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

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."

"I think I can get along, sir."

"You will wear yourself out. You have run a portion of the last two nights, and this arrangement will make the third."

"I can sleep just as well at Port Rock as at Whitehall. To-morrow will be Saturday, and my engagements for Monday and Tuesday are at the upper end of the lake, so that I shall have no more night work at present. I can stand it well enough."

"I'm afraid it will be too much for you; but if you have to engage an extra pilot, you must raise your price to sixty dollars a day."

"I think we shall need another engineer at the same time. Ethan has just as hard a time of it as I do."

"You had better raise your price; people will not object."

"I was thinking, sir, that Ben would make a good pilot. He is a good wheelman, and it wouldn't take him long to learn the courses on the lake."

Mr. Sherwood shook his head.

"Would you be willing to trust him with the boat?—go to sleep yourself, while he is at the helm?" asked he.

"I think I would, after he had learned the navigation."

"He is your brother, Lawry, and I don't like to say anything to wound you; but I feel that your brother is not a reliable person. You must be very prudent. Even a trifling accident, resulting from mismanagement, might ruin your business; for people will not expose their lives needlessly. If Ben will run the ferry the rest of the year, keep sober, and behave well in every respect, you might make a pilot of him, or even captain, another season."

Doubtless this was good advice, and the little captain had so much confidence in his friend and benefactor that he could not help adopting it. Mr. Sherwood went into the cabin again, without any conversation with the subject of his severe but just comments. Lawry was on the point of leaving the hurricane-deck, where he had talked with his adviser, when he noticed that the boat was headed toward the shore, and in a moment more would be aground in the shoal water off Barber's Point. He rushed into the wheel-house, and found that Ben had abandoned the helm. Grasping the wheel, the pilot brought her up to her course, and then turned to his brother.

"What do you mean, Ben, by leaving the wheel?" demanded Lawry, filled with indignation at his brother's treachery.

"Don't talk to me," growled Ben.

"The boat would have been aground in a minute more."

"I wish she was."

"What's the matter, Ben?"

"I thought you were my brother; but you are not."

"I'm sorry to hear you talk so; and I didn't think you would do so mean a thing as to run the boat ashore."

"I'll do anything now. I heard what Sherwood said to you, and what you said to him. I didn't think you would let any man talk about your brother as he did. Do you suppose I would let any man talk like that about my brother? I'll bet I wouldn't! I'd knock him over before the words were out of his mouth."

"Why, what did he say, Ben?"

"What did he say! Didn't you hear what he said? Didn't he tell you I was a drunken fellow, and couldn't be trusted?"

"Well, he certainly did," replied Lawry moodily.

"And you heard him! And you didn't say a word!" said Ben furiously.

"What could I say when Mr. Sherwood spoke only what I know is true?"

"Then you think I'm a drunken fellow, and can't be trusted?" demanded Ben, with an injured look.

"Don't you drink too much sometimes?"

"No, I don't! I drink what I want; but no one ever saw me the worse for liquor. Who says I can't be trusted?"

"When I gave you the wheel, at your own request, you left it, and the boat would have been ashore in another minute. Does that look as though you could be trusted?" added Lawry.

"That was because you wouldn't trust me. I was mad."

"One who would expose the lives of twenty or thirty persons when he got mad ought not to be trusted."

"Lawry, you are no longer my brother. You and your mother, and Sherwood here, have been trying to put me down, and make a nobody of me. You can't do it. I'm your enemy now. You have made me mad, and you must take the consequences. I'll burn or smash this boat the first chance I get! As for Sherwood, I'll teach him to talk about me!"

The angry young man rushed out of the wheel-house. If Mr. Sherwood had heard his insane threats he would probably have insisted that he should be immediately put on shore; but Lawry did not think his brother capable of the madness of malice his speech indicated; he was in a passion, and when he cooled off he would be reasonable again.

Ben sat down on the forecastle where the pilot could see him, and nursed his wrath till the Woodville arrived at Burlington. He was in deep thought all the time, and did not heed the singing or other amusements of the party on board, who were enjoying themselves to the utmost. Apparently with no perception of his own faults and shortcomings, he regarded himself as a deeply injured young man. His mother and his brother had turned against him, and were persecuting him to the best of their ability. He had come on board to gain his purpose by conciliation; he had failed, and, in his own view, there was nothing left for him but revenge.

The boat touched at Burlington, and to the great relief of Lawry, his brother followed Mr. Sherwood on shore. At three o'clock the Woodville returned from Port Kent with the happy excursionists. While the steamer lay at the wharf, waiting for Mr. Sherwood, many persons, moved by curiosity to inspect the beautiful craft, came aboard; and whenever she stopped, she had plenty of visitors of this description. Among them Lawry saw his brother, accompanied by two men, who, from the remarks they made, were evidently familiar with the machinery and appointments of steamers.

Mr. Sherwood presently appeared attended by a bank messenger with the precious coin he had purchased at 2.44, the telegraphic quotation from New York for that day.

"Where shall I put this gold. Captain Lawry?" asked Mr. Sherwood.

"I don't know, sir; I'm really afraid of it," replied the captain nervously. "Can't you carry it in your pockets?"

"It weighs about thirty-seven pounds," laughed Mr. Sherwood. "I will lock it up in my stateroom. I shall sleep on board to-night, and it will be safe enough after we leave the wharf, for no one but you and me knows there is any specie on board."

The man of gold went aft with the coin, which was contained in two bags.

"I suppose I can go home with you—can't I, Lawry?" asked Ben, as the little captain started for the wheel-house.

Lawry could not refuse this request, though his brother was evidently a little excited by the liquor he had drank. He hoped Ben had not heard anything about the treasure on board; for he feared that revenge, if not dishonesty, might prompt him to commit a crime.

The visitors were warned ashore, and the Woodville departed for Port Rock, where she arrived at about six o'clock. The excursion-party went on shore, after the usual compliments to the steamer and her commander.

"Now, Lawry, I must go up to the house for my valise; but I will return in an hour," said Mr. Sherwood, whose carriage was waiting for him at the head of the wharf.

"But the gold, sir?" whispered Lawry anxiously.

"You or Ethan may watch the stateroom till I return, if you please; but there is no danger here. You must turn in at once, Lawry, so as not to lose your sleep."

"I shall be gone four or five days, this time, and I must go home after some clean clothes."

"Very well; I will get Ethan to keep his eye on the stateroom," replied Mr. Sherwood; and Lawry ran up to the cottage.

Ethan, who had ordered the fires to be banked in furnaces, and was letting off the superfluous steam, consented to watch the room containing the gold. Rounds, the deckhand, and the first fireman turned in, that they might be ready for duty at midnight, when the boat would start for Whitehall.

CHAPTER XIX CAPTURED AND RECAPTURED

Unfortunately for Ben Wilford, he had heard Mr. Sherwood inform Lawry of his intentions in regard to