In Which Billy Topsail Gets an Idea and, to the Amazement of Jimmie Grimm, Archie Armstrong Promptly Goes Him One Better

While Archie Armstrong was pursuing his piratical adventure in the French harbour of St. Pierre, Billy Topsail had gone fishing with Jimmie Grimm and Donald North. This was in the trim little sloop that Sir Archibald had sent north to Billy Topsail in recognition of his service to Archie during a great blizzard from which Bill o’ Burnt Bay had rescued them both.[5] There were now no fish in the summer waters of Ruddy Cove; but word had come down the coast that fish were running in the north. So up went the sails of the little Rescue; and with Billy Topsail, Jimmie Grimm and Bobby North aboard she swept daintily between the tickle rocks and turned her shapely prow towards White Bay.

There was good fishing with hook and line; 190 and as the hold of the little sloop was small she was soon loaded with green cod.

“I ’low I got an idea,” said Billy Topsail.

Jimmie Grimm looked up.

“We’ll sail for Ruddy Cove the morrow,” Billy went on; “an’ when we lands our fish we’ll go tradin’. There’s a deal o’ money in that, I’m told; an’ with what we gets for our fish we’ll stock the cabin o’ the Rescue and come north again t’ trade in White Bay.”

Donald and Jimmie were silent; the undertaking was too vast to be comprehended in a moment.

“Let’s have Archie,” said Jimmie, at last.

“An’ poor ol’ Bagg,” said Donald.

“We’ll have Archie if he’ll come,” Billy agreed, “an’ Bagg if we can stow un away.”

There was a long, long silence, during which the three boys began to dream in an amazing way.

“Billy,” Donald North asked, at last, “what you goin’ t’ do with your part o’ the money we’ll make at tradin’?”

It was a quiet evening on the coast; and from the deck of the sloop, where she lay in harbour, the boys looked away to a glowing sunset, above the inland hills and wilderness. 191

“I don’t know,” Billy replied. “What you goin’ t’ do with your share, Jimmie?”

“Don’t know,” said Jimmie, seriously. “What you goin’ t’ do with yours, Donald?”

“I isn’t quite made up my mind,” said Donald, with an anxious frown. “I ’low I’ll wait an’ see what Archie does with his.”

The three boys stowed away in the little cabin of the Rescue very early that night. They were to set sail for Ruddy Cove at dawn of the next morning.

Archie Armstrong, now returned from the Miquelon Islands and relieved of his anxiety concerning that adventure by his father’s letter, was heart and soul for trading. But he scorned the little Rescue. It was merely that she was too small, he was quick to add; she was trim and fast and stout, she possessed every virtue a little craft could have, but as for trading, on any scale that half-grown boys could tolerate, she was far too small. If a small venture could succeed, why shouldn’t a larger one? What Archie wanted––what he determined they should have––was a thirty-ton schooner. Nothing less would do. They must have a thirty-ton fore-an’-after 192 with Bill o’ Burnt Bay to skipper her. The Heavenly Home? Not at all! At any rate, Josiah Cove was to take that old basket to the Labrador for the last cruise of the season.

Jimmie Grimm laughed at Archie.

“What you laughing at?” Archie demanded, with a grin.

Jimmie couldn’t quite tell; but the truth was that the fisherman’s lad could never get used to the airy, confident, masterful way of a rich man’s son and a city-bred boy.

“Look you, Archie!” said Billy Topsail, “where in time is you goin’ t’ get that schooner?”

“The On Time,” was the prompt reply. “We’ll call her the Spot Cash.”

Billy realized that the On Time might be had. Also that she might be called the Spot Cash. She had lain idle in the harbour since her skipper had gone off to the mines at Sidney to make more money in wages than he could take from the sea. But how charter her?

“Where you goin’ t’ get the stock?” Jimmie Grimm inquired.

“Don’t know whether I can or not,” said Archie; “but I’m going to try my level best.”

Archie Armstrong left for St. John’s by the 193 next mail-boat. He was not the lad to hesitate. What his errand was the Ruddy Cove boys knew well enough; but concerning the prospect of success, they could only surmise. However, Archie wouldn’t be long. Archie wasn’t the lad to be long about anything. What he undertook to do he went right at!

“If he can only do it,” Billy Topsail said.

Jimmie Grimm and Donald North and Bagg stared at Billy Topsail like a litter of eager and expectant little puppies. And Bill o’ Burnt Bay stood like a wise old dog behind. If only Archie could!