In Search of Treasure. Alger Horatio Jr.
eleven o’clock the next day Guy presented himself at the office of his English friend.
He sent in his card by a young Persian who seemed to be in the merchant’s employ. He was received at once.
“I am glad to see you, my young friend,” said the merchant, cordially. “I didn’t fully realize till after you left me what a narrow escape I had. It is God’s mercy that I am alive to-day.”
“The danger came so suddenly, and was so soon over, that I have not realized it yet.”
“I realize it, and shall always remember it. But you came here to explain the business that brought you to Bombay.”
“I had no thought of Bombay, Mr. Saunders. It was an island in the Indian Ocean that I wished to visit.”
“Indeed! Have you visited it?”
“No, sir; and I fear that I shall never have an opportunity to do so.”
“I am in the dark. I do not understand you.”
“Then, sir, I will try to explain, but I am not sure what you will think of my enterprise.”
“Go on.”
The merchant settled himself in a posture of attention, and Guy began his narrative.
He was listened to without interruption. Guy could not gather from the merchant’s expression what impression the story was making upon him.
When he finished, Mr. Saunders said:
“Your tale is certainly a strange one, and your business of a remarkable character for a boy of your age.”
Here he paused.
“I am not prepared to express any opinion yet,” he added. “I must take a little time to think it over. Meanwhile I will detain you through the day. I shall be glad if you will take dinner with me.”
“I shall be happy to do so.”
“Then if you will occupy yourself with the papers and magazines you will find on yonder table, I will write some letters which must go by the next steamer, and will then be at your disposal.”
CHAPTER VI
GUY’S PROGRESS
“How long will the Osprey remain in port?” asked the merchant, when they sat at dinner.
“Four weeks, sir.”
“Your sole object in taking passage and coming to this part of the world was to look after the concealed treasure, I take it?”
“Yes, sir. At any rate, but for that I should hardly have come.”
“Of course, you knew that the chances of your ever being able to visit the island were small?”
“Yes, sir; I knew that, but I trusted to luck; and I knew that at any rate I should enjoy the voyage.”
“In what way do you propose to make your living—by a profession, or by a business career?”
“I expect to become a business man.”
“Have you a fair education?”
“Yes, sir; I am prepared to enter Harvard College. I completed my course of preparation last summer.”
“That is well. Now I am going to make you a proposal.”
He paused, and Guy listened eagerly for what was coming.
“It is this,” said the merchant. “I suppose you have nothing to do on the ship.”
“No, sir.”
“I will invite you to work for four weeks in my counting-room. It will be the commencement of your business education. Besides, you will do me a favor, as a young clerk is absent from duty, sick with a fever. What do you say?”
“I will accept gladly, sir.”
“The hours are not wearing. In this warm climate we cannot venture to work as steadily as in England or America.”
“Will it be necessary for me to board in the city?”
“No; it will be better, on the whole, to sleep aboard the vessel, as you might contract a fever on shore, not being acclimated.”
“Very well, sir. When do you wish me to begin?”
“To-morrow morning.”
“All right, sir.”
“As to your compensation, I will give you twenty-five dollars per week.”
“But,” said Guy, astonished, “that is a large salary for a novice like me.”
“You won’t be a novice very long, and I paid that salary to my clerk who is sick.”
“You are very liberal, sir.”
“I have good reason to be.”
When Guy reported his engagement to Captain Grover, that officer congratulated him.
“It is a great thing,” he said, “to have won the favor of a rich merchant like Mr. Saunders. Besides, the knowledge you will obtain of business will be of infinite value to you.”
So Guy went to work the next day.
Of course, everything was new at first, but he had a thorough training as a student, and he set to work to learn business in the same way he had learned Greek, Latin, and mathematics at school. The result was that he made such progress as to surprise Mr. Saunders.
“You have already become of value to me,” the merchant said one day.
“Didn’t you think I would, sir?”
“I thought it would take longer to break you in. You have the making of a very successful business man in you.”
Guy was gratified by this tribute.
“I am pleased to have you say so,” he replied. “I have a special object in wishing to succeed.”
“What is that?”
“My father is a minister, dependent upon a small salary for support. He is now fifty, and there is a movement to oust him from the place. Should that succeed, I want to be able to free him from pecuniary anxiety.”
“That is highly commendable in you.”
A part of the time Guy was employed upon the books of the firm. One day he pointed out an incorrect entry which would have entailed a considerable loss.
“You are sharp,” said the merchant. “Do you know that you have saved me five hundred pounds? Besides, you have opened my eyes. I have reason to think that my former bookkeeper—the one whose place you have taken—was in league with the customer in whose account you have found an error. Our transactions are so large that I should have suspected nothing. Now I shall make an investigation.”
“My predecessor may have been simply careless,” suggested Guy.
“True; but I can’t afford to employ men who are careless.”
“You won’t deprive him of his situation, sir?”
“Not at once, but I shall watch him. For some reason I should like to have you in his place.”
“I should like to be in your employ, but I should not care to be so far away from my father for any length of time.”
“There is another consideration, also. This climate would be dangerous to one unaccustomed to it. No; I have other views for you.”
“I wonder what they are,” thought Guy.
The four weeks rolled quickly away. They might have seemed long to Guy if he had been unemployed, but his duties in the office so occupied his time that the period seemed very short indeed.
One day Captain Grover surprised him by saying: “Well, Guy, the Osprey will start for home next Monday.”
Guy heard the announcement with regret. He had become so interested in his work that he did not like to leave it.
“I