"If you are employed every day, it will; but you cannot expect to do anything with parties for more than two months in the year."
"I can get some towing to do; and I may make something with passengers."
"Parties will pay best in July and August, and perhaps part of
September; but you must be wide-awake."
"I intend to be."
"I advise you to get up a handbill of your steamer, announcing that she is to be let to parties by the day, at all the large ports on the lake. There are plenty of wealthy people, spending the summer in this vicinity, who would be glad to engage her, even for a week at once."
"Will you write me a handbill, Mr. Sherwood?"
"Yes, and get it printed."
"Thank you, sir."
"The Woodville is engaged to me for to-morrow," added Mr.
Sherwood.
CHAPTER XV
THE NEW CAPTAIN
Lawry was bewildered by the magnificence of the arrangements suggested by Mr. Sherwood; but if the Woodville was to be employed in taking out parties of genteel people, nothing less magnificent would answer the purpose. His influential friend, it appeared, had already exerted himself to procure employment of this kind for the steamer, and the proprietor of the beautiful craft was not only willing to conform to his ideas, but was grateful for the kindly interest he manifested in the prosperity of the enterprise.
Mrs. Wilford had engaged a cook, and two girls for the steward's department; the fireman was sent for; and two boys were employed as deck-hands.
Now, Lawry thought it was quite necessary that his crew should be trained a little before any passengers were received on board, and after Mr. Sherwood and his party had gone home, the fires were revived, and a short trip down the lake determined upon. As soon as there was steam enough for the purpose, the pilot, now the captain, rang his bell to back her, and the deck-hands were instructed in getting the fasts on board. Ben Wilford, who was standing on the wharf, cast off the hawsers, and then jumped aboard, himself. The bells jingled for a few moments, and then the Woodville went off on her course.
"This is all very fine," said Ben.
"First-rate," laughed Lawry.
"What am I to do?" demanded Ben, rather gruffly.
"You?" said the pilot.
"Everybody seems to have something to do with her except me."
"What do you want to do?"
"I suppose you think I'm not fit for anything."
"I had an idea that you would stay at home, and run the ferry-boat."
"Did you?" sneered Ben.
"Some one must do that; and of course I can't now."
"Hang the ferry-boat!"
"It must be run, or we shall forfeit the privilege."
"I shall not run it, whatever happens."
"I don't see how I can."
"Lawry, I don't think you are using me right," added Ben sourly.
"Why, what have I done?"
"You've got this boat, and though you know I'm a steamboat man, you don't say a word to me about taking any position on board of her."
"I don't know what position there is on board for you, unless you take a deck-hand's place."
"A deck-hand!"
"That is what you have always been."
"Do you think I'm going to be bossed by you?"
"Ben, if you will tell me just what you want, I shall understand you better," said Lawry, rather impatiently.
"You know what I want. There is only one place in the boat I would be willing to take."
"You mean captain."
"Of course I do."
"I intended to be captain myself."
"I thought you were going to be pilot of her."
"So I am; and captain, too."
"Then you mean to leave me out entirely."
"Ben, I don't want to have any row; and I won't quarrel with my brother; but I don't think it is quite fair for you to ask so much of me."
"Don't I know all about a steamboat?"
"Can you pilot one up and down the lake?"
"Well, no; I never did that kind of work."
"Can you run an engine?"
"No; and you can't, either. The captain doesn't have to be a pilot, nor an engineer."
"What must he do, then?"
"He must look out for everything, make the landing, and see that the people on board are comfortable."
"I intend to do all that."
"How can you do it, and stay in the wheel-house?"
"I shall not stay there all the time. The deck-hands know how to steer. I want to do what's fair and right, Ben. The steamer was given to me; and I don't exactly like to have any one to boss me on board."
"The captain don't have much to do with the pilot, and I sha'n't boss you."
"Suppose the question should come up, whether or not the boat should take a certain job; who would decide the question—you or I?"
"I'm the oldest, and I think I ought to have the biggest voice in the matter."
"But the boat is mine," added Lawry, with emphasis.
"As to that, she is just as much mine as she is yours."
"I'm willing to do what's fair and right; but I shall not have any captain over me in this boat," replied Lawry.
"Lawry, you are my brother," said Ben angrily; "but I don't care for that. You set yourself up above me; you make me a nobody. I won't stand it!"
"I don't set myself up above you, Ben."
"Yes, you do. You offered me the place of deck-hand!"
"I didn't ask you to take any place. I'll tell you what I will do, Ben. I'll talk with mother and Mr. Sherwood about the matter, and if they think you ought to be captain of the Woodville, you shall be."
"Mr. Sherwood don't know everything."
"I think he would know what is right in a case like this."
"He thinks you are a little god, and I know what he would say."
"I will do as mother says, then."
"What do women know about these things?"
"I don't think Mr. Sherwood or mother would like it if I should give up the command of this boat to any one."
"Let them lump it, then," replied Ben, as he rushed out of the wheel-house, incensed beyond measure at Lawry's opposition to his unreasonable proposal.
Captain Lawry was sorely disturbed by the conduct of his brother. He could not enjoy his pleasant position at the wheel, and he put the steamer about, heading her toward Port Rock.
"Lawry," said Ben, returning to the wheel-house, "I want you to tell me what you are going to do. I'm older than you, and I have seen more steamboating than you have. I think it's my right to be captain of this boat."
"I don't think so."
"I don't want to jaw any more about it."
"I'm sure I don't."
"All I've got to say is, that if I don't run this boat no one will."
"What do you mean by that, Ben?" demanded Lawry.
"No matter what I mean. I'm going to have what belongs to me. Once for all, am I to be captain, or not?"
"No," replied Lawry firmly.
Ben went out of the wheel-house, and the pilot did not see him again till after the Woodville reached her wharf. Lawry was sadly grieved at the attitude of his brother; and if Ben had been a reliable person, fit for the position he aspired to obtain, he would have yielded the point. But the would-be captain was an intemperate and dissolute fellow, as unsuitable for the command as he would have been for the presidency of a bank.
Early on the following morning the supplies for the Woodville were taken on board, and at eight o'clock everything was in readiness for the reception of Mr. Sherwood's party. The steam was merrily hissing from the escape-pipe; Ethan was busy, as he always was, in rubbing down the polished parts of the engine, and Lawry was walking up and down the forward deck. Quite a collection of people had assembled on the unfinished wharf and the shore to witness the departure of the steamer. As Captain Lawry paced the deck, there was a slight commotion in the crowd, and three persons passed through, making their way to the deck. One of them was the sheriff who had arrested the ferryman a few days before. He was followed by Mr. Taylor, his father's creditor, and Ben Wilford.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Lawry," said the official; "but I suppose
I must do my duty."
"What's the matter, sir?" asked Lawry. "What have I done?"
"Nothing, my boy. I think this is rather mean business; but I can't help it," replied the sheriff, as he produced certain documents. "Your father owes Mr. Taylor a note of nine hundred and fifty dollars, on which the interest has not been paid for two years, making the debt ten hundred and sixty-four dollars."
"But the place is mortgaged for that," replied Lawry.
"I have just foreclosed the mortgage; and now I must attach this steamboat."
"Attach it!" groaned Lawry.
"Such are my orders; your father's place would hardly sell for enough to pay the debt."
"But this boat is mine," pleaded Lawry.
"You are a minor, Lawry; and your father is entitled by law to all your earnings, as you have a claim on him for your support. I can't stop to explain this matter. The steamer is in my possession now, subject to the decree of the court. I shall appoint a person to take charge of her and run her for the benefit of the parties in interest."
"That's too bad!" exclaimed Lawry.
"I know it is; but I can't help it," replied the sheriff. "I shall appoint your brother, and from this time he has full control of her."
It was evident even to Lawry, who had not been informed of his brother's worst intentions, that Ben was at the bottom of this conspiracy. Such was indeed the truth. Mr. Taylor was a young man who had recently inherited a large fortune, which, it was plain, would soon be squandered, for he was both intemperate and reckless. Ben had helped him home one night after a drunken carousal, which had been the beginning of an intimacy between them, for the younger tippler was not one to neglect an opportunity to secure a wealthy friend.
They had talked together about the Woodville on several occasions, and Ben had suggested in what manner he might obtain the debt due him. On the night before the visit of the sheriff to the steamer, the malignant and jealous brother had repeated to his dissipated patron the story of his grievances—that he was a "nobody" at home, and that Lawry wanted to make a deck-hand of him. Though not a badly disposed man in the main, Taylor listened with interest and sympathy to the exaggerated and distorted narrative, and the plan by which Ben was to be put in possession of the steamer was matured.
The creditor went to a lawyer, one of his boon companions, who was quite willing to make business for himself; and he had looked up the law and arranged the facts, by which he expected to hold the steamer. Doubtless it was a very ingenious scheme, and perhaps it is unfortunate that the case never came to trial, for it involved some interesting legal points. Thus far the design had been carried out, and Ben was in command of the steamer, as an employee of the sheriff.
"I won't be as hard with you, Lawry, as you were with me," said Ben, as he walked up to Lawry in the wheel-house, to which he had retreated to hide his confusion.
"This is your work, Ben," replied the youth bitterly.
"I was bound to have the command of this steamer, and I have got it," added Ben, with malignant triumph.
"I know you have; you put Mr. Taylor up to this, or he never would have done it."
"Don't snarl about it, Lawry; the thing is done, and you can't help yourself. The sheriff has given me the command of the boat."
"And he has attached the place. Mother will be turned out of house and home!" cried Lawry, unable to repress his tears.
"No, she won't; that will be all right."
"Oh, Ben! How could you do it?"
"You drove me to it. It is all your fault, Lawry; so you needn't whine about it. Don't make a fuss; here comes Taylor."
"I don't want to see him," said Lawry, moving toward the door.
"Don't go off; I'm going to take Taylor and his friends up the lake, to give them a sail."
"The boat is engaged to Mr. Sherwood, to-day."
"I can't help it; he will not have her to-day. Come, Lawry, be a man. I won't be as hard with you, I say, as you were with me. I don't ask you to be a deck-hand. You shall be the pilot still."
"No, I won't."
"Won't you?"
"I will not," said Lawry firmly, as he dried his tears. "The boat is engaged to Mr. Sherwood, and he has invited a party to go with him. They were to start at nine o'clock, and they will be down here soon."
"Can't help it. I promised to take Taylor and his friends out, and they are all here now. There are the stores for his party," replied Ben, as a couple of men brought a large basket on board, from the top of which protruded the necks of a demijohn and several bottles.
"I shall not go with that party," added Lawry.
"But I want a pilot," said Ben.
"What's the trouble, Wilford?" demanded Taylor.
"Let me tell him you will go, Lawry?" whispered Ben. "He may be hard on you if you don't."
"I will not. I must see Mr. Sherwood at once."
"What's the matter?" asked Ethan.
Lawry was explaining what had happened, when Ben came down with
Taylor.
"I shall not go in her till I have seen Mr. Sherwood," added Lawry, as he finished his brief statement.
"Then I shall not," said Ethan.
"I can steer her myself," said Ben to Taylor.
"Certainly you can."
"Mr. Sherwood will be down soon, and we must be off before he gets here."
"Go up, and start her then," added Taylor.
Without noticing Lawry and Ethan, Ben rushed up to the wheel-house, and ordered the deck-hands to cast off the fasts, which was done. He knew how to steer a boat, and understood the bells, having had considerable experience on board the large steamers. He rang to back her, supposing Ethan was at his post in the engine-room.
She did not back, and he rang again, but with no better success than before.
"Back her!" shouted he, through the speaking-tube.
There was no answer; and, filled with anger, the new captain rushed down to the engine-room to "blow up" the engineer. He found Ethan on the main-deck.
"What are you doing there?" demanded Ben. "Don't you hear the bells?"
"I heard them," replied Ethan quietly.
"Why don't you start her, then?"
"I've nothing to do with her."
"Don't you run that engine?"
"I don't."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I will have nothing to do with the engine as things are now."
Ben raved and stormed at Ethan; then he tried to coax him to take his place; but the engineer was as firm as the pilot had been. Taylor offered him ten dollars if he would run the engine that day; but he positively refused. The new captain then went down to the fire-room, where the man in charge of the furnaces was promoted to the position of engineer.
"Now we can go it," said Ben.
"No; don't start her," said the sheriff.
"Why not?"
"I am responsible for the safety of this boat, and she shall not go with neither pilot nor engineer."
Taylor and the new captain swore terribly; but the sheriff was immovable.
CHAPTER XVI
THE EXCURSION TO WHITEHALL
Lawry was no lawyer, and was therefore unable to form an opinion in regard to the legality of the steps by which the Woodville had been taken from him. It was an accomplished fact, and he was as disconsolate as though he had lost his best friend. He went on shore, and until the peremptory order of the sheriff was given, he expected to see the steamer shoot out from the wharf and disappear beyond the point, in charge of another person than himself.
He had refused to pilot the steamer under the new order of things, not because he wished to be spiteful to his brother, but because he was smarting under a sense of injustice, which unfitted him for the duty. Though he did not comprehend the legal measures which had been taken, he felt that there was something wrong. The Woodville belonged to him, not to his father; and though he was willing to give all his earnings for the support of the family, and even to pay off the mortgage on the place, he felt that it was not right to take the steamer from him.
He stood on the wharf, paralyzed by the calamity which had overtaken him. He wanted to do something, but he did not know what to do. The sheriff, by his caution, had defeated the plans of the new captain, and Lawry was waiting to see what would happen next. He wished to see Mr. Sherwood, and he would have hastened up to his house if he could have endured the thought of losing sight of the steamer even for a moment. Ethan was still on deck, for though he refused to run the engine, he felt it to be his duty to stand by and see that no accident happened, for the steam was up, and the fireman was an unskillful person.
Ben Wilford and Taylor were disappointed and chagrined at their failure to get off. They stormed and swore, till it was apparent that storming and swearing would not start the steamer. The sheriff positively refused to let the boat depart without a competent pilot and engineer.
"What shall we do, Wilford?" said Taylor. "Can't you persuade your brother to take hold again?"
"He's as obstinate as a mule; but I'll try," replied Ben.
"Offer him twenty dollars for his day's work," added Taylor.
"I may be able to compromise with him, if you're willing."
"Anything you please, if you can make him and the other fellow go with us."
"Lawry, Mr. Taylor will give you twenty dollars if you will pilot the steamer to-day," said Ben.
"I wouldn't go for a hundred," replied the young pilot. "I won't go with you at any rate."
"Don't be so obstinate, Lawry."
"I engaged the boat to Mr. Sherwood, and I will not go with anybody else."
"Mr. Sherwood won't care when he finds out that you are not to blame. You can't resist the law, and it isn't your fault."
"Ben, I wouldn't do what you have done for all the steamers on the lake. You have got this man to attach the property, and take the house away from mother, just because you wanted to be captain of this steamer."
"What's the use of talking about that, Lawry?" replied Ben impatiently. "I'm going to be captain of this steamer, anyhow; and the sooner you make up your mind to it, the better it will be for you."
"I can't help myself."
"I know you can't, and for that reason you had better submit with a good grace. If you will take your place in the wheel-house, Mr. Taylor will remove the attachment."
"Will he?"
"I will," replied Taylor.
"And put everything where it was before?" asked Lawry.
"Of course I am to be captain, and Mr. Taylor is to have the boat to-day," added Ben.
"Mr. Taylor can't have her to-day," said Lawry firmly. "I engaged her to Mr. Sherwood, and if anybody has her to-day, he must. That's all I want to say about it now."
The young pilot turned on his heel and walked away. His brother and the creditor were conspirators, and he wanted nothing to do with them. He might have been less resolute, if he had not seen Mr. Sherwood's carriage stop at the head of the wharf.
"Are you all ready, Lawry?" asked Mr. Sherwood.
The poor boy could make no reply; he burst into tears, and turned away from his kind friend.
"What's the matter, Lawry?" demanded Mr. Sherwood.
"I suppose he feels bad, sir," interposed the sheriff. "The boat has been attached for his father's debts."
"For his father's debts!" exclaimed the rich gentleman.
The officer gave him a full explanation of the case.
"This will never do," added Mr. Sherwood indignantly. "This boat is
Lawry's property in his own right."
"I think not," added Taylor. "Here's my lawyer; he can explain the matter to you."
"No explanation is needed," replied Mr. Sherwood.
"The boy is a minor," said the legal gentleman.
"He may need a guardian, nothing more, to enable him to hold the property."
"Perhaps you are more familiar with the law than I am, Mr. Sherwood," said the legal gentleman pompously. "You gave this boat to the boy."
"I did."
"While she lay at the bottom of the lake she was worth nothing. She was an abandoned wreck. If you had any property at all in her, it was subject to the salvage. Lawry Wilford raised her. I suppose you are willing to believe that the boy's father is entitled to his earnings?"
"I grant that."
"Well, sir, whatever the boy earned in the way of salvage belongs to his father; and we sue to recover that."
"This is a ridiculous suit!" exclaimed Mr. Sherwood.
"Perhaps it is, sir, but we shall hold the boat, subject to the decision of the court."
Mr. Sherwood was vexed and perplexed; for, whether the claim could be substantiated or not, the Woodville could be held until a decision was reached. Lawry then took him aside, and told him what his brother had done, in order to make himself captain of the steamer.
"Is that it, Lawry? I'm more sorry for your brother's sake than I am for yours. I pity him, because he has been capable of doing so mean a thing. Don't distress yourself, my boy. We will make this all right in the course of ten minutes."
"But they have taken the steamer away from me, and given her up to
Ben, who is to take charge of her."
"Never mind, Lawry. They shall give her back to you," replied the rich man, as he walked up to the lawyer. "How much is your claim against Mr. Wilford?"
"One thousand and sixty-four dollars," answered the legal gentleman.
"Will you take my draft or check for the amount?"
"No, sir."
"I see you are not disposed to be accommodating."
"We intend to have the first sail in this steamer," sneered Taylor.
"I intend you shall not," said Mr. Sherwood.
Unfortunately he had not money enough with him to discharge the claim against the ferryman, which, as it was a just debt, whatever might be said of the means taken to recover it, he had decided to pay, rather than give bonds for the steamer, and contest the attachment. He had invited several gentlemen to accompany him up the lake in the Woodville, who were now on the wharf, and from them he borrowed enough to make up the sum required. The money was given to Mrs. Wilford, with instructions to go to a certain lawyer and employ him to see that the mortgage on the house and land was properly canceled.
"When we get our money, the attachment on the boat can be dissolved, not before," said the lawyer. "Mr. Sheriff, the debt is not paid yet."
"I will put the money in your hands, if you desire," added Mr.
Sherwood to the sheriff.
"I am satisfied. You may go where you please with the boat, and as soon as you please," replied the official.
"She will not go till this claim is settled, Mr. Sheriff," remonstrated the legal gentleman.
"She may go now," responded the officer. "Ben Wilford, your services will not be needed. Now, gentlemen, we will go up to the village and settle the bills."
The lawyer protested that the attachment could not be removed till the debt had been paid, but the sheriff was willing to take the responsibility of releasing the boat.
"All aboard, Lawry!" shouted Mr. Sherwood.
"I didn't expect you to do this, sir," said the young pilot; "but I will pay you every dollar, if the steamer ever earns so much."
"We will talk about that some other time, my boy. We are all ready to be off now."
Lawry, with a light heart, sprang to his place in the wheel-house; Ethan was already at his post in the engine-room, and the ladies and gentlemen of the party hastened on board.
"Put that basket ashore," said Lawry to the deckhands, as he pointed to the "stores" of the party.
The basket was tumbled on the wharf, to the imminent peril of the glassware it contained. Ben Wilford stood on the pier, leaning against one of the posts to which the steamer was fastened. He looked sour and disappointed.
"Cast off the bow-line," said Lawry, when all was ready.
At this moment Ben jumped on board.
"Stop her!" said Mr. Sherwood sharply, as Lawry rang the bell to back her.
"What's the matter, sir?" asked the pilot.
"Young man," said Mr. Sherwood, stepping up to Ben Wilford, "you will oblige me by going on shore."
"What for?" demanded Ben crustily.
"We do not need your company."
"But I want to go."
"I do not wish you to go."
"I think it is rather steep for you to tell me I can't go in my brother's boat."
"Steep as it may seem, you can't go," added Mr. Sherwood firmly.
"Can't I go, Lawry?" continued Ben.
"It is not for him to say. I have engaged this boat for my party to-day, and, beyond his crew, it is not for him to say who shall go."
"I'm going, anyhow," replied Ben stubbornly.
"No, you are not."
"Yes, I am! if you want to fight, I'm all ready."
"Young man, you wanted to be captain of this boat; you have made a mistake."
"No, I haven't. You and Lawry can't make a nobody out of me."
"You will do it yourself."
"You see."
"Will you go on shore?"
"No, I won't."
The sheriff stood on the wharf with Mrs. Wilford, waiting to see the departure of the Woodville. Ben's mother begged him to come on shore; but he was in that frame of mind which seemed to make opposition a necessity to him. "Do you want any assistance, Mr. Sherwood?" asked the sheriff, as he stepped on deck.
The reckless young man would have been very glad to have Mr. Sherwood put his hand upon him, for it would have afforded him an opportunity to revenge himself for his disappointment. It was another thing to raise his hand against an officer of the law, and he sullenly walked up the gangplank when that formidable individual intimated his readiness to relieve the boat of her unwelcome passenger.
"Haul in the plank, and cast off the bow-line," said Lawry.
He rang the bell to back her, and when her bow pointed out from the shore, the stern-line was cast off, and she moved slowly away from the wharf.
"I'm sorry your brother behaves so badly, Lawry," said Mr. Sherwood, after the steamer started.
"It makes me sick to think of it, sir," replied the pilot. "I'm really afraid of him, for I don't know what he will do next."
"Do your duty, faithfully; that is all you need do."
"I feel almost sorry I didn't let him be captain, when I think the matter over."
"He is not fit to be captain; and you did quite right in not consenting to it. I'm sorry for you, Lawry, and sorry for your mother, for he must be a sore trial to both of you."
"If he wasn't my brother I wouldn't care," added Lawry, restraining the tears.
"Never mind it, my boy; we won't say anything more about it. Let us hope your brother will grow better."
"I hope he will, sir."
The Woodville was now going at full speed up the lake. The party on board consisted of twenty-four ladies and gentlemen, most of whom were summer visitors at Port Rock. They were delighted with the beautiful little craft, and glad to know that she could be obtained for pleasure-parties during the summer. They wandered about the deck, saloon, and cabin till they had examined every part of her, and then they gave themselves up to the enjoyment of the sail, and of the magnificent scenery on the borders of the lake. They seated themselves on the forward deck, and Lawry pointed out the objects of interest as the steamer proceeded; and in this occupation he forgot the conduct of Ben, and was as happy as the happiest of the party before him. The ladies and gentlemen sang songs and psalm tunes, in which the sweet voice of Fanny Jane Grant was so prominent that Ethan was once enticed from the fascinating engine which occupied all his thoughts.
In the meantime, Mrs. Light was busy with the dinner. Captain Lawry was a little uneasy on this subject, for it was out of his line of business. In the middle of the forenoon he gave the wheel to one of the deck-hands, and went down into the kitchen to satisfy himself that this important matter was receiving due attention. The cook was so confident and enthusiastic that he was quite sure she would realize the expectations of the passengers. In the cabin he found the girls busy at the tables. Both of them had seen service in hotels, and there was no danger of a failure in their department. At one o'clock dinner was on the table, and the young captain went down again to assure himself that it was all right.
"Come, Lawry, can't you dine with us?" said Mr. Sherwood, when the bell had been rung.
"I can't leave the wheel, sir."
"But don't you want some dinner?"
"I'll have my dinner when we get to Whitehall. Haste makes waste, you know; and if I should be in a hurry to eat my dinner we might get aground, or be smashed up on the rocks."
"I suppose you are right, Lawry, and I will do the honors of the table for you," laughed Mr. Sherwood.
The dinner was not only satisfactory, but it was warmly praised; and Mrs. Light was made as happy as the captain by the enthusiastic encomiums bestowed upon her taste and skill in the culinary art.
The Woodville reached Whitehall at two o'clock, where the party went on shore to spend an hour. While they were absent Lawry and all hands had their dinner, the cabins and the deck were swept, and everything put in order. Quite a number of people visited the little steamer while she lay at the pier; and a gentleman engaged her to take out a party the next Saturday, with dinner for twenty-four persons. When Mr. Sherwood returned, he had let her for another day.
At three o'clock the Woodville started for Port Rock. The party were still in high spirits, and the singing was resumed when the wheels began to turn. On the way down, she stopped at Ticonderoga, while her appearance so delighted a party of pleasure-seekers that she was engaged for another day, and a dinner for twenty spoken for.
"Lawry, you must have an engagement-book, or you will forget some of your parties," said Mr. Sherwood, who stood by the pilot, in the wheel-house, when the steamer started.
"I have put them all down on a piece of paper, sir. I will get a book when I go to Burlington."
"Which will be to-morrow. I had engaged her for four days when you came up with her from Port Henry; but I'm afraid we shall work you too hard."
"No fear of that, sir. I only hope I shall be able to pay you that money you advanced this morning."
"Don't say a word about that. Let me see: you are engaged in Burlington to-morrow, to me the next day, and in Whitehall on the following day."
"I will get a book and put them down, sir."
"But you must be in Burlington by eight o'clock tomorrow morning."
"We can run up to-night."
"You will get no sleep if you run all night."
"I think we shall want another fireman."
"You will: for in order to keep your engagements you will occasionally have to run nights."
At eight o'clock the Woodville landed her passengers at Port Rock, and as the gentlemen went ashore, they gave three cheers for the little steamer and her little captain.
CHAPTER XVII
BURLINGTON TO ISLE LA MOTTE
On his way home, Mr. Sherwood went to the ferry-house and satisfied himself that the mortgage on the place had been canceled. Mrs. Wilford was profuse in the expression of her gratitude to him for his kindness to the family, and hoped that Lawry and his father would be able to pay him back the whole sum.
"Mrs. Wilford, so far as gratitude and obligation are concerned, the balance is still largely against me. Millions of dollars would not pay the debt I owe to your son."
"Oh, Lawry don't think anything of that, sir!"
"But I do. Madam, if your son had been five minutes later than he was when the little steamer went down, Miss Fanny Grant would certainly have been drowned, and my wife would doubtless have shared her fate. And when I think that this exposure of their precious lives was my own fault; that my wife and her sister had nearly perished by my foolish haste and recklessness, I feel like giving every dollar I have in the world to Lawry. You don't understand this matter as I do, Mrs. Wilford."
"I didn't think you were in any great danger."
"Miss Fanny would certainly have been drowned; and I don't think it would have been possible for me to save my wife, for I was nearly exhausted when Lawry came. Now, Mrs. Wilford, do you suppose I shall mind one, two, or ten thousand dollars, where my brave deliverer is concerned? In one word, I will never take a dollar which I have expended for Lawry or the family. Your son is a manly and independent boy, and I don't like to hurt his feelings; so I shall not say anything about this money at present."
"Lawry is a good boy," said Mrs. Wilford proudly.
"He is worth his weight in gold. I am sorry your oldest son is not more like him."
"I don't know what to think of Benjamin."
"Where is he now?"
"I don't know; I haven't seen him since the steamer left, this morning."
"Lawry is a good deal troubled about the ferry-boat."
"He needn't be."
"Can you hire a man to run the boat?"
"Yes; I can get a boy who will do it for half a dollar a day, and be glad of the chance. I will engage one."
"Lawry goes to Burlington to-night to take out a party to-morrow."
"To-night?"
"Yes; he must be there by eight in the morning."
Mrs. Wilford thought her son was having a hard time with the steamer; but she knew he would be satisfied as long as he was doing well. Mr. Sherwood, assured that there was nothing at home to detain the young pilot, left the house. Lawry soon after entered; but he had not time to tell his mother the particulars of his first trip on the Woodville. He could remain but a few moments, while the hands were "coaling up," from a cargo of coal deposited on the wharf that day, by the order of Mr. Sherwood.
At nine o'clock everything was ready for the departure. The fireman grumbled at being called upon to work at night; but Lawry promised to get another man to keep watch as soon as he could. It was a long day's work for all hands. When the young captain had gone to the wheel-house to start the boat, Mr. Sherwood rushed down the wharf, and jumped aboard.
"I was afraid I should be too late," said he, as Lawry met him on the main-deck. "I have been all over the village to find you another fireman, and I have succeeded in getting you a first-rate one—an old hand at the business."
"Thank you, sir; you are taking a great deal of trouble for me."
"There's another thing I quite forgot; I didn't pay you for the trip nor the dinners. Here is the money."
"I can't take it, Mr. Sherwood," protested Captain Lawry.
"But you must take it; if you don't I can't engage the boat again."
"Not from you, sir."
"I am more interested than any other person in your success with the steamer, and I insist that you take the money."
"I owe you for this cargo of coal, now."
"That was a present from Miss Fanny Grant."
"She is very generous."
"Generous! If she doesn't do more than that for you, I shall be ashamed of her. By the way, captain, she paid the bill for repairing the steamer at Port Henry."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Lawry, who had intended to discharge this debt with the first money he earned. "She is very kind. I don't deserve so much from her and you."
"More, my boy. We haven't done anything at my house but talk about you for a week. Now, you must be reasonable. We intended to give you a good start. Miss Grant wishes to put an upright pianoforte in the saloon. There is just room for it at the end of the stateroom on the starboard side. When that is put in, we shall let you alone. Now, Lawry, take this money; if you don't, I shall be offended."
"I don't like to do so," pleaded Lawry. "It makes me feel mean."
"It need not; take it, Lawry, for you will want money to provision your boat in the morning."
Captain Lawry took it, though it seemed to burn his fingers.
"Now, my boy, you shall have your own way. I will force nothing more on you, except what I fairly owe you, and you shall make your fortune without any help or hindrance from anybody."
"I owe you now—-"
"Silence, Lawry!" laughed Mr. Sherwood. "There comes your second fireman."
As the man came down the gangplank, he handed Mr. Sherwood a long package, done up in brown paper.
"One thing more, Lawry," said his munificent friend, as he led the way to the engine-room, which was lighted by a lantern. "Will you let me put this sign up over the front windows in the wheel-house?"
"Certainly, sir. What is it?"
"It is the motto of the steamer, and fully explains how I lost the boat," replied Mr. Sherwood, as he unrolled the package.
It was a small sign, about three feet in length, elegantly painted and gilded, on which was the motto:
HASTE AND WASTE.
"While you were at Port Henry, repairing the boat, I went up to Burlington, where I ordered this to be done. It came down to-day, and I want it put up in the wheel-house, where it will be constantly before your eyes, as the best axiom in the world for a steamboat man. It will be the history of the Woodville to you, and I hope you will always act upon it, never running your boat above a safe speed, nor leave your wharf when it is imprudent to do so."
"I shall be very glad to have those words always before me," replied
Lawry.
"When you are ready to go, captain, we are," said Mr. Sherwood.
"I'm all ready, sir."
Lawry turned, and to his astonishment saw Mrs. Sherwood and Miss
Fanny, who had been looking over his shoulder at the pretty sign.
"We are going with you, Captain Lawry," added Mr. Sherwood; "that is, if you won't charge us anything for our passage."
"I am very happy to have you as passengers," stammered Lawry.
"We are so much in love with your boat, Lawry, that we could not stay away from her," added Mrs. Sherwood.
"And her captain," said Miss Fanny.
Lawry was good for nothing at complimentary speeches, and he went aft to give the girls directions to light up the cabin and the two staterooms for the accommodation of his unexpected passengers.
"Where's Fanny Jane?" asked Ethan, when Mr. Sherwood had gone to the wheel-house to put up the motto.
"She is going to keep house for us while we are gone," replied Miss Fanny mischievously. "You were so unsocial to-day she would not come with us."
"I had to look out for the engine," pleaded Ethan.
"That was not the reason, Ethan," interposed Mrs. Sherwood. "You behaved splendidly."
"If you were twenty, instead of sixteen, Ethan, I should say you were in love with Fanny Jane," laughed Miss Fanny.
"Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Ethan, blushing beneath his smutty face. "I like her, and after what we went through out West, I don't think it is very strange I should."
"You are right, Ethan. She is a good girl, and I hope you will like her more, rather than less."
"The saloon is ready for you, ladies," said Lawry, interrupting this pleasant conversation—very pleasant to Ethan, for without entering into an analysis of the young engineer's feelings, it is quite certain he thought a great deal of the companion of his wanderings in Minnesota; but fortunately he is not the hero of this book, and this interesting suggestion need not be followed out any further.
The little captain conducted the ladies to the saloon, and then hastened to the wheel-house, where Mr. Sherwood, by the light of a lantern in the hands of one of the boys, had screwed up the sign.
"Haul in the plank!" shouted Lawry, "Cast off the bow-line."
The Woodville backed till she was dear of the wharf, and then went ahead. Lawry knew the lake by night as well as by day, and he was perfectly at home at the wheel, not withstanding the darkness that lay in the steamer's path. One of the deck-hands was a boy of sixteen, who had served in a similar capacity on board the lake steamers, and was a good wheelman, though he knew nothing of the navigation of the lake, and steered only by the directions given him from time to time. Captain Lawry called this hand, and gave him the wheel, with orders to run for a certain headland several miles distant.
The young captain went below with Mr. Sherwood, to make his arrangements for the night. The second fireman had already been installed in the fire-room by Ethan, and the first had gone forward. A portion of the forehold of the steamer had been fitted up for the accommodation of the crew. It contained four berths, and was well ventilated by a skylight in the forecastle. In building the boat, Mr. Sherwood had insisted upon having everything put into her that was to be found in larger craft; and these quarters for the hands were now very convenient, if not indispensable.
Lawry gave one of these berths to the first fireman, and appropriated the other to the use of the second and the two deck-hands. The second boy was gaping fearfully on the forward deck, and was quite delighted when the captain told him he might turn in. On the starboard side of the steamer, forward of the wheels, were two very cunning little staterooms, the corresponding space on the port side being occupied by the kitchen and storerooms. One of these was for the engineer, and the other for the captain. Abaft the wheels, on each side, was a small stateroom, one of which had been designed for the captain. Both of these rooms had been appropriated to the cook and the two waiter girls. Mrs. Light, in the apartment of the commander, was quite delighted with her accommodations; but Mr. Sherwood declared that she deserved a princely couch for the good dinner she had served that day.
The two staterooms to be occupied by the passengers were taken out of the space that would otherwise have been park of the saloon, and were entered by doors on each side of the passageway leading to it. They were beautiful little rooms, though ladies in full crinoline might have been somewhat perplexed at their contracted dimensions. They were elegantly furnished, and Miss Fanny declared that her room made her think of the fairy palaces for little people, of which she had read in her childhood. There were twelve berths in the lower cabin, but these were not needed.
Having disposed of his crew for the night, Lawry returned to the wheel-house, where he was soon joined by his passengers, who spent an hour with him before they retired. At half-past ten they went to their rooms, and Lawry was alone. Not a sound was to be heard except the monotonous clang of the engine, and the lake was as silent in the gloom as though the shadow of death was upon it. There was a solemnity in the scene which impressed the young pilot, even accustomed as he was to the night and the silence. He was worn out by the labors and the excitement of the day, but he could not resist the inspiration which came from the quiet waters and the gloomy shores.
The Woodville sped on her way, and at midnight she was approaching the steamboat wharf at Burlington. Lawry rang to "slow down," and informed Ethan that the boat was close to the wharf. The "fires were drawn," and in a few moments more the steamer was made fast to the wharf. After satisfying himself that everything was secure on board, the exhausted pilot went to his stateroom, and was soon fast asleep. Ethan followed him, after instructing the first fireman to get up steam early in the morning.
Both the pilot and the engineer slept till seven o'clock; but when they came out of their rooms, blaming themselves for sleeping so late, they found the decks washed down, the cabins in order, steam up, and breakfast ready. Those who had "turned in" early had faithfully performed the duties belonging to them, as they had been instructed the evening before. Mrs. Light, who was steward as well as cook, had been to the market, and purchased the supplies for breakfast and dinner. Mr. Sherwood and the ladies had risen early, and taken a walk, which gave them a keen appetite for the excellent breakfast prepared for them. The passengers insisted that Captain Lawry should sit at the head of the table with them, as this was the proper place for the commander of the steamer.
During his walk Mr. Sherwood had purchased three blank books, and a double slate, for which Lawry, agreeably to the arrangement that nothing more should be forced upon him, paid the cash on the spot, to the great amusement of the ladies. The memoranda of each trip, including the time of arrival and departure, and of reaching or passing the principal points on the lake, were to be entered on the slate in the wheel-house, and afterward copied into the largest of the blank books. These were called the log-slate and the log-book. The second was the engagement-book, and the third an account-book, in which the receipts and expenses of the steamer were to be kept.
After breakfast Mr. Sherwood assisted his young friend in opening these books, and explained to him the best method of keeping his accounts. By this time the party for the day's excursion had begun to arrive. The ladies and gentlemen were friends of Mr. Sherwood, and he and his wife and Miss Fanny were to join them. A small band had been provided for the occasion, consisting of six pieces.
Precisely at eight o'clock the Woodville left the wharf, amid the inspiring strains of the "Star-spangled Banner," performed by the band. The scene was in the highest degree exhilarating; and the little captain was the happiest person on board, where all was merriment and rejoicing. The boat was to go down the lake as far as Isle La Motte, where the party would spend a couple of hours on shore, and return by six o'clock in the afternoon. This program was carried out to the letter, without any accident, or any nearer approach to one than a thunder-shower and squall. When the little captain saw the tempest coming down upon him, he put the boat about and run her up into the teeth of the squall. The ladies and gentlemen saw the commotion on the water, and some of them were very much alarmed; but the Woodville, under the good management of Lawry, did not careen a particle, being headed into the wind.
In three minutes it was over, the steamer returned to her former course, and the party wondered that she made no more fuss about it. While the rain continued, the excursionists were compelled to remain in the saloon; but they were full of glee, after their terror had subsided, and the shower was hardly regarded as a detriment to the pleasure of the trip.
At the appointed hour the Woodville was at the wharf in Burlington. Before the party left the boat, they met in the saloon, and passed a vote of thanks to the little captain, in which the dinner, the steamer, and her commander were warmly praised. It was written out, a copy was given to Lawry, and it was to be published in the Burlington papers. While the boat was stopping at the wharf, Mr. Sherwood went up to a printing office, where he had left an order for a job in the morning, and returned bringing with him a few copies of the handbill, which was to announce the Woodville more generally to the public. It was posted in various parts of the steamer, and read aloud with mischievous delight by Miss Fanny. It was printed in colors, ornamented with a cut of a steamer, and read as follows:
MOST DELIGHTFUL EXCURSIONS ON THE LAKE!
THE NEW AND SPLENDID MINIATURE STEAMER
WOODVILLE,
Captain Lawrence Wilford,
With elegant and luxurious accommodations for thirty passengers, is now ready to convey pleasure-parties to any part of the lake.
Breakfasts, dinners, and suppers provided on board; and the tables will be supplied with the best the market affords.
Apply by letter, or otherwise, to
CAPTAIN LAWRENCE WILFORD,
Port Rock, N. Y.
By seven o'clock the Woodville was under way for Port Rock. Lawry gave the helm to one of the deck-hands, and went below to make some entries in his account-book. He had been paid, that day, fifty dollars for the boat, and thirty dollars for dinners. Mrs. Light had expended twenty-six dollars for provisions and groceries, but he still had one hundred and twenty-eight dollars. It was a large sum of money for a boy of fourteen to have, and he counted it with a pride and pleasure which made him forget the fatigue of his severe labors.
At half-past ten the steamer was moored to her wharf at Port Rock. Mr. Sherwood and the ladies bade the little captain good-night, and went home.
CHAPTER XVIII
TEN THOUSAND IN GOLD
It was fortunate for Lawry that he was able to sleep well in the midst of the excitement in which he lived; otherwise his bodily frame must have yielded to the pressure to which it was subjected. He did not wake till seven the next morning, which invigorated his powers and prepared him for the duties of another day. As soon as he turned out, he went up to see his mother, and gave her a hundred dollars of the money he had earned, reserving the balance for the expenses of the boat.
At nine Mr. Sherwood and his party came on board. It had been his intention to visit Ticonderoga; but business letters which he found waiting his arrival the evening before compelled him to change his destination to Burlington.
Just before the party appeared, Ben Wilford had been seen lounging about the wharf. He had complained bitterly to his mother of the treatment he had received from Lawry, and did not seem to be conscious that he had ever been engaged in a base and mean conspiracy against the peace and happiness of the whole family. Mrs. Wilford had spoken plainly to him, which had only increased his irritation. The little steamer was a sore trial to him, for she was the indication of Lawry's prosperity.
Ben had fully persuaded himself into the belief that he, and not Lawry, ought to be captain of the Woodville. She was a family affair, and he could not regard his brother as the actual owner of her. He had imagination enough to understand and appreciate the pleasure of being in command of such a fine craft. His conspiracy had signally failed; in his own choice phrase, Mr. Sherwood "carried too many guns for him," and it was useless to contend against money.
The envious brother had so far progressed in his views as to believe that a subordinate position in the Woodville was better than no position at all. He had heard of the fine times the parties had on board of her, of the splendid dinners, and the inspiring music; and he was very anxious to have a situation in her. He was afraid of Mr. Sherwood, and dared not again take his place boldly on board. At a favorable moment, when Lawry and the deck-hands were employed on the after part of the deck, he slipped down the plank and into the forecastle, concealing himself in the berth of one of the firemen. This trick might insure him a passage with the excursion-party, if nothing more.
When the ladies and gentlemen had all arrived, the boat left the wharf, and commenced her voyage down the lake. After she had gone a couple of miles Ben Wilford came out of his hiding-place, and proceeded directly to the wheel-house, feeling that he had nothing to fear from his kind-hearted brother, and hoping to conciliate him before Mr. Sherwood discovered that he was on board. He entered the open door of the wheel-house as coolly as though he belonged there.
"Ben!" exclaimed the little captain, when he saw him. "I didn't know you were on board."
"I didn't mean you should till I got ready," replied Ben.
"I don't know as Mr. Sherwood will like it when he sees you," added
Lawry.
"If you like it, he will."
"I'm sure I've no objection to your going with me."
"I knew you hadn't."
"But the steamer belongs to Mr. Sherwood to-day."
"Don't you want some help, Lawry? Mother thinks you are working rather too hard."
"I don't think I shall hurt myself," answered Lawry, laughing; and he was really pleased to find Ben in such good humor. "I don't see that you can help me any."
"I can steer."
"So can Rounds," replied Lawry, referring to the deckhand whom he called to the wheel when he left his post.
"Lawry, you are my brother—ain't you?"
"Of course I am."
"And I am your brother—am I not?"
"Without a doubt you are."
"Then there are two good reasons why we should not quarrel."
"I'm very sure I don't wish to quarrel, Ben," added Lawry earnestly.
"And I'm just as sure I don't," continued Ben. "This is a splendid little boat, and we might make a first-rate thing of it. I still think I ought to be captain of her; but I won't quarrel about that now. I'll take any place you have a mind to give me."
This was certainly very kind and condescending on the part of the elder brother, after what had occurred; and Lawry really felt happy in the excellent spirit which Ben appeared to manifest.
"You might give me a chance as mate, if you like," added Ben, as he perceived the smile on his brother's face.
"I will speak to Mr. Sherwood about it."
"What do you want to speak to him for? Don't you own this boat?"
"I do; but he has been very kind to me, and I want to take his advice when I can. I wish you hadn't got into that scrape the other day."
"What scrape?"
"Why, causing the boat to be attached for father's debts."
"I didn't mean anything by it, Lawry," answered Ben, in apologetic tones. "You must acknowledge that you provoked me to it."
"How, Ben?"
"I can't get it out of my head that I ought to be captain of this boat. I think it would be a good deal better for you, Lawry. Just look at it one minute! You are a pilot, and you have to leave the wheel to see to everything on board. You ought to have nothing to do but to navigate the steamer; while I, as captain, could take the money, see to the dinners, and keep the deck and cabins in good order."
"We get along very well," replied Lawry.
"But it will wear you out in a month. Mother is afraid you will kill yourself, running the boat night and day."
"If you were captain I should have to be in the wheelhouse all the time, just the same."
"Well, I don't insist on it, Lawry," replied Ben, with becoming meekness. "I was only saying what would be best for all concerned."
"I will talk with Mr. Sherwood."
"Whatever you say, he will agree to. Now, give me the wheel, Lawry, and you go and see your passengers."
Ben took hold of the wheel, and the young pilot involuntarily released his grasp on the spokes. The older brother was certainly in a very amiable frame of mind, and it was perfectly proper to encourage him; but there was no more need of a mate than there was of another captain. Rounds, as the older of the two deck-hands, now performed the duties of that office. There was no freight to be received and discharged, which the mate superintends; and there was nothing for him to do but attend to the gangplank and the mooring lines, and see that the decks were washed down when required.
Lawry was not quite willing to leave the wheel in charge of his brother, for he was painfully conscious that he could not always be trusted. Ben was not often in so pliable a frame of mind, and the little captain could not help suspecting that he had some object in view which was not apparent, for he had twice declared, that if he was not captain of the Woodville no one should be. He was not prepared to believe that Ben would run the boat on the rocks, or set her on fire; but he deemed it prudent to keep his eye on him, and on the course of the steamer.
Ben steered very well, and Lawry left the wheel-house. At the door he met Mr. Sherwood, just as that gentleman had discovered who was at the helm.
"How's this, Lawry? Have you got more help?" asked his friend.
"I didn't know Ben was on board till we were two miles from the wharf. I hope you don't object, sir."
"Certainly not, Lawry. If you are satisfied, I have no reason to be otherwise."
"Ben talks very fair this morning; and I'm sure I don't want to quarrel with him."
"Of course not."
"He still thinks he ought to be captain, and that it would be better for me;" and Lawry stated his brother's argument.
"That's all very pretty," replied Mr. Sherwood. "If you wish to give your brother the command of your steamer, it is not for me to interpose any objection."
"But I want to follow your advice."
"I think you had better let things remain as they are, for the present, at least. Do as you think best, Lawry. I don't want to influence you."
This conversation took place near the door of the wheel-house, and, though the parties had not so intended, Ben heard every word of it.
"Do as you think best, Lawry," continued Mr. Sherwood.
"I want to do what you think is best, sir."
"You know my opinion. Your brother's habits—I am sorry to say it—are not good. I should not be willing to trust him. You cannot place much confidence in a young man who is in the habit of getting drunk. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Lawry, but I must be frank with you."
Ben ground his teeth with rage, as he listened to this plain description of himself, and, in accordance with his usual practice in such cases, vowed to be revenged upon the man who had traduced him, which was his interpretation of Mr. Sherwood's candid statement of the truth.
"I think you are right, sir," replied Lawry, realizing that Ben was not fit for the command of the Woodville, even if he was disposed to give it to him.
"Lawry, I have been compelled to change this excursion into a partial business trip. I am going to buy the surplus-gold of a bank in Burlington, and you must leave me there and go on to Port Kent. On your return, you can stop for me," continued Mr. Sherwood. "What is your engagement for to-morrow."
"At Whitehall, sir."
"Capital! You can convey my gold through, so that I can take the morning train at Whitehall for New York."
"If we get back to Port Rock by six, we can reach Whitehall by twelve."
"Well, that is sooner than I wish to arrive," added Mr. Sherwood thoughtfully. "I shall have ten thousand dollars in gold with me, which, at the present rate, is worth about twenty-five thousand dollars in currency. It would be a great temptation to any rogues, who might find out the specie was on board. How would it do to start from Port Rock at midnight?"
"It will do just as well, sir."
"Then I shall reach Whitehall just in time for the train. But,
Lawry, I see that you must have another pilot on board."