Dan witnessed these preparations, but entered into them with only a
moderate enthusiasm. The reason of his lukewarmness was that he found
himself deeply involved in debts whereof his father knew nothing. When
the fishing season finished and the calculations were made, it was found
that the boat had earned no more than £240. Of this, old Billy Quilleash
took four shares, every man took two shares, there was a share set aside
for Davy, the boy, and the owner was entitled to eight shares for
himself, his nets, and his boat. So far, all was reasonably
satisfactory. The difficulty and dissatisfaction arose when Dan began to
count the treasury. Then it was discovered that there was not enough in
hand to pay old Billy and his men and the boy, leaving Dan's eight
shares out of the count Dan scratched his head and pondered. He was not
brilliant at figures, but he totted up his numbers again with the same
result. Then he computed the provisioning--tea, at four shillings a
pound, besides fresh meat four times a week, and fine flour biscuits. It
was heavy, but not ruinous, and the season had been poor, but not bad,
and whatever the net results, there ought not to have been a deficit
where the principle of cooperation between master and man was that of
share and share.
Dan began to see his way through the mystery--it was most painfully
transparent in the light of the score that had been chalked up from time
to time on the inside of the cupboard of the "Three Legs of Man." But it
was easier to see where the money had gone than to make it up, and old
Billy and his chums began to mutter and to grumble.
"It's raely wuss till ever," said one.
"The tack we've been on hasn't been worth workin'," said another.
Dan heard their murmurs, and went up to Bishop's Court. After all, the
deficit was only forty pounds, and his father would lend him that much.
But hardly had Dan sat down to breakfast than the Bishop, who was
clearly in lower spirits than usual, began to lament that his charities
to the poor had been interrupted by the cost of building the barns and
stables on the farm intended for his son.
"I hope your fishing will turn out well, Dan," he said, "for I've scarce
a pound in hand to start you."
So Dan said nothing about the debt, and went back to the fisher-fellows
with a face as long as a haddock's. "I'll tell you, men, the storm is
coming," he said.
Old Billy looked as black as thunder, and answered with an impatient
gesture, "Then keep your weather eye liftin', that's all."
Dan measured the old salt from head to foot, and hitched his hand into
his guernsey. "You wouldn't talk to me like that, Billy Quilleash, if I
hadn't been a fool with you. It's a true saying, that when you tell your
servant your secret you make him your master."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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