“Right away,” replied Jack. “The moment you step aboard I’ll see if I can knock a bit of life into my crew. Look at him! Look at him, sitting there on the top of the deck-house laughing, and the ship crammed with a whole passenger waiting to get across to the Point on most important business! Watch your step, Cap’n. Dining-saloon forward, but the cook’s not on duty to-day, so we can’t serve meals. Mr. Mate, let go that rope for’ard and don’t fall overboard in front of all the passenger. Run that mains’l up and be lively about it or, shiver my timbers, I’ll know the reason why! Now, Cap’n Crumbie, if you’re at all likely to be seasick, you’d better slip down into the cabin and take a nap. If there’s any danger, I’ll call you.”
“Starboard your helm a bit,” said Cap’n Crumbie. “The only danger I see is that you’re like to bump into that coal-barge if you don’t keep her away.” He put out a brawny hand and with a slight pull on the wheel brought the sloop further away from the collision that had threatened as the sloop started away from the wharf, not yet fully under control.
“Paint is scarce,” said Jack. “I don’t want to lose any.”
“Not with bumping into one o’ Simon Barker’s boats, you don’t,” agreed Cap’n Crumbie. “Not that he’d ever think o’ putting paint on the side o’ one of his ships if tar would do, but I want to warn you right now that he’s none too friendly. He hasn’t got over that little affair with your father yet, though I don’t see what he’s got to kick about. He was down on our wharf yesterday, trying his best to be ugly about this little sloop. Said she got in the way o’ his craft, he did. He’s a misery. Don’t you ever leave the Sea-Lark lying in the way o’ his rotten old boats, or she’ll get crushed for a certainty, if he has anything to do with it. And he’ll sure make out that it was all your fault.”
“Thank you for being a passenger,” said Jack, as the vessel edged up to the hotel landing on the Point. “If you’re not going to stay ashore long I will wait for you.”
“Ashore! I ain’t going ashore,” replied the watchman. “I just came across to be able to tell my great-grandchildren, when you’re an old man, that I was the first to cross the harbor in Holden’s Ferry. Here’s my twenty cents. Now take me back.”
“I can’t take the money. We sailors always give free passage to old shipmates,” said Jack. “Why, we should never have had her painted if it hadn’t been for you, Cap’n! Besides, you’re one of the crew, in a way. Didn’t you say you were going to keep an eye on her? Yes, you’re our watchman. Couldn’t dream of taking the money.”
“Son, I hired this ship for the trip,” replied Cap’n Crumbie, “and when you two have gone and drowned yourselves some fine day I don’t want it on my conscience that there’s twenty cents I owe you. When you’ve been at sea as long as I have you won’t so much mind letting people pay their fare.”
“All right, Cap’n,” Jack responded. “George, half of this goes to you, for luck. Push her off there. Wait a second. Here comes a passenger, I believe.”