Fritz and Eric

by John C. Hutcheson

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

  THE "PILOT'S BRIDE."

  The more Fritz thought over the project, the more enthusiastic he becameabout it.

  Unlike Eric, he was deeply reflective, never adventuring into any schemeor undertaking action in any matter until he had fully weighed the prosand cons and had considered everything that could be said for andagainst it; but, once his judgment was convinced, there was no morehearty co-operator than he.

  It was so in this instance.

  Eric's idea had struck him as feasible at the first blush, the boy beingso eager in giving vent to his own impressions and experiences of whathe had seen at Tristan d'Acunha with regard to the advantage of startinga new sealing station of their own; but, when Fritz came to ponder overthe plan, it seemed so chimerical that he felt inclined to be angry withhimself for having entertained it for a moment. These second thoughts,however, did not long stand their ground after old Captain Brown hadbeen consulted; for, that experienced mariner, who had, as he thought,such better means of judging than himself, immediately took so sanguinea view of the enterprise, that Fritz's original opinion in favour of itbecame confirmed, and he entered upon the preparations for theexpedition with even greater zest than Eric, its first inceptor andpropounder.

  "Brother," said he to the latter, on Captain Brown's approving of theplan and promising his cordial assistance in helping them to carry itout to a successful issue, "we'll not leave anything to chance. We willput our shoulders to the wheel and determine to win!"

  "Aye," responded the other, "and we oughtn't to make a failure either;for, you know, the old adage has it that, `Fortune favours the brave,'eh?"

  "Yes," said Fritz, the practical. "However, it is in little things thatsuccess is attained, so we must not neglect these."

  Nor did they. Indeed, so much did Fritz impress Eric with the value ofcarefully considering every petty detail of their outfit, so that theymight not find something omitted at the last moment which would be ofuse, that there was danger of their forgetting more important articles--the "little things," apparently, absorbing all their attention.

  So engrossed were they in this enthusiasm for collecting and packing upthe most out-of-the-way trifles which it struck one or other of the twobrothers that they might want--getting these ready, too, for theirdeparture weeks before the _Pilot's Bride_ could possibly be refittedfor her voyage--that they were the subject of many a joke from thehospitable household of the little "shanty" on Narraganset Bay.

  The captain and Mrs Brown, or else Celia their daughter--a livelyAmerican lassie of Eric's age, who seemed to have taken as great a fancyto the young sailor as her father had done towards Fritz--would ever besuggesting the most extraordinary things as likely to "come in handy onthe island," such as a warming pan or a boot-jack; with which latter,indeed, the skipper gravely presented the elder brother one day, tellinghim it would save him time when he was anxious to get on his slippers ofan evening after sealing on the rocks!

  But, although they "chaffed" them, the kind people helped them none theless good-naturedly in completing their equipment, the old captain's"missis" and his "gal" plying their needles as energetically on theirbehalf as Madame Dort and Lorischen would have done in the little houseat home in the Gulden Strasse of Lubeck. The very eagerness and"thoroughgoingness" of the hopeful young fellows enlisted sympathy forthem, in addition to those good qualities which had already made themprime favourites.

  "Bully for them, old woman," as the skipper said, when talking them overto his wife. "They're raal grit an' bound to run into port with a fairwind an' no mistake, you bet; they're such a tarnation go-ahead pair o'coons, with no empty gas or nonsense about 'em!"

  But, full as he was of the venture, and embarking heart and soul intoits details with every energy he possessed, Fritz did not neglect towrite home a long letter to his mother and Madaleine, telling them allabout the new undertaking in which his hopes and prospects alike werecentred and expressing his feelings thoroughly in the matter--thusshowing the amount of reflection he had given to the scheme.

  Eric, he said, was a sailor; and, therefore, should the venture notsucceed, its failure would not affect him much, as it would be merely anepisode in his nautical life, Captain Brown promising to retain his nameon the books of the _Pilot's Bride_ and allow him to ship again as thirdmate in the event of his taking to the sea once more when the two gottired of their sojourn on the island or found that sealing did notanswer their expectations; but, for him, Fritz, the enterprise was a farmore important one, changing the whole aspect of his career.

  However, he wrote, he not only hoped for the best, but believed theundertaking would result more favourably than his most sanguine wishesled him to estimate its returns; still, in any case, it was better, hethought, to engage in it, rather than waste any further time in vainlysearching for employment in the States.

  But, whether successful or unfortunate, he was fully determined, so heconcluded his letter, to return home within the period of three years towhich he had limited his absence when leaving Lubeck; and, he prayedthat his coming back would be the opening of a new era of happiness forthem all--that is should the good God, who had so mercifully preservedtheir Eric from the dangers of the deep and restored the dead to life,prosper the joint enterprise of the reunited brothers, who, come whatmay, would now be together.

  "Good-bye, dear mutterchen, and you, my darling Madaleine," were hislast words. "Watch and pray for us, and look forward to seeing us againbeneath the old roof-tree in time for our third Christmas festival fromnow; and, then, won't there be a home-coming, a house-warming, with usaltogether once more!"

  Much to Fritz's satisfaction, before the _Pilot's Bride_ was ready toput to sea, a reply was received to this communication, bidding thebrother crusoes a cheery "God speed!" from home. Madame Dort was sooverjoyed with the unexpected news of Eric's safety that she made nodemur to the prolongation of his absence from home, the more especiallynow that he would be in Fritz's company. As for Madaleine, sheexpressed herself perfectly contented with her betrothed's plans,considering, as she did, that he would know best; but she was all thebetter pleased, she wrote, that he was going to an uninhabited island,as then he would be unable to come across other girls, who might blother image from his heart.

  "The little stupid!" as Fritz said fondly to himself when he readthis,--"as if that were possible, the darling!"

  If Madaleine, however, could have known that, when she penned thosewords, Master Fritz was engaged making himself agreeable to a party ofNew York belles who had come up from the stifling "Empire City" to seetheir cousins the Browns and sniff the bracing sea breezes ofNarraganset Bay, she might not have been quite so easy in her mind!

  But, she need not have alarmed herself much, for Fritz was too busilyengaged, along with Eric, in helping Captain Brown to prepare the_Pilot's Bride_ for her forthcoming voyage, to spare much time to thefascinating fair ladies from Fifth Avenue.

  The elder brother could do but little to aid the skipper in a nauticalway; still, as a clerk, he proved himself of great assistance, attendingto all the captain's correspondence and acting as a sort of supercargo.

  Eric, however, having now had considerable experience of the sea,besides, as the skipper had said, being "a born sailor," came out instrong colours in all those minutiae required in getting a vessel readyfor sea.

  Really, he showed himself so active and intelligent that the skipperlooked upon him as "his right-hand man"--at least, so declared he oneday in the presence of Mrs Brown, Celia, and the entire family at theshanty, in full and open conclave; and no one disputed his statement,albeit Master Eric was sadly confused at the compliment.

  But, how was it with the ship, in which, like twin Caesars, the brotherswere about to embark "all their fortunes?"

  Well, the _Pilot's Bride_, after going into dry dock and dischargingcargo on her return home, first had her sheathing stripped and theexterior of her hull carefully examined to see that no rotten timber-work should be o
verlooked that might subsequently be fatal to her whenbattling with the billows in mid-ocean. She had then been recaulked andcoppered; besides having her rigging set up again and tarred down, aswell as the coverings and seizings replaced, and the chaffing gear paidover. Finally, on the yards being sent up and the rigging completed,with all the running gear seen to and thoroughly overhauled, a good coatof paint, and an overcoat, too, in addition was given to the vessel frombow to taffrail down to the water-line, with a white streak, in regularYankee fashion, running along her ports. The stern gallery and railwere then gilded, as was also the figure-head--a wooden damsel, witharms akimbo, of the most unprepossessing appearance, representing thebride of the "pilot" whose name she bore.

  This completed the exterior refitting of the ship.

  Much remained to be done to her interior, however; and, here it was thatEric was able to be of considerable service, having learnt all of asailor's duty in reference to the stowage of a vessel's hold--a matterthat might seem easy enough to a landsman who only has to do with thepacking of boxes, but which is of serious importance on board a ship,where the misplacement of the cargo may not only affect her sailingproperties but also the safety of those she carries.

  To commence with, the _Pilot's Bride_ being a whaler would have to startfrom her home port comparatively "light"--as, having no cargo to speakof, save the provisions for her own crew for twelve months and thestores she carried for the use of the sealing schooners amongst theislands, she was forced to take in a great deal of ballast to ensure herstability, and this had to be so apportioned in her hold as to make herof good trim.

  This being done, the water and provisions were then shipped and a largenumber of empty casks placed on top of all the stores in the hold,amidships. These latter were carried to be subsequently filled with theoil and skins that might be collected by the schooners acting as tendersto the _Pilot's Bride_ amongst the islands; and, besides, the ship had"trying pots" of her own to melt down the blubber of any whales or oddfish she might capture "on her own hook."

  The brothers' belongings were next taken on board and placed in thecabin appropriated by Captain Brown to Fritz's use; and then, only thelive stock remained to be shipped and the crew mustered for the vesselto be ready for sea, as now, with her sails bent she lay along the wharfat Providence, waiting but to be hauled out into the stream.

  She was a barque of some three or four hundred tons, riding rather highout of the water in consequence of being mostly in ballast. Inappearance she looked somewhat wall-sided, and she had those heavy roundbows that are seen mostly in whaling vessels, which are thus protectedforwards in order to resist the pressure of the ice in those arcticregions whither they go to and fro; but, in spite of her build, whichresembled more that of a Dutch galliot--such as Fritz's eyes wereaccustomed to see in the ports of the North Sea--than an Americanmerchantman, with her freshly painted hull, whose ports were picked outin white, and her tall shapely spars all newly varnished, the _Pilot'sBride_ looked as dapper and neat as her namesake. Eric certainlythought this, no matter what his brother's opinion might be, andbelieved there was every reason for Captain Brown taking the pride inthe vessel that he did.

  "There you are," said the skipper to the brothers, taking them with himto survey her from the jetty when all her preparations were finished,the vessel only waiting his mandate to haul out into the river--"did youever see sich a tarnation duck of a beauty in all yer born days, hey?"

  "She looks very pretty," observed Fritz admiringly.

  "Blow thet!" exclaimed the skipper with a laugh. "Folks would think youwere talkin' 'bout a gal; but, what ken a longshore fellow know 'bout ashep!" he added compassionately. "What d'ye say 'bout her Mas' Eric,hey?"

  "I say she's a regular clipper, captain," answered the lad in promptsailor fashion, much to the skipper's delight. Eric's encomium was allthe more appreciative from the fact of his having been familiar with theship through part of her last voyage. Then, she was all battered andbruised from her conflict with the elements during her cruise insouthern seas; so, now, her present transformation and gala trim madethe difference in her appearance all the more striking to him, causingher good points to shine out with all the greater display and hidingmost of her drawbacks.

  "Ah, thet's your sort of 'pinion I likes," said the skipper in reply toEric's tribute to the vessel's merits. "Yes, suttenly, she's a clipper,if ever there wer one; an' a beauty to the back of thet, I reckon, hey,sonny?" and he gave the lad one of his thundering pats of approvalacross the shoulders with his broad hand that almost jerked him off thejetty.

  "I guess," he added presently, "the only thing we've got to do now is toshep a tol'able crew aboard; an' then, I kalkerlate, mister, she'll bethe slickest whaler this v'y'ge as ever loos'd tops'les an' sailed outo' Narraganset Bay!"

  "Will there be any difficulty in getting men?" asked Fritz.

  "No, I reckon not, mister," replied the skipper, with a huge guffaw athis ignorance. "Why, the crimpers would send 'em to me in shoals, furJob Brown is as well-known in Providence as Queen Victoria is inEngland, God bless her fur a good woman, too! The diff'culty lies inpickin' out the good ones thet air worth their salt from the greenhands, as ain't up to a kid of lobscouse fur all the work they ken doaboard a shep!"

  "Well, I hope you'll get the men you want," said Fritz cordially.

  "Nary a doubt 'bout thet," answered the other, slewing round andtrotting across the wharf to a line of warehouses and merchants' officeson the other side. "I'm just a-goin' to my agents now; an' I ken tellyou, fur a fact, thet Job Brown is never licked, no, sir, not when hemakes up his mind to anythin'!"

  In the evening of the same day he astonished Fritz somewhat.

  "Who d'ye think wished fur to sign articles with me to-day fur thev'y'ge?" said he, after he mentioned that he had shipped his crew andthat the _Pilot's Bride_ would haul out into the stream the nextmorning, preparatory to starting off altogether on the following day.

  "I'm sure I can't say," replied Fritz.

  "Who but our old friend Nat Slater!" said the skipper with a broad grin."I guess Nathaniel Washington hez come down in the world ag'in, fur allhis tall talkin' about what he wer goin' to do to help you, hey?"

  "Have you taken him on?" asked Fritz, somewhat dubious about thepleasure which the society of the whilom "deck hand" of the steamboatwould afford him when the two of them should be cooped together on boardthe same vessel for any length of time, especially after the way inwhich that individual had behaved to him.

  "Yes, I let him jine," answered the skipper. "I couldn't do else,considerin' the poor cuss wer so down on his luck as to ask me; 'sides,mister, I knewed him afore he went to the bad; an' if he du come withme, it'll do him good in one way. He'll never get none o' thet infarnaldrink till he comes back ag'in to Providence, fur I never allows a dropo' pizen in any craft I sails from the time we leaves port till we castsanchor ag'in!"

  "I'm glad to hear that," said Fritz. "There's mischief enough done withit on land without taking it to sea."

  "Right you air, mister," rejoined the other; "but, mind you, I don't askmy men to do what I don't do myself. This old hoss doesn't believe in afellow's preachin' one thing and practisin' another; no, sirree! Iain't a teetotaler, nohow; but I never touches a drop o' licker from thetime I sots foot aboard ship till I treads land ag'in--an' what I does,every man Jack o' my crew shall do ditto, or I'll know an' larn 'em thereason why, you bet! Howsomedever, mister, I guess we'd all better turnin now," he added, making a signal which Mrs Brown and Celia alwaysinterpreted as meaning their departure to bed. "Recollect, this'll beour last night ashore, fur we shall all hev to rise airly in the mornin'to git the _Pilot's Bride_ under weigh."