A millionaire at sixteen

Louis and the captain stopped in the social hall at the head of the stairs, with a door on each side of them. It was provided with divans in every practicable place, and contained quite a library. Passing through one of the doors, they entered what was called the boudoir. It was quite a roomy apartment, with an upright piano between the doors, and the after part was a half-circle.

The entire sides and round end were composed of thick plate-glass, so that the boudoir had the appearance of a conservatory, and it had a stand of plants in the centre. It was furnished with arm-chairs and tête-à-têtes. The captain explained that the windows were provided with shutters, which could be put on the whole or a part of the openings in very stormy weather, though he thought they would seldom be needed.

“You ought to be able to make yourself comfortable in this boudoir,” said Captain Ringgold, when the owner had examined the room. “It is the finest apartment I ever saw on board of a vessel, not excepting the steam-yacht of the Queen of England.”

“I had no idea of such magnificence before,” replied Louis with enthusiasm. “I am sure I can make myself a great deal happier here than I was on that sandbank. You mentioned the name of Mr. Boulong while we were below.”

“Formerly of the Blanche,” answered the commander with a smile. “I found that the Guardian-Mother had a full crew on board, selected with the greatest care by Colonel Singfield himself, with the exception of a captain and first officer, who had accepted other positions rather than wait for the sale of the steamer. I had decided to take the command myself, if my owner did not object.”

“Of course your owner would not object,” laughed Louis. “You are the gentleman above all others I should have selected if it had been left to me.”

“Then I am all right, and I am sure we shall be friends. I shall follow all your directions as though you were an older person than I am; but I suppose you will allow me to advise you when necessary, especially on nautical subjects.”

“On all subjects, Captain Ringgold; and I shall be infinitely obliged to you for your counsels,” added the owner warmly.

“Squire Scarburn has unlimited confidence in you, Louis, and he did not even instruct me to look out for you.”

“But I hope you will do so all the same.”

“I don’t intend to treat you as though I were your schoolmaster. I called upon Mr. Woolridge yesterday to thank him for the use of the Blanche; and when I mentioned that I was in need of a mate, he at once suggested Mr. Boulong. He had been captain of a steamer; but his wife was very sick, and he had been forced to resign his place. He deserved a better place than mate of a yacht like the Blanche, and he recommended him so warmly that I took him. He is a thorough sailor, and understands his duties as officer; in fact, he is competent to command the Guardian-Mother.”

“I like him very much, and I am glad you took him.”

The captain opened one of the doors of the boudoir, and they passed out to the main deck, where all the officers except the second engineer were assembled. They were all dressed in yacht uniforms, looked very trim and nice, and Louis was disposed to fall in love with them all in a bunch.

“Mr. Belgrave, you are already acquainted with Mr. Boulong; but I have the pleasure of presenting him to you as the first officer of the Guardian-Mother,” said Captain Ringgold, as they confronted the mate.

“I am very glad indeed to meet you in that capacity on board of this steamer, Mr. Boulong,” added Louis, as he gave his hand to him. “We have been friends in the past, and I am sure we shall be in the future.”

“Thank you, Mr. Belgrave; I shall endeavor to do my duty faithfully. Allow me to congratulate you on being the owner of the finest steam-yacht that ever sailed out of New York,” replied the chief officer.

“Mr. Belgrave, allow me to introduce Mr. P. Lord Gaskette, the second officer of the steamer, who is not only a gentleman and a scholar, but a full-fledged sailor,” continued the commander very pleasantly. “He is a graduate of Columbia College, speaks French, German, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Dutch like an organ-grinder.”

“I am very happy to know you, Mr. Gaskette, and I certainly ought to appreciate your linguistic accomplishments,” replied Louis, as he shook hands with the second officer. “I have no doubt your seamanship is equal to your skill in the languages.”

“Hardly, Mr. Belgrave, for the captain has overdone himself on the languages,” added Mr. Gaskette, as he took the offered hand of the owner. “I was a teacher of languages when my health failed. I have been to sea for twelve years now, three of them as first officer of a ship. I shall be happy to do everything in my power to make your life on board of the Guardian-Mother as agreeable as possible.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gaskette; I have no doubt we shall be friends,” said Louis in French.

“Mr. Amos Shafter, the chief engineer of the steamer, Mr. Belgrave,” continued the captain.

“I am glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Shafter; and I have no doubt we have the best man afloat in charge of the engine,” returned the owner. “I hope the engine is as good as the engineer.”

“I thank you for your good opinion, made up in advance, of the engineer; and no better engine was ever put into the hull of a vessel than that of the Guardian-Mother,” replied Mr. Shafter, as Louis shook his hand like that of an old friend; and the chief went for the second engineer.

“This is Mr. Sage, the chief steward of the steamer, Mr. Belgrave. He is a wise man, as his name indicates, though it also suggests sage and onions for the stuffing of the goose he will sometimes serve at your table,” the captain proceeded.

“I am happy to know you, Mr. Sage; for I know what an important person you are on board of a vessel,” replied Louis, taking his hand. “I have been starved on a sandbank for the last three days, and I am sure I shall fully appreciate the service you will render.”

“I shall do my best to suit you,” replied the chief steward quietly.

“The last I shall introduce at present is here now. Mr. Belgrave, Mr. Sentrick, the second engineer, qualified for any position in his department.”

“I am glad to see you, Mr. Sentrick; and I shall sleep without the fear of being blown up when the second is the equal of the first engineer in all except the name.”

“Thank you, Mr. Belgrave: you are very kind to speak so handsomely of me, but I am still a pupil of Mr. Shafter, for he can teach me a great deal that I don’t know,” replied the second engineer modestly.

“Now you know all the officers, Mr. Belgrave; and I have no doubt you will find them all ready and willing to do all in their power in your service,” added the commander; and all the officers touched their caps and bowed to the owner and to the captain, as they walked forward. “Now, Mr. Belgrave, we will look the vessel over.”

The house on deck extended from the boudoir to the forecastle; and the captain showed his owner into all the rooms, beginning with the staterooms of the engineers. Then they visited the engine and fire rooms, where Mr. Shafter did the honors. Forward of the smoke-stack was the galley, as Louis had already learned to call the kitchen. It was fitted up appropriately, and was as neat as a pin in every part.

“Mr. Belgrave, I have the honor to present to you the chief cook of the Guardian-Mother, Monsieur Odervie; and I am sorry I can’t say it in French,” said the commander, laughing.

“I am very glad to see you, Monsieur Odervie,” answered Louis, taking his hand, which the cook wiped diligently on his apron for this part of the ceremony; and the owner spoke his speech in French, which delighted the official of the galley. “Your soup has made a new man of me, after starving for three days on a sandbank; and I know you will be one of my most valued friends.”

“Thank you, Monsieur Belgraf. Pardon, Monsieur le capitaine, mais vous savez bien”—

“No, I don’t savez a bit!” exclaimed the captain.

“You have promised me another man. C’est trop pour cuire pour tout l’équipage.”

“He says it is too much to cook for the whole crew,” interposed Louis.

“He is quite right; but I had not time to look up another cook after I learned that one was wanted,” replied the captain.

“So much the better!” exclaimed Louis. “There is Baldy; and I promised to find a place for him if I could.”

“Baldy?” added the commander interrogatively.

“Bickling, the cook of the Maud, who came on board with me.”

“All right! Come here, Baldy,” called the captain.

“Which I am ’ere, sir,” replied the cook of the Maud.

“Can you talk French, Baldy?” asked the commander, apparently to make sport of him.

“Which I can a little, sir.”

“You can!” exclaimed Louis.

“Which I lived two years in Paris with my master, and I had to pick up some of it,” replied Baldy.

Louis and the cook spoke to him in French, and the examination was satisfactory, though the candidate had forgotten some of what he had learned; in fact, Louis suggested that he could speak French better than he did English. But the chief cook could speak English when he was so disposed.

“You are appointed second cook of the Guardian-Mother, Baldy; and you will obey Monsieur Odervie in all things,” said the captain.

“Which I will do, sir; and I thank you, captain, with all my ’eart,” replied Baldy, taking off his hat and bowing very low. “Which I thank you, too, Mr. Belgrave, which you are the owner of the finest steam-yacht that ever floated on the ocean.”

Forward of the galley was the ice-house, and then the smoking-room, for which the present owner had no use. The adjoining rooms, with the foremast between them, were the staterooms of the first and second officers; and Louis declared that either of them was good enough for him.

“This is my room, Mr. Belgrave,” said the commander, as he led the way into the next room.

“I thought you would take one of the staterooms in the cabin,” suggested Louis.

“I don’t intend to be an ornamental captain merely, and I desire to be near my work. For the present, while you are alone, I will take my meals with you, if you invite me to do so,” replied the commander.

These apartments consisted of two rooms, one of which appeared to be the captain’s office, for it was provided with a desk, and several bookcases; and the other was his sleeping-apartment. A door opened from the former into the pilot-house, which was quite a large room. The wheel, the binnacles, and everything else, were of the most approved modern type. The vessel was steered by steam, and a uniformed quartermaster was at the wheel.

“Spokes, this is Mr. Belgrave, our owner,” said the captain; and the man saluted him without any speech.

They passed out to the forecastle, where sixteen men and the boatswain were assembled. The commander presented the owner: they all touched their caps, and gave three hearty cheers. This finished the ceremonies; and every man on board, except the firemen, knew “Mr. Belgrave.” The young millionaire was then conducted to the captain’s room.