"Yes; come in. I"m wondering what to do with myself."
"And so am I," was the answer. "That is, I"m wondering what would be good for you. How about the foundry? Will you stick to it?"
"On no account," Hal replied. "I could not bear to go there now. In fact, I mean to leave Birmingham, for it would bring back these last few days every time I pa.s.sed the old home. I must work, and pay my way, for at present I possess fifteen pounds and a few suits of clothes; that is all."
"I thought you"d not go back to the works," said Mr. Tomkins. "I"ve been there boy and man these twenty years, and I"ve risen to be manager. But I am leaving with my old master, for I cannot fancy the new. I"m lucky, too, for I"ve accepted the post of manager to another foundry in the north. Come along with me, and I"ll see that you get something good."
Hal thanked him, and thought the matter over before answering.
"I scarcely know what to say," he said. "But I am determined to leave Birmingham. I couldn"t stand it."
"It would be rough, I own," Mr. Tomkins said. "But what about coming north?"
"It is very good of you to suggest it, Tomkins," Hal answered, "but, before deciding, there is something that I should like to know about. Of course, I am not very well up in trade affairs, but I do happen to know that the Americans are very go-ahead in the matter of iron-works. They undertake bridge-building to a great extent, and I thought that it might be worth my while to cross the water. I certainly ought to get a job. They pay well out in America, Tomkins. What do you say to the plan?"
"Those Yanks are hard at work," he said. "They are go-ahead people, as you say, and there"s no doubt that they can show us a thing or two in the way of bridges. Yes, anything to do with iron and engineering is booming across the Atlantic, and there must be lots of openings for youngsters. There"s something else besides. In good old England we"re overcrowded, but in America there"s a demand for chaps who know a little above the ordinary. I should say it would be a good thing, Hal, and if you decide upon it, the traveling there, and the new life, will rouse you a bit, and help you to forget present troubles."
"You think well of it," said Hal. "Then I shall go to America and try my luck. I may as well start as soon as possible, and I wish very particularly to do so, for while in this city I run the chance of meeting old friends. Besides, if I went to see any of them, they might think that I was looking for help, and I want to make a place for myself."
"And quite right too. Independence is the thing," the manager cried, patting him on the back. "Now, look here, youngster, are you willing to rough it from the very commencement? If so, I can help you get to America."
"Quite," Hal answered promptly.
"Then come along with me to the office of a shipping firm I know.
They"ve carried many a time for the foundry, and I"ve only to drop the manager a hint that you are wanting to get across at the cheapest rate possible, and I"ll be bound he"ll arrange."
"I"ve no cousins or relatives of any sort," he said, "and I"ve come to the conclusion that this is the best thing I can do."
"That"s good! I"m certain you are doing what is right," Mr. Tomkins answered.
They went into the street, and within a few minutes were at the shipping office.
"Good-day, Mr. Tomkins. What can we do for you this time?" asked the clerk.
"A good deal, if you care. Can we come in behind? I want to speak to you about my young friend here."
"To be sure," the clerk replied. "Step in. Now, what is it?" he asked.
"I recognize your companion. He is the son of the late Mr. Marchant."
"Quite so; and he wishes to go abroad to America, to make his way in the world. Can you do anything for him in the way of a cheap pa.s.sage?"
"He could go for nothing, or rather, could earn a pound and food besides the berth. But he"d have to rough it."
"I"m ready for that, any day; in fact, I"d like to start right away,"
Hal said, eagerly.
"Then I may as well tell you that there is a vacancy for a greaser aboard the _Mohican_. Will you take that? There! A pa.s.sage, your grub, and a pound at the end of the trip."
"You can put my name down for it," said Hal. "I"ll go on the _Mohican_; and I thank you for your kindness."
"Not at all; it"s nothing after the freights we got from your father"s foundry. Good-day, sir; good-day, Tomkins. Excuse me, but I"m very busy." The clerk nodded in a friendly way, and departed.
"I put that down as a good omen," said Tomkins as they emerged into the street. "You"re in luck, Hal, for right from the commencement you get what you want. The rest will come just the same, let us hope. Now I"ll leave you, as I have matters to attend to."
He shook Hal"s hand and walked up the street.
Hal returned to his rooms, and hunted out his belongings. It was getting dark as he went into the street with a bundle over his shoulder. He entered a shop which he had noticed on former occasions, wondering what cla.s.s of people patronized it.
"How much for these?" he asked, opening his bundle, and displaying five suits which he had been in the habit of wearing in Birmingham.
"They"re not much good to me," he said. "They"re not the cla.s.s o" togs I want. Six shillings the lot."
"Six shillings!" said Hal quietly. "They cost four times as many pounds, and that quite recently. Bid again."
"Six the figure. Not a penny more," exclaimed the man.
"I"ll take four pounds for the lot," said Hal.
"You may, but not from me, young man. Good a"ternoon to yer."
"Good-day; I"ll go elsewhere," said Hal quietly, and at once did up the fastenings of his bundle. Then he lifted it, and walked calmly out of the shop.
"Hold hard there!" cried the man, arresting him at the door. "Let"s see the togs again." He inspected them closely; but it was merely a pretense, for anyone could see with half an eye that they were really good. "I"ll make it three ten," he said.
"Very well, you can have them," Hal replied, glad to get so good a price.
Next day he was told that the _Mohican_ would sail on Sat.u.r.day.
"She"s one of the intermediate boats," said the clerk. "Of course, she carries very few pa.s.sengers--some thirty in all. You"d better be aboard on Friday, for she leaves the river early the following day. Good luck to you."
"And many thanks to you," Hal answered. "I"ll do my best to fill the place you have obtained for me."
Hal took a cheap ticket to Liverpool, and trudged from the station to the dock in which the _Mohican_ was lying.
Hal picked his way to the wide and slippery gangway, and began to cross it. A notice above an alleyway caught his eye. "Engineers only," it said.
He entered the alleyway, and walked along it till he came to a door on the left, where he knocked.
"Who"s there? Come right in," someone cried in a sleepy voice.
Hal entered, and found a big man reclining full length on the settee. He was dressed in an old uniform, and had a handkerchief tied round his neck.
"Wall, what aer it?" he asked. "A feller can"t no more get ter sleep upon this hulk than fly. Who aer yer?"
He sat up and surveyed Hal sleepily.
"I"m sorry I roused you. I"m the new hand--the greaser," said Hal.
"Oh, you"re the greaser! Wall, yer aint the sort as ships aboard the _Mohican_ every time. What aer it? Rows with the boss? High jinks at home? Broke; aint that it?"