Fantasy Football Challenge - Football Fanatics Library

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Fantasy Football Challenge presents
The Adventure Club Afloat

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doesn't state. That's a matter generally agreed on between the salvors and the owners. When no agreement can be reached the case goes to the Admiralty Court." "Oh," said Steve. "The first thing to do--" "I guess the first thing to do is find out who the owners are and see what they have to say. If they make you a fair offer, well and good. Now, do you want me to take this case for you?" "Why, yes, sir, I think so," replied Steve, glancing inquiringly at the others, who nodded assent. "How much--that is, what--" "What would I charge you for my services?" boomed the lawyer. "Nothing at all, boys, unless you get a settlement. If we don't have to go to court you may pay me a hundred dollars. If we do, we'll make another arrangement later. That satisfactory?" "Yes, indeed," answered Steve heartily, and the rest murmured agreement. "How long will it take to find out, sir?" "I'll have the owner's name in half an hour. Then I'll send them a wire. You drop in tomorrow at this time and I dare say I'll have something to tell you. I'll have a look at the boat this afternoon and get an idea of her value as a bottom. Then we'll get someone to give an estimate on her cargo. Would you be willing to pay ten dollars for an appraisement?" "Yes, sir, if that's advisable." "Well, I think it is. We'd better know what we've got, eh? All right, gentlemen. You leave it to me. Where are you stopping?" "We're staying aboard our boats, sir, the _Adventurer_ and the _Follow Me_." "I want to know! Regular mariners, ain't ye? Well! Well! Guess you're having a fine time, too, eh?" "Yes, sir, we've had a pretty good time. About--about how much do you think we ought to get for the boat, Mr. Hyatt?" "Including cargo? Well, now, I don't know, Mister--What did you say your name is?" "Stephen Chapman." "Mr. Stephen Chapman, eh?" The lawyer wrote it on a scrap of paper and thrust it carelessly into a pigeon-hole of the old walnut desk. "Well, there ought to be a tidy sum coming to you, sir; yes, sir, a tidy sum. Lumber is fetching money just now, and you tell me the _Catspaw_ is loaded high." "Yes, sir, she's loaded up to her rails. Do you suppose we'll get a thousand dollars?" "A thousand dollars, eh?" Mr. Hyatt beamed broadly and nodded until all his chins in sight shook. "Yes, you might look for a thousand dollars, boys. It isn't sense to get your expectations too high, but I guess you can safely bank on a thousand. Oh, yes, a thousand isn't unreasonable. Well, you drop around tomorrow and maybe there'll be something to report. I'll get right to work, gentlemen. Good afternoon!" "Funny old whale, isn't he?" commented Joe when they were once more on the street. "Suppose he knows what he's talking about?" "Why not?" asked Wink. "He struck me as being rather a canny customer." "Well, he said a thousand dollars," replied Joe. "That's a lot of money, isn't it, for an old schooner like the _Catspaw_?" "It isn't much for the schooner and the cargo, too," said Steve. "I'm wondering if it oughtn't to be a lot more; say fifteen hundred. You see, a schooner like that costs quite a lot of money when it's new. And then, as Mr. Hyatt said, lumber is high right now, and there's a pile of it on board." "A thousand will suit me all right," said Joe. "A twelfth of a thousand is--is--" "A thirteenth you mean," corrected Steve. "Don't forget Neil." "And don't count your chickens until they're hatched," Wink advised. "It's unlucky, Joe." They found the other members of the expedition in various states of coma induced by a hearty dinner and lack of sleep, but they were all wide awake when Steve announced the result of the visit to the lawyer. "Gee!" exclaimed "Brownie." "A thousand dollars! He's fooling, isn't he? Why, I thought we'd get maybe three hundred!" "A thousand isn't a cent too much," said Perry. "Come to think of it, fellows, I earned that much myself!" "Just a minute, fellows," said Steve, interrupting the jeers that greeted Perry's statement. "What are we going to do with the money when we get it?" There was a moment of silence. Then Tom Corwin inquired: "Do with it? How do you mean, do with it, Steve? I thought it would be divided up pro rata." "Of course," agreed Cas and Ossie in unison. "Wait a minute," said Phil. "Steve's got something on his mind. Let's hear it." Steve swung himself to the porch rail and faced the half-circle of boys. "It's just an idea," he began, "and if you don't like it you've only got to say so. As I look at it, fellows, this club has been a good deal of a success. If we haven't had any whopping big adventures, we've had some mild ones--" "Great Jumping Jehoshaphat!" muttered Han. "What do you call adventures?" Steve smiled and went on, "At any rate, we've had a whole lot of fun. At least, I have." He looked about him inquiringly. "You bet we have!" answered Joe heartily, and the rest echoed him. "Of course, we got the club up just for this Summer, I suppose, but I don't see any reason why we shouldn't make it a--a permanent affair." "Bully!" exclaimed Perry. "Second the motion!" "Sit down!" growled Wink. "There's next Summer coming, fellows. We could do something like this again if we wanted to. We needn't make a trip in motor-boats, but we could do something just as good. Well, now, why not take this money when we get it and stow it away in the Club treasury instead of spending it? Then we'd have enough to do almost anything we liked next year. If we each got our seventy-seven dollars, or whatever the shares might be, we'd have it spent in a month and never know where it got to. But if we put it in the bank at interest we'd--we'd have something. If you don't like the scheme, just say so. I'm willing to do whatever the rest of you say, only I thought--" "It's a corking idea," declared Harry Corwin enthusiastically. "You're dead right, Steve, too. Seventy-seven dollars would last about two weeks with me. Why hang it, I've had it spent ten times already, and each time for some fool thing I didn't really want! I say, let's keep the Club going, fellows, and put the money in the treasury. And let Phil deposit it in a bank. At four per cent, or whatever it is banks pay you, it would come to nearly--nearly thirty dollars by next Summer. And thirty dollars would buy us gasoline for a month!"

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