charter ought to have been taken away from
them long ago. I don't know that I shall go there this year, nor next:
but I mean to go into that bay sometime, and sail round there, and
trade and talk with the savages as much as I choose; and, if the
company undertakes to hinder me, I'll fight for it; for they've no
moral right nor business to keep us out."

"Good on your head!" cried Kit, patting him encouragingly.

"A war with England seems to be imminent!" exclaimed Wade. "Methinks I
hear the boom of cannon!"

Raed looked dubious a moment, but immediately began to laugh. He is
rather apt to fly off on such tangents. We have to sprinkle him with
ridicule a little: that always brings him out of it all right again.

"Well," said he, "waiving that subject, what say for going as far
north as Hudson Straits, if everything should work favorably?"

We had none of us anything to urge against this.

"But we must not forget that we have not yet hired a vessel," added
Kit.

"No," said Raed; "and the sooner we find out what we can do, the
better."

That afternoon Wade and I went down to the wharves to make inquiries.
Raed and Kit went out to Gloucester, it being quite probable that some
sort of a craft might be found out of employ there. Wade and I were
unable to see or hear of anything at all to our minds in our harbor,
and came up home at about seven, P.M. Kit and Raed had not got back;
nor did they come in the morning, nor during the next day. A few
minutes before eight in the evening, however, we received a despatch
from Portland, Me., saying, "Come down and see it."

We went down on the morning train. The boys were at the depot.

"Couldn't find a thing at Gloucester nor Newburyport nor Portsmouth,"
said Raed. "But I think we've struck something here, if we can stand
the expense."

"Eight out here at the wharf," said Kit.

We walked across.

"There she is!" pointed Raed.

A pretty schooner of a hundred and seventy tons lay alongside.

"One year old," Raed explained. "Clean and sweet as a nut. Here from
Bangor with pine-lumber. Captain's a youngish man, but a good sailor.
We inquired about him. Appears like a good fellow too. Has been on a
cod-fisher up to the Banks; also on a sealer off Labrador. He's our
man, I think."

"And the best of it all is," said Kit, "he owns the schooner; can go
if he's a mind to. So we sha'n't be bothered with any old musty-fusty
owners."

"Well, what does he say?" asked Wade.