After looking over the Johnnie Duncan and admiring her to our hearts'
content, we sat down in her cabin and began to talk of the seining
season to come. Others came down and joined in--George Moore, Eddie
Parsons among others--and they asked Clancy what he was going to do.
Was he going to see about a chance to go seining, or what? Moore said
he's been waiting to see what Maurice Blake was going to do; but as it
was beginning to look as though Maurice was done for, he guessed he'd
take a look around. He asked Clancy what he thought, and Clancy said
he didn't know--time enough yet.
Maurice Blake himself dropped down then. He was looking better, and
everybody was glad to see it. He'd quit drinking--that was certain;
and now he was a picture of a man--not pretty, but strong-looking,
with his eyes glowing and his skin flushing with the good blood inside
him. He took a seat on the lockers and began to whittle a block of
soft pine into a model of a hull, and after a while, with a squint
along the sheer of his little model, he asked if anybody had seen Tom
O'Donnell or Wesley Marrs. Several said yes, they had, and he asked
where, and when they told him he got up and said he guessed he'd go
along--as he couldn't get a vessel himself, he might as well see about
a chance to go hand. "And as we've been together so much in times gone
by, Tommie, and you, Eddie and George, what do you say if we go
together now?"
"All right," said Clancy, "but wait a minute--who's that in the
gangway?"
It turned out to be Johnnie Duncan. He had a fat bundle under his arm,
and bundle and all Clancy took him up, tossed him into the air, said
"All right again, Johnnie-boy?" and kissed him when he caught him
down.
Johnnie started to undo his bundle. "I tell you it's great to be out
again--the way they kept me cooped up the last few days," and then,
cutting the string to hurry matters, opened the bundle and spread a
handsome set of colors on the lockers. "The Johnnie Duncan's," said
he. "I picked out the kind they were to be, but mummer worked the
monograms herself. See, red and blue. And see that for an ensign! and
the firm's flag--and the highs--look!--the J. A. D. twisted up the
same as on the handkerchiefs we strained the coffee through last week.
And the burgee--the letters on the burgee--my cousin Alice worked
them. And these stars--see, on the ensign--mummer and my cousin both
worked them. Gran'pa said the vessel ought to be sure a lucky one, and
all she needs is an able master, he says, and if Captain Blake will
take her he'll be proud to have him sail the Johnnie Duncan----"
Maurice Blake stood up. "Me?"
"Yes," said Johnnie. "Gran'pa says that you can have her just as soon
as you go to the Custom House and get your papers. There, I think I
remembered it all, except of course that the colors are from me and
mummer and my cousin Alice, and will you fly them for us?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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