CHAPTER II
THE BOYS SPRING A SURPRISE
The following day the two boys wandered to the wharf with disconsolate faces.
“Reckon yer folks didn’t take to the idee, hey?” ventured Cap’n Pem, as he turned from watching a gang of men working on the old Narwhal.
“No, they wouldn’t listen to us,” replied Tom. “Not even if you and Mike went. Dad said if the owners invited us—and we didn’t ask—and that if you and Mike went too, he’d let us, but there’s a swell chance of that.”
“H-m-m!” muttered the old whaleman. “Waall, I dunno as I’d be so everlastin’ly cut up about it. I don’t reckon ye’d have went annyhow without me, an’ there ain’t one chance in a million o’ that. Mike was up to see Dixon and the ol’ grampus jes laffed at him. Asked what he thought the Narwhal wuz—a floatin’ old sailors’ home?”
“The mean old thing!” cried Jim. “Say, I’ll bet he won’t get a man that’s as good a sailor as you or Mike.”
“Is he the owner?” asked Tom.
“Wall, not perzactly,” replied the old man. “He’s the agent. The Narwhal’s owned by a comp’ny—an’ I reckon they ain’t none too conf’dent o’ the cruise a-bein’ so everlastin’ly profit’ble. Mike says he saw Cap’n Edwards an’ ol’ Nye, a-tryin’ fer to get ’em to put in a word fer us, an’ Nye says as how they’s a lot o’ shares—or stock or whatever ye calls it—what ain’t been took up yit. He’s thinkin’ o’ buyin’ on it hisself if he kin git a good skipper like Edwards.”
Tom let out a yell like an Indian, threw his hat in the air and danced.