the Atlantic they’re on. You must have seen far more of New York than the rest of the Black Gang put together.’
‘I have and it’s a fine city. I bet we get a great welcome when we sail up the Hudson at the end of this trip – especially if we’ve managed to break the record.’
She sighed, wondering if he would ever give up the sea. ‘I do worry about you though, especially during the winter in all that atrocious weather. You’ve been lucky so far to escape with just minor injuries. You know as well as I do that men have been seriously hurt, even killed.’
He got up and placed the last few items in the bag before pulling the drawstring tight. ‘Aye, it can be bad and I’m not saying the weather doesn’t affect us in the stokehold. You can be flung off your feet, pitched against the side of a boiler and burned, and it’s far harder to get the furnace door shut with the ship rolling. I’ve known us go through three blizzards in one day in winter – not that we ever get to see with our own eyes just what the weather is doing.’ He grinned at her and pulled a face of mock-horror. ‘Can’t have the likes of us loose on the decks, we’d frighten the daylights out of the paying passengers – and some of them pay a small fortune. Can you imagine if you were taking a stroll on deck after dinner in all your finery and came face to face with one of us covered from head to foot in coal dust? You’d think you’d come across one of the fiends from hell!’
She smiled although she thought it little more than barbarous that they were imprisoned the way they were. ‘You’d better go on up and say goodnight to Mae and Alice now, you know they’ll not settle until you do – especially Mae. She does miss you, John.’
Both girls were sitting up expectantly waiting for him.
‘Now, you’re to go to sleep both of you,’ he instructed, ‘or you’ll be too tired tomorrow to go to see us off.’ All three of the children were accompanying Maggie as it was a Saturday and they had no school. Agnes and Bertie were going too as Mrs Webster had agreed to mind the shop.
‘But I won’t see you, Da! You’ll be working; I won’t be able to wave to you,’ Mae reminded him.
‘But there will be plenty of people you can wave to – even if you don’t know them. All the passengers and some of the crew will be at the ship’s rails: they love people waving to them. And your Aunty Maggie says there’s to be a band playing as well. It will be a great sight.’
She looked up at him, excitement replacing regret in her blue eyes. ‘As good as the pageant and the fireworks?’
He nodded enthusiastically. ‘Every bit as good and maybe even better. Now, give your old da a kiss and a hug because I have to be away early in the morning. But I won’t be away as long this time: that’s good news, isn’t it? This is a very fast ship so the trip will be quicker. And of course I’ll bring you both something,’ he promised.
Mae reached up and put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She was looking forward to going to see the spectacle but she wished he could have been on deck so she could actually see him. ‘I’ll miss you, Da. Come home soon.’
All the estimates about the size of the crowds had been right, Maggie thought as the following morning they got the tram to the Pier Head.
‘In the name of God, where have all these people come from?’ Agnes exclaimed, looking round. ‘Hang on to me and your da. Whatever you do don’t let go or we’ll never find you again in this crowd,’ she instructed her brood.
The closer they drew, the more the crowds and activity increased. Passengers were ascending the gangways or queuing to have their tickets checked by officials on the dockside from where luggage was being loaded. The last few stragglers from the crew were being hurried aboard with threats of deducted pay by harassed officers, and the boat train had arrived at the Riverside Station so there were porters
‘I have and it’s a fine city. I bet we get a great welcome when we sail up the Hudson at the end of this trip – especially if we’ve managed to break the record.’
She sighed, wondering if he would ever give up the sea. ‘I do worry about you though, especially during the winter in all that atrocious weather. You’ve been lucky so far to escape with just minor injuries. You know as well as I do that men have been seriously hurt, even killed.’
He got up and placed the last few items in the bag before pulling the drawstring tight. ‘Aye, it can be bad and I’m not saying the weather doesn’t affect us in the stokehold. You can be flung off your feet, pitched against the side of a boiler and burned, and it’s far harder to get the furnace door shut with the ship rolling. I’ve known us go through three blizzards in one day in winter – not that we ever get to see with our own eyes just what the weather is doing.’ He grinned at her and pulled a face of mock-horror. ‘Can’t have the likes of us loose on the decks, we’d frighten the daylights out of the paying passengers – and some of them pay a small fortune. Can you imagine if you were taking a stroll on deck after dinner in all your finery and came face to face with one of us covered from head to foot in coal dust? You’d think you’d come across one of the fiends from hell!’
She smiled although she thought it little more than barbarous that they were imprisoned the way they were. ‘You’d better go on up and say goodnight to Mae and Alice now, you know they’ll not settle until you do – especially Mae. She does miss you, John.’
Both girls were sitting up expectantly waiting for him.
‘Now, you’re to go to sleep both of you,’ he instructed, ‘or you’ll be too tired tomorrow to go to see us off.’ All three of the children were accompanying Maggie as it was a Saturday and they had no school. Agnes and Bertie were going too as Mrs Webster had agreed to mind the shop.
‘But I won’t see you, Da! You’ll be working; I won’t be able to wave to you,’ Mae reminded him.
‘But there will be plenty of people you can wave to – even if you don’t know them. All the passengers and some of the crew will be at the ship’s rails: they love people waving to them. And your Aunty Maggie says there’s to be a band playing as well. It will be a great sight.’
She looked up at him, excitement replacing regret in her blue eyes. ‘As good as the pageant and the fireworks?’
He nodded enthusiastically. ‘Every bit as good and maybe even better. Now, give your old da a kiss and a hug because I have to be away early in the morning. But I won’t be away as long this time: that’s good news, isn’t it? This is a very fast ship so the trip will be quicker. And of course I’ll bring you both something,’ he promised.
Mae reached up and put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She was looking forward to going to see the spectacle but she wished he could have been on deck so she could actually see him. ‘I’ll miss you, Da. Come home soon.’
All the estimates about the size of the crowds had been right, Maggie thought as the following morning they got the tram to the Pier Head.
‘In the name of God, where have all these people come from?’ Agnes exclaimed, looking round. ‘Hang on to me and your da. Whatever you do don’t let go or we’ll never find you again in this crowd,’ she instructed her brood.
The closer they drew, the more the crowds and activity increased. Passengers were ascending the gangways or queuing to have their tickets checked by officials on the dockside from where luggage was being loaded. The last few stragglers from the crew were being hurried aboard with threats of deducted pay by harassed officers, and the boat train had arrived at the Riverside Station so there were porters
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