Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/303

 oil, VULCAN S PEAK. 63 to supply his place. The two vessels met in the China seas, and passed a week in company, when each steered her course; the governor quite happy in thinking that he had made this provision for the good of his people. The arrival of the Mermaid would be an eventful day in the colony, on every account ; and, the instructions of Saun- ders forbidding his quitting the islands until the end of the year, her presence would be a great additional means of security. It is unnecessary for us to dwell on the passage of the Rancocus. In due time she entered the capes of the Delaware, surprising all interested with her appearance. Friend Abraham White was dead, and the firm dissolved. But the property had all been transferred to the insurers by the payment of the amount underwritten, and Mark made his report at the office. The teas were sold to great advantage, and the whole matter was taken fairly into con sideration. After deducting the sum paid the firm, prin cipal and interest, the insurance company resolved to give the ship, and the balance of the proceeds of the sale, to Captain Woolston, as a reward for his integrity and pru dence. Mark had concealed nothing, but stated what he had done in reference to the Mermaid, and told his whole story with great simplicity, and with perfect truth. The result was, that the young man got, in addition to the ship, which was legally conveyed to him, some eleven thousand dollars in hard money. Thus was honesty shown to be the best policy ! It is scarcely necessary to say that his success made Mark Woolston a great man, in a small way. Not only was he received with open arms by all of his own blood ; but Dr. Yardley now relented, and took him by the hand. A faithful account was rendered of his stewardship ; and Mark received as much ready money, on account of his wife, as placed somewhat more than twenty thousand dol lars at his disposal. With this money he set to work, with out losing a day, to make arrangements to return to Bridget and the crater ; for he always deemed that his proper abode, in preference to the Peak. In this feeling, his charming wife coincided ; both probably encouraging a secret inte-