His father had had a hemorrhage, and was lying with closed eyes, breathing faintly.
The ship doctor was summoned, and applied restoratives, but without effect. Before the morning dawned, Scott was fatherless.
It was a great trial to the lonely boy to see his father's body consigned to the deep. He wished he might carry it to the land which was to be his future home, and have it buried in some quiet cemetery; but it would be a week at least before the slow-going ship would reach New York, and the sailors would have rebelled at having a corpse on board for that length of time.
Scott secured the money of which his father had spoken, and a sealed packet inscribed:
For My Son.
To be opened a year from my death.
The boy's grief was so sincere that his curiosity was not aroused by this inscription. He put the packet in his traveling bag, and tried to prepare himself for the solitary life he must now lead.
There was a good deal of sympathy felt for the lonely boy on the ship, and more than one of the passengers proffered sympathy and companionship.
Scott received their advances politely, but showed by his manner that he preferred to be alone.
A week later, however, when the vessel was within a few hours of reaching her destination, he felt that it would be well to obtain some information about the new country that awaited him.