"It begins to look as if this 'ere family was comin' out right strong, if the folks at the Port are lookin' after it," Tom said, in a tone of triumph, and Sam replied sharply:
"Put all the people at the Port together, an' they wouldn't make up one of Uncle Ben's fingers! It would have been a long day before they thought of startin' a family, an' it wasn't until Uncle Ben had spent about all the money he had in the bank that they woke up to the idee he was doin' somethin' big in helpin' sich fellers as you an' me."
"Don't you count one hundred dollars any thin'?" Tom asked in surprise.
"Of course I do; but what is it for all of them to raise, when Uncle Ben has put out more'n five times as much without winkin'?"
Then Sam, as if he had settled the matter finally, went about his work, and the sun was not yet ready to drop out of sight behind the hills when the deck and cabin of the "Sally D." were as cleanly and orderly as before the feast was made ready.
Mr. Mansfield and his friends were not inclined to eat the "bread of idleness," as was shown very shortly after they went on shore; for then they set about bringing out ballast in the dories, under the direction of Mr. Rowe, until a full half hour before night had shut in, the "Sally D." was in good trim for the trial trip on the following morning.
As had been arranged, the regular crew of the "Sally" slept on board that night in the newly-painted bunks. Reuben claimed the right as captain to the aftermost one on the starboard side, while Sam and Tom occupied the two forward berths opposite, and very snug and beautiful was the cabin when the small swinging lamp had been lighted.
"It won't be anythin' more'n fun to go out fishin' in a craft like this," Tom said sleepily, as he took one last look around before Mr. Rowe extinguished the light for the night, and the "captain" replied with no little of sharpness in his tones:
"It's dollars, not fun, that we'll be after, lad, when once the work is begun. This 'ere schooner has cost a heap of money, even though Uncle Ben did get her at a bargain, an' if she don't bring in the whole expense of the family, with a little left over for them as may come later, I'll say we've made a bloomin' failure of our job. Why, I've known a craft like this to pay for herself twice over in one season, an' while we can't count on any sich luck as that, seein' our crew will be small, we oughter make enough to keep Uncle Ben's mind easy 'bout money matters. Now you lads are to shut your eyes, 'cause it'll be a mighty early call in the mornin'."
As to this last Mr. Rowe kept his word faithfully, for it seemed to the boys as if they had no more than fallen asleep before he aroused them with the word that they would "need to jump right lively in order to make breakfast ready before the schooner was under way."