“I believe she could be built in the way we should build her for twelve dollars per ton, and I don’t know but less, hull and spars. The timbers and spars are not much account here; the hauling is nothing. But she will be an awful looking thing, though!”
“Then she would cost two thousand four hundred dollars, six hundred to a share, hull and spars, and half as much more to rig her.”
“Yes, I know she can be built for that; but there won’t be a brush full of paint on her, and I don’t know but the name will have to be put on with chalk. I wouldn’t go to a foreign port in her.”
“I will, though. I’m fire-proof. I’ve been in the Ark. Let us calculate. Twelve dollars per ton. I can take a quarter at that rate, and more on a pinch; for in addition to my wages, I have made something by ventures.”
“I can take a quarter,” said Fred, “if I can have orders to pay some of the men out of the store.”
“I,” said Charlie, “can take a quarter by turning in my labor. If I hadn’t bought my land, I could have taken more.”
“Well,” said John, “I can take a quarter, and turn in my work.”
“What we want to know,” said Isaac, “is, how much cash we can raise to pay the men, buy iron, rig her, and for other materials. I can pay my part in cash by the time it is wanted, and six hundred dollars of it now.”
“I,” said Fred, “can pay in cash one hundred dollars.”
“I,” said John, “two hundred.”