“Gloucester! Oh, Jane, isn’t it great?” Frances said to Jane as they stood on either side of the mast while the “Boojum” was picking her way into the harbor.
Both sides of the harbor were lined with schooners. The sky was barely perceptible through the rigging of the ships, so tightly were they wedged in around the docks. At Provincetown the cruisers had learned of the fishermen’s strike but they had not realized that it meant that the entire fishing fleet of Gloucester would be riding at anchor in the harbor.
“Gloucester’s sky line isn’t anything but masts, is it?”
“No, but look Jane! They just let the sails go any way and they are all spilling in the water and look at all those Irishman’s pennants,” and Frances pointed out innumerable ropes let to drag in the water.
“The crews must have dropped anchor and dashed ashore without doing a single thing towards snugging ship. I suppose there is lots to be said for the fishermen, but I don’t see how they could bear to leave those dandy schooners all messy like that. And whew! smell the fishy smell.”
Jane and Frances had learned really to love the sea and to have deep feeling for the ships. It actually hurt them to see these sturdy fishing boats so deserted.
“Why, do you know, Frances, it seems just as cruel to me as if I had given Atta Boy a hard run and turned him into his stall and left his saddle and bridle on and rushed off without rubbing him down and forgotten to feed him and everything. It doesn’t seem human,” Jane grew quite indignant.
“Did you notice that long black schooner, the ‘Josephine R,’ how she was pulling on her anchor chain, looked as if she wasn’t going to stick around much longer and stand for this careless treatment? I’ll bet she is an imperious lady.”
There was no sign of life on any of the many boats riding at anchor. The sun had set and each one should have shown a riding light, but none did, nor did it seem likely that they would. Yet it seemed that each boat was in itself alive and indignantly complaining to its neighbor of the careless treatment it had received at the hands of the crew. As Frances said, the “Josephine R” looked as though she had no intention of putting up with such inconsideration.
Jane had been at the wheel all afternoon with Breck near enough and ready to help her if she got off her course or if she wanted any of the sails hauled in. Mr. Wing had said that Jane was farther advanced in her nautical education than any of the other girls because she had come to the stage where she not only knew when something was wrong about the sails but she knew just what to do to make it right and could get almost as much out of the “Boojum” as its owner could.