"Or possessed so much poetic sentiment," added Mr. Boyd, laughingly.

"He must have had some good in him, with all his faults, or ho would never have so quickly changed," said Budd, thoughtfully.

A declaration his companions readily accepted.

CHAPTER XXIV.--THE FIRM'S PROFITS.

The story now moves forward a few weeks. It is November, and Thanksgiving is close at hand. The fishing season is also nearly over.

In fact the business of the young firm has for some time been princ.i.p.ally the shipping of oysters to the neighboring towns and cities.

Not that they had beds of these delicious bivalves, but had made arrangements with the owner of an extensive plat a a few miles up the bay to market the oysters on shares.

Into all the work of the young partners Mr. Boyd had entered with zest; and under the healthful exercise and invigorating sea-air his usually slender frame grew strong, his muscles toughened perceptibly, and so hearty an appet.i.te was created that he himself laughingly declared he had never eaten so in his life, and he guessed it never would be satisfied.

There was another inmate of the island home now, also. One day Judd had taken a trip up to the State Farm, and when he returned his father came with him, sober and in his right mind. He at first seemed somewhat ashamed to meet Mr. Boyd, who had known him in the days of his early manhood, and before the accursed habit of drink had become fastened upon him; but his brother-in-law met him so kindly, and seemed so thoroughly interested in his reformation, that he, too, began to take heart, and said:

"If I can only keep away from the sight and smell of the abominable stuff, perhaps I can be a man."

So he remained for the most part upon the island. He was particularly skillful in cutting out oysters, and this soon became his recognized part of the young firm's business.

There had been frequent talks between the inmates of the island home as to what they should do as the winter months came on. Delightful as the place was for the warmer months of the year, it was too bleak for a winter abode. Then, too, there would soon be but little work in which they could engage. But as the weather still remained mild and pleasant, no definite plan was agreed upon; in fact they were all loath to leave a spot that for many reasons had become inexpressibly dear to them.

So the week before Thanksgiving came, and found them still at the island. The work for the day was over, and they had gathered, as was their custom, about the cozy sitting-room fire. The two fathers were reading, while the boys were busy with their accounts.

"There are nearly one hundred dollars out in small bills that we shall have to collect before we can tell just what our season's work is going to amount to," Budd said in a low tone to his partner.

"Well, you call off the names and amounts, and I will fill out the statements, and we'll send them out at once," Judd responded, drawing a small writing-desk toward him.

For an hour or longer the lads were engaged in this work; but it was at length finished, and the account-books were put away.

"I'll tell you, Judd, what I want to do before we leave here," Budd now said.

"What is it?" his partner asked, with interest.

"Go off for a good long sail; make a day of pleasure of it. For months we have had nothing but business, and I should really like to put a dinner on board the sloop, and fuel, so we can make our tea or coffee, and all of us go off for a day's cruise."

"Where would you go?" inquired Judd, laughingly. "There are very few places around here that you have not visited."

"Oh! go just where we took a notion to go," Budd replied. "The enjoyable part of the trip would be in not having a definite place fixed before we started."

"Well, if to-morrow should prove as pleasant as to-day has been, you couldn't choose a better time for going," went on his chum. "Father and Uncle Henry, what do you think of Budd's idea?"

All four were soon busy discussing the suggestion, and they went to their rooms with the understanding that if the morrow proved a fine day the trip should be undertaken.

The lads were up early, and found the day was promising to be all that they could ask. The preparations were rapidly made, therefore, and at nine o'clock all necessary provisions had been stowed on board the sloop and they were ready to embark.

"Here, Budd; we are to go where you take a notion to go, so you can take the helm," cried out Judd, hurrying to cast off the sloop's fastenings and to hoist her jib and sail.

Budd took the a.s.signed place, and turned the bow of the Sea Witch down the bay. The wind was from the northwest, and they went along at a good rate of speed.

Arriving at the mouth of the bay, Budd turned the sloop to the west and ran in close to the sh.o.r.e, so as to have a good view of the Pier, whose hotels and cottages, closed for the season, made it seem like a deserted city. On they went until Point Judith was reached; then Budd put up the helm and ran directly out to sea.

The north light of Block Island was pa.s.sed on the left, and along the west sh.o.r.e of that gem of the sea the boat sped. At the southern end the sloop was turned to the east, and it was evident that Budd was going to run around the island. It was now after twelve o'clock, and Judd asked:

"Shall you land for dinner, Budd, or shall I get it ready in the cabin?"

"We are not going to land anywhere until we touch our own dock," said Budd, in high glee. "I came out for a sail, and I'm going to have it.

You can get dinner ready when you like."

Judd went into the cabin, built a fire in the tiny stove, and soon the fragrant odor of coffee filled the air. After awhile he announced dinner, and Mr. Boyd and Mr. Floyd went down to partake of it.

Budd, left alone on deck, and, as he afterward said, taken with a freak, put the sloop about again and ran off to sea. Those at dinner thought little of it until they felt the sloop suddenly heave up into the wind and heard Budd call out:

"Here, Judd, quick; I want you."

They all jumped to their feet and rushed out of the cabin. The sloop was miles off the southeast of Block Island, which looked like a mere cloud at the northwest. Her sails flapped idly in the wind, her helm was lashed, and Budd, with the scoop-net in band, was trying to reach several large bunches of grayish matter that were tossing a few feet away upon the waves.

"What is it?" asked Judd, coming to Budd's a.s.sistance, and letting the sloop off a little so she would swing nearer to the object his partner was endeavoring to reach.

"I don't know," answered Budd, catching the largest bunch in his net and drawing it on board, "but I'll soon find out."

But the more he examined the object, the more puzzled he was. While grayish in color at a distance, on close inspection it proved to be variegated, like marble. It also had a fatty, oily appearance, but was solid to the touch, and when rubbed gave forth a peculiar sweet, earthy odor.

"What do you call it, father?" he at length asked.

"It is evidently a fatty matter of some kind, but I cannot tell its precise nature," Mr. Boyd replied.

Mr. Floyd, however, with a sparkle in his eye, said:

"My opinion is, lad, that you had better get the rest of it, for if I mistake not you have found a treasure."

As he spoke he took from his pocket a knife and cut off a thin slice of the matter, and applied a lighted match to it. It flashed almost like powder, and the sweet odor was strongly noticeable.

"I thought so," he said, "though I never saw any of the stuff but once before, and then only a tiny piece. It's ambergris, and it's worth dollars and dollars a pound."

"I've read about it," said Budd, quickly. "It is a substance that forms in the intestines of the whale, and is occasionally found floating on the sea or thrown upon the sh.o.r.e. They use it in the manufacture of perfumery and cordials; and as Uncle Silas says, it is very valuable.

Here, Judd, help me to get the rest of it."

Elated at their discovery, the boys worked the sloop down near the other pieces, and gathered them all up. There were a half dozen in all, the largest being the one that Budd had first secured, while one or two were comparatively small in size.

"How many pounds do you think there are of it, Uncle Silas?" asked Budd, when all had been secured.

"Nigh on to thirty pounds, I reckon," he said, lifting the pieces one by one.

"It is the biggest haul, then, we have made this season," remarked Judd, with open eyes.