Haste and Waste; Or, the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. A Story for Young People by - (books to read fiction .txt) 📖

timber on the raft, and ate the dinner they had brought with them. They could not keep their eyes off the steamer during the meal, and they continued to discuss the means of completing the work they had begun.

After dinner the labor was renewed with redoubled energy. Four more casks were attached to the bow, and four removed from the stern; the effect of which was to lift the bow out of the water, while the deck at the after part was again submerged. This was Lawry's plan for ascertaining the extent of the injury which the hull had received. It now appeared that, when the Woodville struck the Goblins, she had slid upon a flat rock, while a sharp projection from the reef had stove a hole, not quite three feet in diameter, just above her keel.

"Now we must stop this hole," said Lawry; "and we may as well do it here as anywhere."

"That's just my idea," responded Ethan. "There's a painted floor-cloth in the kitchen, which will just cover it. I will get it."

"Have you any small nails on board?"

"Plenty of them."

The kitchen and the engineer's storeroom were now out of water, so that Ethan had no difficulty in procuring the articles needed in stopping up the hole. A couple of slats were placed over the aperture to prevent the floor-cloth from being forced in by the pressure of the water. Both of the boys then went to work nailing on the carpet, which was new and very heavy. The nails were put very close together, and most of them being carpet-tacks, with broad heads, they pressed the oilcloth closely down to the wood-work. It was not expected entirely to exclude the water; but the leakage could be easily controlled by the pumps.

Several of the casks were now removed from the bow to the stern, until the hull sat even on the water. All the heavy articles on deck, including the contents of the "chain-box," were transferred to the raft, and the laborers were ready to commence the long and trying operation of pumping her out. It was now six o'clock, and it was plain that this job could not be finished that night. The wind was beginning to freshen, and there were indications of bad Weather. Lawry had at first intended to move the Woodville up to the ferry-landing as soon as she floated; but Ethan, for certain reasons, which were satisfactory to his fellow laborer, wished to pump her out where she was; and it was found to be a very difficult thing to tow her up to the ferry in her water-logged condition.

It was not safe to leave her, with the prospect of a heavy blow, so near the Goblins, and they carried out the anchors in the wherry, and with the assistance of the capstan on the forward deck heaved her out into a secure position. The Woodville was safe for the night, and the supper-horn was sounding at the ferry-house. Nearly exhausted by their severe exertions, the boys returned to the cottage.

"I'm so glad that you have done it!" exclaimed Mrs. Wilford, when they went in to supper.

She had been a deeply interested observer of the operations of the young engineers, and her heart had bounded with emotions of joy, in unison with theirs, when she saw the steamer rise to the surface of the lake.

"I knew we should do it, mother," replied Lawry. "Where is Ben?"

"I don't know where he is. He went away just after dinner, and I haven't seen him since," added the mother.

"But I saw the ferry-boat go over in the middle of the afternoon."

"I know you did."

"But who went over with her?"

"I did," answered Mrs. Wilford quietly.

"You, mother?"

"Yes, Lawry; there was no one else to go, unless I called you, and I couldn't bear to take you away from your work. I've been over in the ferry times enough to know how to manage the boat."

"Ben said he would take care of the ferry."

"He doesn't always do as he promises," said Mrs. Wilford sadly.

Lawry thought it was very kind of his mother to run the ferry-boat, rather than disturb him at his work; but he did not like to have her do such labor. When he went out after supper, he found the wind was still quite fresh, and he was afraid that some accident might happen to the steamer in the night. If the casks got loose, she would sink again. While he and Ethan were talking about it, Ben Wilford returned home; and it was evident from his looks and actions that he had been drinking too much.

CHAPTER XI ME. SHERWOOD AND PARTY

"Well, Lawry, I don't see the steamer at the ferry-landing," said Ben Wilford. "You know, you promised to have her up here to-night; but I knew you wouldn't."

"We thought we wouldn't bring her up to-night," replied Lawry coldly.

"I knew you wouldn't, my boy. You didn't keep your promise."

"And you didn't keep yours."

"I didn't make any. If I'd promised to fetch that steamer up, she'd been here."

"You promised to run the ferry, and you left it."

"No, I didn't, Lawry. Don't you talk so to me. You know too much," added Ben angrily. "You never will raise that steamer in two thousand years."

"There she is," replied Lawry quietly, as he pointed in the direction of the Goblins.

Ben looked at her; he did not seem to be pleased to find her on the top of the water. His oft-repeated prophesy had been a failure, and Lawry was full as smart as people said he was.

"Humph!" said he. "She isn't much of a steamboat if those barrels brought her up."

"There she is; and I have done all I promised to do."

"What are you going to do next, Lawry?"

"I'm going to pump her out next."

"You'd better do it pretty quick, or she'll go to the bottom again," added Ben, as he walked into the house.

"There comes Mr. Sherwood, with the ladies," said Lawry, as he glanced up the road.

"I congratulate you, boys," said Mr. Sherwood, as he grasped Lawry's hand. "We gave three cheers for you on the hill, when we saw that you had raised the Woodville."

"Thank you, sir. We worked pretty hard, but we were successful."

"You have done bravely," said Mrs. Sherwood. "We thought, from what your brother said last night, that you would fail."

"Ethan and I didn't think so."

"I suppose you wouldn't sell very cheap to-night, Lawry," added Mr.
Sherwood.

"No, sir; the Woodville is a gift, and I should not be willing to sell her at any price."

"Well, Lawry, I am as glad as you are at your success. Do you want any help yet?"

"No, sir; we are just going on board of her to stay overnight, for we are afraid the heavy wind will do mischief."

"I wouldn't do that. You must rest to-night."

"I'm afraid something will happen if we don't look out for her."

"Are you going to pump her out to-night?"

"We may begin pretty early in the morning," said Lawry, with a smile.

"Haste and waste, my boy. If you stay on board of her to-night, and get sick, you will not make anything by your labor."

"If the wind goes down, we shall sleep ashore as usual. I don't think it blows quite so hard as it did."

"I don't," added Ethan.

"Boys, you mustn't overdo this thing," added Mr. Sherwood seriously.

His wife whispered to him just then.

"Yes, Bertha," he continued. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do, Lawry. I have four men at work for me. I can spare them one day, and they shall pump out the Woodville for you."

"You needn't object," interposed Mrs. Sherwood.

"Indeed you must not, Lawry," added Miss Fanny. "I am afraid you will both be sick if you work so hard."

"We can easily pump her out ourselves," said Ethan.

"You needn't say a word, Ethan," added Fanny Jane.

"I suppose we shall have to submit," replied Lawry, laughing. "We can't oppose the ladies."

"Just as you say, Lawry," said Ethan.

"You shall have the men to-morrow, boys. Now you must go to bed, and not think of the steamer till morning," continued Mr. Sherwood.

As the wind seemed to be subsiding, the boys went into the house; and though it was not quite dark, they "turned in," tired enough to sleep without rocking. Ben was at his supper, in no pleasant frame of mind. He was dissatisfied with himself, and with his brother, who had succeeded in his undertaking contrary to his prophecy. He was envious and jealous of Lawry. Now that his father was away, he thought he ought to be the chief person about the house, being the oldest boy.

"I'm not going to stay at home, and be a nobody," said he angrily.

"We don't wish you to be a nobody," replied his mother.

"Yes, you do; Lawry is everybody, and I'm nobody."

"You've been drinking, Benjamin."

"What if I have! I'm not going to stay here, and play second fiddle to a little boy."

"What are you talking about, Benjamin? Lawry has not interfered with you. He will treat you kindly and respectfully, as he treats everybody."

"He don't mind any more what I say than he does the grunting of the pigs."

"What do you want him to do?"

"I want him to pay some attention to what I say," snarled Ben. "I suppose he thinks that steamboat belongs to him."

"Certainly he does," replied Mrs. Wilford.

"I don't."

"Don't you? Whom does it belong to, then?"

"I'm not a fool, mother; I know a thing or two as well as some others. Lawry is not of age."

"Neither are you."

"I know that, but I'm older than he is."

"You are old enough to behave better."

"How do you expect me to be anybody here, when I have to knock under to my younger brother? I say the steamer don't belong to Lawry any more than she does to me. I have just as much right in her as he has."

"What do you mean by talking so, Benjamin? You know that Mr.
Sherwood gave the steamer to Lawry, and the bill of sale is in
Lawry's name."

"I don't care for that! she's just as much mine as she is his, and he'll find that out when she gets to running. Lawry's a minor, and can't hold any property; you know that just as well as I do."

"What if he is? I think he will be permitted to hold the steamboat, and run her."

"I don't think so. I was talking with Taylor, who holds the mortgage on this place, and he don't think so," added Ben, in a tone of triumph.

"What did he say?"

"Well, he means to attach the steamboat on the note he holds against father."

"He will not do that!" replied Mrs. Wilford.

"He says so, anyhow."

"He will foreclose the mortgage on the place if he wants to get his money."

"The place will not sell for enough to pay his note, and he knows it. No matter about him—the steamboat belongs to father, just as much as the ferry-boat does; and I think I ought to have something to say about her."

"If you want to do anything for the family, why can't you run the ferry-boat, Benjamin?"

"And let Lawry run the steamboat? Not if I know myself!" replied Ben, with savage emphasis. "He may run the ferry-boat, and I'll run the steamer."

"That would be neither fair nor right. The steamer belongs to Lawry, and I will never consent that he shall be turned out of her."

"I don't want to turn him out of her. I'll take charge of her, and he may go pilot; that's all he's good for."

"You mean that you'll be captain?"

"That's what I mean."

"I don't think Lawry will want any one to be captain over him.

"If I don't run that steamer, nobody shall!" said Ben angrily, as he rose and left the house.

"Good evening, Mrs. Wilford," said Mr. Sherwood. "Has Lawry gone to bed?"

"Yes, an hour ago."

"Is he asleep?"

"I suppose he is."

"All right, then."

"What in the world are you going to do with such a crowd of men, Mr.
Sherwood?"

"I'm going to help the boys