Here I am, said Harvey, taken by surprise. What do you want?
Why, Ive got a letter for you, said the postmaster. It has been here three days. I couldnt find out where you were.
Well, thats odd, exclaimed Harvey, stepping back and receiving the envelope. I never got one before. Say, we came over for something, after all.
He tore open the envelope and read the letter enclosed.
Whew! he exclaimed as he finished. Thats tough. And he gave a disconsolate whistle.
Whats the matter? Nothing bad, I hope, asked Henry Burns.
In reply, Harvey handed him the letter. It was dated from Boston, and read as follows:
My dear Jack: Sorry to have to write you bad news, but you are big enough to stand it, I had to work hard when I was a boy, and perhaps you may now, but youll come out all right in the end. I dont know just where I stand, myself. Investments have gone wrong, and Saunders has brought suit in court, claiming title to the land where the mine is. May beat him out. Dont know. He is a rascal, but may win.VikingNow I havent got a dollar to send you, and dont see where Ill get any all summer for you, as I shall need every cent to pay bills. I have got to go out to borrow money to pay lawyers, too, to fight the case.
Too bad, but you will have to come home, or shift for yourself for the summer. Let me know, and Ill send money for your fare, if you are coming.
Affectionately, your dad,William Harvey.
I declare I dont know what to do about it, said Harvey. You see, I never thought about getting along without money before. All I have had to do is just ask for it. Now, you see, Im behind on my allowance. We paid Reed thirty-five dollars, you know, for wintering and painting the boat, and something more for some new pieces of rigging. That, and what Ive spent for clothes, has cleaned me out.
Yes, but I owe you twelve dollars on the boat account, which Im going to pay as soon as I receive my own allowance from my aunt, said Henry Burns.
Well, that wont go very far, responded Harvey, gloomily. We owe or shall owe for the freight on that box of provisions thats coming from Benton; we have got to hire a tender to take the place of the old one I sold last fall. We cant keep on borrowing this one all summer
Never mind, interrupted Henry Burns. You know it costs us scarcely anything to live down here. We can catch all the fish and lobsters we want, dig clams, and all that sort of thing. All we need to buy is a little meal and flour and coffee and sugar from time to time, and well do that all right on my allowance.
Thats kind in you, Henry, said Harvey,
warmly, but I dont quite like the idea of living all summer on you.
Why not? demanded Henry Burns, and added, quickly, You used to provide everything for all your crew last summer, didnt you?
Why, yes, I did, replied Harvey. Ha! ha! catch one of them buying anything. But of course they couldnt buy much of anything, anyway. They hadnt any money. But somehow this is different. You see, well the fact is, Im not quite used to being hard up. And I dont exactly like to take it. Of course, I know just how you mean it, too.
Yes, but think how small our expenses need be if we are careful, urged Henry Burns. We live right aboard here all the time, you know.
Yes, answered Harvey, but it all counts up more than you think, especially when one is short of money. You cant run a big boat like this all summer without expense. Its a rope here and a block there, and a spare anchor we need, and a lot of little things all the time. I know how it was on the Surprise .
Their conversation was interrupted at this point by a voice close alongside. The canoe had glided quietly up, and the next moment Tom and Bob were descending into the cabin.
My, but you chaps have elegant quarters down here, exclaimed Tom. We envy you your summer aboard here, dont we, Bob?
Henry Burns and Harvey, somewhat taken aback, made no reply, and looked embarrassed.
Why, whats up? asked Tom, observing something was wrong. No more trouble, I hope.
Harvey explained the situation.
That need not be so bad, said Tom. It doesnt cost but little to live here. We spend scarcely anything, do we, Bob? We can lend you something to help you through. You dont want to think of giving up the summer.
I dare say I could stick it out all right, said Harvey, if I was just camping once more. That doesnt cost much. It is this boat that bothers me. We cant run it for nothing.
Well, then, exclaimed Henry Burns, vigorously, with more demonstrativeness than was usual with him, Ill tell you what we will do. Well make the boat work. We will make it pay its own way, and pay us something besides. Well fit out and go down among the islands fishing, and take our fish over to Stoneland and sell them, the same as the fishermen do. There wont be a fortune in it, with a boat no bigger than this, but it will support us, and more too, after paying all expenses.
Henry, cried Harvey, gratefully, youre a brick! I thought of that once, and Id have proposed it if this had been the old Surprise ; but I didnt know as you would be willing to do it with this boat. It dirties a craft up so.