"I rather think so," was Budd's emphatic response.

The ambergris was placed in a tub the lads had on board and taken down into the cabin. Then the sloop resumed her cruise, which was now in the direction of the Brenton Reef lightship. From there she went up through the east pa.s.sage to Newport, where, contrary to Budd's declaration a few hours before, a landing was made.

In the lad's opinion, circ.u.mstances sometimes justified an alteration in one's plans, and he was anxious to ascertain if the substance he had found was really the commercial ambergris it was thought to be. So the stop was made, and with a small piece of the substance in hand he went up to a large drug store, and submitted it to the inspection of the proprietor.

The apothecary, after looking at the substance attentively, went into a back room. He was gone so long that Budd began to get impatient; but he, on returning, explained his long absence in these words:

"I have subjected this to every known test, and it proves genuine. Have you much of it? And where did you find it?"

Budd gave a full account of his finding the substance, and stated how much he believed he had. Then he ventured to ask its value.

"It is seldom, in these waters, that so much is found," replied the druggist, "though there was a parallel case with yours a few summers ago on the sh.o.r.e of Cape Cod. As to the amount you will receive for it, that depends on the supply on hand at this time, far the larger portion of this material now used in the country being imported. No retail druggist would want to buy a hundredth part of what you have. But I'll tell you what I am willing to do. We, as you may know, have a branch house in New York City. If you are a mind to leave your find with me, I will try and dispose of it for you."

"What would you ask for your trouble?" asked Budd.

"Well," said the man, smilingly, "I think we ought to have five per cent. of the net amount received."

"I'll go down and consult with my partner in the find," said the lad, "and if we decide to accept the offer we will bring it right up here."

"Very well," the druggist replied.

A consultation with Judd and the two fathers was immediately held, and the result was the lads took the ambergris up to the store. On reaching there it was weighed and found to fall a little short of the lads'

expectations, as there were but twenty-six and one-half pounds of it.

"Not a bad find, I a.s.sure you," said the proprietor of the store, filling out a receipt for the substance, which he handed to the boys.

"In about a week you may expect a check from me, and I will guarantee it will exceed two thousand dollars."

It came within four days, however, and was drawn for the amount of two thousand five hundred and seventeen dollars and fifty cents, the ambergris having sold readily for one hundred dollars a pound; and the druggist, having deducted his five per cent, commission, remitted the balance to the lads.

"Not a bad sum for deposit, chum," remarked Budd complacently, as he looked the check over. "Now, if we can finish collecting our bills, we can draw a balance-sheet on Thanksgiving-day and see what our profits for the season have been."

Though the inmates of the Fox Island house had received an urgent invitation to spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Johnson in Boston they had declined, preferring to spend it at their own home.

When the day came, it found the affairs of the young firm practically closed up for the season. The pound-nets had been taken up, cleaned, and returned to Mr. Taylor, the owner. Crates and cars and traps were stored in an unused room over the kitchen. Bills were collected, and all expenses paid. The balance-sheet of the firm was drawn, and after dinner it was read and discussed with much pride and interest on the part of the young partners.

"Our receipts have been as follows," and Budd read this to his attentive listeners:

From the fish-pounds, ... ... ... ... ... . . $331.27 From fish secured in other ways, ... ... ... ... 39.74 From clams, lobsters, scallops and oysters, ... ... 195.20 From sailing and fishing-parties, ... ... ... . . 115.00 From Mr. Benton, as a compensation for taking our boats, 25.00 Our part of Clapp & St. John's reward, ... ... ... 1,000.00 Sale of ambergris, ... ... ... ... ... ... . 2,517.50 ---------- Making a total of ... ... ... ... ... ... . $4,223.71 Our total expenses have been ... ... ... ... . . 263.19 ---------- Leaving a net balance of ... ... ... ... ... . $3,960.52

"This gives to each partner the handsome income of $1,980.26. Hurrah!"

and the lad waved high in the air the balance-sheet he had been reading.

"But what pleases me," said Judd, "is that without the unexpected amounts that have come from the reward and the remarkable find, we have had a profitable season. Take the profits of our business alone, and we have the nice sum of four hundred and forty-three dollars and two cents, or over two hundred dollars apiece for the season. That is a better average than I promised you when you came here, Budd."

"Yes, indeed," replied Budd, warmly.

Then he said to his father:

"Of course I have drawn something for personal expenses, and so has Judd; but on looking over our bank account we find we have on deposit nearly thirty-seven hundred dollars; so Judd has authorized me to say that if you would like to have that amount to go into business with, you are welcome to it. With what you have left of the money Mr. Johnson refunded, you would have a capital larger than a good many men have started with."

"I thank you kindly for the offer," said Mr. Boyd with much feeling, "and in a few days we will see what had better be done. I have enjoyed staying here very much, and have gained a good deal of strength from this life; but I am beginning to feel I ought to be doing something more remunerative, before a great while. You--and Judd, too--however much you like the business you have engaged in, are capable of something better, and ought to be in some good school. Perhaps we can arrange the matter so that a portion of this money can be used for your immediate expenses in this direction, while I, with the balance, enter business life again. I have a feeling I should prefer a small business by myself than to accept a clerkship under another;" and Mr. Boyd dropped his head upon his hand in deep thought.

At about the same hour Mr. Johnson sat in his library in his palatial residence in Boston, thinking no less deeply. After awhile he exclaimed, aloud:

"I will do it!"

Then he took up his pen and wrote a brief note. Placing it in an envelope, he addressed it to Mr. Boyd, and ringing the bell, he gave it to the servant who answered his ring, saying:

"Have John carry that out to the nearest box."

Brief as that note was, it was destined to change, and for the better, the plans that were slowly forming in Mr. Boyd's mind for not only himself but the other dwellers in that island home.

CHAPTER XXV.--MR. JOHNSON'S MUNIFICENCE.

On the following Sat.u.r.day the two lads went over to the village, their princ.i.p.al errand being to secure a boarding-place for themselves and fathers, for it had been decided to leave the island the coming week.

Then Mr. Boyd was going on to Boston to see about entering business, and also about putting the boys into some good school. Mr. Floyd had asked that his brother-in-law would so arrange the business that work might be found for him.

"I don't care so much for wages," he had explained, "as to be near you and the lads. I want you all to help me watch myself."

The young partners soon found a boarding-house where they could obtain a parlor and two sleeping-rooms, with board, at what seemed to them a reasonable figure, and promising to give their decision early the next week they left the house. On their way back to the sloop they stepped into the post-office for their mail, and were handed a letter for Mr.

Boyd.

"It is from Mr. Johnson," said Budd, as he glanced at the address. "I wonder what he wants of father?"

"Nothing bad, you can be sure," replied Judd. "The day has gone by for either you or your father to fear anything from that source. I am not sure but the greatest of your triumphs has been to win him for a friend."

"He certainly is a friend now," Budd admitted, his heart going out strongly toward the man he had once counted his enemy; but he little thought what the outcome of that letter was to be.

"I presume we are taking our last sail for months, at least, in our sloop," he remarked, as they took their places in the boat and sailed off down the harbor. "She seems like a near friend to me, and I shall be sorry when we leave her."

"So shall I," a.s.sented Judd; "but still I confess I am glad we are going on with our schooling. I had hoped for nothing, however, quite as grand as we probably shall have;" and there was more truth in his words then he himself knew.

They were still discussing the plans they hoped to realize when they reached the island. Mr. Boyd was at the wharf, and immediately opened the letter Budd gave him.

"Hold on!" he a moment later cried out, as Budd was about to take the sloop to her anchorage. "This letter has laid in the office ever since yesterday noon. Mr. Johnson simply says he is coming down to-night to remain over Sunday with us, and wants you to meet him at the six o'clock train. One of you will have to go back to the village after him."

"We will both go," replied Judd; "there is nothing else to do."

So the sloop was put in readiness for the return trip to the village.

Whatever Mr. Johnson's coming meant he in no way disclosed to the lads as they met him at the depot. He greeted then; cordially, but seemed anxious to reach the island, and was unusually silent and preoccupied in mind the whole way over.

His meeting of Mr. Boyd at the wharf was warm, almost affectionate, and in a way indicated his purpose in making this visit.