"Very well: that's what I shall call you. None of your Charles Sumner
Harrises!"

"Oh! don't bully him," Kit said. "Give him a chance for himself."

"We shall see enough of his airs," Wade muttered.

He was a rather hard-looking citizen. We engaged him, however, at
thirty dollars a month; and it is but simple justice to him and his
race to add, that, like the traditionary singed cat, he did better
than his general appearance would have guaranteed at that time.

The next morning we wrote to Capt. Mazard with directions to take "The
Curlew" into Gloucester as soon as the carpenter-work was finished. He
would need two or three hands temporarily. These were to be hired, and
their car-fare back to Portland paid, at our expense.

Another matter now came up. It was quite possible that we might
encounter ice at the entrance of Davis Straits, as well as in Hudson
Straits, if we should venture in there: indeed, we might be caught in
the ice. "The Curlew," though a stanch schooner, was only strengthened
in the ordinary way.

"Will it not be best and safest," Raed argued, "to have her
strengthened with cross-beams and braces? A few strong beams of this
sort might save the vessel from being crushed."

As we were held to pay half the cost of the schooner in case of such
an accident, to say nothing of our personal peril, we judged it
prudent to neglect no means to render the voyage as safe as possible.
Accordingly, we went out to Gloucester, and arranged for having it
done; also for getting in water and fuel. In short, there seemed no
end to the _items_ to be seen to. If ever four fellows were kept busy,
we were the four from the 20th of May to the 6th of June. Our
ship-stores we bought in Boston, and had them sent to Gloucester by
rail. It seemed desirable for us landsmen to have our food as nearly
like that we had been in the habit of having as possible. We
accordingly purchased five barrels of flour (not a little of it
spoiled) at eight dollars per barrel; three of salt pork at sixteen
dollars per barrel; two of beef at twelve dollars; six of potatoes at
two dollars and fifty cents; two fifty-pound tubs of butter at
thirty-five cents per pound; coffee, tea, sugar, and "preserves" to
the tune of sixty dollars; and two hundred pounds corn-meal, four
dollars.... Then there were a score of other little necessaries,
amounting to near fifty dollars; in all, a bill of two hundred and
seventy-four dollars. These stores were boug