The Penn's Grove record., 1894-07-06
NUMBER so.

This was a wise act, for the next
morning the boys found everything
topsyturyy about the fakes and the
landing jetty, as If some one had
been searching there diligently.
The coaster still lay at anchor in the
bay.
This very suspicious circumstance,
coupled with the shippers behavior,
caused Denny to think quite serious
u about his whale stone and its pos
sibie value, until at length he be-
came so earnest about il
that he resolved to find out
in some way what it was and what II
was worth. But the flsherfolk who
lived near had no knowledge Of such
matt rs.
So during the following we k,
much against the advice of Aleck
and the older members of the family,
Denny took an old potato sack, and
putting the gummy, yellowy mass
within, started to trudge with it on
his back all the way to St Johns,
this capital of the island.
1t was a heavy load and a great IN,
dertaklng for a lad OF his age and
limited experience. IIe was five OF
six days making the journey; and
when at length he arrived in the
city he was quite at a loss how to
get the information he desired.
After walking the streets for some
time he made bold to enter a store
and ask the shop keeper to buy his
treasure. The man look az it, and
laughed at him for fetching such a
worthless loss as that to market.
At another store a mar examined
1t curiously and offered 81 for it He
was so disheartened that he was
much tempted to take the money aud
start at once for home; but he re-
solved to try q little further. Ac-
cordingly he shouldered his tiresome
load, and went out on the street
again.
CHANGING to glance back, he saw
that the storekeeper was following
very slowly after him, as If to sec
where he was going. AS he turned
awkwardly to 20 on, he jostled against
a man in a uhiform-the most splen-
did garb he had ever seen-and felt
greatly ashamed that his dirty gunny-
sack had rubbed against such a gor-
geous red coat.
II didn't mean to. sill" he faltered,
deprecatingly.
The officer laughed good-naturedly
and asked him what he had got so
heavy in his gunny-bag.
II don't know what 1t Is, SIR" re-
piled Denny, rather disconsolately.
II wish 1 could 1nd some one who
could tell me-"
LET me look al it." said the Of
1cer.
Denny turned his treasure oat Of
the sack; and his new acquaintance
examined it, first with a smile, then
more attentively.
"lf l am not mistaken, my lad"
he said st length, this is ambergr.s;
and If so, it is valuable. Where did
you get it,"
Denny told him the history Of the
whale stone.
$50 you are a stranger here?" the
officer remarked. .
"Yes, sir. I've walked all the wav
from BonaviSta Bay, and brought
this thing on my shoulders"
''Well, l may be in error, observed
the uniformed gentleman; ''but come
with me to some tradesmen whom l
know. They will probably tell us
whether l am right"
TO the mercantile house of some
dealers Of a better class they accord
ingly repaired, and after a critical
examination of the gummy mass, and
various tests--among others, heat,
which completely yolatilized a small
fragment OF it,-these Traders pro.
nounced the substance ambergris, of
good quality, such as is formed in the
bodies of whales.
Y Before purchasing it, however, they
wanted a few days time in which to
look more fully into the value Of the
article; and by advice of the major
for that was the rank of the officer
who had thus kindly interested him
self 10 Denny's behalf-he left his
load with them, and then sought
lodgings for the night
1t was a week or more before the
merchants finally decided what they
could afford to give for the ambergris;
and meantime Denny grew very i'm.
patient. for the major had now gone
away from St Johns, and he did not
have the benefit Of his counsels after
the first evening,
But the mercantile firm at last
came to a conclusion as to the value
OF the substance; and the announce
ment quite took the young fisher.
mans breath away. They could pay
him, they said, at present prices,
$3.50 per ounce; and the mass
weighed forty pounds and four
ounces! At that rate the total would
be $13, SAG.
Denny's head fairly whirled around.
He hau not expected over a few hun
dred dollars at best. Seeing his
amazement, the old merchant and
his clerks laughed heartily. They
advised him to have the money placed
on deposit and subject to his order at
one of the city banks; and this he
did.
am glad to be able to add that
Denny has made very good use of his
suddenly.acquired money. In an
economical manner he first made his
family very comfortable at Bonavista
Bay, and then resolved to expend
81, 900 in obtaining an education In
the United States.
1t was at one of our New England
high schools that the writer made his
acquaintance, and learned from him
the facts of this story. -Robert d
polmar in Nnuth'a Cnm DaniOn.