“I’m with you, Jim,” was the reply.
And with their arms locked, the twin brothers walked ashore together and went straight to stand before old Jothan Barney!
Chapter XXVII
In Which I Receive a Telegram That Troubles Me
For a moment there was a dead silence among the crews of the sister ships. Then Captain Bowditch himself took off his hat and started the cheering.
And how he did yell! If both vessels had come home safely we could not have given tongue more joyfully. For in that moment every man of us knew that whatever friction there had been betwixt Jim and Alf Barney, they were once more brothers and friends!
Of course, the crowd ashore thought we were just glad to get home again—that we were expressing our satisfaction upon getting to Baltimore, safe and sound. But the Barneys knew what it meant and both of them waved their hands in response to our hearty hurrah.
As the newspaper reporters crowded aboard to interview Captain Bowditch I saw that the three Barneys walked away. The old man did not even speak to the skipper of the Gullwing. I reckoned any comment upon the skipper’s actions by the members of the firm of Barney, Blakesley & Knight would be postponed until some later time.
The newspaper fellows were eager for a story; but Mr. Gates and Mr. Hollister “shooed” them away from the foremast hands. The men would not be discharged until the next day, when they would be taken to the offices of the firm for a settlement of their accounts, and to receive their discharges. Until that time they must remain aboard and continue under the discipline of the officers.
“If you writer chaps,” said Mr. Gates, with a grin, “want to get these old hardshells to spinning yarns, you’ll have to wait till they lay their course for Front Street. You’ll have to be contented with facts from Captain Bowditch just now.”