Desk and Debit; or, The Catastrophes of a ClerkOptic, Oliver
General
Desk and Debit; or, The Catastrophes of a Clerk
Optic, Oliver
Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Fraud -- Juvenile fiction; Sailing -- Juvenile fiction
"I wish to secure the anchor, and put the cook-room and cabin in order.
If it should come on to blow, all our dishes would be smashed."
"I will try to steer."
I gave her the helm, and told her to keep the foremast in range with
the Florina. The tiller was long, so that it was not very hard to
steer, though we were going before the wind. I soon found that she
understood the business very well. I told her how to keep the boat
steady, and in a short time she was able to do it to her own and to my
satisfaction. I had on some good clothes, and I did not care to injure
them at the dirty work of cleaning and stowing the anchor. I went below
and drew on a pair of old overalls I found in the cook-room, which I
had used while getting dinner. In the cabin I took a coat and an old
hat, belonging to the owner of the Marian, from a locker, and these
completed my outfit. Thus rigged I went on deck again.
"Dear me! How you startled me!" exclaimed Marian, as I stepped into the
standing-room.
"Why, what's the matter?"
"I thought it was Mr. Waterford. You looked just like him when you came
up those stairs. You have on the clothes he wore the last time I sailed
with him."
"He is larger than I am."
"I know he is; but that hat and coat made you look just like him when
you were coming up. No matter; I know you are not Mr. Waterford, and I
am thankful you are not."
"So am I. If I were Mr. Waterford, I would sell out, and be somebody
else the first thing I did," I replied, as I went forward.
I washed off the anchor, and the end of the cable, and stowed them in
their proper places. I cleaned off the deck, and was only satisfied
when I had everything neat enough to take dinner upon. I was sure the
fair helms-lady could steer better now that this mud and confusion were
removed, for they lay in her line of vision as she sighted the Florina.
I then went below, cleared off the table, washed the dishes, and put
them in the lockers, swept out the cabin and cook-room, and put
everything in good order. The interior of the yacht was a model of
comfort and elegance, and it was unpleasant to see anything out of
place there.
As it was probable that Miss Collingsby would be compelled to sleep on
board, I satisfied myself that everything in and about the berths was
in good order. I took a pair of rifles from one of them, where Mr.
Waterford kept them for his hunting trips, and set them up near the
companion-way. While I was about it, I explored the cabin in order to
ascertain its resources. I found almost everything there which could
make the voyagers on the lake happy and comfortable. There was plenty
of whiskey and wine, as well as other liquors, which could possibly
make the owner happy; but they had no allurements to me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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