The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-04-24

e wise and Winked knowingly. Keep
yyo,SM head to Wind ard, son, he re-
fnsprkeM MAY be III have a s'prise
parfM foM Foi Some Of these days.
Bradley ai6S,t know what he meant,
and the Saptafn> wouldn't explain.
In reply No the~auestion concerning
what was to Ne doSe next the Junior
partner, who was sitting on an over
turned salt mackefsel tub ABOARD the
Lizzie. asked question in bis turn.
"Capn Ez,' he said. 'o you yemen
Der that schooner loaded with tars9l
foundered on the flats off Ca1&S's poiall
last March? The one we locatetN When
we were dragging for Anderson'sN an
Choir that time?"
Captain Titcomb nodded. "Yup," he
said. ''She b'longed to a Boston firm,
seems to me- Let's see-what was
their names?''
Cotton, Lee & Co. They are on Com
mercial street. Well, | went in to see
'em when I was up to Boston
"You did?'
Eyes. That tar has stuck in my
mind ever since you told me about it.
1t was in barrels, you see, and it's
harder than Pharaohs heart natural
ly. so the salt water hasn't had time
to hurt il any to speak of. Obed told
me that the schooner was insured AID
the cargo wasn't So | thought I'd go
in and see the owners. Well. they'd
pretty nearly forgotten about the tar
I suppose it had been charged to profit
and loss long ago. We talked. and I
told 'em that l might perhaps be able
to save a few barrels-onlv a few of
course. The upshot of it all was that
just as it lies on the bottom. for $25
cash.
''You didn't?''
II did 1t was S25 more than they
ever expected to get at that. Now,
cap'n, our agreement was that no new
move should be entered into without
the consent of both partners. This
deal was so all in the air. as you
might say, that | didn't say anything
about it until I'd seen the owners.
Now. if you feel that we can't raise
enough of the stuff to pay for the trou-
bic I'll let the twenty-five come out of
my pocket and call it fine for being
too smart"
You shan't do no such thing. We
car git out enough of that tar to make
that up twice over. even with the back
number rig we've got. But if we had
diyin' kit and a diver I'd be willin'
to bet we could save two or three hun
dred barrels. maybe more
THAT'S what I thought. So I spent
nearly three hours cruising up and
down Atlantic avenue and rummaging
In ship stores and such places And.
Cap'n Ezra. | know where we can buy
complete fit out second hand-pnmps.
pipes, divers suit and the whole BUSH
ness, in Al shape, SO far as | can see
for $3.50. Just for a hier / paid $40
and got an option on it for week"
mo? You didn't? Brad Nickerson,
here's where the old man takes his hat
off. You've got nae beat, hull down
I'll be askin' you for a mates job yit
Three hundred and fifty! Dirt, dog
cheap
I'm glad you feel that way, cap'n.
OF course a diver II be expensive. The
salvage company will charge us any
where from So to $40 day for a
good one. And there's where I'm
afraid the whole speculation falls
down. We don't know how that tar
lies, whether the hurs broken up,
whether the barrels are sanded over or
not. 1t might take SO long to get it
out that we'd lose money!
The captain, with both hands jam
med into his pockets-his beckets, he
called them-was pacing up and down.
I've got your diver, boy.' he cried
That is, I've got him if you say the
word. Five dollars day, too, in
stead of fifteen"
Where i'll the world
Right here in Orham And he's had
plenty of experience. What's the mat
ter with Sam Hammond?''
Sam Hammond! Sam-why, Cap'n
Ez, what are you talking about? Sam
told me himself that he'd come home
to rest He's going back to New York
in little While. He wouldn't work
for us!''
Wouldn't, hey? Brad, twas the fell
Ter with one leg that was too religious
to dance. Sans out of a job. Maybe
he fired the boss; maybe the boss fred
him. All | know is that he told me
last night he'd dive for us at So per.
Course he'd only do it to help us out,
but that's all right l don't care if
there's hole in the bag SO longs the
cookies are inside
And so that is how Samuel Ham
mond, late of the Metropolitan Wreck
ing company of New York, came to en-
ter the employ of Titcomb & Nicker-
son, to whom he had contemptuously
referred as anchor draggers." But if
Bradley supposed for a moment that
Sam would change his patronizing at
utude because of the move he was
much mistaken. Mr. Hammond laugh
ed when he boarded the Lizzie, asked
facetiously if this was the vessel or
H. ~ - L. s,,@s j. - 80