Now, Bob had never heard of a lottery before, and he did not know that there are men in the world who, being too lazy to work for a living, find employment in sending letters of this description all over the country, without the least intention of answering any they receive in reply. He did not know that this "honest business" was a swindle, and that his friend Tom was not the first, and probably will not be the last, who has been deceived by just such "generous offers!" He had not yet learned that Tom carried bad luck with him wherever he went, and that any one who listened to his propositions was certain to get into trouble sooner or later. If he had known all these things, and had been able to look far enough into the future to see what would be the result of Tom's new idea, he would not have been long in deciding what answer to give him. To tell the truth, he was greatly interested in this splendid scheme; but he was quick-witted, and, after thinking the matter over for a moment, he exclaimed:
"I'll tell you what to do! Suppose you write to those men, telling them to select the lucky package for you, and that if it draws a prize, they can keep their ten dollars out of it, and send you the remainder. In that way you will stand just as good a chance of drawing the five thousand dollars as you do now; and besides, you will not risk any of your own money."
"O, now, that's no way to do business!" drawled Tom. "Don't you see that they have made it a rule never to take notice of any letters unless they contain money?"
"They will not run any risk," replied Bob, "for the cash is in their own hands."
"It's against their rules," said Tom, emphatically; "and even if it wasn't I would not ask them to do that, for it would look as though I was afraid to trust them. Don't you see what they say about 'our doubts being traitors?' Now, Bob, I want to know if you will go into this business with me? I've got just five dollars of my own, and if you will advance the rest I'll divide the profits with you. Besides, I'll give you a dollar a day to ship as mate of the Storm King."
"I wouldn't want that job if I had twenty-five hundred dollars," said the fisher-boy; "I would go to sea in less than a week."
"Well, that's another reason why you ought to give me five dollars to send on with mine. It will make a rich man of you, and you can begin the life of a sailor at once."
"But if I use any of my money I want to buy a skiff with it. I need one badly."
"O, go in debt for it," said Tom. "Go to Mr. Graves, the boat-builder, tell him that you want a nice little skiff, the finest one he has on hand, and that you will pay him for it in one month. You may safely do that, for in less than a week you will be rich enough to buy out his whole ship-yard."
This was something entirely new to the fisher-boy. He had never thought of such a thing before, and, perhaps, the reason was because he had never dreamed that there was a single person in the village who would be willing to trust him. He saw in an instant—or rather, imagined he saw—that if he could induce Mr. Graves to give him one of his fine skiffs on his promise to pay for it in one month, it would be an immense advantage to him.