I say thray cheers for our
gallant captain!"
The cheers were given with a hearty good will and the orator sat down
smiling broadly and moistening his dry lips with his tongue. Then the
diners desired a response.
It struck Madden to propose salving the dock while the crowd was mellow.
He arose when the noise subsided somewhat.
"I thank you fellows very much for the kind opinion you entertain of me,
and now I want to lay a proposition before you."
"Hear! Hear the captain!" called two or three cockneys in hoarse good
humor.
"I want to say that to-morrow we are going to man the schooner and sail
for home."
The men were in a bubbling mood, and cheered this with cries of "Good!
Good!"
"What I wish you to decide is, whether we shall tow the dock, or sail
with the schooner alone?"
"With the schooner alone, sor!" "Schooner alone!" "We 'ave enough of th'
dock!" came an instant chorus.
Leonard held up a hand, "One moment. I want you to have a voice in this
decision. An attempt to tow the dock will be highly adventurous, no
doubt dangerous. You were not hired for any such service, and I wish to
leave it to a vote."
"Good, very good, sor! Let's 'ave th' question!"
"Just one moment. You must consider the salvage involved in this matter.
If we save the schooner, we will receive as prize money about one-half
her value.
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