By three o'clock that afternoon, with such celerity had the work gone forward, Mr.Watkins, the contractor, announced to Cleggett that his task was finished, except for the removal of the rubbish in the hold.Cleggett, going carefully over the vessel, and examining the new parts with a brochure on the construction and navigation of schooners in his hand, verified the statement.
"She is ready to sail," said Cleggett, standing by the new wheel with a swelling heart, and sweeping the vessel from bowsprit to rudder with a gradual glance.
It was a look almost paternal in its pride; Cleggett loved the Jasper B.She was an idea that no one else but Cleggett could have had.
"Sail?" said Mr.Watkins.
"Why not?" said Cleggett, puzzled at his tone.
"Oh, nothing," said Mr.Watkins."It's none of my business.My business was to do the work I was hired to do according to specifications.Further than that, nothing.""But why did you think I was having the work done?""Can't say I thought," said Mr.Watkins."I took the job, and I done it.Had an idea mebby you were in the movin' picture game."Mr.Watkins, as he talked, had been regarding Cap'n Abernethy, who in turn was looking at the mainmast.There seemed to be something in the very way Cap'n Abernethy looked at the mainmast which jarred on Mr.Watkins.Mr.Watkins dropped his voice, indicating the Cap'n with a curved, disparaging thumb, as he asked Cleggett:
"Is HE going to sail her?" "Why not?"
"Oh--nothing; nothing at all," said Mr.Watkins."It's none o' MY business."Cleggett began to be a little annoyed."Have you," he said withdignity, and fixing a rather stern glance upon Mr.Watkins, "have you any reason to doubt Cap'n Abernethy's ability as a sailing master?""No, indeed," said Mr.Watkins cheerfully, "not as a sailing master.He may be the best in the world, for all I know._I_ never seen him sail anything.I never heard him play the violin, neither, for that matter, and he may be a regular jim-dandy on the violin for all I know.""You are facetious," said Cleggett stiffly.
"Meaning I ain't paid to be fresh, eh?" said Mr.Watkins."And right you are, too.And there's all that junk down in the hold to pass out and cart away."Cleggett personally supervised this removal, standing on the deck by the hatchway and scanning everything that was handed up.The character of this junk has already been described.Every barrel or cask that was placed upon the deck was stove in with an ax before Cleggett's eyes; he satisfied himself that every bottle was empty; he turned over the broken boxes and beer cases with his foot to see that they contained nothing.
But the work was three-quarters done before he found what he was looking for.From under a heap of debris, which had completely hidden it, towards the forward part of the vessel, the workmen unearthed an unpainted oblong box, almost seven feet in length.It was of substantial material and looked newer than any of the other stuff.Cleggett had it placed on one side of the hatchway and sat down on it.It was tightly nailed up; all of its surfaces were sound.Cleggett did not doubt that he would find in it what he wanted, yet in order to be on the safe side he continued to scrutinize everything else that came out of the hold.
But finally the hold was as empty as a drum, and Watkins and his men departed.The oblong box upon which Cleggett sat was the only possible receptacle of any sort in an undamaged condition, which had been in the hold.He determined to have it opened in the cabin.
As he arose from it he was struck by its resemblance to the box in Elmer's charge, the dank box of Reginald Maltravers, which stood on one end near the cabin companionway, leaning against the port side of thecabin so that it was not visible from the road, which ran to the starboard of the Jasper B.But, since all oblong boxes are bound to have a general resemblance, Cleggett, at the time, thought little enough of this likeness.
He called to George and Mr.Calthrop, who, with Dr.Farnsworth, were forward receiving their first lecture on seamanship from Cap'n Abernethy and Kuroki, to carry the box into the cabin.
