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Ballou's Monthly Magazine.
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GETTING EVEN WITH HIM.
BY W. H. MACY.
Captain Barnard of the Euphrates, and Captain Sisson of the Vesper, were old cronies, and had been shipmates in their young days, when both were "before the mast." Their respective ships now lay moored, side by side, in the Bay of Talcahuana, Chili, and the captains met on the wharf the next morning after the Vesper's arrival.
"Well, Sisson, what luck this cruise?" asked Captain Barnard, with a hearty shake of the hand.
"I've done pretty well – took five hundred barrels since I left here in the spring – but, look here, Barnard, have you got a spare cutting-fall that you want to sell? I parted one of mine in cutting my last whale, and I find it is too rotten to be trustworthy. I must have a new one at any price."
"No, I'm sorry to say I've got none to spare, and I doubt whether you'll be able to get one at all in this port."
"Well, there may be some other ships in before I leave for sea, and perhaps I may be able to get one."
The two skippers chatted of other matters for a few minutes, and then separated. Barnard at once made a straight course for the store of Bigelow, the principal ship-chandler of the port. He knew there was a coil of the desired size in the store for he had seen it.
"Bigelow," said he, entering in a hurry, "what do you ask for that cutting-fall? By the way – have you got another coil on hand?"
"No, that's the only one I have. I ask eighty dollars for it."
"Well, I must have it, right away too. I wish you would send it right down to the pier, and my boat will take it off to the Euphrates. Put it in my bill with the other stores I have had."
"All right," said Bigelow, glad to have made so good a trade. And in half an hour, the cutting-fail was hoisted on board Barnard's ship, somewhat to the surprise of his mate, who did not see the necessity of buying one.
Captain Sisson entered Bigelow's store the same afternoon, and inquired for a coil of rope suitable for a cutting-fall. There was none to be found.
"It's a little remarkable," said the ship-chandler. "that I have had one on hand here for some time with no call for it, and this morning I sold it to Captain Barnard of the Euphrates."
Sisson said nothing, but he began to "smell a mice." His shipmate, Barnard, always was sharp on a trade.
"Barnard," said he, as soon as they met again. "what did you buy that fall for? You don't need it, do you?"
"Well – no – I don't know as I do. Come, I'll sell it to you, Sisson."
"What do you want for it?"
"A hundred and fifty dollars."
"Well, I must, have it, and that you know. That's piling it on pretty steep; but I know your maxim, that's all fair in trade, so it's no use to argue the matter. Send it aboard the Vesper – or I'll send my boat and get it; but look here, Barnard, if I had known that you or any other brother whaler was in need of that fall, I should have been just fool enough to tell you that I had seen one up here at Bigelow's, and let you get it as cheap as you could."
"O, all's fair you know in trade," said Captain Barnard, with a laugh, for he was mightily pleased with the prospect of so easily making a profit of seventy dollars, which he meant to put into his own pocket.
Captain Sisson, though he really lost nothing himself, was careful of the interests of his owners, and was much vexed at what he, with his frank open-hearted ways and seafaring education, looked upon as a trick, though he could not deny that it would have been called among business men a legitimate transaction. He brooded over the subject, and often referred to it in conversation with his mate after the ship was at sea.
"Barnard was pretty sharp that time," said he. "Indeed, he always was; but I hope some time to square the yards with him."
Both ships went cruising on the Chili right-whaling ground after leaving Talca-
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