taken to his home and a doctor summoned, who pronounced theman alive, and under skillfully-applied restoratives he soon began torecover. Budd waited just long enough to know the man was out ofdanger; then he joined Judd at the wharf, and together they sailed offto 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 inhis rescue, he said:
"The doctor tells me I'm liable to have these turns almost any time, andwith recurring frequency. That makes my wife opposed to my going on thewater any longer, and I've come over to see if you lads won't take mybusiness."
The boys knew he was the owner of three fish-pounds at various points onthe bay, and with some eagerness they asked him his terms.
"Well," he said slowly, "I thought if you were willing to take my poundsoff my hands, and the contract I have with city parties for the fish,I'd give you two-thirds of the net profits. The other third ought to bea fair percentage on the money I have invested. Then if you chapsshould want to buy the pounds right out, you shall have them for whatthey cost me."
It was altogether too good an opportunity to let pass, and the boyspromptly accepted the offer.
They still kept the home trade they had built up, but shipped to cityparties all the fish they had exceeding the home demand, and thus foundthemselves in the possession of a weekly income that they had scarcelydreamed of. It was very plain that unless some unforeseen circumstancecame in to prevent, their business had taken a boom that would insurethem a most successful season.