'And look at the food,' Wilton added; 'salt horse and pork so fat that only an Icelander would eat it. Why couldn't they give us something better?'
At that point of the discussion Jack was called aft, and received two letters and several newspapers directed to himself.
As he returned to the room the steamer, laden with most of the saloon passengers, sheered off, and in her Captain Thorne also went ashore.
Jack was soon eagerly reading his father's long letters, while an article in a Stonewell paper presently attracted his notice.
'I say, you fellows,' he sang out, 'here is a description of our departure from Stonewell Harbour. It's just splendid. The writer says that the "Silver Crown" was the handsomest ship that ever entered Stonewell Harbour. Oh, my! Why, he has put my name into print. Just listen, boys! The only son of our worthy fellow-townsman, Captain Clewlin, has had the good fortune to make his first voyage in the clipper, and to Master Jack we tender our hearty congratulations and best wishes for his steady advancement.'
The other two boys also received letters from home.
'What has become of Sorter?' Jack presently inquired. 'I haven't seen him since supper.'
'He's gone off in the steamer,' Archer whispered. 'Would you believe, boys, that just before he went he openly boasted to me of having stolen all that food from our house, and sold it to the people in the steerage? He must have been the most disreputable young scoundrel alive. He showed me a good deal of money. We are well rid of such a character.'
'And he told me to tell you, Clewlin,' Charlie Wilton added, 'that if ever he met you on shore he would give you a licking.'
'I'd like to see him try it,' Jack laughed. 'He thought that because I wished to keep a promise to my father, I must be a coward; but he would find out his mistake.'