“Mr. Norris Carthew is earnestly entreated to call without delay at the office of Mr. ——­, where important intelligence awaits him.”

“It must manage to wait for me six months,” said Norris, lightly enough, but yet conscious of a pang of curiosity.

CHAPTER XXIII.  THE BUDGET OF THE “CURRENCY LASS.”

Before noon on the 26th November, there cleared from the port of Sydney the schooner, Currency Lass.  The owner, Norris Carthew, was on board in the somewhat unusual position of mate; the master’s name purported to be William Kirkup; the cook was a Hawaiian boy, Joseph Amalu; and there were two hands before the mast, Thomas Hadden and Richard Hemstead, the latter chosen partly because of his humble character, partly because he had an odd-job-man’s handiness with tools.  The Currency Lass was bound for the South Sea Islands, and first of all for Butaritari in the Gilberts, on a register; but it was understood about the harbour that her cruise was more than half a pleasure trip.  A friend of the late Grant Sanderson (of Auchentroon and Kilclarty) might have recognised in that tall-masted ship, the transformed and rechristened Dream; and the Lloyd’s surveyor, had the services of such a one been called in requisition, must have found abundant subject of remark.

For time, during her three years’ inaction, had eaten deep into the Dream and her fittings; she had sold in consequence a shade above her value as old junk; and the three adventurers had scarce been able to afford even the most vital repairs.  The rigging, indeed, had been partly renewed, and the rest set up; all Grant Sanderson’s old canvas had been patched together into one decently serviceable suit of sails; Grant Sanderson’s masts still stood, and might have wondered at themselves.  “I haven’t the heart to tap them,” Captain Wicks used to observe, as he squinted up their height or patted their rotundity; and “as rotten as our foremast” was an accepted metaphor in the ship’s company.  The sequel rather suggests it may have been sounder than was thought; but no one knew for certain, just as no one except the captain appreciated the dangers of the cruise.  The captain, indeed, saw with clear eyes and spoke his mind aloud; and though a man of an astonishing hot-blooded courage, following life and taking its dangers in the spirit of a hound upon the slot, he had made a point of a big whaleboat.  “Take your choice,” he had said; “either new masts and rigging or that boat.  I simply ain’t going to sea without the one or the other.  Chicken coops are good enough, no doubt, and so is a dinghy; but they ain’t for Joe.”  And his partners had been forced to consent, and saw six and thirty pounds of their small capital vanish in the turn of a hand.