Work and Win Part 29

The mate was overjoyed to see them, and to find that they had been saved from the wreck. He leaped into the boat, took Mollie in his arms, and kissed her as though she had been his own child. He grasped the hand of Noddy, and wrung it till the owner thought it would be crushed in his grip.

"I was sure you were lost," said Mr. Lincoln.

"And we were sure you were lost," replied Noddy.

"How did it happen? The cabin was full of water when we left the schooner."

"You didn't wait long, Mr. Lincoln."

"We couldn't wait long. The sea made a clean breach over the wreck. Only four of us were saved; the rest were washed away, and we never saw anything more of them!"

Noddy and Mollie were conducted to the deck of the whale s.h.i.+p, where they were warmly welcomed by the captain and his officers. The three sailors who had been saved from the wreck of the Roebuck were rejoiced to see them alive and well. In the presence of the large group gathered around himself and Mollie, Noddy told his story.

"Captain McClintock was lost, then?"

"Yes," replied Noddy, breaking through the crowd, for he did not like to tell the particulars of his death in poor Mollie's presence.

At a later hour he found an opportunity to inform his late s.h.i.+pmates of the manner in which the corpse of the captain had been found, and of its burial on the island. In return, Mr. Lincoln told him that he had cast off the boat a moment after the schooner struck the reef. The men who happened to be on the quarter-deck with him had been saved; the others were not seen after the shock. With the greatest difficulty they had kept the boat right side up, for she was often full of water. For hours they had drifted in the gale, and in the morning, when the storm subsided, they had reached the island.

They had been kindly treated by natives, who were partially civilized by their intercourse with vessels visiting the island, and with which they carried on commerce, exchanging the products of the island for guns, ammunition, and other useful and ornamental articles. The savages knew that, if they killed or injured any white men, the terrible s.h.i.+ps of war would visit them with the severest punishment.

"What s.h.i.+p is this?" asked Noddy, when the past had been satisfactorily explained by both parties.

"The Atlantic, of New Bedford," replied the mate. "She is full of oil, and is homeward bound."

"Good!" exclaimed Noddy. "I suppose I have nothing further to do in this part of the world, and I may as well go in her."

"This hasn't been a very profitable cruise to me," added Mr. Lincoln.

"Well, I suppose there is no help for it; and I hope you will have better luck next time."

"I don't grumble; these things can't always be helped. We were lucky to escape with our lives, and we won't say a word about the wages we have lost."

"Perhaps you won't lose them," added Mollie; and there was a slight flush on her fair cheeks, for her pride and her filial affection were touched by the reflection that these men had suffered from her father's infirmity.

The captain of the whale s.h.i.+p was entirely willing to take the exiles as pa.s.sengers; and Noddy told him he had saved a great many articles, which might be of service to him. The next day, when the vessel had taken in her water, she sailed for the beautiful island. Outside the reef she lay to, and the boats were sent on sh.o.r.e to bring off such of the goods as would be useful on the voyage.

Noddy and Mollie had an opportunity to visit their island home once more; and, while the former a.s.sisted the men in selecting and loading the goods, the latter gathered fresh flowers, and for the last time strewed them on the grave of her father.

The "big heap thigs" was very much reduced by the visit of the boats; but there was still enough left to reward the natives who had befriended the young islanders for the service they had rendered. According to the captain's estimate,--which was rather low,--he took about four hundred dollars' worth of goods from the island. Mollie, as her father's heir, was the owner of the property, subject to Noddy's claim for salvage.

With Mr. Lincoln's aid the accounts were settled. Mollie insisted upon paying the mate and the three seamen their wages up to the time they would reach their native land. This, with their own pa.s.sage, consumed nearly the whole sum.

Besides the property saved from the island, there were about sixteen hundred dollars in gold and silver, and the valuable nautical instruments of Captain McClintock, making a total of over two thousand dollars. Though the disposition of this property was properly a subject for the maritime courts to settle, Mr. Lincoln and the officers of the s.h.i.+p talked it over, and decided that one half belonged to Mollie, in right of her father, and the other half to Noddy, as salvage,--which is the part of property saved from a wrecked imperilled s.h.i.+p, awarded to those who save it.

Noddy at first positively objected to this decree, and refused to take a dollar from the poor orphan girl; but when the captain told him that a court would probably award him a larger share, and when Mollie almost cried because he refused, he consented to take it; but it was with a determination to have it applied to her use when he got home. The whale s.h.i.+p filled away when the goods had been taken on board, and weeks and months she stood on her course, till the welcome sh.o.r.es of their native land gladdened the sight of the exiled children. Mollie had been a great favorite with the officers and crew during the voyage, and many of them were the wiser and the better for the gentle words she spoke to them.

The captain sold the nautical instruments, and the money was divided according to the decision of the council and officers. Noddy was now the possessor of about twelve hundred dollars, which was almost a fortune to a boy of twelve. It had been "work and win" to some purpose, in spite of the disastrous conclusion of the voyage.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE CLERGYMAN AND HIS WIFE.

The captain of the whale s.h.i.+p very kindly took the young voyagers to his own house until their affairs were settled up. He had dealt fairly and justly by them in all things, and both were grateful to him for the interest he had manifested in their welfare.

"What are you going to do now, Noddy?" asked Mollie, after the instruments had been sold and the proceeds paid over to them.

"I'm going to Woodville, now, to face the music," replied Noddy. "I suppose they will take me to the court-house; but I have made up my mind to submit to the penalty, whatever it may be, for setting the boat-house afire."

"f.a.n.n.y has told all about it before this time, you may be certain,"

added Mollie, to whom he had related the story of the fire.

"I hope she has not; for I think I am the guilty one. She wouldn't have set the fire if it hadn't been for me. I am going to stand right up to it, and take the consequences, even if they send me to prison; but I hope they won't do that."

"I'm sure they won't. But, Noddy, suppose Miss f.a.n.n.y has not told the truth yet. Will you still deceive your kind friends? You told me you had been made over new since you left Woodville, and I know you have. You said you meant to live a good life, and not lie, or steal, or get angry, or do anything that is bad."

"Well, I mean so, Mollie. I intend to stick to it. They won't know anything about that. They won't believe anything I say."

"They must believe you. I'll go with you, Noddy!" exclaimed she, smiling at the happy thought. "I will tell them all about you."

"That will be jolly; and the sooner we go the better."

Their good friend the captain found a gentleman who was going to New York, and they accompanied him, though Noddy felt abundantly able to take care of himself and his fair charge. They arrived the next morning, and took an early train for Woodville.

Noddy conducted Mollie down the road to the lawn in front of the house.

His heart bounded with emotion as he once more beheld the familiar scenes of the past. As he walked along he pointed out to his interested companion the various objects which were endeared to him by former a.s.sociations. He talked because he could not help it; for he was so agitated he did not know whether he was on his head or his heels. He heard a step on one of the side paths. He turned to see who it was, and Bertha Grant rushed towards him.

"Why, Noddy! It that you?" cried she, grasping him with both hands. "I am so glad to see you!"

"You'd better believe I'm glad to see you again," said he, trying to keep from crying.

The poor fellow actually broke down, he was so much affected by the meeting.

"I didn't expect to see you again for years, after the letter you wrote me."

"Been cast away, Miss Bertha, and lived two months on an island where n.o.body lived," blubbered Noddy.

"Who is this little girl with you? Is this Mollie, of whom you spoke in your letter?"

"Yes, Miss Bertha, that's Mollie; and she is the best girl in the world, except yourself."

"I'm very glad to see you, Mollie," said Bertha, taking her hand, and giving her a kind reception. "Now, come into the house."

Bertha, finding Noddy so completely overcome by his emotions, refrained from asking him any more questions, though she was anxious to hear the sad story of the s.h.i.+pwreck. Mr. Grant had not yet gone to the city, and he received the returned exiles as though they had been his own children.

"I've come back, Mr. Grant, to settle up old affairs, and you can send me to the court-house or the prison now. I did wrong, and I am willing to suffer for it."