The Black Joke (15 page)

Peter and Jacques climbed down into the gutted forepeak, and amongst the charred bedding and burned gear they found some tins whose labels had vanished, but which were still intact. When they brought these
on deck and opened them with a clasp knife they found they were filled with beans–doubly baked beans, and still warm from the fire.

Having satisfied some of their hunger pains, they cadged a ride aboard one of the dories and spent some time examining the cave where the whiskey was being stored. It was a dark, echoing slit in the mountains, extending back far beyond the reaches the boys cared to explore, even helped by Pierre's electric torch.

“My father says this place was used for contraband many years ago,” Jacques told the others. “Before that, it was a place the pirates came to hide their treasure. Maybe the man who owned the first
Black Joke–
the one you tell me about–maybe he come here too.”

“I bet Captain John Phillip wouldn't have thought too much of
this
kind of treasure,” said Peter contemptuously, as he swung the beam of the torch over the stacks of whiskey cases which stood on a series of ledges well above the high-water mark.

“Maybe not,” Kye replied. “I guess it ain't much like gold nor silver, but it'll still git
Black Joke
back all legal-like,
and
set yer father free and clear.”

The work of unloading the whiskey continued through most of the morning, and the sun was beginning to burn away the haze before the last cases were ferried into the caves. Meanwhile Pierre and Pascal had been occupied in the engine room of
Black Joke
. They had found a spare set of injectors, thoughtfully provided by the provident Monsieur Gauthier in case of engine trouble at sea. These were quickly installed and though
they had considerable trouble re-connecting the fuel lines, which had been well battered by Peter's hammer blows, they managed to complete the repairs in time to take the schooner away from the caves under her own power.

She steamed back into Miquelon Roads that afternoon, with Peter standing proudly at her wheel, while the other two boys clung to her mainmast rigging waving frenziedly at the people on the wharf. Almost the whole population of the village was on hand to greet the returning ship. Even Smith, his hands heavily bandaged, appeared on the dock. Word of how he had put out the fire had spread rapidly, and he was no longer looked upon with hostility by the fishermen, for they could appreciate a brave deed as well as anyone.

But Smith's crew was not in evidence. As Uncle Paul explained later, they had been trying to make their way over the mountains toward Langlade when they were terrified to discover a party of Basques, all armed with shotguns, pressing close on their heels.

“Silly fools!” Uncle Paul said, snorting with disdain. “Naturally we only took our guns along in case we met some game. But when those fellows saw us they ran like rabbits. In rubber sea-boots too! By the time we got them stopped, their feet were like raw turnips. We left them in a hunting cabin with two of our men to keep them from getting into mischief.”

The reception accorded the boys and Pierre by Marie Roulett was not so triumphant as the one they had received at the wharf. She gave Pierre such a tongue
lashing that he withdrew in confusion to the peace of the beach. The boys, having been soundly scolded, were fed an enormous meal and then rushed off to bed. Marie suspiciously took their clothes away and hid them, so as to ensure that they stayed in bed.

“Ye'll sleep till I lets ye wake, ye sculpins!” she told them sternly. “And when ye wakes, I'll more 'an likely tan the three of ye for good measure.”

The threat did not disturb the boys, but their dignity was a little hurt by the removal of their clothing. Considering that they were three pirates who had successfully hijacked a ship and her entire cargo, they felt that they were entitled to more respect from womankind–even from mothers. But they were too tired to be much perturbed and they were asleep almost as soon as they climbed into bed.

Pierre spent some time that evening talking to Smith, who agreed to carry the message to Gauthier, demanding Jonathan's release and the transfer of ownership of
Black Joke
back to him, in exchange for the return of the cargo of whiskey.

Smith was an energetic man who did not allow his injuries to hamper him. That very evening he left for St. Pierre in Pierre's boat, accompanied by Pascal. And in the middle of the following morning he was back in Miquelon. With him in the dory was Jonathan Spence, released from jail after his fine had been paid by Gauthier, and carrying in his pocket a brand-new bill of sale restoring legal ownership of
Black Joke
to him.

Pierre met them at the dock and, while Jonathan
went on ahead to the house, Pierre lingered for a few words with Smith.

“By Gar, that was fast work, my fren'!”

“No trouble,” Smith replied modestly. “I just passed on the deal you offered. Maybe I helped a little, when I told 'em I was going to have a tough time persuading the big bosses in New Jersey that Gauthier didn't mastermind the whole hijack stunt himself. I wasn't lyin' none either. I don't guess the Big Boys is goin' to do much more business with Gauthier, but I reckon we can do business with you fellows once we get this mess patched up.”

 

Pierre had to run to catch up to Jonathan, who was just entering the Roulett house, where he was warmly greeted by Marie. A few moments later her shrill voice brought Kye and Peter stumbling down the stairs, so excited that they forgot they were dressed only in their underwear. Jonathan caught them about the shoulders and hugged them to him with rough affection.

“Well, b'ys,” he said, “I suppose I'll have to come back aboard
Black Joke
afore the mast…now that you two has took over as skipper and mate. Go find ye're trousers and then set down and let's hear the whole yarn.”

So the story was told all over again, from its beginning on Colombier Rock; first in English, and with many mutual interruptions between Kye and Peter; then by Jacques in French for the benefit of an ever-increasing
audience, for it seemed that most of the population of Miquelon had crowded into the Rouletts' big kitchen.

It was clear that the villagers intended to celebrate the recapture of
Black Joke
in true Basque fashion. Although Jonathan was anxious to return home as soon as possible, he found it hard to resist Pierre's pleadings to the effect that he and the boys should remain for at least another day.

“We don' wish you to go so soon, my fren',” Pierre cried. “Tonight all the people make the party and the dance for you–the special Basque dance. So you see you must stay; an' you won' lose no time either, because the boat she is feex up so good now she get you home before you know it. That new engine make her go like a whale. Gauthier, he don' spare the money when he has her on the slip. Everything aboard is new and of the best kind. I think he spend four thousand' dollar' for to feex her up. So now you got the finest boat on all the coast. That fire don' make no big damage–nothing you can't feex yourself in two, three days.”

Before leaving St. Pierre for Miquelon Jonathan had dispatched a cable to Ship Hole in order to set his wife's mind at ease, so that he really had no good reason to refuse Pierre's enthusiastic invitation. Consequently all that day, and far into the night, he and the two boys were feasted and fêted, and even persuaded to take part in the hectic national dance of the Basques.

None of the three got up very early the next morning, but nevertheless
Black Joke
was ready to sail by noon, for the Basques had seen to all the preparations.

As Jonathan was preparing to go aboard, Pierre had a last word with him.

“This morning we stow the schooner with the salt fish Gauthier had aboard to hide
le whiskey
, so you see you don' go home empty-handed. And maybe you fin' a little special cargo buried under the fish. You have many fren's in Miquelon and they know about the hard times in
Terre Neuve
.”

Grasping Pierre's hand, Jonathan squeezed it so hard that the big Basque grunted with pain.

“Thank'ee, b'y,” Jonathan said gruffly. “Words don't come aisy to I, but there's nothin' me nor mine won't do for you and yours if ever the time comes ye needs a hand.”

“By Gar!” Pierre replied ruefully. “I think I need a hand right now! This one of mine, she is squash' like dead squid on the shore.”

The departure was a boisterous affair. A gay crowd consisting of most of the people of Miquelon had gathered to see the schooner off. As the lines were let go, a score of shotguns roared out a farewell salute and a hundred voices were raised in a lusty Basque song. Peter and Kye replied by sounding repeated blasts on the ship's foghorn. Standing on the dock, as the schooner pulled slowly away, Jacques cupped his hands and yelled a final good-by to the two Newfoundland lads with whom he had become such close friends.

 

The wind was fresh from the southeast. Under the combined power of her sails and her diesel engine,
Black Joke
was soon logging a full twelve knots. It was still daylight when she began to close with the shores of Newfoundland. The massive sea-cliffs rose up close ahead, and the roar of bursting seas echoed back from the great rocks. Snoring through the water, the black-hulled ship bore down through the shadows of the evening.

Black Joke
was going home at last.

 

BOOKS BY FARLEY MOWAT

People of the Deer (1952, revised edition 1975)

The Regiment (1955, new edition 1973, paperback edition 1989)

Lost in the Barrens (1956)

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be (1957)

Grey Seas Under (1959)

The Desperate People (1959, revised edition 1975)

Owls in the Family (1961)

The Serpent's Coil (1961)

The Black Joke (1962)

Never Cry Wolf (1963, new edition 1973)

Westviking (1965)

The Curse of the Viking Grave (1967)

Canada North (illustrated edition 1967)

Canada North Now (revised paperback edition 1967)

This Rock Within the Sea (with John de Visser)

(1968, reissued 1976)

The Boat Who Wouldn't Float (1969, illustrated edition 1974)

Sibir (1970, new edition 1973)

A Whale for the Killing (1972)

Wake of the Great Sealers (with David Blackwood) (1973)

The Snow Walker (1975)

And No Birds Sang (1979)

The World of Farley Mowat, a selection from his works

(edited by Peter Davison) (1980)

Sea of Slaughter (1984)

My Discovery of America (1985)

Virunga: The Passion of Dian Fossey (1987)

The New Founde Land (1989)

Rescue the Earth! (1990)

My Father's Son (1992)

Born Naked (1993)

Aftermath (1995)

The Farfarers (1998)

THE TOP OF THE WORLD TRILOGY

Ordeal by Ice (1960, revised edition 1973)

The Polar Passion (1967, revised edition 1973)

Tundra (1973)

EDITED BY FARLEY MOWAT

Coppermine Journey (1958)

 

Copyright © by Farley Mowat, 1962
Illustrations copyright © by Little, Brown and Company, 1963

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher–or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency–is an infringement of the copyright law.

School edition Notes and Activities
copyright © by McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1973

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Mowat, Farley, 1921-

The black joke

eISBN: 978-1-55199-229-7

I. Mays, Victor. 1927- II. Title.

PS8526.089B56   1987     C813'.54     C87-094472-X
PR9199.3.M69B56   1987

McClelland & Stewart Ltd.
The Canadian Publishers
75 Sherbourne Street
Toronto, Ontario
M
5
A
2
P
9
www.mcclelland.com

v1.0