4. Four
The engineer thrust a beefy palm in Daniel’s direction and twitched his fingers in a motion universally known as “come here.” Obliging, he lengthened his stride and scaled the gangplank. The towering man met him with arms crossed over his barrel chest. Despite his stance meant to intimidate, humor flickered in Solomon’s eyes.
Tension loosened from Daniel’s shoulders. He rubbed the back of his neck and let his gaze roam over the deck. “Anything I can do to help while I wait?”
Solomon’s immediate reaction proved Daniel’s suspicion that the man could hear. Did that mean he could also speak but chose not to? Or had some kind of injury prevented speech but not hearing? Not his place to ask.
Solomon regarded him while a shorter, leaner man with a mop of red hair sidled up. This had been the man who called Captain Lockhart when the dockmaster had arrived.
The newcomer thumbed at Daniel. “Captain say he could be here?”
Solomon grunted.
“You want me to keep an eye on him?”
Solomon pointed at Daniel and then put a hand to his chin and extended it forward. Then he bumped one fist on top of the other.
The redhead grinned. “He says he’ll work, do he? What’s he after? Trying to court our captain?”
The friendliness on Solomon’s face shifted to storm clouds. Before he could make any gestures to get Daniel thrown overboard, Daniel thrust out his palm.
“I’m only here to hire the Alma May. Captain Lockhart had business to attend, so she asked me to wait on her. Not being a man who cares for idleness, I offered to help while I wait. But if I’ll only be in your way, I can find a place to make myself scarce.”
The crewmen exchanged a glance, and then the redhead shrugged. He extended a rough palm to Daniel. “I’m Finn Wallace. Kind of a second mate, if you will.”
Solomon rolled his eyes.
Finn adjusted the stained collar of a work-worn shirt. “If you got time to waste, then we got work to fill it. That is, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.”
More likely than not, he’d be walking himself into some kind of sport for these crewmen, but Daniel gave a nod all the same.
Finn clapped Solomon on the back. “Look-a-there. Seems I don’t got deck duty after all.”
The grin splitting Solomon’s face sent a shock of cold through Daniel’s gut, but he tried not to let it show. Solomon nodded to Finn, and the wiry man slapped his hands together.
“All right. Bucket and mop’s this way.” He sauntered past the engineer, leaving Daniel to follow.
He’d be mopping the deck? And here he’d anticipated something a bit more laborious. Or at least dirty. Like cleaning the black smoke off the steam engine or shoveling coal or the like. Why did mopping a deck instead of Finn garner such a response?
He had to be missing something.
The steamer’s open bottom deck had been swept clean, and rolls of burlap had been piled to one side. Looked as though their last haul might have been tobacco, though he didn’t know much about such things to tell. They passed between the support poles holding the weight of the cabins on the deck above and exited to a small open space behind the engine room.
Finn plucked a mop from where it propped against the wall. “The mopping part ain’t so bad. The worst of it is when you got to scrape what’s gotten dried on.” He plucked a bucket from the deck and thrust it at Daniel. “Drop this down to get some water. You might want to slosh a few buckets first to soften things up. Good luck.”
With a satisfied smirk, the man scurried away.
How odd.
Then Daniel noticed the piles. Was that…?
A burst of rapid-fire barking hit him at the same instant as the revelation. Captain Lockhart’s feisty little terrier. The black-and-white dervish slid around the corner, tail curled up over her back and hackles porcupine stiff.
Would the dog bite? He stilled. Her teeth couldn’t poke through the thick leather of his boots. She didn’t come closer. Instead, she positioned herself about three feet from him and continued her ferocious announcement of his presence, the intensity of which sent her front paws bouncing up and down on the deck.
“Whoa there, little one.”
His attempt at friendship fell flat as the creature continued to bounce. Over the ruckus, he could have sworn he heard snickering. Heaving a sigh, he risked stepping past the dog to lower the bucket over the rail. The coarse rope slid through his hand and splashed into the water below. Once it sank beneath the surface, he hauled it back up.
Lula, if he remembered the dog’s name correctly, continued her assault on his ears as he skirted around her and heaved the bucket of water across the planks to dislodge the unpleasant debris. Thankfully, the waste sloshed over the edge of the boat. Didn’t look like they left it out here to bake for more than a day at a time. Lula didn’t care for the remaining liquid heading her way and took a momentary reprieve from her vocalization to reposition her paws.
“Who put you to swabbing Lula’s deck?” The feminine bewilderment garnered both man and canine’s attention, and Daniel turned to find Captain Lockhart eyeing him with one hand cocked on her hip.
Lula gave a sharp bark and scurried to her mistress. The lady bent at the knees, and the dog ran up her body like a squirrel up a tree. Captain Lockhart settled the critter on her hip in one smooth motion. Lula shot her nose into the air and let out a howl just in case Captain Lockhart hadn’t been apprised of Daniel’s presence.
“Hush, Lula.”
The dog lowered her snout with a whine but fell silent.
Captain Lockhart gestured at the deck. “We all take turns doing this job. Let me guess. Finn talked you into doing his shift? He’ll earn double duty for that.”
Not wanting to get anyone in the line of fire, Daniel shrugged. “I told them I didn’t mind helping out while I waited for you.” He lowered the bucket. “Your meeting took less time than I expected.”
She huffed a breath that stirred a lock of dark hair clinging to her forehead. “Yes, well. I’m available now.” She waved to the deck. “Leave that for Finn.”
“Yes, Captain,” he replied with only a touch of humor.
She caught it anyway. “Camilla is fine. No sense standing on formality today.”
What difference did today make when dealing with a person’s proper address? It might be better not to ask. He followed her from the stern and up a set of stairs to the second level.
He didn’t know much about steamers, but the layout seemed similar to others he’d boarded for transport. The lower deck consisted of open space suitable for hauling cargo or livestock, while the upper deck housed the living quarters for the crew and any other necessary spaces such as a galley and storerooms.
He followed Camilla down a narrow hall toward the bow and waited while she opened a room on the right. Inside, polished wood paneling covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. A bulky desk he assumed would be bolted to the floor guarded the view of a wide window behind the cracked leather of a hearty chair. Camilla sauntered over and plopped her frame into the contours, then gestured to the stiff wooden seat on the other side. Lula turned a circle and sat in her lap, staring at Daniel with her bat-like ears twitching.
He settled his frame and took in the bookshelves covering the wall to his left. “Do those books fall off a lot?”
“I put them back if they do.”
“Do you like to read?”
She laced her fingers together on top of a fat ledger, the only item on the desk. “Yes.”
Right. Straight to business. “You should see for yourself what I discovered. It will be easier than trying to relay all the details.”
Rather than a regular response, she held up her hand and began counting off questions on each finger.
“What type of excursion are you planning? How long will it take, how many people are you bringing with you, and what is your proposed payment?” She pointed a finger at him. “And if your only plan for payment is a cut of the treasure if we find it, then this conversation is over. I can’t power my boat and feed my people on promises.”
Lula twitched her ears each time the captain’s wrist brushed against fur.
Fair enough. “As to the duration, I am unsure. The location should only be within your preferred stretch of the river, between here and Louisiana. Most likely staying close to Natchez. No other people will be accompanying us unless you have need of some type of additional help in areas beyond my experience. As for payment…”
He ran through the numbers in his head. Grandfather hadn’t left much by way of available money, though they should be able to sell a few assets. They didn’t really need that fancy new automobile, did they? It’d be worth the trade to secure the Alma May. Besides, if Mabel wanted one, he could always purchase his sister another once he had the treasure.
“Does five hundred sound fair?”
She leaned forward. “You’re asking me?”
“You wanted to know a price. The time, duration, and difficulty of this endeavor may be longer or shorter than I anticipate. A factor neither of us can predict. Therefore, we must agree on one price for the duration of the excursion regardless of what unforeseen circumstances may occur.”
She harrumphed, and Lula swiped a pink tongue across her cheek. “I can’t agree to that. What if you want to keep me tied up for half a year chasing fantasies?” She shook her head. “One month. If we haven’t found your treasure by then, we renegotiate.”
“A reasonable request.” This couldn’t take more than a week, at most. Still, knowing he had a month eased the pressure some. Not that he could wait too long. Especially if it cost him everything up front to secure help.
But he’d never unearth the treasure without a scavenger vessel and a knowledgeable captain, so he’d have to take the risk. The price he would get for the automobile might feed them for a few months, but regaining the family treasure would set wrongs to right again.
She slapped her hand on the table, and despite himself, he jumped. “Very well.” She pinned him in her sharp gaze. “Then we are agreed. When can you bring the money so we can restock?”
He scratched his cheek. “I’ll need a little time to procure the funds.” Her lips parted, but before she could shoot out what would surely be a refusal, judging by the way her eyes bulged, he added, “I can bring fifty dollars back today. Will that suffice until I can get the rest?”
“That will do.” She settled back into her chair, intelligent eyes churning. “Now, tell me about these clues.”
His lips twitched into a curve. “Certainly, Captain. Once we sign the proper documents, of course.”
Her eyes narrowed, but her words came out smoothly. “Of course.”
Though her lips held annoyance, her eyes glowed with respect. And for some reason, that sent a tingle down through his toes.