"A good deal depends on what he calls a long time," murmured Mr. Weatherby as he went to his cabin.
"I wonder what Mr. Clayton can tell me?" thought Nat. "I don't believe there was anything suspicious about father's death, or it would have been brought out at the time. The captain of the barge said he had fallen overboard while at work during a storm, and that they had a hard time recovering his body. Poor father! If he was only alive now he and I could be on some vessel and both earning a good living."
Nat was a little sad at the thoughts of his dead parent, but he did not dwell long on this gloomy side. He had his work to do, and work is one of the best things in the world to make us forget our griefs.
The Jessie Drew tied up at the wharf in Detroit early the next morning. Mr. Weatherby had his baggage all packed, and Nat at his suggestion had done the same. Nat had been paid off by Captain Marshall the night before, but the pilot received his money in the form of a check every month.
"I hope you do well in your new place," said Captain Marshall as he bade Nat good-by.
"Thank you. I hope to be able to prove some day that those cigarettes were not mine," replied Nat.
"If you do I will always be ready to beg your pardon," was the commander's reply, somewhat stiffly made.
"Well, Nat, are you all ready?" called the pilot as he stood at the head of the companionway.
"All ready," replied the boy, coming up on deck. Near the gangplank, over which he had to pass to leave the vessel, stood Sam Shaw. Though Sam had said little to his uncle about it, he was quite envious over Nat's rise in life. To be a helper to a pilot on a passenger steamer was much better than to be an assistant to the purser of a freighter. Sam had hinted to his uncle the advisability of Mr. Bumstead seeking a berth on a passenger boat, but the latter had replied he did not care for that sort of a place. The truth was the mate was not competent to take such a position, as he was not a first-class officer.
"Good-by, Nat," called Mr. Dunn to the lad who had been such a help to him. "I'll miss you."