CHAPTER XXI
"Pipe Down"
"Smart bit of work that of yours, Armitage," exclaimed Mr. Jackson in a congratulatory tone.
"A fluke—an absolute fluke," confided the Scoutmaster. "I didn't realize what I'd undertaken. We might have piled ourselves on out there. From a human point of view it was a slice of sheer good luck that we hit one of the fairway buoys, otherwise——"
He shrugged his shoulders expressively.
"However," he continued briskly, "we're in. That's the main point. Fog's lifting, but I don't like the idea of towing the tramp right up to Poole quay. Too many fishing-boats about."
"You can't leave her at anchor," remarked Mr. Jackson.
"No, but I can beach her on the mud," replied Mr. Armitage. "Tide's rising. We can send a tug to finish the job. Stand by to cast off," he ordered, raising his voice.
With the now strong flood tide the Rosalie towed the tramp through Brownsea Roads into the sheltered Wych Channel. Here the hawser was let go, and the Pent-y-coote took the soft mud, while the yacht, relieved of her heavy burden, turned, and, passing through the Little Channel, was soon berthed safely alongside Poole quay.
"A successful ending to an exciting voyage, Armitage," observed Mr. Jackson. "I've enjoyed it immensely. Now comes the parting of the ways. I'll catch a train back this evening. Don't forget; if at any future time you and your lads want to renew your acquaintance with Old Father Thames let me know. We might be able to arrange a joint camping-trip, my troop and yours. There are vast possibilities of that nature in scouting, and it seems a pity that we cannot take advantage of mutual hospitality."
The Oxford Scoutmaster packed his kit-bag, and Mr. Armitage and Hepburn saw him to the railway station, while the rest of the crew set to work to "clear up ", so that the owner of the Rosalie might be able to form a good impression of his purchase.
On the way back from the station Mr. Armitage sent a telegram to Mr. Trelawney, advising him of the Rosalie's safe arrival, but upon returning on board, the Scoutmaster found a tall, fair-haired man on deck conversing with the Sea Scouts.
It was the owner. Mr. Trelawney had received warning from Hurst Signal Station that the Rosalie had passed, bound west, and had concluded that she would soon be arriving at her home port. Anxious on account of the fog, he had spent four hours on the quay, and had only just gone into the High Street to have tea when the yacht arrived.
"I hear you've been doing what are called in the Scout movement 'Good Turns'," observed Mr. Trelawney, when the two men had introduced themselves. "I believe it's an understood thing that Scouts refuse to accept rewards for doing good turns."
Mr. Armitage assented, wondering what the Rosalie's owner was driving at. He knew that it was rather a knotty point, for, according to some authorities in the Scout movement, the lads are forbidden to accept rewards for services rendered. On the other hand, in the Sea Scout Manual the possibilities of salvage and deriving monetary benefit for it are dealt with. So, if the authorities differ, thought Mr. Armitage, what was one to do? Up to the present the idea of claiming salvage for assistance given to the disabled tramp had never entered his mind.
"That's all right, then," exclaimed Mr. Trelawney cheerfully. "It leaves me with a free hand. Of course, it's my yacht that performed the salvage operation, and, since you don't accept rewards, I benefit. Now, let's see the inventory. I'll check the thing at once, if you don't mind, and then you'll be able to get away."
It took an hour to examine the Rosalie's gear and compare it with the items on the inventory. This done, Mr. Trelawney paid the Scoutmaster the sum agreed upon for bringing the yacht round, thanked him for what he had done, and gently intimated that the business was at an end, and that there was a fast train at 7.15.
"What a strange sort of fellow," remarked Hepburn, as the Sea Scouts, with their belongings on a couple of hired trucks, made their way to the railway station. "Different from Mr. Murgatroyd."
"Sort of pushed us out of it," added Flemming. "Now-you've-finished-I've-no-further-use-for-you kind of thing."
"He certainly was brusque," said Roche. "I suppose it's business-like. He settled our account, so that's one thing. Wonder what he was driving at about the salvage stunt, sir?"
Mr. Armitage declined to commit himself.
"At any rate," he remarked, "we've had a top-hole time, and, I hope, gained experience. More than that, we've shown that we can be useful. We haven't attempted the impossible; we've merely tackled a couple of straightforward jobs and carried them out. I'm proud of you."
On the following morning the Sea Scouts reassembled at their hut. Their task was not yet completed. They had to make the Olivette secure in her new berth, and this they meant to do before Mr. Murgatroyd left for town.
It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud obscured the sky. A light breeze from the sou'-west tempered the heat, while a steadily-rising glass betokened a spell of fine weather.
Upon arriving at Keyhaven they found their heavy boat awaiting them. Mr. Murgatroyd was on board the Olivette, which was anchored half a mile down the creek.
"I've telephoned through to Lymington to see if there are any moorings for sale. I find there is a good pair at a reasonable price, so if you've no objection we'll take the Olivette round and pick them up."
"Delighted," agreed Mr. Murgatroyd, and almost at once he and the Scoutmaster entered into an argument as to who should pay for the anchor and chains.
"You've lent us the Olivette," protested Mr. Armitage, "and it's only right that we should buy the moorings."
"Not at all," demurred Mr. Murgatroyd. "I believe in doing things properly. What's the use of my handing over the Olivette to you unless I provide moorings for her? They cost money, I believe."
"And we've made more than enough to pay for them," said the Scoutmaster. "The troop was saving up to buy a small yacht. The necessity no longer arises, thanks to you, and——"
"Then say no more about it," interrupted Mr. Murgatroyd, with more decision than he had yet exhibited before the Sea Scouts. "I pay—you understand?"
The run round to Lymington was quickly accomplished. The heavy moorings were placed in the boat and towed back. Before the end of the day they were successfully laid, and the Olivette, securely tethered by the massive galvanized iron bridle, could now be got under way without the laborious preliminaries of heaving up both anchor and kedge.
"Now," said Mr. Murgatroyd, "I'm off back to town to-morrow morning. I don't know when I shall be able to run down here again. While you were away I had a letter from which I glean that I may have to go abroad for the rest of the summer—perhaps till the end of the year."
The Sea Scouts heard the announcement in silence. They were genuinely fond of the somewhat boyish and erratic Mr. Murgatroyd. From a personal point of view they wondered how his sudden change of plans would affect them. Would Mr. Murgatroyd sell the Olivette, since he was unable to use her?
But Murgatroyd did not give them much time to ponder over the disconcerting possibility.
"I therefore propose to make the Milford Sea Scouts a present of the Olivette," he added.
For a few moments the lads could scarcely realize their good fortune. Then they burst into a spontaneous round of cheering.
"Of course," continued Mr. Murgatroyd, "she'll cost something to keep up. That will be your affair, but I don't think it will be a difficult task for budding seamen such as you. There's one thing I might add. I happen to be a member of the firm of Murgatroyd & Murchesen, petroleum merchants. Incidentally it is a development of the Rumanian oil-fields that necessitates my hurried departure. But what is more to the point, I can guarantee the delivery of fifty gallons of fuel a month as a slight contribution to the upkeep of the Olivette. Directly I return to London I will have the ship's papers made over to you, lads, and I hope you'll have a thundering good time."
And that is how the Olivette became the property of the Milford Sea Scouts. What they did with her and how they did it is another story.
It was a month of surprises. Hepburn remarked that it never rains but it pours. Roche added that he'd heard that all good things come or go in threes.
One was the gift of the Olivette.
The second was a "twelve-foot" carvel-built dinghy, second-hand, but in splendid condition. It arrived at the nearest station on a railway truck, without any clue to the sender, except that it came from Oxford. The next day came a note from Mr. Jackson, asking the Sea Scouts to accept the boat as a little memento of a pleasant voyage.
The third was even a greater surprise. It was a cheque for a hundred pounds, bearing the signature "A. Trelawney". With it was a covering letter.
"DEAR MR. ARMITAGE, (it said),
"I was under the mistaken impression that your lads were trying to 'pull my leg' over the salvage of the S.S. Pent-y-coote. Inquiries proved that their account was not only strictly true, but modest in its details. I have been in communication with the owners of the salved vessel, and find that they are a small firm recently formed. They suggested a sum of two hundred pounds for services rendered by the Rosalie, and to save expense of litigation I accepted their offer. Since you stated that Scouts are not allowed to receive rewards for 'good turns', I trust that I have got over the technical difficulty by asking your Sea Scout Troop to accept the enclosed cheque for their Troop Funds. There are more ways than one of killing a cat.
"Yours faithfully,
"ANDREW TRELAWNEY."
And so we leave the crew of the Olivette in full possession of the staunch little craft—equipped and provided with funds sufficient for her maintenance. Worthy Sons of the Sea they are, and we wish them good luck and bon voyage.
Transcriber's Notes:
This book contains a number of misprints.
The following misprints have been corrected:
[the hitherto hilarous] —>
[the hitherto hilarious]
[and its up to us] —>
[and it's up to us]
[it will be a suprise] —>
[it will be a surprise]
[the numerous sank-banks] —>
[the numerous sand-banks]
Percy Westerman writes about a steamship, called [Pent-y-coote] or [Pen-y-coote]. Both spellings have been used. The former three times, the latter two times. The former spelling is also used once in the sequel to this book, called "Sea Scouts Abroad". Although making this [Pent-y-coote] the most likely spelling, this misprint has not been corrected.
Two illustrations have a difference in subtitle between the list of illustrations and underneath the actual illustration. The subtitles are:
[THE SKIFF TAKES THE ROPE ASHORE] (image list) and
[THE SKIFF TAKES A ROPE ASHORE] below the actual illustration
[STAND CLEAR OF THE HAWSER AS] in the image list, and
[STAND CLEAR OF THE HAWSERS AS] below the actual illustration
In chapter XII the _Rosalie_ is [passing close to Aldborough]. This must be another place, because they just passed Lowestoft and are heading south. But Aldborough lies to the north and also about 10 kilometers inland. Probably the similar sounding [Aldeburgh] was meant (but is not corrected in this book).
A few cases of punctuation errors were corrected, but are not mentioned here.