CHAPTER XIX.
TELLING MR. DANIELS.
"THERE are several things that can happen to a net to make it rotquickly," Bill said. "Little things that a greenhorn might not think ofany consequence. Now, first, have you run into any big bunches of gillyfish?"
"No," Charley answered, "we have been lucky in that respect. I know whyyou ask the question. The slime from them catches in the knots of themeshes and unless well washed out will hasten their decay."
"Correct," agreed Bill. "Then it is not gilly fish that done thatdamage. Next, have you been hauling your nets out to dry as soon as yougot in, mornings."
"Yes, they have been on the racks drying before the sun got up good.I've fished enough to know that a hot sun on a wet, heaped-up net willcause the twine to heat and rot quickly."
"Well, that does away with another possibility," Bill said. "One of themost frequent causes of net trouble lies with the liming of them."
"Yes, I know," the lad agreed. "Some mix the lime with water in theirskiffs and throw it on the nets before it has time to slack thoroughlyand it then burns up the twine. But that isn't the trouble. I wascareful about that. I fixed up a barrel on the dock before we startedin to fish. And every night before we started out I would put in abucket of lime and fill the barrel up with water. Our nets were limedin the morning from that barrel. At least, I am pretty sure they were.I told Chris to do it. He has tended to the nets."
"Sho', I always used dat water in de barrel," agreed the little darkey."Only trouble was dat dar wasn't ebber enough ob it to dose all threenets good. By de time I got your's and de captain's fixed good, I'dhave to put in more water to hab enough for Massa Walt's net."
"There is your trouble right in that lime barrel," said Bill, withcertainty. "It was always weakened down for Walter's net, and you sayhis net is all right yet."
But Charley protested. "I never made the mixture strong enough to doany harm in the first place."
"I'm going to take a look," announced Bill, picking up the lantern."Everything points to that lime water and it must be it."
The three followed in his wake as he led the way down to the dock.
He examined the nets first. "Gee," he exclaimed, "I should say theywere rotten. Let's have a look at Walter's."
He stepped over to the rack where hung the lad's net and tested severalmeshes. "It is not as bad as those others," he announced. "Still it isgetting pretty weak, I don't believe it would last out if a good schoolof fish struck it. Now let's look into that lime-water barrel."
He plunged his arm down in the partly-filled barrel and felt the watertentatively.
"Where do you keep your barrel of lime?" he asked, as he straightenedup.
"Right there on shore under that palm tree," Charley pointed out. "Wantto look at the lime?"
"No," said the big fisherman, absently, "I've seen enough."
He led the way back to the cabin in silence.
"Well, what do you make of it?" Charley asked when they were seatedonce more inside.
"I'm sure sorry for you, fellows," blurted out the big fisherman,impulsively. "You've been played as mean a low-down trick as was everplayed on anyone."
"How?" demanded the captain and Charley together.
"Someone has mixed potash in with the lime in your lime barrel, andit's just eaten the life out of your twine. It has been done tofishermen more than once around here and by that same gang of rascals.It never occurred to me that it had been done to your net, though, tillI felt of that water. Lime water should feel harsh and gritty, but thatfelt oily and soapy and I knew then what the trouble was.
"I wish I could help you out," he said, feelingly, noting the utterdiscouragement in the three faces. "I would gladly lend you nets if wehad any but our old ones are all fished out and we have only three newones ordered. It was so near the end of the season we did not order anyextra ones."
"We are mighty grateful to you anyway," Captain Westfield said. "Youmustn't mind if we ain't very pleasant company just now. This lastbusiness has put us in a bad fix and we have got to study some way outof it."
"I know," agreed Bill, sympathetically, "and as I can't do any goodhere now, I'll run over to camp and turn in. I've got to go over toClearwater in the morning to tend to a little pressing business.Anything I can get you there?"
"No," Charley said, thanking him, "we have got to go over ourselvesto-morrow and tell Mr. Daniels about the nets."
When the kindly-hearted fisherman was gone, the three sat long debatinggloomily what they should do but arriving at no decision. "We might aswell turn in," said Captain Westfield at last. "Thar's only one thingI can see clearly. We must go to Mr. Daniels to-morrow, like men, andtell him about our loss. If he can give us any work to do, we must takeit and work until we have paid him every cent we owe, if it takes ayear to do it."
His two companions heartily agreed to this statement. It was clearlythe only honest course to take.
It was late when they at last got to sleep, and consequently late whenthey awoke.
As soon as they had breakfasted, Charley and the captain started forClearwater, leaving Chris to look after Walter's wants.
On the Clearwater dock they found Bill Roberts and his two brothers.
"I'll keep an eye on your launch until you come back, if both of youwant to go up to the fish house," Bill offered, a proposal they gladlyaccepted.
For a wonder Mr. Daniels was not busy and Charley poured out the storyof their losses in a manly, straightforward manner.
"We don't want you to think that we are asking you to take up ourquarrels for us," he concluded, flushing. "We simply want to make itplain that we have done the very best we knew how. As we figure it, weowe you now about one hundred and fifty dollars which the prospects donot look very bright for our paying at present. If you have any workwe can do, we will gladly work out the debt. If not, we will have towait until we can get to earning again. But we will pay you every centjust as soon as we possibly can."
"Don't worry your head about the debt," said Mr. Daniels, heartily."I am sure you and your companions have done your best and I am trulysorry you have met with so many misfortunes. What you owe the fishhouse can stand until you are able to pay it. If I owned the business,I would cancel the debt entirely but I am only manager here."
"You are very kind to take it this way," Charley said, gratefully. "Iwas afraid you might be angry at the failure we have made."
Mr. Daniels smiled. "What you have told me about your troubles is notexactly news to me," he said. "You have good friends in those Robertsboys and they have kept me pretty well posted as to how things weregoing. I would have got rid of that Hunter gang long ago but they aredeeply in debt to the Company and the only chance to get any of it backis to take out a little, each week, from the fish they catch. You see,I have got to consider the Company's interests always above my personalwishes.
"What concerns me most, now," he continued, "is what you and yourfriends are going to do now that your nets are gone. Bill Roberts wasup to tell me this morning that If I would let you have another set ofnets he would stand good for them. But I told him that was unnecessary.I would gladly refit you again on my own responsibility if I had nets,but we have not got another one in the house. Have you any plan for thefuture?"
"No very clear one," Charley admitted. "As you know it's Florida's dullseason now. There's very little doing except in the pineapple fields."
Mr. Daniels considered for a few minutes. "I do not like to advise youto do it, because it's dangerous work, but there is one thing you mightpick up enough money at to tide you over the dull season."
"What is it?" Captain Westfield demanded, eagerly.
"Hook and line fishing for groupers and grunts out in the gulf. Afterall, I do not know as it is very dangerous if one keeps close watch ofthe weather."
"The captain here is a regular weather prophet," Charley asserted. "Hecan smell bad weather hours before it comes."
"That's a valuable gift for that kind of
work," Mr. Daniels replied."The grouper banks lay out in the gulf from eight to eleven miles fromshore, and it wouldn't do for a small boat to be caught out there in aheavy squall. The more I think of it, the more I think it would be agood thing for you. You can keep right on using the launch, and thehooks and lines you need will cost but little. Of course, there isno big fortune in it but you had ought to make more than wages. Verylikely, you could earn enough to pull out of the hole."
"I reckon we'd better try it," said Captain Westfield. "I've done a lotof hook and line fishing in my time."
"We can start to-morrow," Charley agreed, promptly, his spirits risingat the possibility of a way out of their difficulties.
"Very well," agreed Mr. Daniels. "I'll give you a note to thestore-keeper to let you have the lines and tackles, as well as whatmore groceries you need."
"I would feel quite hopeful," said Charley, as he thanked thekind-hearted manager, "if I did not fear that Hunter would find someway of still further injuring us."
"Silas Hunter will not bother you for a couple of weeks, anyway," Mr.Daniels assured him. "They took him and a couple of his cronies to theTampa hospital on this morning's train."
"Sick?" Captain Westfield inquired, with great relief.
"You might call it that," Mr. Daniels smiled. "Bill Roberts got so madover what he had done to you boys that he came over this morning andgave him a licking he'll not forget in a hurry. Some of the gang triedto interfere and Bill's brothers gave them a dose of the same medicine.Those boys are good friends of yours, and they are friends worthhaving."
"Will not Hunter have them arrested?" inquired Charley, in fear for hiszealous friends.
Mr. Daniels' smile broadened. "I think not," he said. "Bill warned himif he did, he would repeat the operation over again."