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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c7bf13d --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65552 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65552) diff --git a/old/65552-0.txt b/old/65552-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a06812c..0000000 --- a/old/65552-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7314 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of On Time, by Oliver Optic - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: On Time - or, Bound to Get There - -Author: Oliver Optic - -Release Date: June 7, 2021 [eBook #65552] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Demian Katz, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of - the Digital Library@Villanova University - (http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON TIME *** - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -The whole number part of a mixed fraction is separated from the -fractional part with -, for example, 2-1/2. - -Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: - - ALGER SERIES No. 149 - On Time - - _BY_ - OLIVER OPTIC - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK] - - * * * * * - -BOOKS THAT NEVER GROW OLD - -Alger Series - -Price, Fifteen Cents Clean Adventure Stories for Boys - -The Most Complete List Published - -The following list does not contain all the books that Horatio Alger -wrote, but it contains most of them, and certainly the best. - -Horatio Alger is to boys what Charles Dickens is to grown-ups. His -work is just as popular to-day as it was years ago. The books have a -quality, the value of which is beyond computation. - -There are legions of boys of foreign parents who are being helped -along the road to true Americanism by reading these books which -are so peculiarly American in tone that the reader cannot fail to -absorb some of the spirit of fair play and clean living which is so -characteristically American. - -In this list will be included certain books by Edward Stratemeyer, -Oliver Optic, and other authors who wrote the Alger type of stories, -which are equal in interest and wholesomeness with those written by the -famous author after which this great line of books for boys is named. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - - 1--Driven From Home By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 2--A Cousin’s Conspiracy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 3--Ned Newton By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 4--Andy Gordon By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 5--Tony, the Tramp By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 6--The Five Hundred Dollar Check By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 7--Helping Himself By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 8--Making His Way By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 9--Try and Trust By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 10--Only an Irish Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 11--Jed, the Poorhouse Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 12--Chester Rand By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 13--Grit, the Young Boatman of Pine Point By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 14--Joe’s Luck By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 15--From Farm Boy to Senator By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 16--The Young Outlaw By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 17--Jack’s Ward By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 18--Dean Dunham By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 19--In a New World By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 20--Both Sides of the Continent By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 21--The Store Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 22--Brave and Bold By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 23--A New York Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 24--Bob Burton By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 25--The Young Adventurer By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 26--Julius, the Street Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 27--Adrift in New York By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 28--Tom Brace By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 29--Struggling Upward By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 30--The Adventures of a New York Telegraph Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 31--Tom Tracy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 32--The Young Acrobat By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 33--Bound to Rise By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 34--Hector’s Inheritance By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 35--Do and Dare By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 36--The Tin Box By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 37--Tom, the Bootblack By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 38--Risen from the Ranks By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 39--Shifting for Himself By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 40--Wait and Hope By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 41--Sam’s Chance By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 42--Striving for Fortune By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 43--Phil, the Fiddler By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 44--Slow and Sure By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 45--Walter Sherwood’s Probation By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 46--The Trials and Triumphs of Mark Mason By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 47--The Young Salesman By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 48--Andy Grant’s Pluck By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 49--Facing the World By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 50--Luke Walton By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 51--Strive and Succeed By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 52--From Canal Boy to President By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 53--The Erie Train Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 54--Paul, the Peddler By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 55--The Young Miner By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 56--Charlie Codman’s Cruise By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 57--A Debt of Honor By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 58--The Young Explorer By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 59--Ben’s Nugget By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 60--The Errand Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 61--Frank and Fearless By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 62--Frank Hunter’s Peril By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 63--Adrift in the City By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 64--Tom Thatcher’s Fortune By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 65--Tom Turner’s Legacy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 66--Dan, the Newsboy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 67--Digging for Gold By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 68--Lester’s Luck By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 69--In Search of Treasure By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 70--Frank’s Campaign By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 71--Bernard Brook’s Adventures By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 72--Robert Coverdale’s Struggles By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 73--Paul Prescott’s Charge By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 74--Mark Manning’s Mission By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 75--Rupert’s Ambition By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 76--Sink or Swim By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 77--The Backwoods Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 78--Tom Temple’s Career By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 79--Ben Bruce By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 80--The Young Musician By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 81--The Telegraph Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 82--Work and Win By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 83--The Train Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 84--The Cash Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 85--Herbert Carter’s Legacy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 86--Strong and Steady By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 87--Lost at Sea By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 88--From Farm to Fortune By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 89--Young Captain Jack By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 90--Joe, the Hotel Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 91--Out for Business By Horatio Alger, Jr. - 92--Falling in With Fortune By Horatio Alger, Jr. - - - - -ON TIME OR, BOUND TO GET THERE - - - BY - OLIVER OPTIC - Author of many books for boys which will never grow old. - - [Illustration] - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION - PUBLISHERS - 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York - - * * * * * - - Copyright, 1869 - By W. T. ADAMS - - Renewal Granted to - Alice Adams Russell, 1897 - - On Time - - (Printed in the United States of America) - - * * * * * - -ON TIME. - - - - -CHAPTER I. A NEW PROJECT. - - -“You don’t want that boat, Wolf, any more than the lake wants water,” -said my father, after I had read an advertisement, in the Ruoara -_Clarion_, of the effects of a bankrupt which were to be sold at -auction the next day. - -“I don’t think the lake would amount to much without water; in fact, -to no more than I do without business,” I replied. “I want something -to do, and if I can buy this boat at a low price, I am sure I can make -something out of her.” - -“What can you do with her? She is a very pretty plaything; but you and -I can’t afford such luxuries,” added my father. - -“I don’t want her for a plaything, father,” I persisted. “I want to -make some money out of her.” - -“You are an enterprising boy, Wolf; but I really don’t see any money in -a boat like that.” - -“I think there is, though of course I may be mistaken. Since Major -Toppleton has been running his steamers across the lake to Centreport -so many times a day, the ferry would not pay, and the owner has gone up -to Ruoara with his boat. Now, there are many people who wish to cross -between the steamers’ trips.” - -“I don’t think that would pay,” said my father, shaking his head. - -“There is hardly a boat to let, either in Middleport or Centreport. I -think a boat kept for parties of pleasure would pay well. There are -plenty of people who want to go up the lake fishing; and there would be -a great many more if a decent boat were to be had.” - -“Well, Wolf, you have made your own money, and you are smart enough to -take care of it yourself. If you want to go into a speculation on your -own account, I haven’t a word to say. But what will this boat cost?” - -“Of course I don’t mean to pay anything like her value. If she can be -bought at a low figure, I can do something with her, even if I have to -sell her.” - -“They say she cost five or six hundred dollars.” - -“I should say she could not be built and fitted up for anything less -than six hundred. I am willing to go one hundred on her. If I can -buy her for that, I can turn her again so as to double my money,” I -continued confidently. - -“I don’t know. A boat is either the best or the worst property in the -world.” - -“I know that. It is October now, and the boating-season is about over, -though there is considerable fishing done up the lake. Not many people -want to buy a boat in the fall, and for that reason she won’t bring -much.” - -“Here is the hundred dollars. If you can buy her for that, I think you -will be safe enough,” added my father, as he took the bills from the -bureau drawer. - -I was very fond of boating, and would rather have made my living in -that way than any other; but while I could get two, or even one dollar -a day for running an engine, I could not afford to risk my chances -with a boat. I was out of business now. I had been contemptuously -discharged from the Lake Shore Railroad, and, not a little to my -chagrin, Colonel Wimpleton, who had made me liberal offers to serve in -his new steamer, did not repeat them. My father also was out of employ, -and, though we were not likely to suffer at present for the want of -work, we could ill afford to be idle. - -I had taken it into my head that I could make something with a good -sailboat. The people of the two towns, as well as many strangers who -came to them, were fond of fishing, and six or seven dollars a day for -such a boat as I proposed to buy would not be an extravagant price, -including, as it would, my own services as skipper. Twenty days’ work -would refund my capital, and I could reasonably hope to obtain this -amount of business during the next two months. The next summer she -would be a small fortune to me, for boats were in constant demand. - -The next day I crossed the lake, and went up to Ruoara in Colonel -Wimpleton’s new steamer, the _Ucayga_. This was the first time I -had sailed in her, and I could not help seeing that she was “a big -thing.” It seemed almost incredible to me that I had been offered the -situation of captain of this boat, and even more incredible that I had -refused it; but both of these statements were true. I had come to the -conclusion that the colonel had repented of his splendid offer. - -Just now the Lake Shore Railroad was in the ascendant, and the _Ucayga_ -was under a shadow. She had very few passengers, while the train which -had just left Middleport had been crowded. It was a busy season among -travelers, and I heard that the colonel was terribly galled by the -ill-success of his line. Major Toppleton had ordered the captains of -the two boats which ran up the lake to be regularly ten minutes behind -time, so that the steamer was unable to leave Centreport in season -to connect with the trains at Ucayga. This delay entirely defeated -the colonel’s plans, and the _Ucayga_ was generally obliged to leave -without any of the through passengers, which comprised more than half. -Without them the boat would not pay. - -It did not make much difference to Colonel Wimpleton whether the -steamer made or lost money for him, if he could only get ahead of the -railroad. The _Ucayga_ had failed to connect with the railroads at the -foot of the lake two or three times a week; and this had given her a -very bad reputation. It was true that the Lightning Express, on which -I had formerly run as engineer, had been similarly unfortunate quite a -number of times; but as the major’s plan was fully understood by the -people up the lake, the train was regarded as the surer of the two -modes of conveyance. - -Lewis Holgate, the son of the man who had robbed my father, was still -the engineer of the Lightning Express. He was under the powerful -protection of Tommy Toppleton, who ruled all Middleport by ruling his -father, the magnate of the town. Lewis was a treacherous wretch. He -had labored to ruin me, under the direction of his young master; but I -tried to think as kindly of him as I could. I was daily in fear that, -through his unskilful management of the locomotive, an accident would -occur on the road. I am almost sure that Colonel Wimpleton would have -hailed such a catastrophe with satisfaction, so deep and bitter was his -hatred of Major Toppleton, and so great was his opposition to the road. -As the matter stood, neither the train nor the steamer was entirely -reliable. A little more shrewdness, skill, and enterprise would have -turned the scale in favor of either. - -The _Ucayga_ started this morning without waiting for the arrival of -the up-lake steamer. As soon as she left the wharf, I began to walk -about her decks and cabins on an exploring-tour. I was delighted with -her appointments; and, while I tried to be impartial between the -steamer and the railroad, my admiration of the beautiful craft inclined -me to believe that she ought to win. In the course of my wanderings -about the boat, I came to the forward deck. About the first person -I encountered here was Mr. Waddie Wimpleton. He sat on the capstan, -smoking a cigar, for the young scion of the Wimpleton house was bent on -being as “big” as anybody else. - -“What are you doing on our boat, Wolf Penniman?” demanded he, leaping -down from his high seat the moment he saw me. - -“I’m going down to Ruoara on her; that’s all I’m doing just now,” I -replied. - -“Did you come to count the passengers?” said he bitterly. - -“I did not, though, for that matter, it would not be a difficult task -to count them.” - -“None of your impudence, Wolf Penniman!” - -“What’s the matter, Waddie?” I asked, laughing. “I suppose you know I’m -not the engineer of the railroad now, and you need not waste any hard -words upon me.” - -“I don’t want to see you on this boat, or on our side of the lake,” he -added, restoring the cigar to his mouth, and looking as magnificent as -a little magnate could look. - -“I won’t hurt you, or the boat.” - -“I’ll bet you won’t!” - -“This is a splendid boat,” I continued, in a conciliatory tone. - -“Splendid enough.” - -“But I don’t think you are smart to let the major get ahead of you, as -he does.” - -“What do you mean by that?” - -“If I were running this boat, I should have my share of the through -passengers,” I replied, with all the good-nature I possessed. - -“You would do big things!” sneered he. - -“I should try to.” - -“You can’t come it over me, as you did over my father.” - -“I haven’t the least desire to come it over you. I expect to go into -business on my own account pretty soon,” I replied. - -“If it hadn’t been for me, you would have been captain of this boat,” -said he, intending to throw his heaviest shot by this remark. - -“Well, I suppose you did what you thought was best for the line; and if -you are satisfied, I ought to be.” - -“You didn’t make much when you ran away from Centreport.” - -“Neither did I lose much. If we are both satisfied about that, we need -not quarrel.” - -“I shall always quarrel with you, Wolf Penniman, as long as I live,” he -added spitefully. “I hate you!” - -“Well, I hope you will have a good time. For my part, I don’t hate you, -Waddie; and if I had a chance to do you a good turn, I would do it now -as quick as ever I would.” - -“You needn’t snuffle to me. I don’t ask any favors of you. I am -president of the steamboat company, and I suppose you would like to -have me get down on my knees and beg you to take command of this boat.” - -“Not much,” I replied, laughing. - -“You think you are a great man!” - -“No, I’m only a boy, like yourself.” - -“If I had seen you before the boat started, you should not have gone in -her.” - -“That game was tried on the other side of the lake. It don’t work well.” - -“Don’t you come on board of this boat again; if you do, we will try it -on.” - -Both of the little magnates down upon me, and I was forbidden to ride -in either steamer or cars! Waddie puffed up his cigar and walked away, -evidently with the feeling that he was not making much out of me. The -_Ucayga_ touched at the wharf, and I went on shore. So did the little -magnate of Centreport. - - - - -CHAPTER II. THE AUCTION AT RUOARA. - - -It was not yet time for the auction, and I waited on the wharf to see -the steamer start. She was still a novelty in Ruoara, and many people -came down to the shore to observe her beautiful proportions, and the -speed with which she cut through the waters. Hundreds of them made the -trip to Ucayga and back for the sole purpose of seeing the boat. After -the old steamers were taken off, and before the _Ucayga_ was put on -the route, the inhabitants of this town had been obliged to cross the -ferry to Grass Springs, and take the trains of the Lake Shore Railroad -when they wished to go in either direction. The advent of this palatial -steamer was therefore a new era to them, and they regarded her with -pride and pleasure. - -Ruoara was situated nearly opposite Grass Springs; but the four islands -lay off the former town, and a little below. The South Shoe was due -west from the wharf where the boat touched, and she was obliged to -back, and go over a mile out of her course, to avoid the island and -the shoal water which lay near it. The South Shoe, therefore, was a -nuisance in its relation to the steamboat navigation of Ruoara. The -five minutes which this circuit required had doubtless caused the -_Ucayga_ to miss her connection more than once. - -I have been told that I am a machinist by nature. I do not know how -this may be, but I am sure that I never see a difficulty without -attempting to study out the means to remedy it. As I stood on the -wharf, watching the winding course of the splendid steamer, I could -not help grappling with the problem of saving this loss of time on the -trip. These five minutes might sometimes enable the boat to win the day -in the competition with the railroad. - -As I have hinted before, I knew every foot of bottom in this part of -the lake. I had sailed hundreds of miles among these islands, and, -while I was thinking over the matter, the key to the problem flashed -upon my mind. I do not mean to say that it was a very brilliant idea; -but, simple as it was, it had evidently not occurred to the captain of -the steamer, who was a Hitaca man, and knew only the ordinary channels -of the lake, used by the steamers. I had an idea; but I deemed it wise -to keep my own counsel in the matter, for a suggestion from me would -probably have been deemed impertinent. - -When the _Ucayga_ disappeared behind the South Shoe, I turned my -attention to the business which had brought me to Ruoara. A short -distance down the lake, and on its bank, was a beautiful and very -elaborate cottage, which had evidently been intended as a copy of that -occupied by Colonel Wimpleton. Off the lake-wall lay the boat which I -hoped to purchase. The owner had made an immense “spread,” and failed -out clean in the height of his glory. People who could afford to -purchase such rich and gaudy trappings as those with which the bankrupt -owner fitted up his mansion, did not care to buy them at second-hand. -Everybody expected that the ornamental appendages of the establishment -would be sold for a tithe of their cost; and so they were. - -To most of the people on the lake, any boat beyond a skiff for actual -service was regarded as a luxury, especially such a craft as that which -floated off the wall. Taking hold of the painter, I hauled her in, and -stepped on board. She was a very rakish-looking boat, sloop-rigged, -with a cabin forward containing two berths, and the smallest stove it -is possible to imagine. She was about twenty-four feet long, and as -well appointed in every respect as though she had been fitted up to -cross the ocean. The owner had certainly lavished money upon her, which -he could afford to do, at the expense of his creditors. - -While I was examining her I saw the crowd of purchasers moving about -the house as the sale proceeded. It was a hopeful sign that no one -seemed to care a straw about the boat. Men and women were examining -everything else about the establishment, but the _Belle_--for that was -the name I found upon her stern--was wholly neglected. I continued my -examination without the notice of any one for some time. I took the -trap off the well, and got at the bottom. I found that she was built in -the most thorough manner. I was sure she had cost all of six hundred -dollars. - -“What are you doing in that boat, Wolf Penniman?” - -I raised my head from the diligent search I was making in the bottom of -the boat, and discovered Mr. Waddie on the wall. - -“I am looking at her,” I replied. - -“What are you looking at her for?” - -“Because I want to see her.” - -“What do you want to see her for?” - -“I take an interest in boats,” I answered, not caring to be very -communicative with the scion of the Wimpletons. - -It immediately occurred to me that Waddie’s business at Ruoara was the -same as my own, and my heart sank within me, for I could not hope to -bid against one who had so much money at his command. But I could not -think, for the life of me, why Waddie should want the boat, for he -had one of about the same size, which was his own private property. -Probably he had taken a fancy to her, as I had. - -“Are you going to buy her, Wolf?” asked he, with more interest than he -was accustomed to manifest in anything. - -“That will depend upon circumstances.” - -“Who told you that I was going to buy this boat?” demanded he sharply. - -“No one.” - -“You came up to bid against me!” - -“I didn’t know you were coming till I saw you here.” - -“If you bid against me, Wolf Penniman, I’ll be the death of you.” - -“I think not,” I replied, laughing at this rash threat. - -“I will! You will find me an uglier customer to deal with than you did -Tom Toppleton. Do you think I’m going to have you dogging my steps -wherever I go?” - -I could only laugh. - -“No one about here wants the boat but me,” he added. - -“I want her.” - -“Yes, and you want her only because I do,” snarled he. - -“It’s an open thing, I suppose. This is a public auction; and if you -are willing to give more than I can, of course you will have her,” I -replied. - -“If you don’t bid against me, she will be knocked off at the first -offer.” - -“We won’t quarrel, Waddie.” - -“Yes, we will, if you bid against me. The auctioneer is coming. You -mind what I say. If you bid against me, you will repent it as long as -you live.” - -Such language from an ordinary boy would have been very remarkable; -from Waddie it was not at all so. It was his usual style of bullying. -It seemed very strange that the young gentleman should attempt to bully -me into silence when he could outbid me; but I ascertained afterward -that his father objected to buying the boat, and even refused to -furnish the money, so that Waddie could only bid to the extent of the -funds then in his possession. However weak and indulgent the colonel -was, he had not sunk into the condition of subserviency to his son into -which the major had fallen. - -The auctioneer, followed by only a small portion of the crowd from -the house, approached the spot where Waddie stood. I jumped ashore, -and secured a place on the wall. The auctioneer took his stand on the -stern of the _Belle_; but none of the attendants upon the sale felt -interest enough to go on board, or even to examine the craft. It was -plain enough that the competition lay between Waddie and myself alone. -I had made up my mind to lose the boat, and I felt badly about it. I -could not expect to bid successfully against the son of the rich man. -However, I meant to try, and I only hoped that Waddie would keep his -temper. He had certainly given me fair warning; but perhaps it was my -misfortune that I did not happen to be afraid of him. - -While I stood there, I could not help thinking that I was spoiling all -my chances of a situation in the future on board of the _Ucayga_, if -the colonel should again be disposed to repeat his munificent offers. -But I had a dream of doing even a better thing with the _Belle_ than -I could on board of the steamer or on the Lake Shore Railroad, and -without being subject to the caprices of either of the young gentlemen -who were so potent in both. - -The auctioneer gave us a grandiloquent description of the “fairy -pleasure barge” which was before us. He was not a nautical man, and -sadly bungled in his terms. She was the fastest sailer on the lake; was -a good sea-boat. She was right and tight in every respect. - -“For, gentlemen,” he added facetiously, “a boat, unlike a man, is a -good deal better when she is tight than when she is not tight”--a -witticism at which the auctioneer laughed much more heartily than the -auditors. “She is copper-fastened, besides being fastened to the wall. -Like myself, and some of you, gentlemen, she is very sharp. And now, -how much am I offered for this magnificent yacht, the finest, without -exception, on the lake. What shall I have for her?” - -“Twenty-five dollars,” said Waddie Wimpleton, who could not conceal his -interest and anxiety in the result. - -“Did you say twenty-five dollars, Mr. Wimpleton?” said the auctioneer, -with a look which was intended to manifest his astonishment at the -smallness of the bid. “Why, she cost over six hundred dollars! You -can’t mean that, Mr. Wimpleton.” - -“Yes, I do mean it!” said Waddie smartly. - -“Twenty-five dollars is bid for this splendid yacht, sharp as a Yankee -pedler, and copper-fastened, besides being fastened to the wall. Who -says a hundred?” - -No one said a hundred. No one said anything for a few moments, during -which time the auctioneer dwelt upon the beautiful proportions of the -craft, and repeated his jokes for a third time. - -“Only twenty-five dollars is bid for the _Belle_! Why, gentlemen, that -would not pay for one of her sails.” - -“Thirty dollars,” I added. - -“Thirty dollars!” repeated the auctioneer, glancing curiously at me. -“Perhaps I ought to say that the conditions of this sale are cash on -delivery. Thirty dollars! Shall I have a hundred?” - -Waddie glanced furiously at me, and I saw that his fists were clenched. - -“Thirty-five,” said he. - -“Forty.” - -“Forty-five,” snapped he. - -“Fifty,” I added quietly. - -I had hardly uttered the word before Waddie’s fist was planted squarely -on the end of my nose, and the blood spurted from it. He was about to -follow it up with another, when I deemed it necessary to do something. -I parried his stroke, and hit him so fairly in the eye that he reeled, -lost his balance, and went over backwards into the lake with a fearful -splash. - - - - -CHAPTER III. ON BOARD THE “BELLE.” - - -Somehow, when we resort to violence, we often do much more than we -intend. I did not desire to do anything more than defend myself; but -Waddie stood between me and the water, and when I hit him, he went -over. I have never claimed to be saint or angel. I was human enough to -“get mad” when the young gentleman flattened my nose and made it bleed. -I simply defended myself by the only means within my power, though I -did not intend to throw Waddie into the lake. - -The water was not more than three or four feet deep near the wall; -but Waddie might have been drowned in it, if he had not been promptly -assisted by the auctioneer and others. But if the water was not deep, -it was cold, and hydropathy is an excellent remedy for overheated blood. - -“That’s the way Wolf fights,” said Waddie, as he shook the water from -his clothes. - -“He served you right,” replied the auctioneer, who, I believe, did not -belong to Ruoara--certainly not to Centreport. - -“Do you call this fair play?” demanded Waddie, with chattering teeth. - -“To be sure I do. You turned on him, and hit him without any warning,” -retorted the auctioneer. “He hit you back, and paid you in your own -coin. You went over into the lake, but that was not his fault. Fifty -dollars is bid for this beautiful boat, that cost over six hundred.” - -“I told him I would be the death of him if he bid against me,” replied -Waddie; but there was not much life in his words. - -“O, ho! you did--did you? Well, I’m glad he knocked you into the lake; -and if I had known what you told him, you might have staid in the lake -for all me,” added the auctioneer indignantly, for the greatest sin -in his estimation was a conspiracy to suppress bidding at an auction. -“Fifty dollars! Shall I have sixty?” - -Waddie lingered on the wall, shivering with the cold; but, to my -astonishment, he did not make any additional bid. I could not -understand it. The auctioneer again called the attention of the -audience to the many virtues of the _Belle_, and then observed, in -piteous tones, that only fifty dollars was bid for the beautiful craft. - -“I haven’t done with you yet, Wolf Penniman,” said Waddie, creeping up -to me. - -“Well, I hope you will finish with me as soon as possible,” I replied, -stepping back from the wall so as not to afford him any temptation to -push me into the lake. - -“I’ll keep my word with you.” - -“Fifty dollars!” stormed the auctioneer, justly indignant at the -sacrifice of the boat. - -“When must it be paid for?” demanded Waddie. - -“Cash on delivery,” replied the auctioneer sharply. - -“Can it be delivered to-morrow?” - -“No; the sale must be closed to-day. Fifty dollars!” - -“Sixty,” said Waddie, with an ugly glance at me, after one of the -bystanders had whispered a word to him, to the effect, I suppose, that -he would lend him ten dollars. - -“Sixty-five,” I added quietly. - -“Sixty-five!” repeated the auctioneer, more hopefully. - -Waddie was beginning to warm up again, and had actually ceased to -shiver. He spoke to the bystander with whom he was acquainted, and then -bid seventy dollars. I immediately advanced to seventy-five. - -“Seventy-five!” shouted the auctioneer. “Gentlemen, this is a shameful -sacrifice of valuable property.” - -I saw Waddie’s friend shake his head, as though he was not willing to -risk more than twenty dollars on the speculation; but while the young -gentleman was arguing the point with him, the _Belle_ was struck off to -me. The scion of the house of Wimpleton swore like a bad boy when this -result was reached. He shook his fist at me, and raised a laugh among -the bystanders, not all of whom appeared to reverence the idol which -had been set up in Centreport. My purchase included the small boat -which served as a tender to the _Belle_, the mooring-buoy, and other -appurtenances. - -The auctioneer’s clerk gave me a bill of sale of the boat, and I paid -the cash on the spot. I was the happiest young man on the shore of -the lake. Waddie had disappeared as soon as the sale was completed, -and I was subjected to no further annoyance from him. Having finished -my business in Ruoara, I was ready to sail for home, and astonish the -Middleporters with the sight of my purchase. - -“That’s a fine boat you have bought,” said one of the half-dozen -persons who stood on the wall watching my movements. - -I looked up and saw that the speaker was Dick Bayard, a Wimpletonian, -and the senior captain in the Centreport Battalion. He was a leading -spirit among the students on his side of the lake. He had been the -actual, though not the nominal, leader in the war on the Horse Shoe, -and had distinguished himself by his energy and enterprise in that -memorable conflict. His father lived in Ruoara, which accounted for his -appearance there when the institute was in session. I had a great deal -of respect for him, after I saw how well he bore himself in the silly -war, though he had always been a strong and unreasonable supporter of -Waddie, and had aided him in persecuting me before I was driven out of -Centreport. - -“Yes, she is a first-rate boat,” I replied; for speaking well of my -boat was even better than speaking well of my dog. - -“Are you going down to Middleport now?” - -“Yes; right off.” - -“Will you take a passenger?” he asked, rather diffidently. - -“Who?” - -“Myself.” - -“I will, with pleasure.” - -“Thank you, Wolf.” - -I pushed the tender up to the wall, and he stepped into it. - -“Some of the fellows say you are not a bit like other boys, Wolf; and I -begin to think they are more than half-right,” said Dick Bayard, as he -came on board of the _Belle_. - -“Well, I don’t know. I don’t suppose I’m very different from other -fellows,” I replied, with becoming modesty. - -“You don’t seem to have a grudge against any one. If a fellow abuses -you, you treat him as well as ever. You knock him over in self-defense, -and then behave toward him just as though nothing had happened.” - -“I think I can afford to do so.” - -“I didn’t think you would let me sail up the lake with you,” laughed he. - -“Why not?” - -“Like a good many other fellows, I have toadied to Waddie Wimpleton, -and helped him hunt you down.” - -“I don’t care anything about that now.” - -“I see you don’t. Can I help you?” he asked, as I began to hoist the -mainsail. - -“You may take the peak-halyard, if you please.” - -We hoisted the jib and mainsail, and stood up the lake with a gentle -breeze. I took the elaborately carved tiller in my hand, and if ever -a young man was proud of his boat, his name was Wolfert Penniman. -The _Belle_ fully realized all even of the auctioneer’s enthusiastic -description. - -“Don’t you belong to the institute now, Dick?” I asked, after we had -said all that it was necessary to say in praise of the _Belle_, and -after my companion had related to me more of her history than I knew -before. - -“Not much,” said he, laughing; “my name is still on the books, and I -am still captain of Company A, Wimpleton Battalion; but I don’t go to -school half the time.” - -“Why not?” I asked curiously. - -“I don’t want to. Since the steamboat company was formed, Waddie has -put on so many airs that some of us can’t stand it. In fact, our -president does not treat us much better than he did you.” - -“That is unfortunate for you, and still more so for him.” - -“They say the Toppletonians are down upon Tommy; but I am inclined to -think the feeling is worse on our side than on yours. Waddie is the -most unpopular fellow on our side of the lake.” - -“I have often wondered how you fellows, whose fathers are rich men, -could let Waddie lord it over you as he does. My father is a poor man, -but I can’t stand it.” - -“They won’t stand it much longer,” replied Dick, shaking his head. “Our -fellows have had about enough of it.” - -“What are you going to do?” I inquired. - -“Well, I don’t exactly know, and, if I did, I suppose it would not be -prudent to tell you,” laughed Dick. “They are going to turn him out of -office, for one thing.” - -“I think that would do him good. That same thing will happen to Tommy -Toppleton at the next election.” - -“Waddie got into a row the other day with a lot of fellows that don’t -belong to the institute. He undertook to drive them off the ground -where they were playing, near the town school. They wouldn’t go, and -one of them, a plucky little fellow, spoke his mind pretty freely to -him. Waddie and one of his cronies caught him the next day and gave -him a cowhiding. The town fellows mean to pay him off, and I know they -will.” - -“They will only get into trouble. Waddie’s father will stand by him,” I -added. - -“I don’t know what they mean to do.” - -“What did Waddie want to drive the town fellows off the ground for?” I -inquired. - -“They were playing ball, and Waddie wanted the ground to have a game -with his friends.” - -“Whose ground was it?” - -“It was the piece of land called the school pasture, and belongs to the -town. You know where it is.” - -“I know the place.” - -“One party had just as good a right to the ground as the other; but -you know how Waddie does things. If he wants anything he takes it, and -makes a row if everybody don’t yield to him.” - -“That’s his style.” - -“But don’t say anything about what I’ve said, please. If anything -happens to Waddie, it will be laid to these fellows.” - -“They ought to have been smart enough to keep still themselves,” I -replied. - -“One of them told me about it in confidence. I shouldn’t have said -anything to you, if you lived on our side now.” - -“I won’t say anything.” - -I was not likely to think anything more about it, and still less to -meddle with the affair. - -“We are tired of this thing on our side of the lake,” continued Dick. -“If we had twenty fellows that would serve Waddie as you did to-day, -when he pitched into you, we might make a decent fellow of him after a -while. For my own part, I don’t mean to take a word of lip from him. If -he insults me, I shall give him as good as he sends. Indeed, I have -done so once or twice, and he hates me like poison for it.” - -“I don’t think you make anything by using hard words.” - -“What do you do, Wolf?” - -“I don’t think that abusive language does me any harm, and I mean to be -good-natured, whatever happens; though, when it comes to hitting me in -the face, and giving me a bloody nose, I can’t quite stand that, and I -defend myself as vigorously as I know how. I think a fellow can be a -gentleman without putting his neck under anybody’s heel.” - -I landed Dick Bayard at Centreport, and stood over to the other side of -the lake. I moored the _Belle_ in a little bay not far from my father’s -house, and went home to report my good fortune. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. IN THE PICNIC GROVE. - - -Of course I thought of but little except my boat after she came into my -possession, and before the day closed I had exhibited her to all who -felt an interest in such matters. My father was delighted with her, -and congratulated me on the bargain I had made. Tom Walton declared -that the _Belle_ was the finest craft on the lake. Before night, so -thoroughly had my boat been talked up in Middleport, I had a party -engaged for the next day, to visit the fishing-grounds. - -After seeing the boat, and discussing the matter with my father, I had -the conscience to fix the price of her at seven dollars a day, which -included my own services. When a gentleman spoke of engaging her for a -week or more, I told him he should have her for five dollars a day for -any longer period than three days. - -The weather was very warm and pleasant for October, and my first trip -to the fishing-grounds was a great success. My party were delighted -with the boat, and I did all I could to make them comfortable. The -gentlemen had a good time, and spoke so favorably of the _Belle_ and of -me, that the person who proposed to go for a week closed the bargain -with me, and I was engaged to start on Monday morning. I was in a fair -way to get back, before the season closed, what I had paid for the boat. - -On Saturday I had no engagement; but I found it quite impossible to -keep out of the _Belle_. I intended to go on an exploring expedition -up the lake, in order to find some good landing-places. I went after -Tom Walton, to give him an invitation to accompany me; but I found he -was at work for a day or two in one of the stores. The wind blew quite -fresh from the northwest, and the lake was tolerably rough, which made -me the more desirous of testing the qualities of the _Belle_. - -While I was reefing down the mainsail, I saw the _Highflyer_ pass the -Narrows, headed up the lake. This was Waddie Wimpleton’s boat. She -was about the size of the _Belle_, and I could not see why the young -gentleman wanted the latter. The _Highflyer_ would certainly have -satisfied me, though in the course of the day I was better informed in -regard to his motives. Waddie had reefed his mainsail, and was going at -a rapid rate up the lake. - -I had no wish to come into collision with him, though I was rather -anxious to know which boat could make the best time. He was alone; -indeed, I had often noticed that he sailed without any company; and, as -neither of the institutes was in session on Saturdays, I had often seen -him bound up the lake on that day. He had the reputation of being a -good boatman, and certainly he had had experience enough to qualify him -to act in that capacity. - -I cast off the moorings of the _Belle_, and stood out into the lake, -where I could get the full benefit of the wind. Waddie was some -distance ahead of me; but I soon saw that his eye was upon me. I -intended to keep well over on the west side of the lake, so as to avoid -him. I needed not the express declaration he had made to assure me that -he hated me, and that he would use all possible means to annoy and -punish me. Although I was not afraid of him, I did not wish to afford -him any opportunity to gratify his malignity upon me. - -He sailed the _Highflyer_ very well. Every minute he glanced at the -_Belle_, to ascertain what progress she was making. Probably he -supposed that I had put off for the sole purpose of racing with him, -which, however, was not true, though I was very glad of a chance to -measure paces with him. Neither of us was obliged to wait long for a -decided result, for in half an hour from the time I started, the two -boats were abreast of each other, though still half a mile apart. Then -the reason why he wished to purchase the _Belle_ was apparent. She was -faster than the _Highflyer_; and Waddie did not enjoy being beaten by -any boat on the lake. - -Though I was not near enough to observe the effect upon him, I had no -doubt he was foaming and fuming with wrath at the audacity of a poor -boy like me, who ventured to beat him. While I was walking by him -with perfect ease, he threw his boat up into the wind, and turned out -the reef in the mainsail. The wind was freshening every hour, and I -regarded this as a very imprudent step on his part. In fact, I began to -feel that I might, in some way, be held responsible for any disaster -which should happen to him, if by racing with him I goaded him on to -any rashness. I therefore came about, and began to beat down the lake, -to assure him that I was not inclined to race under whole sail in such -a blow. - -When he had shaken out his reef, however, he gave chase to me. The -_Highflyer_ labored heavily in the rough waves, and I was not sure that -the duty of rescuing her rash skipper from a watery grave would not -soon devolve upon me. He followed, and having all sail on his boat, he -gained upon me on the wind. At this rate he would soon be crowing over -me, and, the reputation of the _Belle_ would be injured. I was averse -to being beaten, even under a reefed mainsail. I let out my sheet, and -stood over toward the eastern shore. Waddie followed me, and as I could -not now decline the race on his terms, I soon headed the _Belle_ up the -lake. - -By the time I had laid my course, the _Highflyer_ was abreast of me. -Now both of us had the wind on the quarter. A boat on the wind, with -all sail set, can be better handled than when going before it. I saw -the _Highflyer_ plunging down deep into the waves; but I suppose -Waddie had not learned that a boat overpressed in a blow does not make -any better time than one carrying just sail enough to make her go -comfortably, without wasting her headway in dives and plunges. On this -tack he no longer gained upon me. On the contrary, it was soon evident -that the _Belle_ was running away from him. My boat was good for at -least one more mile in five than the _Highflyer_. - -I ran away from Waddie, and went up the lake as far as Gulfport. I soon -lost sight of him, and I concluded that he had made a landing somewhere -on the shore. It was too rough to explore the coast, for the wind was -driving the waves upon the rocks and beaches with savage power, and -it was not prudent to go too near the land. I put the _Belle_ about, -and commenced beating down the lake. I thought no more of Waddie, my -mind being wholly taken up in sailing my boat, and in the pleasant -anticipation of making a profitable thing of her. - -On the eastern shore of the lake, between Centreport and Gulfport, -there was a wood, covering, perhaps, a square mile of land. It was much -used by picnic parties in the summer, and had a cook-house for frying -fish and making chowders. A rude landing-place had been prepared for -steamers, for the deep water extended quite up to the shore. In the -process of beating the _Belle_ down the lake, I ran her close up to the -pier off the grove. As I was coming about, I heard a cry which seemed -to indicate great distress. I was startled by the sound; but, as there -were neither Indians nor wild beasts in the vicinity, I concluded that -I had mistaken the nature of the call. - -I was proceeding on my course when the cry was repeated. It was -certainly the sound of mingled anger and distress. I threw the _Belle_ -up into the wind, and listened. The cry was repeated, and I stood in -toward the shore. Passing the pier, I saw Waddie’s boat secured to the -logs. Just above the wharf there was a little land-locked bay, into -which I ran the _Belle_. The cry of distress was not again repeated; -but my curiosity was fully aroused. I concluded that Waddie had found -some boy or girl, smaller and weaker than himself, and was exercising -the evil propensities of his nature upon his victim. - -I lowered my sails, and secured them. Fastening the painter of the -_Belle_ to a tree, I walked toward the cook-house, with the small -boat-hook, not bigger than a broom-handle, in my hand. I must say that -I dreaded a conflict of any description with Mr. Waddie. There was no -more reason in him than in a stone wall, and he really delighted in -torturing a victim. If any one interfered to repress his cruelty, he -took the act as a personal insult, and regarded himself as oppressed by -not being allowed to exercise his malice upon the weak. - -I walked cautiously toward the spot from which the cry had come, for -I wished to obtain a view of the situation before I was seen myself. -The trees were large, and afforded me abundant concealment. Every few -moments I stopped to listen; and I soon heard several voices, some of -them peculiarly gruff and unnatural. It was plain that Waddie and his -victim were not the only actors in the scene. Placing myself behind a -tree, I took a careful observation, and discovered smoke rising among -the branches; but I could not yet see who the speakers were. Something -was going on; but whether it was a comedy or a tragedy I could not -determine. - -I continued cautiously to approach the spot, and soon gained a position -where I could obtain a full view of the scene. I had expected to -find Waddie persecuting some poor wretch. The “boot was on the other -leg.” The scion of the house of Wimpleton was the victim, and not the -oppressor. The world seemed to be turned upside down. Waddie, divested -of all his clothing but his shirt and pants, was tied to a tree. Near -him a fire was snapping and crackling, while over it hung a kettle. -Although I was at the windward of the fire, the odor which pervaded the -woods assured me that the kettle was filled with tar. - -Around the fire were four stout boys, rigged out in fantastic garments, -their faces covered with masks and other devices to conceal their -identity. Near the fire lay a couple of bolsters, which, no doubt, were -filled with feathers. One of these fellows was stirring the contents -of the kettle, and another was replenishing the fire, while the other -two looked on. Who they were I could form no idea, for their strange -uniforms completely disguised them. - -Waddie looked like the very picture of hopeless misery. I had never -seen such an aspect of utter despair on his face. He was as pale as -death, and I could even see the tremors of his frame as he trembled -with terror. - - - - -CHAPTER V. THE BATTLE WITH WORDS. - - -I was not quite willing to believe that the four stout fellows in the -vicinity of the kettle really intended to “tar and feather” Waddie -Wimpleton. In the first place, it was astounding that any one on the -Centreport side of the lake should have the audacity to conceive such -an outrage upon the sacred person of the magnate’s only son. Why, the -people generally held the great man in about the same reverence as -the people of England hold their queen. The idea of committing any -indignity upon his person, or upon the persons of any of his family, -seemed too monstrous to be entertained. - -I judged that the scene before me was the sequel to the incident of -which Dick Bayard had told me. But the actors were Centreporters, and -it was amazing to think that even four boys in the whole town could -actually undertake to revenge themselves upon Mr. Waddie. All that I -had done in my quarrel with him was in self-defense, and the scene -transpiring before me was quite incomprehensible. - -Perhaps what Dick Bayard had told me in some measure explained the -situation. It was a fact that the students of the Wimpleton Institute -were in a state of rebellion so far as Waddie was concerned, and the -influence of this spirit had doubtless extended beyond the borders of -the academy. If the Wimpletonians were audacious enough to think of -mutiny against the young lordling, it was not strange that others, not -immediately associated with him, should even outdo their own intentions. - -The particular school where Waddie had driven the boys from their -ball-grounds was near the outskirts of the village, and was attended by -the sons of some of the farmers living far enough from the center of -influence to be in a measure beyond its sphere. After all, perhaps it -is really more singular that any American boys could be found who would -submit to the tyranny and domineering of Waddie, than that a few should -be found who were willing to resist it to the last extremity. - -Strange as the phenomenon seemed to be to one who for years had -witnessed the homage paid to Waddie Wimpleton and Tommy Toppleton, the -fact was undeniable. The little magnate of Centreport was there, bound -fast to a tree. The young ruffians, who were so intent upon retaliating -for the injury inflicted upon them, had probably lain in wait at this -unfrequented place, perhaps for several weeks. I had heard the screams -of their victim when they captured him, and I was sure that he had not -yielded without a rugged resistance. - -The fire blazed under the tar-kettle, and the preparations were rapidly -progressing. I kept in my hiding-place, and watched with breathless -interest the proceedings. So completely were the actors disguised -that I could not recognize a single one of them. So far as Waddie -was concerned, I could not be supposed to have any deep interest in -his fate. Perhaps the humiliating and disgusting operation which the -ruffians intended to perform would do him good. - -I ought to say here that the newspapers, at about this time, were -filled with the details of such an indignity inflicted upon an -obnoxious person in another part of the country. Probably some of these -boys had read the account, and it had suggested to them a suitable -punishment for Waddie. I had seen the narrative myself, but only with -contempt for the persecutors, and sympathy for their victim. - -Certainly these boys had no right to inflict such an outrage upon -Waddie. Though he had been no friend of mine, and though, on the -contrary, he gloried in being my enemy, I pitied him. If I did anything -for him, it would be just like him to kick me the next day for my -pains. I had stumbled upon the scene by accident, but it seemed to me -that I had a duty to perform--a duty from which my unpleasant relations -with the victim did not absolve me. - -Should I interfere to prevent this indignity? My mother was not -present, but it seemed to me that I could hear her voice saying to me, -in the gentlest of tones, “Love your enemies.” I saw her before me, -reading from the New Testament the divine message. Then she seemed to -look up from the book, and say to me, “Wolfert, if Christ could forgive -and bless even those who sought to slay Him, can you not lift one of -your fingers to help one who has wronged you?” - -The duty seemed to be very plain, though I could not help thinking -that Waddie would insult me the next moment after I had served him, -just as Tommy Toppleton had done when I rescued him from his captors on -the lake. No matter! I must do my duty, whether he did his or not. I -was responsible for my own actions, not for his. - -This conclusion was happily reached; but then it was not so easy to act -upon its behests. Four stout fellows were before me, either of whom was -a full match for me. What could I do against the whole of them? Perhaps -nothing; perhaps I could not save Waddie from his fate; but it was none -the less my duty to try, even at the expense of some hard knocks. I had -the little boat-hook in my hand. It was an insignificant weapon with -which to fight four times my own force. But somehow I felt that I was -in the right; I felt the inspiration of a desire to do a good deed, -and I had a vague assurance that help would in some manner come to me, -though from what direction I could not imagine, for at this season of -the year few people ever visited the picnic grove. - -Leaving the shadow of the tree, which had concealed me from the young -ruffians, I walked boldly toward them. The tramp of my feet on the -crackling sticks instantly attracted their attention. To my great -satisfaction they suddenly retreated into a little thicket near the -tar-kettle. - -“Save me, Wolf! Save me!” cried Waddie, in tones of the most abject -despondency. “Save me, and I will be your best friend.” - -I did not believe in any promises he could make; but I directed my -steps toward him, with the intention of releasing him. - -“Stop!” shouted one of the boys, in a singularly gruff voice, which -afforded me no clue to the owner’s identity. - -I halted and looked toward the thicket. - -“It’s only Wolf Penniman,” said one of the party, who spoke behind the -mask that covered his face. “It’s all right. He’ll help us do it.” - -“What are you going to do?” I demanded, pretty sharply. - -“We are only paying off Waddie. Will you help us, Wolf?” replied one of -the conspirators. - -“No, certainly not. You have no right to meddle with him.” - -“Well, we are going to do it, whether we have any right or not. We will -tar and feather him, as sure as he lives.” - -“Who are you?” I asked innocently. - -“No matter who we are. Has Waddie any right to insult us? Has he any -right to cowhide a fellow smaller than he is, within an inch of his -life?” - -“No; but two wrongs don’t make a right, anyhow you can fix it. Don’t -you think it is mean for four great fellows like you to set upon one, -and abuse him?” I asked. - -“It isn’t any meaner than what Waddie did, anyhow. We mean to teach him -that he can’t trample upon us fellows, and drive us around like slaves. -We have stood this thing long enough, and we mean to show him that the -knife cuts both ways,” replied the fellow with the gruffest voice. - -“I don’t see it. I haven’t any doubt Waddie has imposed upon you; but I -think he has used me as badly as he ever did any other fellow. I don’t -believe in this sort of thing.” - -“I never will do it again, Wolf, if you will save me this time,” -pleaded poor Waddie, in piteous tones. - -“Well, it’s none of your business, Wolf Penniman, and you can leave,” -added the speaker. - -“I think you had better let Waddie go this time. I’ll go bail for him, -if you will,” I continued good-naturedly, for I was not disposed to -provoke a conflict with the ruffians. - -“Not if we know it! We have watched too long to catch him to let him -go now,” replied the gruff-toned ruffian, emerging from the bushes, -followed by his companions. - -They halted between Waddie and me, and I tried to make out who they -were; but they were so effectually disguised that all my scrutiny was -baffled. I have since come to the conclusion that I had never been -acquainted with them, and so far as I know, no one ever found out who -they were. I resorted to the most persuasive rhetoric in my power to -induce the boys to forego their purpose; but they were obdurate and -inflexible. I tried to give them a Sunday-school lesson, and they -laughed at me. I endeavored to point out to them the consequences of -the act, assuring them that Colonel Wimpleton would leave no measure -untried to discover and punish them. - -“We’ll risk all that,” replied the leading ruffian impatiently. “Now, -dry up, Wolf Penniman. We don’t wish any harm to you; but you shall not -spoil this game. Come, fellows, bring up the tar-kettle.” - -The wretch went up to Waddie, whose hands were tied behind him, and -began to pull off his shirt. The unhappy victim uttered the most -piercing screams, and struggled like a madman to break away from the -tree. - -“This thing has gone far enough,” I interposed indignantly, as a couple -of the rascals took the tar-kettle from the fire, and began to carry it -towards the tree. - -“What are you going to do about it?” blustered the chief of the party. - -“I am going to stop it,” I replied smartly. - -“I guess not! If you don’t take yourself off, we’ll give you a coat of -the same color.” - -I rushed up to the two boys who were carrying the kettle, and began to -demonstrate pretty freely with the boat-hook. They placed their burden -on the ground, and stood by to defend it. I hooked into it with my -weapon, and upset it. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. THE BATTLE WITH BLOWS. - - -The gruff-voiced conspirator rushed furiously toward me, and I -retreated a few paces. The two in charge of the tar-kettle picked it -up, and saved a portion of its contents. My heavy assailant was roused -to a high pitch of anger by the opposition I made to his plans, and -seemed to be disposed to proceed to extremities. He had picked up a -club, and continued to advance. Once or twice he made a pass at me with -his weapon, but I dodged the blow. - -I was not angry, and I was cool. I saw that my foe was clumsy, if he -was stout. As he threw his heavy cow-hide boots about, he reminded me -of an elephant dancing a hornpipe. I saw two or three chances to hit -him, but I refrained from doing so, for I did not want a broken head -upon my conscience. - -“Come here, Martin!” shouted he to one of his fellow-conspirators; and -this was the only name I heard used during the whole of the strife. - -“Why don’t you knock him?” demanded the person called, as he sprang -forward to assist the big fellow. - -I continued to retreat, and intended to fall back upon my boat for -protection; but the second assailant got in behind me, and presently -I saw more stars than I was anxious to behold in broad daylight. I -concluded that I was a fool to indulge in squeamishness on such an -occasion, when my head was in danger of being “caved in” by the heavy -blows of the rascals. Besides, the rap I had received had a tendency -to rouse my ire; in fact, it did rouse it; and at the next convenient -opportunity, I struck the big fellow a smart blow on the head. -Evidently it hit him in a tender place, for he dropped flat upon the -ground. - -I was alarmed at this catastrophe, and fortunately the second assailant -was affected in the same way. I had secured a position where I could -not be attacked in the rear, and having disposed of the heaviest of my -foes, I turned upon the other. The fate of his companion was a salutary -lesson to him, and he retired to the side of the fallen champion. - -But the big fellow was not so badly damaged as I had feared. He was -not even stunned, and soon sprang to his feet, rubbing his head, and -endeavoring to collect his scattered ideas. My own head felt as though -a cannon-ball had dropped upon it. I took off my cap and examined the -place with my hand. There was a big “bump” on the side of my head to -certify the damage I had received. - -“Come up here, fellows!” shouted the leader in the enterprise, with a -savage oath, when he had in some measure recovered from the shock of -the blow I had given him. - -They arranged their disguises anew, and held a consultation. I could -not hear what they said, but I knew that I was the subject of their -remarks. Each of them then provided himself with a club, and I realized -that they intended to make an organized attack upon me. If they -captured me, my chances of being tarred and feathered were about as -good as those of Waddie. It would have been the most prudent thing I -could do to retire from the field, and permit the party to carry out -their vicious purpose upon the little magnate of Centreport. Though I -had been “punished” as much as I cared for, I felt so much interest in -the affair that I was not willing to leave. - -I saw two of the party, who had not before been engaged, start at a -smart run, with the evident intention of getting between me and the -water. I broke into a run myself, and made for the boat. Jumping on -board, I pushed her off far enough to save me from molestation. But -then I observed that the other two ruffians had not engaged in the -pursuit. The two who had done so stationed themselves on the bank of -the lake, and appeared to be so well satisfied that I began to think -something was wrong. - -Suddenly it flashed upon my mind that the big fellow intended to outwit -me; that he and his companion would do the dirty job while my two -guards kept me at a safe distance. Having put my hand to the plow, I -had too much pride, if not principle, to permit myself to be outflanked -in this manner. As the case now stood, the big ruffian had won the -battle. I was disgusted with myself, and hastened to retrieve the -mistake I had made. I pushed the boat in toward the shore, and my two -sentinels stepped down to meet me. - -“That’s a fine boat you have, Wolf,” said one of them good-naturedly, -as he leaped on the half-deck. - -The other one followed him, and I deemed it wise to pick up my -boat-hook. - -“She is fine enough,” I replied. - -“Will you let us look at her?” said the speaker, winking at the other. - -What did he wink for? That was what I wanted to know. Why were they -so good-natured? It was not a very difficult problem, after all. Why -should they not be good-natured, if they could keep me where I was -while their companions did their vile work upon Waddie? They were -smart--they were! - -“Certainly you may look at her, if you like,” I replied very -pleasantly, all of a sudden, for I intended to be as smart as I could. - -“They say you are a first-rate fellow, Wolf,” continued the one who had -first stepped on board, as he jumped down into the standing-room, where -I was. - -“Oh, I am!” - -“I can’t see why you stick up for such a mean boy as Waddie Wimpleton.” - -“I don’t stick up for him. I only like to see a fellow have fair play,” -I replied, seating myself, as though I had nothing more to desire or -hope for. - -“He don’t give anybody fair play. This is about the best boat I ever -saw,” the speaker added, as he looked into the little cabin. - -“She is first-rate,” I answered carelessly. - -“Cabin, beds, carpet, stove.” - -“Yes, and there is a chance to set a table there,” I went on, after the -second guard had contrived to push the boat away from the shore, as he -supposed, without attracting my attention. “Go in, if you like, and I -will show you how we dine on board of the _Belle_.” - -I spoke with becoming enthusiasm about the boat and her fixtures, and -I think my guests believed that they had drawn away my attention from -Waddie. At any rate, the first speaker went into the cabin, and, at my -suggestion, the second one followed him. - -“Now, do you see that board which is turned up against the mast?” I -proceeded, as I pointed to the table. - -“Yes, I see it.” - -“Well, just turn the button and let it down.” - -It stuck pretty tight, as I knew it would, and both of them took hold -to lower the board. While they were thus engaged, I drew the slide and -banged the doors to, before they suspected what I was doing. Slipping -in the padlock, I locked it, and while my guards were turning the table -in the cabin, I performed the same office outside. They were prisoners, -and I felt that I might reasonably expect to find them where I had left -them. They might damage the cabin of the _Belle_, but that was all they -could do. - -I hauled the boat in, and, as I leaped on shore, I heard another -piercing scream from Waddie, which assured me that the tragedy had -been renewed. I leaped on the land, and, with the boat-hook still in -my hand, hastened to the scene of active operations. As I approached -the spot I saw the two ruffians tearing Waddie’s clothes from his -back, in readiness to apply the tar-swab. The wretched victim screamed -piteously. I saw that I had no time to trifle with the affair. I -decided to be the aggressor this time. I rushed furiously at the big -fellow whom I had hit before. He did not see me till I was within fifty -feet of him. He had laid aside his club, and I “pitched in.” I dealt -him a heavy blow on the side of his head, and he retreated to the place -where he had left his weapon. I made at the other one then; but the -terrors of the boat-hook were too much for him, and he fled to obtain -his club. - -While they were falling back upon their ammunition I took my knife from -my pocket, and, rushing up to the tree, cut the cord which confined -Waddie. He was free; but his hands were still tied together. I told him -to follow me; and, gaining a moment’s time, I released his hands. - -“I’ll never forget this, Wolf,” said he. “I will not, as true as I -live.” - -“We haven’t got out of the scrape yet. Pick up that stick, and keep -close to me. We must fight it out now.” - -“I’ll fight as long as I can stand,” he replied resolutely. - -The fellow with the gruff voice swore like a pirate when he saw that -Waddie was free, and he and his companion immediately gave chase to -us. I had no longer any reason to fight, and I was not disposed to do -so, except in self-defense; but I was determined to bring off Waddie -unharmed, whatever happened. - -We made a détour toward my boat, closely pursued by the two ruffians, -now foaming with rage at the failure of their wicked scheme. We outran -them, and soon had placed a sufficient distance between us and them to -justify a halt. But we were not a great way from the boat. - -“What has become of the other two fellows?” asked Waddie, puffing under -the exhaustion of his hard run. - -“They are safe,” I replied; and involuntarily I put my hand into my -pocket, to search for the key of the padlock on the cabin slide. - -“Where are they?” - -“In my boat, locked up in the cabin.” - -I continued to fumble in my pockets for the key; but I could not find -it, and the conclusion was forced upon me that I had stupidly left -it in the lock. If my two guards could not release themselves, this -service could easily be performed by their associates. I had made a -bad mistake; though, after all, the blunder would only save them the -trouble of breaking the lock, and otherwise damaging the boat. - -I found that keeping still was the best method of baffling our -pursuers, since they had evidently lost sight of us. I heard their -voices, but the sound receded, and it was plain that they were moving -toward the lake. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. WADDIE AND I. - - -As nearly as I could judge in our place of concealment, the big fellow, -who was the leading spirit of the conspirators, had been careful to -keep the inside line of retreat from the tar-kettle to the boat. -Of course, he expected us to retire in that direction; but when we -distanced him in the chase he had moved directly to the water-side, -while I had swept around in a much larger circle. As soon as he lost -sight of us in the thick undergrowth, which had only been cut away on a -few acres composing the picnic-grounds, he had made the shortest line -for the boats. - -“Where is your boat, Wolf?” asked Waddie, who was actually trembling -with apprehension, though I could not blame him for being alarmed, -since the villains were still on his track, and still intent upon -subjecting him to the degrading ordeal. - -“It lies about a quarter of a mile below yours, at the wharf,” I -replied to my trembling companion. - -“What shall we do?” - -“We must keep still for a little while, till we see a good chance to -reach the boat.” - -“I am cold, Wolf,” said he. - -Perhaps he offered this as an explanation of his shaking condition; -but, although the weather was pleasant for the season, it was still -chilly enough to render thick clothing quite comfortable. Above his -boots the poor fellow had on nothing but his shirt and pants, and the -former had been torn half-off by the wretches who persecuted him. I -took off the heavy jacket I wore, and gave it to him. - -“You will be cold yourself, Wolf,” said he, with a degree of -consideration of which I did not believe him capable. - -“No; I can get along very well. Put it on.” - -“Thank you, Wolf; you are very kind.” - -Those were amazing words to be uttered by him to me! But his father had -been even more gentle, and had apparently forgotten all about me in a -few days. He put on my coat, which fitted him very well, and I buttoned -it up to the throat for him. He declared that it “felt good”; and I -have no doubt it did, for the driving wind upon his bare shoulders -must have been anything but comfortable. - -“Do you know any of those fellows?” asked Waddie. - -“I do not. I heard the big fellow call one of the others Martin, but I -haven’t the least idea who any of them are. I suppose they belong on -your side of the lake, and I haven’t seen much of the fellows there -lately,” I replied. - -“Do you think they belong to our institute?” - -“I don’t believe they do. They are coarser, rougher fellows than the -students on either side.” - -“I should like to know who they are,” added Waddie, compressing his -lips and shaking his head. “But whoever they are, if they don’t have to -suffer for this, you may set me down for a ninny.” - -“I think we had better get out of the scrape before we say much about -punishing them. I am inclined to believe that big fellow will suffer -from a sore head for a few weeks to come. I cracked him hard with this -boat-hook.” - -“Perhaps this sore head will enable us to find out who he is.” - -“I hope so; but these fellows have been pretty cunning. I heard one of -them say they had been on the watch for you several weeks.” - -“I was a fool to come ashore here.” - -“I don’t know why you were, unless you suspected something of this -kind.” - -“I hadn’t the remotest suspicion of anything. I don’t know of any -reason why they should wish to treat me in this manner. I haven’t done -anything to them.” - -“But you don’t know who they are.” - -“Well, I haven’t done anything to any fellows.” - -“Are you sure of that, Waddie?” - -“I don’t remember anything.” - -“You don’t?” And it seemed very strange to me that he had forgotten the -facts related to me by Dick Bayard. - -“No, I don’t. Do you think I would lie about it?” retorted he, in a -tone and manner which seemed quite natural to me. - -“Didn’t you and some one else cowhide one of the town fellows some time -ago?” - -“Oh, that was four or five weeks ago. It couldn’t have anything to do -with that.” - -“Perhaps it may. These fellows say they have been on the lookout for -you for weeks.” - -“I had forgotten about that,” said he, looking meditative, and, I -thought, chagrined. “But those fellows insulted me, especially a young -cub, who threatened to thrash me. I gave him a dose the next day, which -I think he will remember when he wants to be impudent to me.” - -“Precisely so! And I am only surprised that you did not remember it -yourself when you were tied to that tree with the tar-kettle before -you.” - -“Do you really believe that fellow is at the bottom of this affair?” -asked Waddie, knitting his brows. - -“I don’t know anything about it.” - -“But that fellow was smaller than any of these.” - -“Of course, I can give you no information, for I don’t know any of -them. But we will talk over that matter another time. You stay where -you are, Waddie, and I will take an observation.” - -I crept for some distance through the cow-path in the underbrush, -till I heard voices near the lake. I could not see the ruffians, but -I judged by the sound that they were moving toward the wharf where -Waddie’s boat was moored. I proceeded still farther toward the lake, -and, emerging from the bushes, I discovered all four of the wretches on -the wharf. The two whom I had imprisoned in the cabin of the _Belle_ -had broken out, as I had anticipated, or, possibly, the other two had -released them. I feared that they had ruined, or badly damaged, my -boat, and I was very anxious about her. - -I hastened back to the spot where I had left Waddie, and conducted -him to a position near the open woods. I did not think it expedient -to exhibit ourselves yet, and we waited an hour or more in our -concealment. I could not see Waddie’s persecutors. They did not attempt -any further pursuit. Probably they supposed we had started on foot for -Centreport, and, doubtless, they deemed it proper to consider what -steps were necessary to insure their own safety, for they knew very -well that Colonel Wimpleton would turn out the whole town in pursuit of -them as soon as he heard of the attempted outrage. - -“By the great horn spoon!” exclaimed Waddie, who was becoming very -impatient after an hour’s anxious waiting, “there they are, going off -in my boat!” - -“Good!” I replied. “They couldn’t do anything that would suit me -better; that is, if they have not sunk or smashed the _Belle_.” - -This thought gave me a severe pang, and I almost groaned as I thought -of my beautiful craft ruined by these malignant wretches. - -“No matter if they have, Wolf. My father will pay for making her as -good as ever she was,” said Waddie. - -“But I am engaged to go up the lake in her with a party on Monday -morning.” - -“We will pay all damages, so that you shall not lose a penny. But I’ll -bet you won’t want to go up the lake next week in the _Belle_,” he -added warmly. - -I did not care to follow up the significance of this remark, for I had -not much confidence in the fair-weather promises of the Wimpletons. I -judged that he intended to do some great thing for me. Perhaps he only -flattered himself that he meant to be magnanimous and generous. He was -as impulsive in his loves as in his hates; and, though he adhered to -the latter with extraordinary tenacity, the former cooled off very -suddenly. - -“Do you suppose those fellows know how to handle a boat?” I continued, -as I saw Waddie’s sloop go out into the lake under full sail. - -“I hope not,” replied he, with energy. “But I wish they were in your -boat, instead of mine, for then they would go to the bottom if they -upset her.” - -“I hope they won’t be drowned,” I added, as the boat heeled over so -that her gunwale went under. - -“I don’t care if they are.” - -“Be reasonable, Waddie.” - -“I am reasonable. What do you suppose I care for the villains, after -what they have done to me?” - -“Love your enemies, Waddie. Return good for evil.” - -“It’s easy enough to talk; but I don’t believe much in that sort of -stuff.” - -“It isn’t stuff, Waddie. If I had acted on your principle, you would -have been tarred and feathered before this time.” - -“You won’t lose anything by what you have done, Wolf,” replied he -rather sheepishly. - -“I don’t expect to make anything by it.” - -“You will.” - -“That isn’t the idea. If I had acted on your plan, I should have taken -hold and helped those fellows impose upon you. I don’t ask or expect -anything for what I have done. I have made enemies of these chaps, -whoever they are, for the sake of one who drove me out of Centreport, -hit me a crack in the face the other day, and told me squarely that he -hated me.” - -“You wait, Wolf, and see what you will see.” - -“I don’t ask anything, and I won’t take anything for what I have done. -I only want you to have ideas a little different about other people.” - -“It’s no use of talking; you may be a saint, but I can’t be one,” said -Waddie impatiently. “I think those fellows will swamp the boat; but she -has air-tanks, and can’t sink.” - -“We needn’t stay here any longer. You can go up-town in my boat. I -think we may as well be ready to pick those fellows up when they upset.” - -“I will try to find my clothes,” said Waddie, as he moved off toward -the tar-kettle. - -I went down to my boat. She lay just as I had left her, except that the -two glass ports in the trunk of the cabin were broken. The prisoners -had evidently attempted to reach the lock by thrusting their arms -through these apertures. Whether they succeeded or not, or whether -they were released by their companions outside, I do not know. Beyond -the breaking of the glass, no injury had been done to the _Belle_. The -padlock and key were both there. I hoisted my reefed mainsail, and -stood up to the wharf, toward which Waddie was now walking, with his -coat and vest on his arm. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. THE WRECK OF THE “HIGHFLYER.” - - -When I ran the _Belle_ out of the little inlet in which I had moored -her I found that the wind had been increasing, and the waves were -really quite savage. My first solicitude was in regard to the ruffians -in Waddie’s boat; for, whatever they deserved in the way of punishment, -it was terrible to think of their being engulfed in the raging waters. -I soon obtained a view of them. They had lowered the sail, and were -tossing madly about on the waves. Of course, the craft was no longer -under control, if it had been since the rogues embarked in her, and she -appeared to be drifting rapidly toward the land. - -The line of the shore in this part of the lake extended about northwest -and southeast. Without knowing anything at all about a boat, the -conspirators against the peace and dignity of Waddie Wimpleton had -run out from the wharf, keeping the wind on the beam. Doubtless, the -furious movements of the boat astonished them. It must have shaken -them up to a degree they had never before experienced; but they were -reckless fellows, and perhaps believed that this was the ordinary -behavior of a boat when the breeze was fresh. - -They were not far from right in this respect; but they ought to have -known that a boat needs skilful handling at such a time. They had -continued on their course about half-way across the lake. They did not -seem to know enough to ease off the sheet when the heavy flaws came, or -to “touch her up” with the helm. When it came so heavy that they could -stand it no longer, they lowered the sail. A boat without any sail on, -even in a blow, is as bad as an unruly horse without a bridle. She -must have steerageway, or she cannot be controlled. She was now in the -trough of the sea, rolling helplessly in the billows--now dipping in -the water on one side, and now on the other. - -When I ran in at the pier Waddie jumped on board of the _Belle_. He had -put on his coat and vest, but still complained that he was very cold. -I had some old coats in my cabin, which I offered to him, and, though -they were not fashionable garments, he was glad to avail himself of my -wardrobe. - -“It blows heavier than ever, Waddie,” I said, while he was putting on -one of the ragged and weather-stained overcoats. - -“If you can’t run up to town, I can go on shore and walk up,” he -replied, glancing at the angry lake. - -“Oh, I can go it, well enough; but I was thinking of those fellows out -there.” - -“I shall not waste much fine feeling upon them, you had better believe!” - -“They have lowered the sail, and are rolling about there like -mud-turtles on a log. The boat must be full of water.” - -“She will not sink, and as long as they hold on they will be safe -enough.” - -“I am not so sure of that, Waddie. They are drifting like mad toward -the rocky point above Gulfport. If they run your boat on those sharp -rocks, it will be all day with them.” - -“I don’t care for the boat.” - -“You don’t want her smashed--do you?” - -“I don’t care if she is. She has been beaten, and, if she should be -smashed, my father would order another.” - -I did not care so much about the boat as I did about the fellows in -her. I did not wish to have even one of them drowned before my eyes. I -put on my coat, and then pushed off from the wharf. In a few moments we -were in the thickest of it, and even the _Belle_ curtsied so low as to -take in the “drink” over her lee rail. But I eased her off so that she -went along very well, as any boat will when properly handled. - -“They are hoisting sail,” said Waddie. - -“So much the worse for them,” I replied. - -“Have they reefed her?” - -“I don’t think they know enough to do that.” - -“They have! What are you going to do?” - -“I am going to keep near enough to them to pull them out of the water -if they get overboard.” - -“They are running right before the wind, toward the Gulfport point. I -think they have had sailing enough for one day. Let her out a little, -Wolf; perhaps we can ascertain who they are.” - -“I think not. They will keep their faces covered up while you are -around; for being found out would be almost as bad as being drowned to -them.” - -The ruffians, probably seeing the sail on the _Belle_ reefed, found -that they could do a similar thing with their own canvas. They had -fastened the reef-points in some manner, and were running before the -gale toward the rocky point. I did not understand what they intended -to do; but it did not occur to me that they would be stupid enough to -attempt a landing on a lee shore in such a sea as raged at the time. If -they had any common sense, it ought to have taught them better. - -I let out the sheet, and gave chase. The _Belle_ leaped like a -race-horse over the waves, tossing the spray in bucketfuls over Waddie -and myself. I hoped to overhaul the _Highflyer_ in season to warn the -ruffians of their danger. But they were half a mile to leeward of me -when the chase commenced, for I did not think of pursuing them till -they began to hoist the sail. I thought it would be time enough to help -them when they called for assistance, as I was not quite sure they -would not still subject my companion to further indignities if they -could catch him on shore. - -I was gaining rapidly on the _Highflyer_, under her clumsy management, -and if there had been half a mile farther to run I should have come -up with her. The rascals in charge of her appeared to be profiting -by their experience. They were daring fellows, as their intentions -toward Waddie at the grove fully demonstrated, and they did not -exhibit any signs of fear, though I could well believe they were not -a little anxious about the future. Probably they had discovered that -the _Highflyer_ was a life-boat, for her copper air-tanks were in -plain sight in her forward cuddy. To my mind it was a pity that such -bold fellows should be such consummate rascals, for so I must call any -persons who would tar and feather a boy, under any circumstances. - -“What do you suppose they mean to do, Wolf?” asked Waddie, beginning to -be much excited by the situation. - -“I think they intended to go up to Centreport in your boat, but found -they could not go against the wind. They didn’t know how to beat her -up. I believe they intend to get ashore now as quick as they can.” - -“Do they mean to land on those rocks ahead of them?” - -“I should judge that they did. They are not far from them, either,” I -replied. - -“I may as well say good-by to the _Highflyer_, then.” - -“I shouldn’t wonder if you might say good-by to some of those fellows, -also,” I added, very anxious for the result. - -Waddie said no more, and I did not then. Both of us were bracing our -nerves for the catastrophe, which could not be postponed many minutes -longer. - -“Boat, ahoy!” I shouted, with all the voice I could command. - -“What do you want?” replied the gruff-toned fellow, who, in the boat as -on the shore, was the leading spirit. - -“Keep off the shore, or you will all be drowned!” I shouted. - -“No, you don’t!” answered back the chief conspirator. - -This reply, being interpreted, evidently signified that the speaker did -not mean to be caught or run down, or in any other way vanquished by -his pursuer. - -“By the great horn spoon!” exclaimed Waddie, clinging to the side of -the boat, “she is in for it!” - -“Keep off!” I shouted furiously; and by this time the _Belle_ was -within five rods of the _Highflyer_. - -“Keep off yourself!” responded the gruff-toned fellow; and I noticed -they had all covered their faces again. - -“You will lose your lives if you don’t keep off!” I added, with all the -energy I could throw into the words. - -I found it necessary, at this exciting point of the chase, to sheer off -myself, lest a treacherous rock should knock a hole in the _Belle_. At -the same instant the _Highflyer_ rose on a wave, and then went down -on the sharp rocks, with so much force that her bottom must have been -completely stove in. I heard the crash, and held my breath with anxiety -for the fate of the boys on board. They dropped down into the water, -which I could now see rose within her nearly to the gunwales, and held -on for life. - -The receding wave carried the wreck back, and another lifted it up and -jammed it down upon the jagged rocks with tremendous force. It was -built of light material, and could not resist such a pounding for a -single instant. Her mast went by the board, and she actually broke into -pieces. The next wave that swept over her forced two of the four boys -out of her, and pitched them into the water while the other two held on -to the fragments. - -“That’s rough!” gasped Waddie. - -“I hope they will get out of it; but we can’t do anything for them,” I -replied, with my heart in my throat. - -I saw the two fellows who had been pitched out of the boat making their -way over the rocks to the dry land. One of them limped, as though he -had been severely injured. By this time all of them had lost their -masks, or uncovered their faces; but they were too far from me to be -identified. The _Belle_ was now standing away from the scene of the -thrilling event close-hauled; but we watched the two boys on the wreck, -still fearful that the fierce waves might swallow them up. The billows -continued to drive the fragments nearer to the shore, till we saw the -boys rush through the water and make their escape. - -“That is the end of the _Highflyer_,” said Waddie. I was thankful that -it was not also the end of her late crew. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON! - - -By this time the wind had increased to a tempest, and never before had -I seen such waves and such spray on Lake Ucayga. I should not have been -willing to believe that any sea that ever raged on our beautiful sheet -of water could make such a complete wreck of a boat, even with the aid -of the rocks, as that we had just witnessed. The _Highflyer_ was as -thoroughly broken up as though the work had been accomplished with axes -and hammers, and the pieces were driven far up on the rocky shore. - -The persecutors of Waddie had escaped; but they had probably been -as effectually frightened as any four boys ever were before; and -they were not likely to go into the business of navigation again -on their own account very soon. They deserved a severe punishment; -but, on the whole, I was rather glad that we had not been able to -identify them, for the vengeance of Waddie and his father was also so -disproportionate to the offense that, in the present instance, nothing -less than absolute ruin of the ruffians, and even of their families and -friends, would appease the wrath of the injured magnate and his son. - -The _Belle_ behaved remarkably well. I was aware of her stiff and -stanch character before I bought her; but she more than realized my -expectations. She was as buoyant as a feather, and lifted her head to -the seas as gracefully as though the tempest was her natural element. -She took in torrents of spray, but she did not ship any water. Her mast -bent like a reed in the blast, and, of course, I had to favor her when -the heavy gusts struck her. Both Waddie and myself were wet to the -skin, and both of us were shivering with the cold. It was not exactly -pleasant, therefore, however exciting it was. - -I ran the _Belle_ out into the lake, and then, at a single stretch, -made the pier at the picnic grove, the point from which we had started -before. I was afraid I should lose my mast, and I was not disposed to -cripple the boat merely to see what she could do. Behind the pier we -had tolerably smooth water, and I decided to put another reef in the -mainsail. - -“What are you going to do now, Wolf?” asked Waddie, his teeth -chattering as he spoke. - -“I’m going to put in one more reef, for I don’t like to risk my mast,” -I replied. - -“Are you going to try to run down in the teeth of this blow?” he -inquired. - -“I must get home myself, and get the boat home.” - -“I thought you ran in here to wait for better weather.” - -“No; only to put in another reef.” - -“But I don’t know that I can quite stand this. I am not afraid of -anything, but I am half-frozen.” - -“I’ll warm you very soon, and you may go home as comfortably as though -you were in the cabin of the _Ucayga_,” I replied. “We are in no -particular hurry, but I don’t think we shall see any better weather -to-day.” - -I went into the cabin, and lighted the fire in the little stove, which -was filled with kindling-wood, ready for the match. I rigged the little -copper funnel on the forward deck, and in that wind the draft was so -strong that the fire roared merrily in a few moments. Having secured -the mainsail, I joined Waddie in the cabin, closing the doors behind -me. In less than half an hour we had a temperature of at least ninety -degrees, and both of us were thawed out. We took off our coats, and -placed them near the stove. We were as warm as toast, and though I -did not announce the fact, I believed that the _Belle_ was a great -institution. - -“I had something to eat on board of the _Highflyer_,” said Waddie; “but -my dinner has gone to destruction with the boat.” - -“I have some provisions on board, such as they are; but I suppose they -will not suit one who sits at your father’s table.” - -“Anything will suit me, Wolf. I am not dainty when I’m hungry; and I am -as hungry as a bear.” - -“Well, I’m as hungry as a wolf.” - -“I suppose you are!” laughed Waddie, who appeared to be conscious that -I had made a pun, though I did not regard it as a very savage one. - -I took from the locker under the berth on which I sat a basket of -“provender,” which my mother had put up for me. For common sort of -people, I thought we lived very well, and I was not ashamed to produce -the contents of my basket, even in the presence of the little magnate -of Centreport. I had some slices of cold ham, some bread and butter, -and an apple-pie. If the crust of the latter was a little coarse and -dark-colored, it was still tender and healthful. I lowered the table -and arranged the food upon it, using the dishes which constituted a -portion of the boat’s furniture. - -Waddie did me the honor to say that my dinner was quite as good, if not -better, than that which he had lost in the _Highflyer_, and he soon -proved his sincerity by eating a quantity which rather astonished me, -liberal feeder as I was. I am sure I relished the meal all the more -because he enjoyed it so much. I should have added hot coffee to the -feast, only we had no milk, and both of us agreed that coffee would not -be coffee without this important addition. - -The dinner was finished. I cleared away the dishes and restored the -cabin to its usual order. By this time we were quite dry, for an -atmosphere of from ninety to a hundred makes sharp warfare upon moist -garments. The heat was beginning to be oppressive to me, and I opened -the slide a little way, to admit the fresh air so abundant that day -on the lake. I took my coat and resumed my seat on the berth, for the -cabin was not high enough to permit a standing-posture. Waddie sat -opposite to me. He had been in deep thought for some minutes, while I -was making my preparations to breast the storm again. - -I had put on my coat, and was buttoning it close around my throat, to -keep out the cold and the water, when my companion startled me by a -demonstration as strange in him as it would have been in the Emperor -Napoleon, if I had been admitted to the sacred precincts of the -Tuileries. Suddenly he sprang forward and reached out his right hand -to me across the table. I looked at it in bewildered astonishment, and -with a suspicion that Waddie had suddenly become insane. - -“Will you take my hand, Wolf?” said he, in the mildest of tones. - -“Certainly I will, if you desire it;” and I clasped the offered member. - -“Wolf, I have been your enemy,” said he, still retaining my hand. “I -have hated you; I have used you meanly; I have despised you. Will you -forgive me?” - -“With all my heart, Waddie,” I replied, pressing his hand. “I never -laid up anything against you.” - -“Are we friends?” he asked earnestly. - -“We are.” - -“By the great horn spoon, Wolf, I shall stick to you now like a -brother! Oh, I’m in earnest, Wolf. You needn’t smile at it!” - -“I think you are sincere.” - -“I know I am. It is not altogether because you got me out of a -bad scrape to-day that I say all this, but because you behaved so -handsomely after all my meanness toward you. I don’t understand it yet, -Wolf. I don’t see how you could do it; but I know it is so, and that’s -enough for me. I wish I could be like you.” - -“I hope you will be better than I am,” I modestly replied. - -“I don’t ask to be any better than you are. All the fellows like you--I -mean all the decent fellows. My father is rich, and yours is poor; but -that don’t seem to make any difference. The fellows on the other side -would have mobbed Tommy Toppleton for your sake if he hadn’t broken his -leg. I don’t see why they should like you so much better than Tommy. -Our fellows don’t seem to like me much better, though I don’t see why -they shouldn’t.” - -“Perhaps we will talk that over another time,” I answered, not deeming -it prudent to be entirely candid with him. - -“I’m going to stick to you, Wolf, till the end of time, and I’m going -to take your advice, too, if you will give it to me.” - -“I don’t know that my advice will be worth much; but if I can be of any -service to you, Waddie, I shall be very glad. I think we must get under -way now.” - -“What shall I do?” - -“Nothing at all. Stay in the cabin and make yourself as comfortable as -possible. I can handle the _Belle_ without any assistance.” - -“But I want to talk with you some more.” - -“Well, we shall have time enough when we get down to Centreport.” - -“I feel as though you had been the best friend I ever had in the -world, and, by the great horn spoon! I am going to be such a friend as -you never had before.” - -“I wouldn’t make any rash promises, Waddie,” I answered, smiling at his -enthusiasm. “You had better sleep on it.” - -“I don’t want to sleep on it. I have been your enemy, but now I am -your friend. If it hadn’t been for me, you would have been running the -_Ucayga_ to-day.” - -“I don’t find any fault, though such a berth as that would have suited -me first-rate,” I continued, laughing; but I confess I had but little -confidence in my new-made friend’s zeal in my favor. - -“It is not too late, Wolf, for my father and I are disgusted with the -management of the boat, and it is high time something should be done.” - -“We will talk it over by and by,” I added, leaving the cabin. - -I put another reef into the mainsail, cast off the painter, which I -had made fast to the pier, and pushed off. In a moment the _Belle_ -was rolling and pitching in the heavy surges of the lake. With two -reefs in her mainsail she would not lie very close to the wind; but I -ran her across the lake, intending to work along under the lee of the -west shore, partially sheltered by the high bank from the fury of the -tempest. - - - - -CHAPTER X. WADDIE IN A NEW CHARACTER. - - -Even as close-hauled as she could be under the double-reefed mainsail, -the _Belle_ flew on her course; but under this short sail she did -not labor so heavily as before, and I had no fear but that she would -make tolerably good weather of it. As I had anticipated, I found -comparatively smooth water under the lee of the west shore; but, with -two reefs in the mainsail, I found it impossible to lie close enough to -the wind to avoid running out into the heavy sea. - -I decided to make a sheltered cove, and turn out the last reef I had -put in, satisfied that I could keep close enough under this sail to -avoid the savage sea in the middle of the lake. Waddie was reclining -upon one of the berths, as comfortable as though he had been in his -father’s house, while I was again shivering with the cold and wet to -the skin. I supposed he was working up his good resolutions. I never -had much hope of Waddie, his temper was so bad and his impulses so -violent. On the other hand, it had always seemed to me that a very -little improvement would make a good fellow of Tommy Toppleton. It -was, therefore, almost incredible that the former should be the first -to proclaim his good resolutions, and express a desire to mend his -character. - -Waddie’s impulses, whether good or evil, appeared to be equally -violent. It is true I had never before heard him whisper a doubt that -he was not, even morally, the best young man in the vicinity; but -his demonstration seemed to be rather too enthusiastic to endure for -more than a day or two, or a week at the most. Tommy Toppleton had -never, I confidently believe, soared to the elevation of making good -resolutions. If he had, there would have been hope of him. - -My companion in the boat was engaged in deep and earnest thought. I -should not have known any better what he was thinking about if he had -told me in so many words. In the face of his earnestness, therefore, I -could not help cherishing a slight hope that he would do better--it was -not a strong hope. I determined to encourage him as much as I could, -and in a gentle way make such suggestions to him from time to time as -his case seemed to require. - -After all, it was not so surprising that Waddie should have his eyes -opened by the exciting events of that day. He had been thoroughly -convinced that he was not omnipotent; that there was such a thing as -retribution. Probably he was also aware of the extent of the dislike -with which the Wimpletonians regarded him. He was no fool, and ordinary -perception would have enabled him to comprehend his relations with -his associates at the institute. I think he ought to have known -all that Dick Bayard had told me; and possibly he was suspicious -that his battalion and the stockholders of his steamboat company -intended to mutiny against him. At any rate, he was conscious of his -own unpopularity; he had acknowledged as much to me. He was in deep -thought. I did not disturb him. - -I turned out the reef, and Waddie still devoted himself to his -meditations. The _Belle_ filled away again, and in the shelter of the -shore went along quite easily. The change in the motion of the boat -seemed to attract the attention of my passenger, and he opened the -slide, to see what was going on. - -“The wind has gone down, hasn’t it, Wolf?” said he. - -“No; the sea is just as heavy out in the middle of the lake as ever. We -are under the lee of the shore now.” - -“You seem to be quite comfortable. I think I will come out, for I want -to talk with you.” - -“It is pretty dry now. You will find some more old coats under the port -berth.” - -Waddie presently came out of the cabin, enveloped in an old overcoat -which my father had worn out. He appeared to have something on his -mind, of which he was anxious to discharge himself. He took a seat by -my side; but, though the _Belle_ was going along tolerably well for -such a day, he did not speak for some time. Aware of his impulsive -nature, I rather expected to be appointed engineer or captain of -the _Ucayga_; for, as I have said before, he was the president of -the steamboat company, though his movements were more effectually -controlled than his rival on the other side of the lake. - -“Wolf, I know you don’t like me very well,” said he, at last, and with -something like a troubled look on his face. - -“Well, I can’t say that your conduct toward me has been such as to make -me love you very much. I won’t be a hypocrite, Waddie,” I replied. - -“But what made you interfere when those fellows were abusing me?” he -asked, looking me full in the face. “If you don’t like me, why did you -risk a broken head to save me? That’s what I want to know.” - -“I don’t know that I can explain my conduct very well,” I answered, -laughing. “I have always tried to think kindly of those who wanted to -injure me. I thought that those fellows were doing an abominably mean -and wicked thing, and that it was my duty to interfere. That’s really -all I know about it.” - -“I can’t understand it. I was in hopes that, after all I have done and -said, you really did like me.” - -“I don’t dislike you.” - -“No matter; of course, I can’t blame you for not liking me; but I want -to begin anew. When I gave you my hand, and wanted to be friends, I was -in real earnest. I want you to be my friend, and stand by me.” - -“Stand by you!” I exclaimed. “I can’t stand by you unless you are in -the right. I wouldn’t stand by you after you, with another, had caught -a small boy and licked him.” - -Waddie bit his lips, and I thought he was going to get mad, for what I -had said was a home-thrust. - -“I was wrong in that, Wolf,” said he, with a struggle, which was -creditable to him, and which raised him very much in my estimation. - -“You were, indeed; and that scrape was the father of the one you got -into to-day.” - -“I know it; and I am afraid there are other scrapes in store for me. -The institute fellows and the members of our battalion are down upon -me; so is the steamboat company.” - -“Do you wish me to tell you just what I think, Waddie?” I asked. - -“I certainly do.” - -“Even if it is not pleasant?” - -“Yes; say on.” - -“If I were in your place, Waddie, I would be the most popular fellow -in the whole region round about us. I would have every fellow like me, -and stand by me,” I continued earnestly, as the boat approached the -Narrows. - -“Well, I have tried to be.” - -“Have you, indeed!” I replied, laughing in spite of myself at the -absurdity of the proposition, though it is very likely Waddie believed -what he said, strange as it may seem. - -“I have been president of the steamboat company, major of the -battalion; and I don’t see why the fellows don’t like me.” - -“I will tell you candidly why they do not. Because you think more of -yourself than you do of any other fellow. You are selfish and exacting. -You think every fellow ought to yield to you; and you are tyrannical -and overbearing toward them. That’s what’s the matter, though I -shouldn’t have said so if you had not told me to do it.” - -“Do you think I am so bad as that?” said he, looking moody and solemn, -rather than angry, as I supposed he would be. - -“I have told you just what I think. Look at it for yourself a moment. -Go back to the time when you blowed up that canal-boat. Do you -think you treated the skipper and his daughter just right? Then you -threatened to blow out my brains if I did not do as you told me.” - -“Don’t say any more about that. I am willing to own that I was wrong,” -pleaded he. - -“Well, come down to a later day. At the auction you commanded me not -to bid on the _Belle_. You pitched into me, tooth and nail, because I -did bid. You forbade my going on the _Ucayga_, just as Tommy Toppleton -ordered me not to ride on his railroad, though I paid my fare in both -instances. I don’t rake up these things for any other purpose than -to prove what I said. You can’t expect any fellow to like you if you -conduct yourself in such a manner.” - -“What shall I do?” - -“Do anything but what you have done. Respect the wishes and feelings, -and especially the rights, of others, whether they be poor or rich. I -happen to know myself that the institute fellows are down upon you, -and that they don’t mean to stand your domineering and tyranny much -longer.” - -“What are they going to do?” he asked curiously. - -“I’m sure I don’t know; only that they mean mutiny, in general terms. -It is just the same on our side of the lake. The Toppletonians intend -to pull Tommy down from his high places. At the last election of -officers they did elect another president, but he declined to serve, -though he was sorry enough afterward that he did not stand.” - -“You talk plainly, Wolf,” continued Waddie seriously. “I don’t think -I’m quite so hard a fellow as you make me out to be.” - -“I tell you just what I think, and just what others think.” - -“You are my friend now--are you not, Wolf?” - -“I will do everything I can for you; and if you will do what is right I -will stand by you to the end of time.” - -“By the great horn spoon, I will do right if I know how! You shall tell -me what to do.” - -“I don’t want to tell you what to do. If you mean right, you can’t very -well go wrong.” - -“You will advise me, won’t you?” - -“Certainly I will, if you wish me to do so.” - -“What would you do now if you were in my place?” - -The arrival of the _Belle_ at Centreport pier prevented me from -answering this question, though I kept thinking of it while I was -securing the boat to enable Waddie to go on shore. But he was not -willing to part with me, and insisted so strongly that I should go up -to “his house” with him that I could not refuse. He clung to me like a -brother, and I was confident that he intended then to mend his manners, -whether he held out in the resolution or not. I lowered my sail, and -walked up the street with him. - -I went to his house, and the visit was productive of the most important -results. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. A STEAMBOAT STRIKE. - - -While I was walking with Waddie from the pier to his father’s house, -I deemed it necessary to ask myself whether or not I was “toadying” -to the son of the rich man of Centreport. I should have despised -myself if I had believed such was the case. Both my father and myself -were determined to be independent, in the true sense of the word. We -had discussed the meaning of the word, and reached the conclusion -that genuine independence was not impudence, a desire to provoke a -quarrel, or anything of that kind. We agreed that the term was often -misunderstood and abused. - -But true independence was a genuine self-respect, which would not -allow its possessor to cringe before the mighty, or to sacrifice honor -and integrity for the sake of money or position. Doubtless both of us -had been guilty, to some extent, of this subserviency; but we were -determined not to fall below our standard again. Colonel Wimpleton -and Major Toppleton had money and influence; but we had skill and -labor. We could do without them quite as well as they could do without -us. Avoiding all conspiracies, all impudence, and all intentions to -quarrel, we meant to maintain our own self-respect. If neither of the -great men wanted us, we could go elsewhere, and “paddle our own canoe” -to our own satisfaction. - -I may say that my father and I had made a kind of compact of this -nature; and when I found myself, to my great astonishment, and almost -to my chagrin, to be hand and glove with Waddie, I began to suspect -that I had been sacrificing myself to the mammon of influence. But a -little reflection assured me I was not guilty of the charge. I had -saved my new friend from a disgraceful and humiliating ordeal only -from a sense of duty, and not with the intention of “currying favor” -with him. I had told him, fairly and squarely, what I thought of him, -and what others thought of him. As I considered what I had said to him -I found no occasion to reproach myself. On the contrary, so far as -appearances went, I had converted Waddie from the error of his ways. - -My companion was gentle and kind to me. He acted like an altered -person--using no harsh or bullying language and appearing to be only -anxious to ascertain what was right, in order that he might do it. I -followed him into his father’s library, where a cheerful fire blazed in -the grate, and we seated ourselves before it. I had hardly ever been in -this room before, though I had frequently visited the major’s library. - -“Wolf, just as the _Belle_ came up to the pier I asked what you would -do if you were in my place,” said Waddie, after we had comfortably -disposed ourselves in the cushioned armchairs. “You did not answer me.” - -“You ask me hard questions, Waddie,” I replied, laughing. “I do know -what I should do if I were in your place, but I do not like to set -myself up as your adviser.” - -“I ask you to do it. I will thank you for it.” - -“I will tell you what I think, and then you can do as you like. I can -give you advice; but you are not obliged to follow it, you know.” - -“Don’t you be so afraid to speak, Wolf!” added Waddie rather -impatiently. - -“Well, then, in the first place, I should make my peace with all the -fellows, whether in the institute or not.” - -“I’m going to do that; but the thing of it is, how to do it.” - -“You have been riding a high horse. You are major, president, and I -don’t know what not. You have used those positions to tyrannize over -and bully even your best friends.” - -“Well?” said he, as I paused to note the effect of these words upon him. - -“You must put yourself in a humble position, to begin with.” - -“I’ll do it!” exclaimed he, with enthusiasm. “I’ll do anything you say, -if it is to go down on my knees before the ragged little rowdies in the -streets of Centreport.” - -“I shall not advise you to do anything of that kind; but, under the -circumstances, I should resign the positions of major and president.” - -“Resign them!” - -“Yes; I would show the fellows first that I am as willing to obey as I -am to command. The fellows mean mutiny, both in the steamboat company -and in the battalion.” - -“I’ll do it. What next?” he asked, rubbing his hands, in humble -imitation of his magnificent father, when he was pleased. - -“I should take my place in the battalion as a private, do my duty -faithfully, and obey my officers in every respect. As a stockholder -in the company, I should behave modestly, and not attempt to carry my -points by bullying, or any other unfair practises. In any and every -capacity, if I had an opportunity to do a kindness to either friend or -enemy, I should do it, even at some considerable personal sacrifice. -But I don’t wish to burden you with my opinions.” - -“I thought you would tell me to go to the Sunday-school, or something -of that sort.” - -“I certainly recommend that; but I was speaking only of your relations -with the boys in the vicinity. If you have a good heart, you will do -your duty.” - -“There will be a meeting of the steamboat company next week. I will -have my resignation ready. Oh, I am in earnest,” protested Waddie. - -“Perhaps you had better consult your father. I don’t want you to act -blindly on my advice. He may not think it best for you to do as I say.” - -“I know he won’t; and for that reason I shall not say anything to him. -I’m not going to say anything against my father; but I know what’s -what.” - -“But you may endanger his interests in the steamer,” I suggested. - -“No; the directors can’t do anything without his approval. There is no -danger. Besides, my father is as cross as a bear lately. The railroad -on the other side is beating us every day. He has been quarreling with -the captain and engineer for a week.” - -“Is it their fault that the boat is beaten?” I inquired. - -“Father thinks it is, in part. The engineer won’t drive the boat, and -the captain is a slow coach.” - -Waddie had scarcely made his explanation before the library door -opened, and Colonel Wimpleton bolted into the room. He appeared to be -much excited, threw down his hat, and seemed to be disposed to smash -things. He did not see me at first; but when he discovered my presence -he came up to me, and, to my great astonishment, offered me his hand. -He glanced curiously at Waddie, as he realized the fact that his son -was on good terms with me. - -“I’m glad to see you, Wolf,” said he, as he grasped my hand. “I suppose -you thought I had forgotten you; but I have not. A Wimpleton never -forgets a friendly act, nor forgives a malicious one. What’s up, -Waddie?” he continued, as he turned to his son. - -“Wolf and I are the best friends in the world, father,” replied Waddie. -“Ain’t we, Wolf?” - -“That’s so, just now; and I hope it will always continue,” I replied. - -“Oh, it will!” persisted Waddie. - -“It’s rather odd, to say the least,” added the colonel, with an -incredulous stare at both of us. - -“I’ll tell you how it happened,” said Waddie. - -And he related the history of the events of the morning, and gave me -all the credit, and rather more, I thought, than I deserved. - -“That was handsome of you, Wolf, after all that has happened. But who -were these rascals? I will make an end of them!” - -“We didn’t know who they were; and we couldn’t find out.” - -“I shall find out!” - -Perhaps he would; but at that moment the captain and engineer of the -_Ucayga_ were announced, and the colonel began to look as savage as -when he entered the room. The servant was told to admit them. - -“The villains!” gasped the great man. “They were half an hour behind -time this morning, though they did not wait for the up-lake boats.” - -“Perhaps they were not to blame, father,” suggested Waddie mildly. - -“Not to blame! Do you think I don’t know?” - -The two men entered the library, hat in hand. They were brothers, -which, perhaps, is the only explanation which can be offered of the -fact that they adhered to each other in the present difficulty. - -“Colonel Wimpleton, we came up to say that we have concluded not to -run in the _Ucayga_ any longer,” said the captain, with considerable -deference, though there was a kind of dogged firmness in his tones and -in his looks. - -“Well, sir!” snapped the colonel. - -“We have done our best, but we can’t please you.” - -“You can’t please me by being half an hour behind time every day.” - -“It isn’t my fault,” protested the captain. “And I won’t be insulted, -as I have been to-day before all my passengers. You may get a new -captain and a new engineer as soon as you please.” - -“None of your impudence!” - -“My impudence is no worse than yours. You won’t find any men who can do -better than we have.” - -“If I can’t, I will sink the boat in the middle of the lake.” - -“We don’t want to talk; our time is out.” - -“Don’t you mean to run the trip this afternoon?” demanded the colonel, -whose face suddenly flushed, as he saw the trick of his employees. - -“No, sir! We do not,” replied the captain, a gleam of satisfaction on -his face, as he realized that he was punishing the great man. - -“Don’t say a word, father. Let them go,” whispered Waddie. - -“You will find that we are not slaves,” added the captain. - -Colonel Wimpleton looked at his watch. It wanted only half an hour of -the advertised time to start the boat for Ucayga. He looked at Waddie, -looked at me, and then at the two men, who doubtless expected, by the -means they had chosen, to bring him down from “the high horse.” I -watched the great man with intense interest; and perhaps I was as much -excited as any person in the room. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. CAPTAIN WOLF PENNIMAN. - - -My impression now is that neither the captain nor the engineer really -intended to throw up his situation. While I could not, and did not, -blame them for refusing to submit to the savage abuse of Colonel -Wimpleton, I did not think it was quite fair to spring this trap upon -their employer within thirty minutes of the time the boat was to start. -But the colonel was not altogether unreasonable in his complaints. The -men did not use every exertion to be on time. There was fault on both -sides. - -The captain had been instructed not to lose his connection, even if he -always went without the up-lake passengers. On this day, as I learned, -he had failed to connect, though he had not waited for the Hitaca boat. -Passengers were dissatisfied, and the new steamer was rapidly losing -the favor of the traveling public. - -Colonel Wimpleton, as he stood before the fire in his library, -realized that these men were trying to punish him. The whispered words -of Waddie evidently made their impression upon him. He curbed his wrath -and was silent for a moment. - -“Let them go, father,” said Waddie. - -He did let them go, and gave them an order on his agent for their wages. - -“Will the boat make her trip this afternoon?” asked the captain, who -did not seem to be pleased with the result of the interview. - -“That’s my affair,” replied the colonel. - -“We are going on board for our things. We have steam up, and, if she is -not going, my brother will have the fires raked down.” - -“He needn’t trouble himself. You have an order for your money. Good -afternoon.” - -The two men took this hint and left. - -“By the great horn spoon!” shouted Waddie, springing to his feet. - -“What’s to be done?” queried the colonel, glancing at me. - -“Wolf, you are the captain of the _Ucayga_ from this moment!” roared -Waddie, slapping me furiously on the back. “This is my last act as -president of the steamboat company! Do you approve it, father?” - -“It is what I wanted before. But we have only half an hour--less than -that,” replied the great man, looking at his watch again. - -“We can make time if we are fifteen minutes late. Do you accept, Wolf?” - -“I do; with many thanks.” - -“But the engineer?” said the colonel anxiously. - -“Send over for my father with all possible haste. I will go down and -look out for the engine until he comes,” I replied. - -“I will go over myself in your boat, Wolf. In this breeze I can cross -in five minutes,” added Waddie, seizing his hat and rushing out of the -house. - -“I will go with you to the steamer, Wolf,” said Colonel Wimpleton. - -All this was so sudden that I had not time to realize the situation. As -I walked down to the wharf with the magnate of Centreport, I recalled -some mysterious words of Waddie, which seemed now to have a point. He -had told me that I should not care to go up the lake the next week -with the fishing-party. Certainly he could not have known that the -event which had just occurred would open the way for me; but he was -doubtless aware that the moment he said the word the captain of the -_Ucayga_ would be discharged. He knew that his father was dissatisfied -with the management of the boat, and I suppose, as soon as he had -determined to be my friend, he meant to give me the position. - -“Wolf, I have intended this place for you ever since you used me so -well in the yacht,” said the colonel, as we walked down the street. -“Waddie would not consent. He hated you like a demon. But you have -conquered him, and that is more than I could ever do.” - -I wanted to tell him that good was all-powerful against evil; but the -remark looked egotistical to me, and I suppressed it. - -“I hope you don’t expect too much of me,” I replied. - -“No; but I expect a good deal of you. Everybody on the lake knows you, -and you are smart. We must beat that railroad somehow or other.” - -“I think we can, sir, if we have any kind of fair play. But Major -Toppleton’s boats are always ten or fifteen minutes behind time.” - -“No matter if they are. If you leave at half-past two, you can always -make time, if you don’t waste your minutes, as our captain often has -done. Wolf, I believe he has been bribed by Toppleton to lose his -connections.” - -“I don’t know about that.” - -“He is a Hitaca man, and has no sympathy with our side of the lake.” - -Perhaps the colonel was right. When I looked the matter over afterward -I was satisfied that there was some ground for the suspicion. We -reached the wharf, and went on board of the _Ucayga_. We arrived -at just the right time, for both the captain and the engineer were -stirring up ill feeling among the crew of the boat; and the latter -was at work on the engine, with the evident intention of spoiling the -afternoon trip. Colonel Wimpleton drove them ashore without indulging -in any unnecessary gentleness. I directed the fireman to fill up the -furnaces, and overhauled the machinery. While I was thus engaged my -father arrived. He was conducted to the engine-room by Waddie. - -“Mr. Penniman, allow me to introduce you to Captain Penniman, master -of the steamer _Ucayga_,” said the president of the steamboat company, -with a degree of good-nature of which I had never before supposed him -capable. - -“Captain Penniman, I am happy to make your acquaintance,” laughed my -father, as he grasped my hand and gave it a significant pressure. “I -think our family is getting up in the world, for we have now the honor -to boast that we have a steamboat captain in it.” - -“A very great honor, no doubt; but it will depend somewhat upon the -manner in which he discharges his duties,” I replied, as good-naturedly -as either of my companions. “Father, we are on duty now, and we must be -on time.” - -I looked at my watch. It still wanted ten minutes of half-past two. -Waddie had been so fortunate as to find my father on the wharf, and had -not been delayed a moment in procuring his services. While at work on -the engine I had been making a close calculation. It was necessary to -land our passengers on the wharf at Ucayga by four o’clock, which gave -me an hour and a half to make the distance--twenty miles--including the -stay in Ruoara, generally of fifteen minutes. - -My predecessor, when he left the wharf in Centreport at half-past eight -in the forenoon, or half-past two in the afternoon, was pretty sure to -miss his connection; but he had gone over twenty-one miles, while I -intended to save more than a mile, equivalent to five minutes of time, -in the passage. I had thought over this matter before, and though my -appointment had been sudden, I was not unprepared for my difficult and -delicate task. - -“Father, great things are expected of us,” said I, as Waddie went out -of the engine-room, to witness the arrival of the old _Ruoara_, which -was just then coming in at the other side of the wharf. - -“I trust we shall not disappoint them; but I hope you know what you are -about,” replied he, casting an anxious glance at me. - -“I do, father; I am just as confident as though I had been running -this boat for a year. I want you to run her at the highest speed you -can with safety.” - -“I will do it. I served my time on a steamer, and I am at home here.” - -“Keep her moving lively; that’s all I want,” I replied, as I left the -engine-room and made my way to the hurricane-deck. - -Colonel Wimpleton had employed a couple of “runners” properly to set -forth to the passengers who were going through the merits of his new -and splendid steamer. They were duly posted up in the change which had -just been made. - -“Take the _Ucayga_, Captain Wolf Penniman!” shouted these worthies. -“Sure connection! No failure this time! You have to change three times -by the railroad. The _Ucayga_, Captain Wolf Penniman, gentlemen!” - -I was rather startled to hear my name thus freely used; but I was -surprised and gratified to see that not a few of the passengers came -on board of the steamer, though they were told by the railroad runners -that they would be sure to miss the train at Ucayga. I recognized not a -few of those whom I had known on the railroad, persons who had come to -the engine to talk with me, while waiting for the train or the boat. - -“All aboard that’s going!” shouted the mate of the _Ucayga_. - -“Haul in the planks, and cast off the fasts!” I called to the hands who -were in readiness to discharge this duty. - -I confess that my bosom thrilled with strange emotions as I issued my -first order. But I felt quite at home, for I had run a great deal upon -the old boats, both in the engine-room and on deck. I had witnessed the -operation of making a landing so frequently that I was sure I could -do it without assistance, if necessary. I had measured the distance, -estimated the force of winds and currents, so many times that I had -thoroughly conquered the problem. - -The _Ruoara_ backed out and headed for Middleport at quarter of three, -for the train started at three. Lewis Holgate still ran the locomotive, -and it had been found that he must start on time or he was sure to miss -his connection. - -No regular pilots were employed on any of these steamers. The mate and -deck-hands took the wheel when required, and any of them were able -to make the landing. I told the former to take the wheel, for I had -decided to let him make the landings on this trip, rather than run even -the slightest risks by my own inexperience. The _Ucayga_ slipped out -from the wharf, and my father, true to his instructions, gave her full -steam. - -“We are nearly ten minutes later than usual,” said Colonel Wimpleton, -shaking his head ominously, as we met on the forward deck. - -“I pledge you my word, sir, that the boat shall be in Ucayga on time,” -I replied confidently. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. IN THE WHEEL-HOUSE. - - -Colonel Wimpleton was evidently very anxious, as he had been from the -beginning, for the success of the steamer. On the present occasion, -when the _Ucayga_ was nearly ten minutes behind her ordinary time, I -grant that he had not much to hope for in the light of past experience; -but he did not know my plans, and I did not wish to startle him by -announcing them, fearful that, if I did so, he would not permit me to -carry them out. I repeated my promise to be on time, and though he was -far from satisfied, he could not do anything but wait the result. - -My calculations were based upon the assured fact that the _Ucayga_ -could easily make sixteen miles an hour. She had the reputation -of being a fast boat, and I intended that she should sustain her -reputation. Immense expense had been lavished upon her to give her -great speed, as well as to make her elegant and commodious. The -testimony was that she had repeatedly made her sixteen miles without -straining or undue crowding. This was all I asked of her. If she did -only what she was warranted to do, and what she had often accomplished, -I was safe. - -I knew every tree and point on the west shore, along which the railroad -extended, and its exact distance from Middleport. I watched these -points, and consulted my watch frequently, to assure myself that the -boat was not falling behind my calculations. Her first four miles were -made inside of fifteen minutes, and I was not sure that my father was -not overdoing the matter; but he was a safe man, and I did not think it -necessary even to see him. - -On the forward deck I attended to the arrangement of the baggage, so -as to make the stay at Ruoara as brief as possible. There were two -baggage-trucks, upon which I caused to be loaded all the freight, -luggage, and merchandise for Ruoara. I saw that the deck-hands were -rather disposed to snuff at a boy like me in command of the steamer; -but, in self-defense, I must add that I was nearly as tall as a man. -They were slow, and did not obey promptly. I thought I could, in part, -explain the failure of my predecessor to be on time. But it was of no -use for me to bluster at these men, though they were probably working -more leisurely than usual. - -“Is everything going to suit you?” asked the colonel, as they were -approaching the wharf at Ruoara. - -“Not quite, sir.” - -“What’s the matter?” he demanded anxiously. - -“The men work as though they were digging their own graves, which were -to be occupied as soon as finished.” - -“Don’t they mind you?” - -“They don’t refuse to mind, but they are slow. They think I’m only a -boy.” - -“I’ll discharge every one of them!” - -“Excuse me, sir; but don’t do that. I would rather add a quarter a -day to their wages,” I replied; for I happened to know that they were -greatly dissatisfied with their pay, and justly so, I thought. “Then, -if they don’t work, they shall be discharged.” - -“Do so, if you think best,” replied the colonel promptly. - -“And the mate?” - -“Give him half a dollar a day, if that will help the matter.” - -“I think they are not paid fair wages, or I would not have said a word. -As it is, I can make friends of them in this way.” - -“Only beat the railroad, and I don’t care what it costs,” replied the -magnate impatiently. - -“I will do it, sir.” - -The plan was a stroke of policy on my part. As a boy I could do nothing -with these men by bullying and threatening them. By doing a good thing -for them, I could conquer them easily. I went up to the wheel-house as -the boat neared the wharf. - -“Mr. Van Wolter, I will thank you to make this landing yourself,” said -I, addressing the mate, who had the wheel. - -“I think I can do it,” replied he, with a broad grin, which was as much -as to say that I could not do it. - -“So can I; but I prefer that you should do it this time,” I added. - -“I suppose so!” he answered, with something like a sneer. “The mate, on -a dollar and a half a day, is always expected to do the captain’s work -on this boat.” - -“I shall not ask you to do mine; but are you dissatisfied with your -wages?” - -“I think the pay is mean.” - -“So do I; and from to-day your wages shall be two dollars a day. I have -already spoken to Colonel Wimpleton about this matter, and he consents -to it.” - -“Thank you; that’s handsome,” replied Van Wolter. “Excuse me for what I -said just now; I didn’t mean anything by it.” - -“All right. I want you to have the boat ready to start in just seven -minutes after she stops at the wharf. And, to help the matter, you may -say to the hands that their pay shall be raised a quarter of a dollar -each per day. They must work lively when we make a landing.” - -“You are a gentleman and a scholar, Captain Penniman, and what you need -most time will give you.” - -“What’s that?” - -“More years.” - -He rang the bell, slowed the boat, and made as beautiful a landing as I -had ever seen in my life. The moment the steamer touched the wharf he -rushed down the ladder to the forward deck. - -“Now, lively, my men!” shouted he, as he grasped the handles of one of -the trunks. - -I saw him say something in a low tone to the hands. I knew what it was, -and the effect was electrical. They worked well, and tumbled in the -freight with an alacrity which must have astonished the staid citizens -of that place who had gathered on the wharf. It was Saturday, and there -was a large quantity of freight, and a great many passengers; but -within the seven minutes I had named the steamer was ready to be off. I -had saved half the time usually taken up in this landing, and there was -room to reduce it still more. - -“You are late again,” said a gentleman to Colonel Wimpleton, as he came -on board. “We shall lose the train.” - -“I hope not.” - -“Oh, I know we shall. I think our people will have to go over to Grass -Springs and take the train.” - -“We shall be on time, sir,” I ventured to say. - -“I think we shall,” added the colonel. - -“All aboard and all ashore!” shouted the mate, with a zeal born of the -half-dollar per day his pay had been increased. - -I sprang up the ladder, and took my place in the wheel-house. It was -just ten minutes past three. I was five minutes inside of my own -calculations, but more than ten behind the steamer’s usual time. “The -tug of war” had come for me, for I intended to steer the boat myself, -and save from five to ten minutes of the boat’s ordinary time. I must -now explain, more particularly than I have before done, how this feat -was to be accomplished. - -As I have before stated, the South Shoe lay off the town of Ruoara. -It was exactly due west from the wharf where the _Ucayga_ made her -landing. To the southward and westward of this island the water was -shallow, and more than a mile was added to the distance from Ruoara -to Ucayga by going round these shoals, or about five minutes to the -time. But this was not all. The boat was obliged to back, and actually -turn, before she could go ahead at full speed; and this operation would -consume all of five minutes more. - -I have before spoken of the narrow passage between the Horse Shoe and -the Shooter, where the Toppletonians landed when they took possession -of the former island. This channel was very narrow, but it was also -very deep. I proposed to run the _Ucayga_ through this passage, and -thus save ten minutes on the trip. The steamer made her landing at the -end of the wharf, so that she did not have to turn; and all we had to -do, making the passage in the direction indicated, was to cast off the -fasts and go straight ahead. - -Ruoara was built on a broad point of land which projected out into the -lake, so that the narrow channel lay due north of the end of the pier. -A straight line through the channel, as the needle points, would strike -the North Shoe; and this circumstance rendered the navigation beyond -the passage rather difficult. But I had thought of the problem so many -times that I was satisfied, knowing the channel as well as I did, that -I could take the steamer through without any trouble. - -“Cast off your fasts and haul in the plank!” I shouted from my -position, as I grasped the wheel. - -The zealous crew, inspired by the increase of their wages, promptly -obeyed the order. I rang the bell to go ahead, just as Van Wolter -entered the wheel-house. Perhaps my readers may not feel much -confidence in my skill, and it may be necessary for me to repeat -the statement that I had spent a great deal of time on board of the -steamers on the lake, most of it in the engine-room with Christy -Holgate, it is true, but not a little of it on deck and in the -wheel-house. I had often steered the boat. I had found the helmsman was -as willing to be relieved as my instructor, the engineer, had been. I -knew the wheel, and I knew the bells. I rang to go ahead, and gave the -wheel a sheer to port. - -“You want to back her first, don’t you?” suggested Van Wolter, in a -very respectful tone. - -“No; I’m going to show you what I can do now,” I replied, with a smile. - -“But, captain, you will be aground in three minutes,” protested the -mate, laying his hand on the wheel. - -“Let me alone! Don’t bother me now,” I replied rather sharply, as the -steamer gathered headway. - -I snapped the bell again, to go ahead full speed, and away she buzzed -toward the narrow channel. - -“I don’t know about this!” exclaimed Van Wolter. - -“I do; don’t say a word.” - -He did not; but in half a minute more Colonel Wimpleton and Waddie both -appeared at the door of the wheel-house, and rushed in, highly excited, -and evidently expecting to be smashed in a couple of minutes. - -“Where are you going, Wolf?” demanded the colonel almost fiercely. - -“To Ucayga, sir,” I replied. - -“Stop her this instant!” - -“Too late now, sir. I’m all right; I know what I’m about,” I answered. - -The boat rushed into the narrow channel. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. THE HORSE-SHOE CHANNEL. - - -Colonel Wimpleton, Waddie, and the mate all held their breath, as -though they expected to see the magnificent _Ucayga_ knocked in -splinters the next instant. She was going at full speed through the -narrow channel; but, if I had been underneath her, I could not have -told any better how many feet and inches there were between her keel -and the sands at the bottom of the channel. If the passage through this -narrow place was thrilling to others, it was more so to me, and I was -fully conscious of the responsibility that rested upon me. - -If the steamer struck the ground, it would be ruin to me. My new-found -situation, and all the emoluments attached to it, would be lost. But I -felt that a failure to be on time at Ucayga would be hardly less fatal -to me. I had fought the battle faithfully for the Lake Shore Railroad, -when I was in the employ of the company, and had never missed a train. -I intended to be equally faithful and devoted to the steamboat -company. I knew what was expected of me, and I was determined that my -boat should always be on time. - -Success was a duty. The first step toward a failure was to believe -in one. I had figured up my plan so carefully that I knew what could -be done, always providing that the steamer was up to her guaranty. I -was thrilled by the situation; but I was confident and determined. I -could not take my eye off the course for an instant to look at Colonel -Wimpleton and his son; but I could judge of their suspense and anxiety -by the breathless silence they maintained. If the _Ucayga_ took the -ground, I should hear from them then; and that would be as soon as I -cared to have the spell broken. - -I had not yet reached the most difficult point of the navigation. If I -continued on my straight course, the steamer would strike on the North -Shoe, and the problem to be practically solved was whether the boat -could be turned about forty-five degrees without being swept upon the -shoals to the northward. She was a long vessel, and it required all -the philosophy and science I possessed to meet the question. When the -helm was put to starboard, the momentum of the steamer would tend to -throw her course outside of the arc of the circle she would describe -in turning. The faster she went the greater would be her momentum, or, -after she had begun to turn, her centrifugal force. - -I had studied a great deal over this question since I visited Ruoara -to purchase the _Belle_, for I was convinced that this passage must be -open to the boat in order to enable her to compete with the railroad, -by saving at least ten minutes of precious time. I had studied it over -very carefully, with every possible allowance for wind and current. -I had chalked out diagrams of the channel on the ceiling-boards of -the _Belle_, and my policy was thoroughly defined in my own mind. The -channel between the Horse Shoe and the North Shoe was perhaps a hundred -and twenty feet wide--it did not vary twenty feet from this distance, -I knew. When the boat was within a hundred feet of the bend in the -channel, I rang to stop her. - -“I thought you would have to back out,” said Colonel Wimpleton, drawing -a long breath, perhaps of relief to find that the magnificent craft was -not already high and dry on the shoals. - -“I’m not going to back out, sir--by no means,” I replied, as I threw -the wheel over to starboard. - -The _Ucayga_ surged ahead under the impetus she had attained, and -turned her bow to the west, with the shoal close aboard of her on -the port side. She minded her helm beautifully, and as soon as I had -brought the bow flagpole in range with the chimney of a certain cottage -on the west shore, I rang to go ahead. Righting the helm, I let her go -again at full speed. The allowance I had made for the centrifugal sweep -of the boat carried me clear of the shoals on the starboard hand; and, -though I had hugged the shoal on the port hand, the actual course of -the boat was very nearly in the middle of the channel. In a couple of -minutes more all danger had been passed. - -“You may take the helm now, if you please, Mr. Van Wolter,” said I to -the mate. - -“By the great horn spoon,” roared Waddie, “we are out of that scrape!” - -“That was done as handsomely as ever I saw anything done in my life!” -exclaimed the mate, with a broad grin on his good-natured face. - -“I don’t know about that, Wolf,” said the colonel, shaking his head, -while the relief which he felt was plain enough upon his face. - -“You know that we have saved ten minutes by that operation, sir,” I -replied, looking at my watch. “It is seventeen minutes past three and -we have only nine miles more to make which can be done in thirty-five -minutes. This will bring us in at the wharf at seven minutes before -four. We shall have at least five minutes to spare. We should certainly -have been behind time if we had gone around the South Shoe.” - -“But do you think it is safe to go through that narrow place, Wolf?” -asked the great man. - -“I think I can take this boat through a thousand times without failing -once,” I answered, wiping the perspiration from my brow, for the -intense excitement of the passage, overlooked and criticized as I was -by the magnate and his son, had thrown me into a fever heat. - -“If I had known what you intended to do, I would not have permitted it.” - -“For that reason, sir, I did not tell you,” I replied, laughing. -“I want to say, sir, that I haven’t done this thing blindly and -recklessly.” - -“That’s so!” exclaimed the mate, who understood the matter better than -any one present except myself. - -“You said something to me a few weeks ago about taking command of this -boat, Colonel Wimpleton. Well, sir, I have studied up this subject, and -taken the shore bearings. I can give you the precise rule I followed.” - -“I should like to hear it,” said the colonel, bestowing upon me a -cheerful smile of approbation. - -“Yes, sir. When the pine tree on the Shooter ranges with the barn on -the east shore, stop her. Then, when the north point of the Shooter -ranges with an oak tree on the east shore, starboard the helm. When -the boat has turned so that the chimney of the cottage ranges with the -bow flagpole, the pilot sighting from the center of the wheel-house, -go ahead again. Then you are all right; and it can be done a thousand -times without a single failure if you follow the directions.” - -“But why do you stop her?” asked the colonel curiously. - -“So that, in turning, the tendency to sweep too far to starboard may be -counteracted in part. But after I have tried it a few times, I can go -through without stopping her.” - -“You are a genius,” laughed the colonel. “I begin to hope that we shall -beat the railroad, after all.” - -“We are sure of it every time we can leave Centreport at two-thirty.” - -“The up-lake boats must get to Centreport as soon as that in order to -enable the train to be on time,” replied Colonel Wimpleton, rubbing his -hands as though he was master of the situation. - -“I don’t think you are quite ready for Major Toppleton’s next step,” I -replied, rather amused at his want of forethought. - -“What do you mean by his next step?” - -“The one I should take myself if I were in his place.” - -“What’s that?” - -“I think we are beating him just now, sir; and, as soon as the major -finds out that we are getting ahead of him, he will make another move. -We are sure of the Centreport and Ruoara trade, as long as we are on -time. He can’t get that away from us. But we want our share of the -up-lake business.” - -“Yes and we must have it,” added the great man impatiently. - -“Major Toppleton has bought up the stock of the old line of boats, -and runs them to favor the railroad. The only possible motive he can -have for sending his boats to Centreport is for the accommodation of -passengers from Hitaca to that place. There are only a few of them. His -next step, then, will be to run his boats only to Middleport, so that -you shall not have an opportunity to catch a single through passenger.” - -“That occurred to me,” replied the colonel. - -If it had occurred to him, he had been singularly careless about -providing a remedy. - -“It will be done just as soon as the major sees that we can make our -trip from Centreport to Ucayga in one hour and a half, including the -stop at Ruoara. I am satisfied you will see the posters announcing a -new arrangement within a week. - -“I don’t see that I can help myself,” added the magnate, biting his -lips with vexation. - -“Don’t you, sir?” - -“No, I do not,” continued the colonel, opening his eyes. - -“If you wish it, you can have the entire control of the travel on this -lake. After you have made your next move, Major Toppleton and the -railroad will be nowhere.” - -“I don’t understand you, Wolf.” - -“You must build the mate to this steamer as soon as possible.” - -“That’s rather a costly experiment,” mused the great man. - -“But it will pay, for you will have the entire travel on the lake, with -the exception of the three towns on the railroad. The through travel -pays the bills, and you can have all that. Those old boats make only -ten miles an hour, and it takes them three hours, including stops, to -come from Hitaca to Centreport. The _Ucayga_ would make the distance in -two. Your line can leave the head of the lake an hour later than the -old line, and get to Ucayga in three hours and a half, while it will -take the old line four hours and a quarter.” - -“You are right, Wolf!” exclaimed the colonel. “I’ll build another boat -at once, and call her the _Hitaca_. Let me see you to-night, when you -get in, and we will talk it over again.” - -The _Ucayga_ was approaching the railroad wharf. The Lightning Express -train was just coming in sight, at least ten minutes behind time. When -my boat touched the wharf it was just eight minutes of four. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. A DECIDED VICTORY. - - -The up-lake boat had arrived at Centreport rather later than usual. -Certainly the _Ucayga_ had left her wharf a full ten minutes behind her -ordinary time. The steamer had had even a less favorable chance than -before, and, under her former management, she must have been fifteen or -twenty minutes behind time. I had saved at least five minutes of the -stay at Ruoara, and ten more by going through the Horse-Shoe Channel. - -The two trains which met at Ucayga were due at five minutes of four. -They were seldom more than five minutes behind time, and as they were -both obliged to make connections, they could not wait many minutes -for either boat or cars. “On Time,” therefore, meant something; and -it was an inexpressible pleasure to me that I had complied with the -conditions. Boat stock would go up after this feat had been performed -a few times, especially if the Lightning Express was, as on the present -occasion, ten minutes late. - -The steamer from Hitaca had arrived at Centreport at about half-past -two. She had left for Middleport as soon as she could take in and -discharge her freight; but she must have been five minutes late for -the express train. Lewis Holgate had probably wasted five minutes -more. When the _Ucayga_ was made fast at the wharf, the train had -just reached the ferry on the other side of the river--the outlet of -the lake. The trains east and west were on time, and by four o’clock -all the passengers who were going in them were in their seats. The -ferry-boat had not yet started. The conductors stamped their feet, and -looked at their watches every half-minute. To wait for the Lightning -Express passengers would add ten minutes more to the time to be made up -in running about twenty-five miles. - -As the boat on the other side did not start, the conductors decided -not to wait any longer. The bells rang, and the two trains puffed, and -snorted, and went on their way. I have no doubt there were many hard -words used by the people on board of the ferry-boat, as they saw these -trains start. If Major Toppleton was on board, I had no doubt he used -some big words, for he was not above the infirmity of doing so when -irritated. - -Steamer stock went up, and railroad stock went down. In a fair -competition, we had beaten the Lightning Express. I was satisfied that -this calamity to the railroad, under the circumstances, would cost -Lewis Holgate his situation; for the major, and even Tommy, would be -indignant at the result. I was confident that what we had done this -time could always be done, for we had made our quick time against a -strong head-wind. - -“We have done it, Wolf!” exclaimed Waddie, as he came up to me, with a -familiar slap on the back, after the trains left. - -“Yes; and we have done it under rather unfavorable circumstances,” I -replied, quite as pleased as he was with the result. - -“No matter, so long as we have done it. If we can only keep doing it I -shall be satisfied.” - -“We can; as long as we can leave Centreport at half-past eight in the -morning, and half-past two in the afternoon, I will guarantee to land -the passengers here at five minutes before ten and five minutes before -four. Of course some accident may happen once or twice a year, but the -rule shall be without any ordinary exception.” - -“I wish we could compete with them going the other way,” said Waddie -anxiously. - -“I wish we could; but I don’t think that will be practicable until we -have another boat. With one more steamer, we can have it all our own -way,” I replied. - -“Can’t we do anything, Wolf?” - -“If the up-lake boats will be ten or fifteen minutes late in leaving -Centreport, we may; but we can’t promise to land passengers there in -season to continue their trip by the next boat. You must not promise -anything which you are not sure of performing.” - -“I wish we could do something,” added Waddie. “I would give anything to -beat the railroad both ways.” - -“We can mend the matter; but I don’t think we can always be sure of -connecting with the Hitaca boat. Let us see. Our time-table now is: - - Leave Ucayga 4.15. - Arrive at Ruoara 5.00. - Leave Ruoara 5.15. - Arrive at Centreport 5.45. - -We can improve this, I think,” said I, writing on a card the places and -times as I stated them. - - “Leave Ucayga 4.00. - Arrive at Ruoara 4.45. - Leave Ruoara 4.55. - Arrive at Centreport 5.25. - -That is twenty minutes better than we do now.” - -“But the Hitaca boat is advertised to leave Centreport at 5.15,” -interposed Waddie, looking over my figures. - -“She is advertised to do it, but lately she has been regularly ten or -fifteen minutes behind time,” I replied. “To-day she will be nearer -half an hour.” - -“Try it on, Wolf,” said Waddie, with enthusiasm. - -“I will; but you must not go before your advertised hours.” - -“That will make no difference. We are advertised to go on the arrival -of the boats and trains.” - -“Then what are we waiting for?” I replied. “All aboard!” I called to -Van Wolter, the mate. - -My zealous assistant shouted the usual warnings, and passengers on the -wharf, who were waiting for the ferry-boat, were invited to come on -board. Some of them accepted the assurance of Waddie that we should -connect with the Hitaca boat at Centreport, and took passage with us. -Just as the _Middleport_, with her indignant passengers, approached the -wharf, the _Ucayga_ backed out, and commenced her trip up the lake. - -“You appear to be in a hurry, Wolf?” said Colonel Wimpleton, taking a -seat with me in the wheel-house, where Van Wolter had the helm. - -I showed him the card on which I had written out the time I proposed to -make. - -“We can leave Ucayga at four o’clock as well as quarter of an hour -later,” I added. “The Lightning Express cannot land a passenger in -Centreport in a minute less than an hour and a quarter. We can make our -sailing-time in just that space. If we can save five or ten minutes -of our stay at Ruoara, we need not be more than five or ten minutes -behind this time in reaching Centreport.” - -“Do as you think best, Wolf,” replied Colonel Wimpleton, with the most -friendly smile I had ever seen on his face. - -“We shall get to Centreport first to-day, without a doubt.” - -We discussed the matter for a while, but we were satisfied that nothing -more than a temporary advantage could be gained until we had another -steamer. Before the _Ucayga_ reached the islands I took a walk through -the boat. Among the passengers I met quite a number whom I had known -on the Lightning Express, and was very kindly congratulated upon -my advancement. Some of them laughed at the idea of a boy like me -commanding such a steamer; but I defended myself from the charge of -being a boy. I should soon be seventeen; my mustache was beginning to -develop itself, and I was only a few inches shorter than my father. -Younger fellows than I had done bigger things than to command a -lake steamer. I had shaved myself every week or fortnight for six -months, borrowing my father’s razor when he was away, and performing -the operation in the secrecy of my chamber, with the door bolted, -to prevent the possibility of an interruption, and the consequent -annoyance of being twitted. - -I made a desperate resolve, after being “bothered” for my juvenility, -to purchase a razor and other implements, and shave myself every day, -so as to encourage the downy growth upon my upper lip and chin. I also -decided to have a frock-coat, and to wear a hat, in order still further -to obviate the objectionable circumstances of “the young captain of -the _Ucayga_ steamer.” I regarded it as rather malicious in people to -insist upon it that I was a boy. I was not a boy. I was at least a -young man, and I was doing a man’s work. They might as well call a man -of thirty a boy because he played baseball. - -In my tour of inspection I called upon my father in the engine-room. -I had not seen him since the boat left Centreport. Like a faithful -engineer, he had looked only at the machinery before him, and not -troubled himself about other matters. He hardly knew anything of the -exciting events in which he had been a prominent actor. - -“How goes it, Wolf?” he asked, as I sat down in his armchair. - -“First-rate.” - -“Have you quarreled with Waddie or the colonel yet?” he inquired, -laughing. - -“No, sir, and am not likely to do so at present. I am not on the top of -the wave. We have beaten the Lightning Express down, and are going to -do the same thing up.” - -“Don’t overdo the matter, and don’t promise more than you can perform.” - -“I don’t intend to do so. I know just what I can do, and I’m going to -do it.” - -“Don’t commit yourself to Waddie or his father, Wolf. Either of them -would kick you out of your high place as quickly as he put you into it.” - -“I think everything is going well now, father. The colonel intends to -build another boat immediately, and by next spring nobody will trouble -the Lake Shore Railroad, except those who live upon the line.” - -“Don’t be too confident.” - -“I know it! I have been studying up this steamboat business ever since -I was discharged by Major Toppleton.” - -“You are down on the major hard now,” said my father. - -“No, I’m not. I don’t wish him any harm; but while I’m paid for serving -the steamboat company, I intend to serve it. I’ve nothing to do with -the great men’s quarrels; but I’m going to be on time, and do the best -thing I can for my employers. I’m going to put her through by daylight.” - -By this time the steamer was approaching the Horse-Shoe Channel, and -I went up to the wheel-house. I had taken the bearings so as to pilot -the boat through in this direction as well as in the other. By the same -process, and with the same precautions, I steered the _Ucayga_ safely -through the narrow passage, and we reached the wharf at Ruoara about -three minutes inside of the time I had proposed, for the strong wind -helped us in going up the lake. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. TOMMY TOPPLETON MOUNTED. - - -“On time!” exclaimed Waddie, as I came out of the wheel-house, after -the boat was secured at the wharf. - -“Yes, and more too,” I replied. “We are ahead of the Lightning Express -this time.” - -“I want to be reasonable, but I never felt so much like crowing as I -do to-day. By the great horn spoon, I think we have all been asleep -on this side of the lake since the _Ucayga_ commenced running,” added -Waddie, with enthusiasm. - -Van Wolter was already moving the freight and baggage on shore; and his -zeal had not suffered a particle of diminution. He worked well, and did -not permit a single instant to be wasted. We had only two trucks, but -all the luggage and merchandise they could contain had been piled upon -them; and they held nearly all we had to be landed. I wanted two more -of these machines, for they could be loaded by the shore men before -the arrival of the boat. Then we need stay only long enough to wheel -the two trucks on board ashore and the two on the wharf to the deck. I -expected to reduce the delay to three or five minutes. - -I stood on the hurricane-deck, by the wheel-house, where I could -overlook the operations of the mate and the deck-hands, and be in -readiness to start the boat the instant the last piece of freight was -on board. I was delighted with the zeal of the mate, and, I may add, -with his politeness and discretion. He did not break things, and he did -not tip over the passengers as they came on board. He did not yell like -a wild Indian, and say impudent things to gentlemen who incautiously -placed themselves in his way. I liked the man, notwithstanding his -contempt for me as a boy, manifested at our first meeting. Perhaps I -should not blame him for that; but when I had taken the boat through -the Horse-Shoe Channel, he had done me full justice, and I forgave him. -He was my friend, and I was very glad to have done a good thing for him -in causing his wages to be raised. - -The other steamer would be ready the following spring, and I could not -help thinking that Van Wolter would make a first-rate captain for her. -At any rate, if he continued to do as well by me as he had thus far, I -was determined to speak a good word for him. - -“Mr. President, I shall be obliged to ask the company for two more -trucks for this landing,” I continued, turning to Waddie. - -“You shall have a hundred if you want them,” replied the little magnate. - -“We want only two; and perhaps two more for Ucayga, so that we can get -rid of these long delays.” - -“You shall have everything you want, Wolf. I don’t see why we can’t -beat the Lightning Express every day.” - -“We can never do it when the train is on time; and I tell you Major -Toppleton is too smart to let things drag on the other side as they do -just now.” - -“I don’t believe they can go through on time.” - -“Yes, they can. The engineer who is running the dummy now will see that -the train is never behind time when they give him the place. I never -missed a connection while I was on the road.” - -“Lewis Holgate is not you.” - -“But the major will not let him ruin the enterprise much longer.” - -“Pooh! what can the major do as long as Tom Toppleton chooses to keep -Lewis on the engine?” - -“Well, Tommy won’t choose to keep him there.” - -“I think he will.” - -“But Major Toppleton has another string to his bow. Our cake will be -dough in a week or so at the most--just as soon as the major fully -understands the matter; and I think it won’t take him more than a week -to see through the millstone.” - -“You mean to say that he will not let his boats come to Centreport.” - -“Certainly not. Then you can’t get a single through passenger. That -is what we are coming to in a short time, unless we find some way to -counteract the major’s plan.” - -“Well, can’t we find some way?” asked Waddie anxiously. - -“Perhaps we can. I haven’t had time to think of the matter much,” I -replied, as Van Wolter ordered the men to cast off the fasts and haul -in the plank. - -I went into the wheel-house, rang the bell, and the _Ucayga_ moved on. -I gave the helm to the mate as soon as he came up. Waddie went below to -talk with his father, to tell him, I suppose, that our victory was to -be but a transient one. - -“How’s the time, Captain Penniman?” asked the mate. - -“Five minutes of five,” I replied, consulting my watch, and thinking of -Grace Toppleton, as I always did when I saw it, for she had presented -it to me in behalf of the Toppletonians. - -And I was at variance with them now! No, not with many of them; only -with Tommy and a few of his toadies. But I did not like to wear -the watch, which had been the gift of those on the other side, for -which Major Toppleton had probably paid the lion’s share, after the -disagreeable events which had occurred. The thought came to me that -I ought to return it to the donors; but this was rather a violent -alternative for saving my pride. - -“We were not more than ten minutes at the Ruoara landing, then,” added -the mate. - -“No; you have done admirably, Mr. Van Wolter, and I thank you for your -zeal.” - -“Oh, that’s all right! I always mean to do my duty while I have any -sort of fair play,” answered the gratified man. - -“We must do our duty whether we have fair play or not,” I added. -“That’s my motto.” - -“Well, I don’t know about that.” - -“Two wrongs don’t make a right. The safest, and indeed the only way for -us, is always to do our duty.” - -“I rather think you are right, after all. We are waxing the Lightning -Express over there, this afternoon. That short cut through the -Horse-Shoe Channel did the business for us.” - -“That’s so; and I’ve been thinking of it for a long time. I suppose if -I had mentioned it before I did it, I should have been laughed at.” - -“That’s a fact. You have done a big thing to-day, young man; I beg your -pardon--Captain Penniman.” - -“Oh, we don’t stand on any ceremony! We shall be good friends; and -while we stick together, we can accomplish any reasonable thing.” - -“Didn’t I hear you and the colonel saying something about another boat -like this one?” - -“Yes; the colonel intends to build another--to be called the -_Hitaca_--at once.” - -“I suppose it is too soon to say anything yet; but I want the command -of that boat when she is built,” continued Van Wolter anxiously. - -“I was thinking of that very thing myself; and, if you are always as -faithful as you have been to-day, I think you will deserve it. I shall -mention the matter to the colonel and Waddie as soon as I get a chance.” - -“Thank you; thank you, captain. That’s very handsome of you; and you -shall never have any cause to complain of me,” he replied warmly. - -“Of course, I can’t promise anything; but I will do what I can, if -everything is right,” I answered. - -We discussed the former management of the boat, and I explained to him -my plans for the future. We were in perfect accord, and I was glad that -I had so soon removed all grounds for jealousy, and all tendencies to -pull in the opposite direction, on the part of my subordinate. We were -approaching Centreport. The train on the railroad, now ten minutes -behind time, was coming into Middleport, on the other side of the lake. -At twenty-five minutes past five we were fast to the wharf. The boat -going up the lake had not yet left the pier. To my surprise, I found we -had quite a number of up-lake passengers, who had taken the word of our -runners that we should be in time for the boat at Centreport. We had -kept the promise, but it would not always be safe to make it. - -We arrived in season to enable Colonel Wimpleton to send for his -satchel, and when the steamer for Hitaca touched the wharf he went on -board. He was determined not to lose a day or an hour in laying down -the keel of the new steamer, and he was going up the lake to make -his contracts for this purpose. The boat started on her trip, and my -work for the day was finished. Everybody on board was in remarkably -good spirits. For the first time, really, the steamer had beaten the -Lightning Express; and we intended to “keep doing it” as long as the -achievement was possible. I gave the boat into the keeping of Van -Wolter, and went on shore. My father could not leave until he had put -the engine in order. As everybody’s wages had been raised, there was no -danger of a conspiracy against the new order of things. - -Not until the excitement of the afternoon’s stirring work had subsided -did it occur to me that I was engaged to go up the lake on Monday with -a party in the _Belle_. Of course it would be impossible for me to keep -my engagement to the letter, though I intended to do so in spirit. -The long-desired opportunity of doing something for Tom Walton now -presented itself. My friend was a thorough and competent boatman, fully -my equal, if not my superior. His mother was poor and in ill-health, -so that she depended mainly upon him for her support. He was, in my -estimation, a splendid fellow; and his devotion to his mother, and his -constant self-sacrifice for her sake, won my regard and admiration. -I had long desired to give him a situation worthy his abilities and -character. - -Embarking in the _Belle_, I crossed the lake. After mooring the boat, -I went directly to the house of Tom’s mother, and was fortunate enough -to find my friend at home. He lived in one of the smallest and meanest -dwellings in Middleport. I was determined to do a good thing for -him, and I thought, after the boat season was finished, I ought to -have influence enough, as the commander of the _Ucayga_, to procure -him a first-rate situation for the winter. He came out of the house, -and before I had time to open my business with him, the Toppleton -Battalion, which was out for drill, came round the corner, and we -suspended our conversation to see the parade. - -Major Tommy Toppleton was at the head of the column. He had nearly -recovered from his broken leg; but he was not able to walk much yet, -and was mounted on a medium-sized pony. The moment he saw me, he halted -his battalion, and urged his steed almost upon me. - -“You villain, Wolf Penniman!” said he, still urging on his pony, as -though he intended to crush me under the iron hoofs of the little -charger. - -“Sha’n’t I hold your horse for you?” interposed Tom Walton, with his -inimitable good-nature, as he seized the bridle-rein of the animal. - -“Let him alone!” roared Major Tommy, striking my friend a sharp blow -on the back with the flat of his sword. - -I was indignant, and inclined to pull the bantam major from his horse; -but I remembered his broken leg, or perhaps I should have done so. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. TOMMY TOPPLETON THREATENS. - - -Tom Walton always had a pleasant way of doing an unpleasant thing. -I suppose he thought Tommy Toppleton intended to ride over me, or -at least intimidate me by the movements of his high-spirited little -charger, and, as a friend, he considered it his duty to do something in -my defense. This was the reason why he asked if he should not hold the -little major’s horse. - -I had hardly seen Tommy since he had broken his leg; but I had no -difficulty in believing that he hated me. He was haughty, tyrannical, -and overbearing, even to a greater degree, when incensed, than my -new-made friend Waddie Wimpleton. He seemed to think I had no business -to live, and move, and have my being, after I had ceased to be -serviceable to him. He wanted to crush me, and the demonstration of his -pony was only suggestive of what the rider really desired to do. - -Tom Walton was a tough fellow, and not at all thin-skinned, in the -literal signification of the term. He did not mind the blow which Tommy -had given him; but, putting himself on the left of the horseman, and -out of the convenient reach of his weapon, he backed the pony out into -the middle of the street. - -“Let him alone!” shouted the major, struggling to hit, and then to -punch, my friend with the sword. - -“Oh, certainly! I’ll let him alone first-rate,” laughed Tom, as he -released the steed from his iron grasp. - -“You puppy, you!” snapped Tommy, foaming with wrath that a plebeian, -like my companion, should venture to take hold of the bridle of his -pony. “How dare you touch my horse?” - -“Well, I haven’t much pluck; but I didn’t want him to tread on Wolf’s -corns.” - -“Wolf’s a rascal, and you’re another!” - -“Then we are well matched,” chuckled Tom Walton. - -“If I don’t clean you fellows out of this place, it will be because I -can’t!” snarled Tommy. - -“What’s the matter, Major Toppleton?” I inquired, my indignation -entirely appeased by the pleasant manner in which my companion had -treated the case. - -“Wolf, you are a traitor!” exclaimed Tommy, with emphasis. - -“Well?” - -“You are an adder, that bites your best friends!” - -“I think you are an adder, major, for you are adding one hard word to -another,” laughed Tom Walton. - -“Don’t give me any of your impudence!” - -“Certainly not; I leave that to my betters.” - -“Wolf, I only halted to tell you that Middleport will soon be too hot -to hold you.” - -“What do you mean by that, Tommy?” I asked gently. - -“You know what I mean, well enough. You are a traitor, and are willing -to bite the hand that feeds you.” - -“I think not.” - -“What have we done for you? Where did you get that watch and chain in -your pocket?” - -“My friends on this side of the lake gave me the watch and chain.” - -“Humph! Well, my father paid for it!” - -“Then I shall take the liberty to return it to him,” I replied. “If -you will relieve me of it now, it is at your disposal.” - -I took the watch from my pocket, detached the chain from my vest, and -offered it to him. - -“I don’t want it. It only shows what a fellow you are. After all we -have done for you, Wolf, you go over on the other side, and do all you -can to injure us--to injure the Lake Shore Railroad.” - -“Allow me to call your attention to the fact that you discharged me,” I -answered mildly. “I must work for a living, and when the president of -the steamboat company offers me a situation at three dollars a day, I -can’t afford to refuse it.” - -“Can’t you!” sneered he. “Allow me to call your attention to the fact -that, after all we have done for you, on this side, you got up a row in -the car, and broke my leg.” - -“You got up the row yourself, as you will remember, if you recall the -facts. You insisted upon putting two passengers out of the car after -they had paid their fare, and while they were behaving themselves in a -proper manner.” - -“You thought you were going to rule the Lake Shore Railroad. You tried -to do it; and that was what made the row. Do you suppose I would submit -to your dictation? Do you think I had not the right to discharge an -employee of the road? I don’t see it.” - -“Probably we shall not make much by discussing the matter here, though, -if you wish to do so, I will meet you for that purpose when and where -you please,” I replied. - -“I’ll meet you on Monday forenoon, at ten o’clock,” said he suddenly -and maliciously. - -“I am engaged then. Of course I mean any time when my business will -permit.” - -“I thought you didn’t mean what you said,” added he, turning up his -nose and pursing out his lips. “I want to give you a fair warning. The -Wimpletons wouldn’t have you on the other side after you had turned -traitor to them. I don’t blame them; and we won’t have you on this side -after you have turned against us. If you mean to stay on this side of -the lake, you must have nothing to do with that steamer.” - -“Don’t you think our family has a right to live on this side of the -lake?” I inquired. - -“No matter whether you have or not. We won’t have you here,” replied -Tommy sharply. - -“I think we shall stay as long as we think it best to do so. I will -return this watch to your father, and then I believe I shall not owe -him anything.” - -“Didn’t my father save all the property you had when Wimpleton -foreclosed the mortgage?” - -“He did; he was very kind to us then, and we shall always gratefully -remember all that he did for us, though he was not called upon to pay -out a single dollar on our account.” - -“And for this you are doing your best to ruin the Lake Shore Railroad, -which cost my father two hundred thousand dollars! Deny that, if you -can!” stormed Tommy. - -“I do deny it.” - -“Are you not running that steamer on the other side?” - -“I have that honor.” - -“Hasn’t she beaten the Lightning Express-train twice to-day?” - -“If she did, it was in fair and honorable competition. You discharged -me, and you are responsible for the consequences, not I.” - -“What’s the use of talking to an ingrate, like you!” exclaimed the -major impatiently. “I give you fair warning that I intend to clean you -out of the place, the whole kit of you, Tom Walton included.” - -“All right! It is your next move, Tommy. I hope you won’t burn your -fingers in the scrape, as you have done several times before.” - -“Do you threaten me?” - -“No, by no means. I only wish to tell you that those who act unjustly -must bear the burden of their own injustice. When you attempted to -have me put out of the car, it cost you a broken leg, though that was -by no act of mine. I shall try to keep the peace, but if attacked, I -shall defend myself. For all the good you and your father have done to -me and mine, I shall remember you kindly. I shall forgive and forget -all the injury. I stood by you and your father as long as you would -let me. I refused the very situation which I have now accepted when in -your employ, for no money could tempt me to forsake my friends. I hope -you will not try to get up a quarrel with me, Tommy, for I have no -ill-will towards you, and would rather serve you now than injure you.” - -“Do you mean that?” - -“Upon my word I do!” I answered earnestly; and if I know my own heart, -I spoke the simple truth. - -“Perhaps we will give you a chance to prove what you say,” said -Tommy, with an incredulous shake of the head. “Attention--battalion! -Forward--march!” - -As abruptly as he had come upon me, he left me. Evidently my words -had suggested some plan to him, and I had a right to expect some -proposition from him. To sum up Tommy’s threats, he intended to drive -me out of the town--not by force or by legal measures, but by making -“the place too hot to hold me;” which, being interpreted, meant that he -and his friends would vex and annoy our family until we should be glad -to seek a new home elsewhere. Of course a man so influential as Major -Toppleton, senior, had the power to make Middleport very disagreeable -to us. - -“Tommy’s dander is up,” said Tom Walton, as the battalion marched up -the street. - -“It doesn’t take much to bring his wrath up to the boiling-point,” I -replied. - -“I think you have given them an awful heavy dose to-day, Wolf, if -all the stories are true,” added Tom, rubbing his hands as though he -enjoyed the situation. - -“What stories?” - -“They say that Colonel Wimpleton, or Waddie, made you captain of the -_Ucayga_.” - -“That’s so.” - -“And your father the engineer.” - -“That’s so, too.” - -“Then the boat beat the Lightning Express both ways.” - -“All true.” - -“There’s a big excitement on this side of the lake. Everybody says -Lewis Holgate must step down, and take the dummy.” - -“I’m willing.” - -“Can you beat them then, Wolf?” - -“We can beat them on the down trip from Centreport. But we don’t expect -to do much till next spring; then the Lake Shore Railroad may hang up -its fiddle, except for business with Middleport and the towns upon the -line.” - -“Is that so?” asked Tom, opening his eyes. - -“No doubt of it. But I wanted to see you about another matter. Have you -any work on hand?” - -“Nothing but odd jobs,” replied Tom, suddenly looking as sad as it was -possible for so good-natured a fellow to look. “I must find something -to do that will pay me better, or it will go hard with my mother this -winter. She isn’t able to do much.” - -“I can put you in the way of doing something for a week or two, which -will pay you pretty well. The _Belle_ is engaged to go up the lake next -week with a fishing-party; but, as things are now, I can’t go with her.” - -“I’m your man!” exclaimed Tom, his eyes sparkling with pleasure, for -this was a job after his own heart. - -“All right. Let us settle on the terms.” - -“Oh, you may fix them to suit yourself.” - -“How much are you making now, Tom? I don’t want to be hard with you.” - -“You won’t be hard with me,” laughed he. - -“But let us have the matter understood. I will do as well as I can by -you. How much do you earn now?” - -“Some days I make a quarter of a dollar; some days a half; and I -have earned a dollar. If I get three dollars a week I am pretty well -satisfied.” - -“I am to have five dollars a day for the boat when she is taken by the -week, and seven for a single day. Suppose I give you two dollars a day -for every day the _Belle_ is used.” - -“That’s handsome!” exclaimed Tom. “I shall be rich on those terms.” - -“No, you won’t. She will not have anything to do for more than two or -three weeks this season. In the spring she will do well. After she is -paid for, we will divide equally.” - -“Thank you, Wolf. You are a glorious fellow!” - -We went down to the _Belle’s_ moorings, and I gave my friend such -instructions as he needed. I was sure my party would have no reason to -regret the change in the skippership of the boat. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. THE TWO MAJORS. - - -Tom wanted to sail the _Belle_ a while, in order to ascertain her -points; and though it was now dark, he unmoored her, and stood up -the lake. After I had called upon the gentleman who had engaged the -_Belle_, to explain the change in my arrangements--which, as the person -knew Tom very well, were entirely satisfactory--I went home. My father -had just returned from the other side; and I found our family in the -most cheerful frame of mind. Our star appeared to be in the ascendant -again. - -“I have been warned out of town, father,” said I, as we sat down to -supper. - -“Who warned you?” asked my father, with a smile which indicated that he -did not consider the warning as of any great consequence. - -“Tommy Toppleton. He halted his battalion, and pitched into me as -though he intended to crush me beneath the hoofs of his pony.” - -I went on to explain what the little major had said; but none of us -were alarmed. My mother counseled moderation, as she had always done, -and father thought we could make the most by minding our own business. - -“I told Tommy I would rather serve him than injure him; and if I know -myself, I spoke the truth,” I added. - -“That’s right, Wolfert! I’m glad you said that, for I know you meant -it,” said my good mother. “While we do our duty, and endeavor to -serve the Lord faithfully and patiently, we shall triumph in the end. -It does not make much difference if we are cast down for a time, or -if wicked men seem to have conquered us, we shall prosper if we are -good and true. We can afford to wait for success as long as we do our -duty. As the minister said last Sunday, God does not always call that -success which passes for such in this world. Real success is being ever -faithful to God and conscience.” - -I believed what my mother affirmed; but it always did me good to hear -her repeat the lesson of wisdom and piety. It always strengthened -my soul, and helped me to maintain my standard of duty. My father -was not a religious man, though he always went to church, and had a -high respect for sacred things. He always listened in silence to the -admonitions of my mother; but I was sure he approved them, and believed -in them. - -Before we rose from the table, the door-bell rang, and my mother, who -answered the summons, informed me that Major Toppleton desired to see -me immediately at his own house. - -“What does this mean?” asked my father, manifesting much interest in -the event. - -“I don’t know; but the message reminds me of what Tommy said when we -parted,” I replied. - -“What did he say?” - -“When I told him I would rather serve than injure him, he replied that -perhaps I might have a chance to prove what I said.” - -“It may be that the major intends to make you an offer,” added my -father. “I have no doubt he feels very sore about the events of this -afternoon.” - -“Very likely he does, for we certainly beat the Lightning Express all -to pieces; and I am confident we can do it every time we try, on the -down trip.” - -“Suppose he should make you an offer?” inquired my father anxiously. -“What if he should offer you three or four dollars a day to run the -Lightning Express?” - -“I am glad you asked the question, father, for my mind is made up. I -may be wrong, but I think I am right. I should decline the offer.” - -“If he offered you more wages than the colonel agreed to pay you?” - -“Colonel Wimpleton has fairly engaged me to run the _Ucayga_,” I -replied, taking my hat from the nail. “It would not be right for me to -leave him without giving him reasonable notice of my intention to do -so.” - -“Certainly not. As long as he uses you well, you are bound to do the -same by him, whatever happens.” - -“I refused to leave the railroad company when the colonel offered me -more wages than I was receiving. He has given me my place in good -faith. If I can do better on this side of the lake than I can on the -other, I think I have the right to resign my situation, if I give -reasonable notice.” - -“Quite right, Wolf,” replied my father warmly. “Major Toppleton -discharged us both without an hour’s notice, and I don’t think we are -under special obligation to him for his recent treatment of us, though -he certainly did us a good turn when we were persecuted by Colonel -Wimpleton.” - -My father and I were in perfect accord, as we generally were on -questions of right and of policy; and I hastened to the major’s house, -not without a certain dread of confronting the great man. I was -admitted to the library. I had hoped I should obtain at least a sight -of Grace, but I did not; and I braced my nerves for the interview with -the great major and the little major, for both of them were present. -The father bowed loftily and haughtily as I entered, and the son looked -supercilious and contemptuous. Neither of them was courteous enough to -invite me to take a seat, and I stood up before them, waiting their -imperial pleasure. - -“You sent for me, Major Toppleton, and I have come,” I ventured to say; -and the cold reception accorded to me had a tendency to make me stand -upon my dignity. - -“I find, to my surprise, that you have gone into the employ of Colonel -Wimpleton,” said the senior major, with a sneer upon his lips. - -“Yes, sir,” I replied, bowing. - -“I am astonished!” added the major. - -“Neither my father nor myself could afford to remain without -employment, when good offers were made to us,” I answered respectfully. - -“Then I am to understand that you and your father have arrayed -yourselves against me.” - -“By no means, sir.” - -“Do you not understand that Wimpleton’s steamer and the Lake Shore -Railroad are running against each other?” demanded my late patron -severely. - -“I do, sir; but I do not think that a fair business competition means -any personal ill-will. If it does, it is entirely a matter between you -and Colonel Wimpleton. I am not the owner of the _Ucayga_, and she will -run just the same whether I go in her or not.” - -Major Toppleton bit his lips. Perhaps he felt that my point was well -taken. - -“You ran the steamer this afternoon, and, by your knowledge of the -Horse-Shoe Channel, made a quick trip. Those who know say you took the -steamer through in fifteen minutes less than her usual time. I hold -you responsible, therefore, for this day’s work.” - -“Of course I did the best I could for my employers, as I was in the -habit of doing when I ran on the railroad.” - -“After doing as much as I have for you and your father, I did not -expect to see you both arrayed against me.” - -“But you discharged us both, sir. What could we do? We could not afford -to refuse good offers.” - -“If the Evil One should offer you a price, would you sell your soul to -him?” - -“Decidedly not, sir. It did not happen to be the Evil One who made us -the offers, and they were accepted.” - -“It was the same thing!” exclaimed the major bitterly. - -“Let me talk, father,” said Tommy, who, by a miracle which I could not -comprehend, had thus far remained silent. - -His father let him talk, and, like an obedient parent, was silent -himself. - -“Wolf, you said you would rather serve me than injure me,” continued -the little major, fixing his gaze upon me. - -“I did; and I meant so,” I replied. - -“Suppose I should offer to give you back your place on the locomotive.” - -“It will be time enough to answer when you have done so.” - -I had no idea that he intended to make me any such offer. The sneers -and the looks of contempt bestowed upon me were sufficient assurances -that neither father nor son regarded me with any other feeling than -aversion. It was not necessary gratuitously to decline the offer in -advance, and thus provoke their anger. - -“Suppose I should make you the offer,” repeated Tommy, rather disturbed -by my evasive reply. - -“As you have not made it, I need not answer.” - -“I don’t like to make an offer, and then have it refused.” - -“I do not like to say what I will do till I have an opportunity to do -it,” I answered. - -“You need not bother your head about it. I don’t intend to make you an -offer. I only wanted to show you that you did not mean what you said -about serving me,” continued Tommy spitefully. “I wouldn’t----” - -“Stop a minute, Tommy,” interposed his father. “Wolf, after all we have -done for you, we have a right to expect something better of you.” - -“What would you have me do, sir?” I asked. - -“Do! I’ll tell you. Go to Wimpleton to-night. Resign your situation. -Then come to me, and I’ll talk with you about a place for----” - -“Stop a minute, father,” said Tommy. “Don’t make any promises. I -wouldn’t have him on the Lake Shore Railroad any more than I would have -Wimpleton himself. He’s a hypocrite--would rather serve me than injure -me! Let him resign his place on this steamer! That would be doing -something to serve me. After that it will be time enough to talk.” - -I made no reply, for it was patent to me that Tommy had sent for me -merely to bully me. It was easier and cheaper to bear it than to resent -it. - -“Perhaps you think you can ruin the Lake Shore Railroad, in which I -have invested so much money,” sneered the senior major. - -“I have no desire to do so.” - -“But you are trying to do it,” added Tommy. - -“I intend to work for the interests of my employers. If I have an -opportunity to serve you, I shall do so, but not by being unfaithful to -those who pay me for my work.” - -“That’s just what you did when in my employ,” said the father. “You -made your peace with Wimpleton in my yacht, feeding him and taking care -of him at my expense.” - -“I did only an act of humanity toward him,” I answered, stung by the -charge. - -“No matter! You are a traitor and a renegade. Go your way, and take the -consequences of your treachery. But let me tell you and Wimpleton that -when I have made my next move, your steamer might as well be at the -bottom of the lake as to attempt to compete with the road.” - -I bowed, and left, though I did not escape till Tommy had again poured -out the vials of his wrath upon me. If the major had published his -“next move” to the world I could not have understood it any better. The -up-lake steamers were no longer to make a landing at Centreport, where -the _Ucayga_ could get any of her through passengers. I went home and -told my father the result of the interview. He only laughed at the -impotent rage of the two majors. - -Early on Monday morning, as my father and I were pulling across the -lake in my old skiff, we saw the _Grace_--Major Toppleton’s yacht--get -under way and stand up the lake. This movement explained what occurred -on the arrival of the morning boat from Hitaca. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. THE MAJOR’S NEXT MOVE. - - -On Monday morning, at quarter-past eight, the _Ucayga_ was in readiness -to start as soon as the steamer should arrive from Hitaca. She was in -sight, and our runners were on the wharf, prepared to induce through -travelers to leave her for our more elegant and spacious boat. Waddie -was on board, as excited as though the success of the whole scheme -depended entirely upon him. - -The up-lake steamer was approaching the Narrows; but, instead of -heading directly toward the pier on the Centreport side, as usual, -she hugged the west shore. We did not suspect that any change in -her movements would be made at present; at least not before it was -duly announced in the advertisements and posters of the company. I -expected to hear of a different arrangement in a week or two, after -Major Toppleton had thoroughly tested the capacity of the railroad and -steamers. - -“What does this mean, Wolf?” demanded Waddie blandly, as the Hitaca -boat stopped her wheels near the Middleport landing. - -“It means that she is not coming to Centreport with her through -passengers,” I replied, hardly less chagrined than the president of the -steamboat company. - -“But she has no right to do that,” protested Waddie, who, like the -two great men, had the idea that no one could be justified in acting -contrary to his interest and his wishes. - -“I suppose the owners of that line have the right to run their boats -where they please.” - -“But they have not advertised any change in their arrangements.” - -“They are responsible for what they do,” I added. - -“They must have passengers on board who wish to come to Centreport.” - -“Probably the boat will come over here after the _Ucayga_ starts. Of -course this is a plan on the part of Major Toppleton to prevent us from -taking any of his through passengers. We can’t expect the railroad -company, which controls those boats, to play into our hands.” - -“But we can expect fair play.” - -“Hardly,” I replied. - -“But what can we do?” demanded Waddie, intensely nettled by this -movement of the other side. - -“We can do nothing, just now. I expected this thing, though not quite -so soon.” - -“As the matter stands now, we are beaten.” - -“Just now we are; but I think we shall not stay beaten long,” I -continued good-naturedly. “Your father understands the matter -perfectly, and has not lost a moment in preparing for the emergency. -When we have the other steamer, we shall be on the top of the wave -again.” - -“But must we keep quiet until the other boat is completed?” - -“Perhaps not, Waddie, though we cannot fully compete with the other -side till we have the new boat. I wonder if your father came down in -that steamer.” - -“I don’t know. I think not. He has not had time to do his business in -Hitaca.” - -“I have a plan to propose and, when we have time, I will talk it over -with you.” - -“You always have a plan to propose,” said Waddie, beginning to look -more hopeful. “Perhaps I will see you when you return, for I must go to -school this morning. I haven’t forgotten what I said on Saturday.” - -“I hope not. If I were you, I would not say anything to any one that I -had made certain good resolutions. Let them find it out by your actions -rather than your promises.” - -“I will, Wolf; but I am so excited about that steamboat business that I -can’t think of much else.” - -“Control yourself, Waddie. Do your duty faithfully at school, and I -will try to have everything go right with the boat.” - -“I am vexed at this change in the running of those boats. It throws us -completely out of our plans.” - -“We must expect such things. We can’t have it all our own way, and we -must make the best of the circumstances as we find them.” - -“Major Toppleton is smart.” - -“I told you he would not be content to have the wind taken out of his -sails. He rose early this morning, and went up the lake in his yacht. -Probably he went on board of that steamer at Gulfport, and directed -her captain to proceed directly to Middleport, instead of coming to -Centreport first.” - -“What is your plan, Wolf? I am curious to know about it. Do you mean to -start from Middleport?” - -“No, we can’t do that. Major Toppleton controls the water-front of the -town, and we could not get a landing-place there.” - -“But don’t my father control the water-front on this side? Don’t we let -the major’s boats land here?” - -“Certainly; and it would be very unwise in your father to prevent them -from doing so; for he would thus shut off from Centreport all direct -communication with Hitaca, and the other towns up the lake. When he has -established a through line, he can afford to keep his wharves for the -exclusive use of his own boats, though I question the policy of doing -so, even then.” - -“By the great horn spoon, Wolf, you have a long head!” - -“Thank you, Waddie!” - -“But you have not told me about your plan.” - -“I’m afraid I have not time to do so now,” I replied, looking at my -watch. “It is nearly half-past eight.” - -“Well, I will see you when you return from Ucayga.” - -Waddie remained with me till I gave the order to cast off the fasts -and haul in the planks. It was evident by this time that the boat from -Hitaca was not coming to Centreport until after we had started; and at -precisely half-past eight the _Ucayga_ left the wharf. We had quite -a respectable number of passengers, though, of course, we had not a -single one from up the lake; and, under the new arrangement, we could -not possibly have one in the future. It was certainly vexatious, as -Waddie had suggested, to be checkmated in this manner, and I knew that -Colonel Wimpleton would storm furiously when he heard of it. - -I had expected it; and, after the first shock, I felt reconciled to the -misfortune. Under the present arrangement, the _Ucayga_ accommodated -only Ruoara and Centreport, and till we could offset the movement of -Major Toppleton, she must be run only for their benefit. There was not -more than half business enough to support her. The plan which I had -devised, and of which I had spoken to Waddie, had its advantages and -its disadvantages; but I was sure that it would be a paying operation -for the steamer. I was very anxious to state it to the colonel and -Waddie. - -As soon as the _Ucayga_ left the wharf, the Hitaca boat started for -Centreport. The major did not intend to lose any Centreport trade, -and by the arrangement he saved his up-lake passengers for that town. -Doubtless he was a happy man, and Tommy was satisfied that he had again -thrown the magnificent steamer into the shade. Well, they had, to a -certain extent; but it was our next move. - -We were at the wharf in Ruoara on time; for the _Ucayga_, under -favorable circumstances, rather exceeded her rate of sixteen miles an -hour. Waddie had sent up the two trucks which I required, and we made -our landing in about five minutes. I took the wheel when the boat left -the wharf, and carried her safely through the Horse-Shoe Channel; and -this time without a particle of the nervousness which had disturbed me -before. I gave Van Wolter the bearings, so that he could be preparing -himself for the task when occasion should require. - -But, really, there was now no reason to go through the narrow channel. -As we had no possible chance of obtaining any through passengers, it -was useless to wait for the up-lake boats, though under my proposed -arrangement it would have enabled me to save the day. The mate -carefully noted the bearings I pointed out to him, and the operations -which I explained. He was a skilful man in his business, and I had no -doubt he would soon be a competent pilot for the channel. - -While we were going through the passage, the Lightning Express -dashed along the other side of the lake; and I was satisfied, from -its increased speed and punctuality, that Lewis Holgate had been -superseded. The locomotive was evidently under the charge of a skilful -hand. But the spirited competition of Saturday, which I had anticipated -would continue for a few days, seemed to be at an end. The _Ucayga_ -was on time, and so was the train. The passengers from the latter came -over on the ferry, and as they landed, I saw Major Toppleton and Tommy. -A great crowd of people had come down on the Lightning Express, the -larger part of whom were through travelers. - -To my surprise, my late patrons walked towards the boat. Both of them -looked extremely pleasant, as well they might, after the large freight -they brought down, at two dollars a head, from Hitaca. They saw me, -as I stood on the hurricane-deck, overlooking the landing of our -merchandise. - -“Good morning, Wolf,” said the senior major. “I hope you are very well -this morning.” - -“Quite well, I thank you, sir,” I replied, as cheerfully as I could. - -Both majors laughed; they could not help it after the victory they had -won; and I tried to laugh with them, but it was rather hard work. The -father and son came on board, and presently joined me on the upper deck. - -“This is a magnificent boat, Wolf,” said the great man. - -“Yes, sir, she is a very fine boat,” I replied. - -“I had no idea she was so well fitted up. You did not have many -passengers down--did you, Wolf?” - -“Not so many as we desired, sir.” - -“I suppose you remember what I said Saturday night?” chuckled the major. - -“Yes, sir.” - -“I told you it was my next move.” - -“Yes, sir, I recollect that you said so.” - -“Well, Wolf, I have made that move.” - -“I see you have, sir; and, without any disrespect to you, perhaps -Colonel Wimpleton will conclude to make the next move himself.” - -“The next move!” laughed the major. “We think on our side, that we have -him in a tight place.” - -“He don’t think so himself, Major Toppleton; and I’m sure I don’t.” - -“What do you mean, Wolf?” - -“You seemed to be very much pleased with your success, and I -congratulate you upon it. It’s all fair.” - -“Of course it’s all fair; but what is your next move?” asked the major, -trying to conceal a shade of anxiety that crossed his face. - -“As you did not tell me what your move was to be, I think I will keep -still for the present, especially as it is not yet matured.” - -“That’s all gas, Wolf,” interposed Tommy. “You can’t do nothing.” - -“Perhaps we can’t; but we can try,” I replied, good-naturedly. - -The ferry-boat rang her bell, and my guests departed, though I offered -them a passage in the _Ucayga_. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. GRACE TOPPLETON FAINTS. - - -It was certainly our next move, and after the _Ucayga_ left the wharf, -I went into my stateroom, abaft the wheel-house, to make some figures -relating to my plan. My apartment was a little parlor, and though I had -scarcely been into it before, I was very much pleased with it. Besides -a berth, in which a nice bed was made up, the stateroom was provided -with a desk, lockers for books and papers, a couple of armchairs, a -table, and other suitable furniture. - -This was not the traditional “captain’s office” to which passengers are -invited to step up by the boy with the bell. The office was abaft the -port paddle-box on the main deck; and the _Ucayga_, in anticipation -of doing a large business, was provided with a clerk, so that I had -nothing to do but attend to the navigation of the boat. - -I felt like a lord in my palatial little room, and I was rather sorry -that the exigencies of the service did not require me to sleep in it. -I sat down at my desk, and was soon absorbed in my calculation. In -my own opinion, I had a splendid idea--one which would induce Major -Toppleton and his son to call me a traitor again as soon as it was -reduced to practise. I had not time to finish writing out the program -before the mate called me, as the _Ucayga_ approached the Horse-Shoe -Channel. - -I took the boat through the difficult passage, and after we had made -the landing at Ruoara, I returned to my room, and finished writing -out my plan. Then, with the aid of a handbill which hung up in the -apartment, I drew up an advertisement of the proposed new arrangement -suitable for the newspapers and for posters, so that, the moment it was -approved by Colonel Wimpleton, it could be printed. - -I was much excited by the brilliant scheme I had devised, and I was -not quite sure that I could not throw the Lake Shore Railroad into -the shade, even with one steamer. Certainly with two, the road would -be reduced to the condition to which the major had condemned the -_Ucayga_--that of doing merely a local business for the towns on its -own line. I was very sorry that Colonel Wimpleton did not return by -the morning boat, for I was impatient to show him my figures, and to -have the new program inaugurated without any delay. - -If the short trips of our boat had done nothing else, they had hurried -up the Lake Shore Railroad; for, when we reached Centreport, the train -had arrived, and the boat for Hitaca had started. Doubtless Major -Toppleton and his son continued to be perfectly happy, and believed -that they had achieved a decisive and final victory. For the present -they had; but it was our next move. As I had nearly three hours to -spare, and as Waddie did not appear on board, I went home for an hour, -taking the steamer’s jolly-boat, with two deck-hands, to pull me across -the lake. - -I landed at the steps near the steamboat wharf, and had hardly ascended -to the pier when I had the fortune or the misfortune to confront Tommy -Toppleton. In the enjoyment of his great victory, he had come down to -witness the arrival of the _Ucayga_, ten or fifteen minutes after the -departure of the Hitaca boat. He looked quite as pleasant as when I had -met him down the lake, a couple of hours before. - -“How are you again, Wolf?” said he, halting before me on the wharf. - -“First-rate,” I replied. “I hope you are.” - -“Yes, all but my leg, and that is doing very well. I only limp a little -now. You are not on time to-day, Wolf.” - -“Why, yes; I thought I was. The _Ucayga_ was at her wharf at -eleven-twenty-five. That was on time, and a little ahead of it.” - -“But you were not in season for your passengers to go up to Hitaca in -the boat which has just gone.” - -“No, I was not; but then, you see, we had no passengers for Hitaca. We -did not insure any one a connection at Centreport to-day, and so none -came by our boat. I did so on Saturday, because your train was ten or -fifteen minutes behind time.” - -“Well, that won’t happen again,” added Tommy confidently. - -“You haven’t fallen out with Lewis Holgate--have you?” I inquired. - -“No--oh, no! But I persuaded him to go on the dummy, where he is more -at home.” - -“I was satisfied you had some one on the locomotive who understood the -business.” - -“Lewis and I are as good friends as ever.” - -“I am glad to hear that.” - -“Are you, Wolf?” sneered Tommy. - -“Certainly I am.” - -I had my doubts whether Lewis Holgate was as good a friend as ever; -for, being degraded from the locomotive to the dummy would rankle in -his heart, however well he succeeded in concealing his real feelings. - -“You haven’t resigned your situation as captain of the steamer--have -you, Wolf?” asked the little major, with a sinister expression. - -“I have not.” - -“On the whole, I think I wouldn’t do it, if I were you,” he added, -laughing. - -“I did not think of doing so, unless the circumstances required such a -step.” - -“Because we are having it all our own way on this side, and we are -perfectly willing you should do anything you please now.” - -“That’s handsome; that’s magnanimous, Tommy; and I thank you for -your condescension,” I answered, as cheerfully as I could. “I am very -pleasantly situated just now, and it affords me very great pleasure -to know that anything in the way of fair competition will not be -considered as interfering with your rights and privileges.” - -“Do anything you like, Wolf. You will be beaten both ways, now, and -I think you have come about to the end of your rope. After Colonel -Wimpleton has spent so much money on that new steamer, we ought not -grudge him the little business he can obtain in Centreport and Ruoara.” - -“I am glad you feel so, Tommy, and that I have your kind permission to -take any step I may think proper.” - -“Do just what you think best now.” - -“Thank you.” - -“I don’t mean to say that my opinion of your conduct toward us is -at all changed; but as I look at it, your treachery will be its own -reward.” - -“That’s rather cool, Tommy. After turning me off with every indignity -and mark of contempt you could devise, you talk about my treachery!” - -“We won’t jaw about that. I don’t love you now; but we won’t quarrel, -if you will only take yourself out of Centreport.” - -“We may not find it convenient to do that immediately; but probably our -business will require us to leave soon.” - -“We have made our next move, and we are satisfied.” - -“I hope you won’t find any fault when we make ours.” - -“Certainly not,” sneered the little major. “You can’t do anything now.” - -“You may be mistaken; but I hope you will take it as kindly as we do, -if things should not go to suit you.” - -“Oh, yes!” - -“I have your permission to do what I think best,” I replied, walking up -the pier. - -The little major evidently saw no possible way by which the _Ucayga_ -could compete with the railroad, as long as the Hitaca boats did -not land first at Centreport. I did. I walked to my father’s house, -thinking over what he had said, and anticipating the storm which would -take place when my plan was carried out, as I was confident it would -be, as soon as it was submitted to Colonel Wimpleton. - -“There has been a gentleman here to see you, Wolfert,” said my mother, -as I went into the house. - -“Who was he?” - -“Mr. Portman, or Captain Portman, I think he said. He was very anxious -to see you.” - -“Portman, Portman,” I replied, repeating the name, and trying to recall -the owner thereof, for it sounded familiar to me. - -“He is a stout gentleman, and wore gray clothes.” - -“Oh, I know!” I exclaimed, pulling out my pocket-book, and taking -therefrom the card of the stout stranger who had pitched Tommy -Toppleton out of the car on the railroad. - -“He told me, if you came over to-day noon, to send word to him at the -hotel.” - -My mother accordingly sent the message by one of my sisters; and, while -she was absent, I related all the events of the forenoon. Presently -Captain Portman presented himself. He was very glad to see me, and -spoke of me very handsomely, to my face, for my conduct on the railroad. - -“As you are no longer in the employ of the Lake Shore Railroad, Wolf, I -thought I would like to offer you a place,” he said. “But your mother -tells me you have a good situation now.” - -“Yes, sir; I am running the new steamer from Centreport to Ucayga.” - -“I am sorry you are engaged, though I congratulate you on your splendid -situation. I am going to keep a yacht at my place, near Hitaca, and -I wanted you to take charge of her next spring, and I will give you -plenty of work, and good pay for the winter.” - -“I am very much obliged to you for your kind offer; but as things stand -now, I shall be obliged to decline.” - -“I see you must; but I am glad to meet you, for I took a fancy to you. -My place is only five miles from Hitaca, and I should be pleased to see -you there.” - -We talked for half an hour about affairs on the lake, and I invited him -to dine with me; but he was engaged with a friend at the hotel. Just as -he was taking his leave, we heard a timid pull at the door-bell. - -“Miss Grace Toppleton,” said my mother, showing her into the room where -we were, which was the parlor. - -“Grace!” I exclaimed, delighted to see her. - -But I perceived in an instant that she was intensely agitated, and I -realized that her visit was not one of ceremony. Indeed, I could not -help fearing that some terrible calamity had happened. - -“Oh, Mr. Wolf! I am----” - -“Take a chair, Miss Grace,” I interposed, as she gasped, and seemed to -be entirely out of breath. - -I placed the rocking-chair for her, and she began to move toward it. -Then I saw that her face had suddenly become deadly pale. Her step -tottered, and she was on the point of falling to the floor, when I -sprang to her assistance, as did my mother also at the same time. I -received her into my arms, and bore her to the sofa. - -“Bless me, the poor child has fainted! What can have happened to her?” -exclaimed my mother, running for her camphor-bottle. - -Though it was not very strange that a young lady should faint, I was -utterly confounded by the situation. Something had occurred to alarm -or agitate her; but I could not imagine what it was. I looked out the -window; but I could see not even a horse, cow, or dog, to terrify her. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. GRACE TOPPLETON’S STORY. - - -My mother had the reputation of being a skilful person in sickness, -or in any emergency. She devoted herself earnestly to the restoration -of Grace. I could not help looking at her, alarmed as I was, while -she lay pale and beautiful on the sofa. Captain Portman manifested a -deep interest in the sufferer, though he knew that she belonged to the -family of my persecutor, for the male members of which he had strongly -expressed his contempt and disgust. - -I tried again to devise some explanation of the singular visit of Grace -at our house, and of the violent emotion which agitated her. Although I -knew that her father was indulgent to her, I was afraid that everything -was not pleasant at home. I had seen her brother strike her a severe -blow, and had heard him talk to her in the most violent manner. If he -would behave thus brutally to her in the presence of others, what would -he not do in the privacy of his own home? Grace was conscientious, and -with the highest views of truth and duty. - -It was not difficult to believe, therefore, that some trouble had -occurred in the family of the great man of Middleport, and that poor -Grace had fled from her home in fear of personal violence. I began -to flatter myself, in view of the fact that she had come to me for -protection, and to fancy myself already a knight-errant. I had all -along rejoiced in the belief that she regarded me with favor and -kindness; but this last act of confidence crowned all my hopes. While -I was thinking what I should do for her, how I should shield her, she -opened her eyes. - -My mother continued her benevolent ministrations until Grace was wholly -restored. Probably she was in the habit of fainting; at any rate, she -came out of the swoon with a facility which astonished me, and led me -to the conclusion that fainting was not the most serious thing in the -world, as I had supposed when I saw her silent and motionless on the -sofa. She seemed to gather up her faculties almost as suddenly as she -had been deprived of their use. - -“Mr. Wolf, I came to see you,” said she, after she was able to speak. -“I am sorry I fainted; but I have not felt well to-day.” - -“Rest yourself, Miss Toppleton,” interposed my mother. “Don’t try to -talk much yet.” - -“I feel much better now, and shall do very well. I am much obliged to -you Mrs. Penniman, for your kindness.” - -“Oh, not a bit!” exclaimed my mother. - -“But I must do the errand which brought me here, and go home,” said -Grace, rising from the sofa. - -“Don’t get up yet, Miss Toppleton; sit still,” added my mother, gently -compelling her to resume her place on the sofa. - -“I feel quite well now. I always faint when anything disturbs me. Mr. -Wolf, I have something to say to you.” - -“Well, I think I will go,” said Captain Portman. - -“Not yet, if you please, sir,” interposed Grace. “What I have to say -concerns you, also. My father and my brother will be terribly incensed -against me if they know that I have been here.” - -“They shall not know it from any of us,” I replied. - -“I am sorry that my brother hates you, Mr. Wolf, and sorry that my -father indulges all his whims. My mother and I think that they do very -wrong; but we can’t help it. Just before I came away from home, I heard -them talking together about the gentleman who put my brother out of the -train at the time his leg was broken. That was you, sir, I believe?” - -Captain Portman bowed his acknowledgment of the fact. - -“They were talking about arresting you, sir, and taking you before the -court for an assault upon Tommy.” - -The stout gentleman smiled, as though it were not a very serious matter. - -“But I don’t think I should have come here if this had been all,” -continued Grace. “My brother saw and recognized you in the street, sir.” - -“Very likely,” nodded Captain Portman. - -“Dear me, I must hurry on with my story, or I shall be too late to do -any good!” exclaimed the fair visitor. “Well, my brother is determined -that you shall be arrested, too, Mr. Wolf. He insists that you were -concerned in the assault. They have gone to find an officer now. Tommy -says he shall prevent your running that steamboat this afternoon, and -perhaps for a week; and this is really what my brother wants to do, so -far as you are concerned, Mr. Wolf.” - -Was this all? And Miss Grace had not been driven from her home by -the persecution of her father and brother! Tommy had not even struck -her again! I was really glad, when I came to think of it, that the -matter was no worse. If I had no opportunity to do desperate deeds in -the service of my beautiful friend, I had the consolation of knowing -that there was no occasion for any. I was happy to realize that peace -reigned in the great mansion. - -When my anxiety for Grace would permit me to think of myself, I -appreciated the obligation under which she had placed me by this timely -warning. I was willing to be arrested for my agency in expelling Tommy -from the train, for, being entirely innocent, I could afford to face my -accusers. - -“Now, what will you do, Mr. Wolf?” asked Grace, beginning to be much -agitated again. - -“First, I shall be under everlasting obligations to you for your -kindness in taking all this trouble on my account.” - -“Never mind that, Mr. Wolf,” she said, blushing. “I know you had nothing -to do with injuring my brother, and I do not want you to suffer for -this, or to have your steamboat stopped for nothing. The constable -and Tommy are going to wait for you at the corner of the street,” she -added, indicating the place where I was to be captured. “You must go -some other way.” - -“I will, Miss Grace.” - -“And I will go and throw myself into the hands of the Philistines at -once,” added Captain Portman, laughing. - -“I suppose they can’t hurt you, sir,” said Grace. - -“Well, I am certainly guilty of the offense charged upon me,” replied -Captain Portman. “I will not now pretend to justify it, though your -brother was very unreasonable, and detained me, as well as a crowd of -others, without the slightest excuse for doing so. The act was done in -the anger and excitement of the moment, and I shall cheerfully submit -to the penalty of the law, as a good citizen should do.” - -I thanked Miss Grace again for her interest in me, and for the trouble -she had taken on my account. What she had done was no trivial thing to -her, as her fainting fully proved, and I could not but be proud of the -devotion she had exhibited in my cause. She took her leave; and after -she had been gone a few minutes, Captain Portman departed. - -Tommy’s plan included me in the arrest for an assault upon him; but -that was only a conspiracy to injure the steamboat line on the other -side of the lake. I deemed it my duty to defeat this little scheme, in -the interests of my employers. I ate my dinner hastily, and then left -the house by the back door, making my way to the lake, where I had left -my skiff, by a round-about course. I pulled across, and as I went on -board of the _Ucayga_, I hoped the constable who was waiting for me -would have a good time. - -I was not quite sure that Grace had not made a mistake, so far as I -was to be connected with the arrest. She might have misunderstood the -conversation she had heard; for I could hardly believe it possible that -Major Toppleton intended to have me arrested. Everybody knew that I had -had no hand in putting Tommy out of the car. No one had ever asserted -such a thing. But they could affirm that I was in company with Captain -Portman at the time, and that I had instigated him to do the deed. Of -course this was nonsense; but it might be a sufficient pretense to -detain me long enough for the _Ucayga_ to lose her afternoon trip. The -warning I had received induced me to prepare for the future, and I -instructed the mate to run the boat through, if at any time I should be -absent when it was time to start. - -I went into the engine-room, and told my father what had transpired -during my absence. He listened to me, and seemed to be much annoyed by -my story; for it looked like the first of the petty trials to which we -were to be subjected, in accordance with Tommy’s threats. While I was -thus employed, Waddie Wimpleton appeared, excited and anxious under the -defeat we had that day sustained. - -“I am sorry your father did not come down this morning,” said I, after -he had expressed his dissatisfaction at the movement of Major Toppleton. - -“Why?” asked Waddie hopefully. - -“Because I have a plan to propose to him.” - -“Can’t you propose it to me?” said he, laughing. - -“I am the president of the steamboat company.” - -“I know you are; but I did not think you would be willing to take a -step so decided as the one I shall propose, without the advice and -consent of your father.” - -“Let me hear what it is, and then I can tell you whether I will or not.” - -“Come to my stateroom, then, and I will show you all the figures. If -I mistake not, we can do a big thing, even before the keel of the -_Hitaca_ is laid down.” - -“I have been thinking a good deal about our affairs to-day, Wolf,” -said Waddie, as we went upon the hurricane-deck. “I have tried to feel -kindly toward the folks on the other side. It’s hard work, and I’m not -up to it yet--by the great horn spoon I’m not!” - -“You must not try to overdo the matter,” I replied, pleased with his -enthusiasm. - -“They are endeavoring to injure us all they can. If Major Toppleton had -not prevented his boat from coming to Centreport this morning, it would -have been easier to feel right toward him.” - -“You need not feel unkindly toward him on that account. Major -Toppleton, as an individual, is one affair; his railroad and steamboat -line is quite another. A fair competition is all right. We will not -say a word, or do a thing, against the major or his son, personally; -but we must do the best we can for the success of our line. We are in -duty bound to do it, as much for the public good as our own. If we -lessen the time between Hitaca and Ucayga by an hour, so far we confer -a benefit upon the traveling community. We need have no ill-will toward -any person. If the major and his son need our help, our kind words, let -them be given. We will not say anything to injure their line; but we -will do the best we can to build up our own.” - -“But we don’t shorten the time between Hitaca and Ucayga by an hour, or -even a minute,” said Waddie. - -“Perhaps we shall. Sit down, and I will show you the figures,” I -replied, as I took my program from the desk. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. OUR NEXT MOVE. - - -I had written out a plan for the running of the _Ucayga_ an entire -day. I had studied it out very carefully, and made all the allowances -I deemed necessary. The basis of our anticipated success was the fact -that our boat would make sixteen miles an hour, while the old steamers -were good for only ten, or when crowded, for twelve, at the most. -Waddie looked at my time-table; but he did not exhibit any enthusiasm, -and I concluded that he did not understand it. - -“What do you think of it?” I inquired, somewhat amused by the puzzled -expression on his face. - -“I dare say it is first-rate; but I don’t exactly know what all these -figures mean. I see Hitaca on the paper, but of course you don’t mean -to go up there.” - -“That’s just what I mean,” I replied. - -“Go to Hitaca!” exclaimed Waddie. - -“Certainly--go to Hitaca.” - -“But my father promised the people of Centreport and Ruoara that they -should have two boats a day to Ucayga, and if you go up to the head of -the lake, you can’t possibly make two trips a day from there.” - -“That’s very true; nevertheless, we will go to Hitaca once every day, -and still make the two trips, as your father promised.” - -“Don’t understand it,” answered Waddie, hitching about in his chair. - -“I’ll tell you about it. We are in Centreport now.” - -“That’s so; and I am willing to make an oath of that,” laughed the -president of the steamboat company. - -“Good! We will begin here, then,” I added, pointing to the name of the -place on my time-table. “We leave here at two-thirty, and arrive at -Ucayga so as to start from there at four.” - -“Just so; that is the program now.” - -“We follow the present arrangement in all respects, but with a little -addition. We reach Centreport at five-twenty-five this afternoon.” - -“I understand all that,” said Waddie, rather impatiently. - -“From that point we strike out a new track. Instead of remaining at -Centreport over night, we continue right on to Hitaca, stopping on -the way at Gulfport, Priam, Port Gunga, and Southport. We shall be in -Hitaca at seven-thirty, about an hour ahead of the railroad line.” - -“That will give us a share of the through passengers,” added Waddie, as -he began to comprehend the nature of my plan. “But I don’t see how----” - -“Hold on a minute, Mr. President,” I interposed. “You agree that my -method is all right so far?” - -“Certainly.” - -“We beat the other line on the through run by about an hour.” - -“That’s true.” - -“Then we shall take all, or nearly all, the through passengers on the -afternoon trip up; for none of them will want to waste an hour on the -passage. Besides, we give them a perfect palace of a boat, compared -with the old steamers.” - -“Oh, we shall take them all!” exclaimed Waddie. “There will be no -changing, while the railroad line must change twice.” - -“Still further,” I continued. “There is a train for the south which -leaves Hitaca at eight in the evening. The old boats are always too -late for it; we shall be in season. That will help us again, for -passengers going beyond Hitaca will not have to remain there over -night.” - -“We shall have it all our own way,” said Waddie, rubbing his hands with -delight. - -“More yet; we can have supper on board, and that will be another source -of profit to the boat, and be an accommodation to the passengers, who -in the old line have their supper at nine o’clock, after they get to -the hotel.” - -“It’s all plain enough so far. You will stay in Hitaca over night?” - -“Certainly; and now for the rest of the plan,” I continued, glancing -at my program. “The old-line boat leaves Hitaca at quarter of six in -the morning, so early as to be a very great annoyance to passengers. We -will leave at half-past six--three-quarters of an hour later. We can -have breakfast on board, which the old boats cannot for the want of the -facilities. We shall touch at all the intermediate ports, and arrive -at Centreport by half-past eight, or so as to leave at our usual time.” - -“That’s first-rate!” exclaimed Waddie. “You get this extra trip to -Hitaca by running up at night and down in the morning.” - -“Exactly so; but we can make only one through trip a day to Hitaca. We -shall reach Ucayga at ten in the forenoon, as we do now, and come right -back on the return trip. We go from the head to the foot of the lake -in three hours and a half, including stops. The railroad line does the -same thing in four and a quarter.” - -“They beat us a quarter of an hour between Centreport and Ucayga, and -we beat them an hour between Centreport and Hitaca, making a balance of -three-quarters of an hour in our favor.” - -“That tells the whole story, Waddie,” I replied. - -“But how about the other trip?” asked the president anxiously. - -“Until the _Hitaca_ is built, we must submit to be beaten on that. We -can’t go up to the head of the lake twice a day with one boat. We leave -Ucayga at ten, but we come only to Centreport. In other words, we -shall make one trip a day to Hitaca, and two to Centreport, from the -foot of the lake.” - -“That’s a good deal.” - -“So it is; and, by this new arrangement, we shall all have to work from -about five o’clock in the morning till eight or nine in the evening.” - -“That will be rough on you.” - -“But we shall have to do it only till the other steamer is built. The -boat will make a good deal of money. The old line charges two dollars a -passenger for through tickets. We can afford to carry them for a dollar -and a half.” - -“But what shall be done about it? This is all talk.” - -“If your father were here, I think he would send the boat to Hitaca -this very night,” I replied. - -“Then I will do so,” added the president promptly. - -“If there is any blame, I will share it with you.” - -“Go ahead, Wolf! If you only beat the other line, my father will be -satisfied. I shall go up to Hitaca with you.” - -“I will have a stateroom ready for you, if you wish to sleep on board.” - -“Thank you, Wolf.” - -“But we want some handbills, Mr. President, to inform the public of the -new arrangement. You can have them printed so that we can take them as -we return, and have them ready to scatter all over Hitaca when we get -there to-night.” - -“I will have them done.” - -I sat down at my desk, and wrote the following advertisement: - - _NO MONOPOLY!_ - - THROUGH LINE TO UCAYGA! - - THE NEW AND SPLENDID STEAMER UCAYGA, - - CAPTAIN WOLFERT PENNIMAN, - - Will leave Hitaca every day at 6-1/2 o’clock A. M. Touching at - Southport, Port Gunga, Priam, Centreport, and Ruoara, and arriving - at Ucayga in season to connect with trains east and west. Will leave - Ucayga at 4 o’clock P. M., and arrive at Hitaca at 7-1/2 o’clock P. M. - Fare, $1.50. - - W. WIMPLETON, _President_. - -Waddie took this copy, and hastened to the printing-office with it. -I was confident that this program would carry consternation into the -ranks of the old line. After Waddie had gone, I went down to see my -father. I explained my plan to him, and told him that the boat would go -through to Hitaca that night. He was a prudent man, and suggested some -difficulties, nearly all of which I had considered and provided for. -Except at Middleport, the wharves were free to any one who chose to use -them, so that there was no trouble about the landings. Van Wolter was a -pilot for the upper part of the lake. As the public generally were to -be benefited by the new line, we had no opposition to dread except from -the railroad company. - -At half-past two, the _Ucayga_ left her wharf, and, as usual, arrived -at the foot of the lake just before four o’clock. I had fully explained -my purpose to the mate, and to all on board, that they might make their -arrangements to be absent over night. The railroad passengers were -already in waiting when we reached Ucayga, and the trains from the -east and west were in sight. Our runners were duly instructed to “ring -in” for through passengers, at a dollar and a half each, with the time -nearly an hour less than by the railroad line. - -This was really the first day of the exciting competition. We had not -yet unmasked our great battery, and the victory was still with the Lake -Shore Railroad. I was not at all surprised to see Major Toppleton and -Tommy among the passengers, as we landed. They had come up a second -time that day to enjoy their triumph, and perhaps, also, to look out -for the interests of their road. They were quite as pleasant as they -had been in the morning, and both of them took the trouble to pay me -another visit. - -“Well, Wolf, how goes it with the new and splendid steamer?” asked the -magnate of Middleport. - -“First-rate, sir.” - -“You don’t seem to have any through passengers,” laughed he. - -“No, sir; none on this trip.” - -“That is very unfortunate for the new and splendid steamer,” he added, -chuckling. - -“Yes, sir, it is rather bad; but we have to make the best of it. We -hope to do better by and by.” - -“I hope you will, for you seem to have plenty of room to spare.” - -“Yes, sir; rather more than we wish we had.” - -“I shall be obliged to have some new cars built, for we had about two -hundred through passengers by this trip, and we could not seat them all -in three cars.” - -“I wouldn’t have any built just yet, Major Toppleton,” I answered -pleasantly. - -“There will be more passengers before there are less. On our morning -trip down, and our afternoon trip up, we are always crowded,” chuckled -the major. - -“If you have more than you can accommodate comfortably, we should be -glad to take some of them.” - -“I dare say you would, Wolf; but the fact of it is, you are so slow -that people will not ride with you.” - -“No use, Wolf,” interposed Tommy. “You might as well hang up your -fiddle. You can’t compete with the Lake Shore Railroad.” - -“We never say die. We intend to have our share of the business.” - -“Perhaps you do; but you won’t have it,” said Tommy, as the two trains -came in, nearly at the same time. - -“Steamer _Ucayga_; new boat! Through to Hitaca!” shouted our runners. -“No change from boat to cars! Magnificent steamer! Land you in Hitaca -at half-past seven, gentlemen! Fare only a dollar and a half!” - -Major Toppleton and Tommy looked aghast, and turned to me for an -explanation. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. UP THE LAKE. - - -“What do you mean, Wolf?” demanded Tommy Toppleton, turning fiercely -toward me. “Have you told your runners to lie to passengers?” - -“Certainly not,” I replied. “They are telling only the truth as I -understand it.” - -“The truth! Don’t you hear them?” angrily interposed Major Toppleton. - -“I hear them, sir. They are saying just what they have been told to -say. You will notice that they do not utter a word against the railroad -line.” - -“But they say your boat is going through to Hitaca!” exclaimed the -major. - -“So she is, sir.” - -“To Hitaca!” - -“Yes, sir; I mean so.” - -“Do I understand you that this boat is to run through to Hitaca?” -demanded the great man fiercely. - -“That is precisely what my words mean,” I replied calmly. “You will -remember that you made your last move this morning. The president of -the steamboat company makes his last move this afternoon.” - -“But this is absurd, and impossible. You don’t mean it. It is intended -to cheat passengers,” fumed the magnate. - -“All who go with us will be landed at Hitaca at half-past seven this -evening, if no accident happens.” - -“But this boat was built to run from Centreport to Ucayga.” - -“That is very true, sir; but your move this morning compelled the -president to change his plans.” - -“You can’t carry them out; and it is an imposition upon the public.” - -“All that we promise we shall perform.” - -“But it is simply impossible.” - -“I think not.” - -“Do you mean to tell me, Wolf, that this boat can make two trips a day -between Hitaca and Ucayga?” - -“No, sir, I do not; we only propose to make one through trip a day, -with an additional one to Centreport. On our ten-o’clock trip up we -shall go only to Centreport.” - -“This is villainous!” said Major Toppleton, grinding his teeth with -rage. - -“One of your mean tricks, Wolf!” added Tommy savagely. - -“Really you must excuse me, Tommy, but it was only this morning that I -had your kind permission to take any step I thought proper. Didn’t you -mean so?” I replied. - -“You are going to run an opposition line to Hitaca, then?” growled the -father. - -“And do all you can to injure those who have been your best friends,” -howled Tommy. - -“Why, I was told this forenoon to do what I pleased. This is fair -competition. If people wish to ride on the railroad, they may do so. We -will not prevent them from going whichever way they please. If you are -not satisfied with your last move, you can make another. I am sorry you -exhibit so much feeling about the matter,” I continued. - -“Wolf, this is rascally,” said the major, as he saw the passengers -crowding on board of the _Ucayga_. “You have cut under in the price, -too.” - -“The president of the steamboat company thinks he can carry passengers -for a dollar and a half.” - -“But I will carry them for a dollar!” exclaimed the major. - -“For half a dollar!” added Tommy. - -“I do not fix the prices for the steamboat company; but I suppose they -can carry passengers as cheaply as any other line.” - -“All aboard for Hitaca!” shouted the runners. - -“Gentlemen, this is an imposition!” shouted Major Toppleton, beside -himself with rage. “This boat goes only to Centreport!” - -“Gentlemen, you shall be landed at Hitaca at half-past seven!” I cried, -to counteract the effect of his words. - -“Passengers by the railroad for Hitaca--fare only one dollar,” added -the major. - -“We’ll try this boat once,” said a gentleman in the crowd. - -By this time the trains were moving off, and the travelers had chosen -by which route they would go up the lake. I ran up the ladder to the -wheel-house. - -“All aboard, and all ashore!” screamed Van Wolter, as I gave him the -word. - -The planks were hauled in while the major and his runners were vainly -striving to influence the passengers to leave the boat. We had them, -and we kept them. Most of them were attracted by the pleasant aspect -of the _Ucayga_, and desired to see more of her. Many had doubtless -heard of her, and were anxious to give her a trial. We backed out from -the wharf, and were soon on our way up the lake. The people on board -were not a little disturbed by the insinuations of Major Toppleton; -for, coming from him, they seemed to mean more than if uttered by the -runners. I assured them that we should perform to the letter all we had -promised. I explained the new plan to some of the regular travelers, -and the advantages of the new line were so obvious that many of them -volunteered to patronize the line in future. We were on time, and when -the _Ucayga_ arrived at Centreport, the old boat had been gone about -ten minutes. We saw her less than two miles distant. Judging from the -number of passengers on board of the ferry-boat, she had a very small -freight. Our case would argue itself with the traveling public, for no -one could be so stupid as to prefer the old line, with a change from -boat to cars, and from cars to boat again, and requiring three-quarters -of an hour longer time to make the passage. - -At Centreport Waddie appeared with a thousand small handbills, for -which I had provided the copy. He brought his valise with him, and I -saw that he intended to be a passenger. He was of course very anxious -to see the working of the new arrangement. Van Wolter hurried the -freight ashore, and in five minutes we were ready to continue our -voyage. We were now just fifteen minutes behind the old boat, which we -were to beat by forty-five minutes during the trip. - -Waddie had taken pains to circulate the information that the _Ucayga_ -would go up the lake to Hitaca at half-past five, and our crowd of -passengers was considerably increased by those who had chosen to wait. -The number on board was entirely satisfactory, and her present trip -would be a profitable one to her owner. Waddie rubbed his hands with -delight when he saw how successful we had been in obtaining through -passengers, even before the new arrangement had been advertised; but -the steamer was so very attractive in her appearance that travelers -could not hesitate long in choosing her. - -“You have a big crowd on board, Wolf,” said Waddie, after the boat -started. - -“We have been remarkably fortunate,” I replied. - -“You have done a big thing for us, captain; and the best thing I ever -did was to make peace with you.” - -“Because you are likely to make money by it!” - -“Not that alone. I want to tell you, Wolf, that I have kept my promise -so far.” - -“I am very glad to hear it, and I hope you will persevere.” - -“I am rather sorry this sharp competition between the old and the new -line comes in just now,” he added, musing. - -“Why so?” - -“Because it is only increasing the ill-feeling between the two sides of -the lake.” - -“It will afford you the better opportunity to be just, if not -generous. The competition on our part shall be fair and honorable.” - -“But we have cut under in price half a dollar on a trip,” suggested -Waddie. - -“Two dollars is too much for a journey of forty-five miles. The -railroad line had a monopoly of the through passengers, and charged -what its officers pleased. One dollar and a half is a fair price. We -will stick to that, if you and your father consent.” - -“Suppose the major puts the price down to a dollar, or even less?” - -“He did that, at Ucayga, this afternoon. He offered to carry all who -would go with him for a dollar. I don’t think many people will be -willing to start three-quarters of an hour sooner in the morning, -change twice in a trip, and go in those old boats for the sake of -saving half a dollar. However, that is to be proved. But a hundred -passengers, at a dollar and a half, pays as well as a hundred and fifty -at a dollar.” - -“By the great horn spoon, won’t my father be astonished when he sees -the _Ucayga_ putting in at Hitaca!” - -“No doubt of it.” - -“He will approve what I have done, I know,” added Waddie. “Do you -suppose Major Toppleton has gone up in the steamer ahead of us?” - -“Probably he has; he will be too anxious to see the working of the new -arrangement to stay at home.” - -“I have been thinking of some way to make peace between our two -families,” added Waddie. - -“Have you, indeed? Well, that is hopeful,” I replied. - -“I am afraid this rivalry will prevent any coming together, even if -my father were willing to make up. Do you feel quite sure that we are -doing right in running opposition to the other line?” asked Waddie -seriously; and I could not help thinking of the proverbial zeal of new -converts. - -“Let us look at it a moment,” I answered, willing to take a fair -view of the whole subject. “Before the railroad was built, the boats -charged a dollar and a half from Hitaca to Ucayga, and went through -without any change. Then a Centreport passenger had to cross the -lake, go twenty miles by railroad, and then cross back again. Half a -dollar was added to the price of passage from one end of the lake to -the other. Centreport was not accommodated, and was overcharged. Is -there any moral law which compels people to submit to imposition? On -the contrary, ought they not to resist? The steamboat company carries -passengers quicker, more comfortably, and at a less price. It is, -therefore, doing the public a service, though at the expense of the -other line. Your course is not only right, but commendable. All the -people and all the towns on the lake must not suffer in order to make -the Lake Shore Railroad profitable to its owner.” - -“I suppose you are right; but I wish the competition did not add to the -ill-will between the two sides.” - -Waddie appeared to be sincere; but it was visionary in him to think of -such a thing as reconciling the two houses of Wimpleton and Toppleton, -though, of course, such an event was not impossible. - -The _Ucayga_ was approaching Gulfport. The old boat had just made her -landing there; indeed, she started just in season to allow us to use -the wharf. I was rather afraid the bad blood of the major would induce -him to throw some obstacle in our way, but nothing of the kind was -attempted here. We landed our passengers; but the other boat had taken -all who were going up the lake, which she was not to be allowed to do -at the other ports. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. A TRICK OF THE ENEMY. - - -The next port was Priam, eight miles distant; and the _Ucayga_ dashed -merrily on her way, seeming to feel and rejoice in the responsibility -which was imposed upon her. Certainly she was doing all that was -expected of her. We were approaching the _Ruoara_; for that was the -name of the old boat, though it was a misnomer now to her, for she -did not deign to visit the town after which she was called. She was -making her best time, which, however, was very poor time, compared with -the new boat. Her captain was evidently hurrying her all he could. I -made the signal with the steam-whistle, to indicate that the _Ucayga_ -intended to pass her on the port hand. - -I was not a little startled to see her put her helm to starboard, and -crowd over upon our track, as though she intended to bother us. I took -the wheel with Van Wolter, and when she had forced herself in ahead of -us, I sounded the whistle to go on the starboard hand of her. - -“Give her a wide berth,” said I to my companion. - -“I reckon we can hit as hard as she can,” chuckled the mate. - -“But we won’t hit at all, either hard or soft,” I added. - -“She has put her helm to port, as though she did not mean to let us -pass her.” - -“She can’t help herself,” I answered, as I crowded the helm over, so as -to give her a wide berth. - -By this time we were abreast of her, and the old tub was so clumsy -that she found it impossible to crowd us any further. She had come up -so that we could recognize faces on board of her. Near the wheel-house -stood the major and Tommy, looking as ugly as they conveniently could -look. They would have sunk us in the deep waters of the lake if they -could. I was not disposed to irritate them; for I knew how miserably -they felt, as they gazed upon our crowded decks, and as they saw our -palatial craft sweeping swiftly by them. It did not appear that the -_Ruoara_ had more than forty or fifty passengers. - -“We can afford to be polite,” said I to Waddie. “We will give them the -compliments of the day as we pass.” - -“Don’t vex them,” replied Waddie. - -“If they wish to take a common civility as an insult, they may. On -deck, there!” I cried to the hands forward. “Stand by, and dip the -ensign and the jack!” - -Two of the crew promptly obeyed my order. The ensign at the stern, -and the jack at the bow, were dipped three times, just as we came -abreast of the _Ruoara_. Our passengers were disposed to be exceedingly -good-natured, and before I was aware of their purpose, they were -engaged in giving three cheers, and in demonstrating with hats, -handkerchiefs, and other articles. Not a sign of acknowledgment was -made by the old boat, and I am afraid that the magnate of Middleport -did not feel as happy as the people in our boat. We passed her, and -soon left her far behind. - -We made our landings at the other ports of the lake, creating no little -excitement by our unexpected appearance. We took all the passengers and -freight that were waiting for a passage, leaving nothing for the old -boat, for the first-comer always carried off the prize. Promptly on the -time I had marked down on my program, the _Ucayga_ entered the narrow -river on which Hitaca is located. We whistled with tremendous vigor to -inform the people of the place of our arrival, for I was very anxious -that Colonel Wimpleton should be apprised of our approach. - -Van Wolter was perfectly at home in the navigation of this river, and -piloted the boat, without any delay, to the broad lagoon which forms -the harbor of the town. It was just half-past seven when the bow line -was thrown on shore, and in a few moments more the steamer was fast -to the wharf. Our approach had been heralded through the town, and -the landing-place was crowded with vehicles, which had come down to -convey our passengers to the hotels, or to their homes. With them had -come a goodly delegation of the solid men of Hitaca, as well as the -miscellaneous rabble which always waits upon the advent of any new -sensation. - -Almost the first person I recognized on the wharf, from my position -on the hurricane-deck, was Colonel Wimpleton. The _Ucayga_ had been -discovered and identified when miles down the lake, and her owner would -have learned of her coming, even if he had not been engaged with the -steamboat-builder on the creek near the wharf. I looked at him with -interest, for though we had achieved a triumphant success, we had acted -without his sanction, and even without his knowledge. - -The moment the boat touched the wharf, the colonel rushed on board and -hastened up to the place where he had seen Waddie and me. He looked as -though he was laboring under some excitement, but I had yet to learn -whether he was angry or not. Certainly he did not look very gentle; but -then his astonishment at seeing the _Ucayga_ at Hitaca was a sufficient -explanation of his troubled aspect. - -“What does all this mean, Wolf?” he demanded, rather sharply; but this -was his habit. - -“If any one is to blame, I am the one, for I told Wolf to run the boat -to this place to-day,” interposed Waddie. - -“But what are you here for?” - -“We were compelled to come, sir,” I replied. “The action of the -railroad line left us no other course. If you will walk into my room, -sir, I will explain the whole matter; and I hope it will prove -satisfactory to you.” - -“But this is a very strange movement on your part; and without a word -from me,” said Colonel Wimpleton, as I led the way into my stateroom. -“You have broken up your trips to Centreport, and there will be a howl -of indignation there when I return.” - -“Not at all, sir. We shall run every trip from Centreport to Ucayga, as -usual.” - -“Well, explain yourself,” continued the magnate impatiently. “Does the -boat need repairs, that you have brought her up here?” - -“No, sir; she is in good order in every respect. This morning, Major -Toppleton made his next move, and we have not had a single through -passenger on the down trips to-day. As I supposed he would do, he -ordered his boat not to go to Centreport until after our steamer -had started. He took his yacht and went over to Gulfport early this -morning, so that the first boat did not touch on our side of the lake -till the _Ucayga_ had sailed.” - -“That’s one of his tricks.” - -“Well, sir, I don’t know that I blame him. He means business, and he -meant to keep all the through passengers. At Ucayga, to-day, he and -Tommy crowed over me, and defied me to do anything I pleased. Now, sir, -if you look at my time-table, you will see that we can, by hard work, -make two trips a day from Centreport, and one from Hitaca, to and from -the foot of the lake.” - -The great man put on his spectacles, and proceeded to examine the -program which I had placed in his hands. With the explanations I made, -he comprehended the whole subject. His countenance lighted up with -pleasure as he realized that he had the means in his hands, even now, -to win the day in the battle with his great enemy. - -“Why didn’t you mention this thing before, Wolf?” he asked. - -“I didn’t think of it, sir. When Major Toppleton made his next move, -as he called it, I went to work on the problem, to see what could be -done. I didn’t like the idea of running from Centreport with only half -a freight. I want to make the boat pay.” - -“She will pay handsomely under this arrangement. Do you think we need -another boat, now?” - -“Yes, sir; I do. This boat will be going from half-past six in the -morning till half-past seven at night; and the hands will be on duty -from five in the morning till nine at night. The boats will all need -repairs, and there will be no time to make them.” - -“You can have two sets of hands, if you like.” - -“But we can make only one trip a day from Hitaca to Ucayga.” - -“Well, that is really enough, for the railroad line has very few -passengers up in the morning, or down in the afternoon. We shall take -the lion’s share of them. This boat-builder has raised his price so -much that I have not yet made a contract with him.” - -“We can try our plan for a while, if you approve it, sir,” I replied. - -“Certainly I approve it.” - -Waddie produced the handbills he had procured at Centreport, and -a person was employed to distribute them all over Hitaca. Colonel -Wimpleton inserted advertisements in the papers, paying liberally -for “editorial puffs” of the new line. Everything promised an entire -success for the enterprise. - -At quarter-past eight, the old _Ruoara_ made her appearance, and -moored at the wharf just above the _Ucayga_. It was a meager show of -passengers which landed from her, and I could well understand the rage -which filled the bosom of the major and his son, as they stood upon the -hurricane-deck gazing at the new steamer. I wondered what their next -move would be, for it was not in the nature of either of them to submit -to the mortifying defeat they had sustained. I could think of nothing -that it was possible for them to do to retrieve their misfortune, -unless the major built new steamers, or continued the Lake Shore -Railroad to Hitaca. - -As they did not come near me, I did not devote much attention to a -consideration of their case. Having nothing more to do on board, I took -a walk on shore with Waddie. I visited a clothing-store, and purchased -a suit of blue clothes, which included a frock coat. When I got up the -next morning, I put on the new garments, and surveyed myself in the -glass. The effect was decidedly satisfactory. I had a glazed cap, for -I was not quite ready to don a high hat. As I surveyed myself, I had -hopes that I should not again be accused of being a boy. - -At quarter of six the _Ruoara_ left the wharf. I could not see more -than a dozen passengers on board. I looked in vain for Tommy and his -father. Soon after, the people began to pour in upon the decks of the -_Ucayga_, to the great satisfaction of Colonel Wimpleton. Our handbills -had accomplished their purpose, and our triumph was to be even greater -than that of the day before. I was very much excited by the lively -scene around me. Carriages and other vehicles were constantly arriving -with freight and passengers, and I found enough to do in answering -questions and hurrying up the men engaged in loading freight. Five -minutes before the hour of starting, the scene became a little more -quiet. I stood upon the wharf, looking at the situation, when I saw -Major Toppleton and his son, accompanied by a stranger, approaching me. - -“There he is!” said Tommy, pointing to me with his finger. “Grab him!” - -Hearing the words, I deemed it prudent to hasten on board, for I -concluded that this was the sequel to the affair of the day before in -Middleport. I hurried to the plank; but before I could reach the deck, -the stranger seized me by the collar. I struggled to escape, but the -man was too strong for me. - -“I have a warrant for your arrest,” said he. - -A trick of the enemy! - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. THE STEAMBOAT EXCURSION. - - -“Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy. “This is our next move.” - -“I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but I must do my duty,” -said the constable. - -“I should like to inquire what all this means,” I added, as the -officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate him, let go his hold -of me. - -“I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport. I suppose it is -all right.” - -“Don’t stop here with him,” interposed Major Toppleton. “Take him away -to jail, or some other safe place.” - -By this time Colonel Wimpleton was at my side with Waddie, both of them -so indignant that I was afraid that a scene would transpire on the -spot. My powerful patron desired to see the warrant, and the constable, -to the great disgust of the major, exhibited the document. - -“All right,” said Colonel Wimpleton. “This warrant commands you to -bring your prisoner before a magistrate at Middleport. Step right on -board of our boat, and we will see that you are enabled to obey the -command to the letter.” - -“I am satisfied,” answered the constable. - -“But I am not,” interposed Major Toppleton angrily. - -“All aboard!” shouted Van Wolter. - -“I shall do my duty as I understand it,” continued the constable, as I -led the way to the deck of the _Ucayga_. - -“It is your duty to commit him to jail,” growled the magnate of -Middleport. - -“I will be responsible for the consequences,” added Colonel Wimpleton, -who could afford to be good-natured, as he saw his great rival defeated -in his purpose. - -To my surprise, both Major Toppleton and his son followed us on board, -and did not offer to go on shore when the plank was hauled in, and the -fasts cast off. They had evidently remained at Hitaca for the purpose -of carrying out the little scheme they had contrived; and, having done -their worst, they had no further business there. Probably they could -not endure the idea of remaining at the upper end of the lake while the -battle between the two lines was going on at the other end. They had -learned from our handbills, so profusely scattered through the town, -that the _Ucayga_ would make another through trip in the afternoon, and -it was necessary for them to be at Ucayga to attend to the interests of -the Lake Shore Railroad. - -It was plain to me that Major Toppleton had come up to Hitaca with the -warrant in his pocket, not to obtain justice for the injury which Tommy -had sustained, but to interfere with the operations of the new line. -I should have been arrested the day before if Grace Toppleton, whom I -had come to regard as an angel of peace in my path, had not given me -warning. My enemies must have been entirely satisfied that they could -not hold me responsible for the damage done to Tommy, and my arrest was -only intended as a blow at the steamboat line. At Hitaca, doubtless, -they expected to detain my boat long enough, at least, to make her lose -her connection at the lower end of the lake. - -The arrival of the _Ucayga_ at Hitaca, and the announcement of a new -daily line, at reduced rates, had created no little excitement in the -town. The people believed that they were to be better accommodated, -and, very naturally, their sympathies were with the new line, as the -large number of passengers we carried fully proved. The constable told -me that he had been called upon to serve the warrant only a few minutes -before he made his appearance on the wharf. He saw at once that it -was a trick to annoy the new line, but he could not help himself. The -moment Colonel Wimpleton showed him how he could discharge his duty -without injury to the enterprise, he promptly embraced the opportunity. -Major Toppleton and Tommy were doubtless sorely vexed at their failure; -but they went into the cabin, and I did not see them again for some -time. - -It was a beautiful autumnal morning when the _Ucayga_ started upon -her trip, crowded with passengers. Colonel Wimpleton, alive to the -importance of this day’s work, had engaged the Hitaca Cornet Band to -enliven the passage with their music. The weather was warm, and the -soft haze of the Indian summer hung over the hills on the shore, where -the woods presented the many hues of the changing foliage. The water -was as tranquil as a dream of peace, and the inspiring strains of the -band completed the pleasure of the occasion. - -I explained to Colonel Wimpleton, Waddie, and others who were -interested in the matter, the occasion of the proceedings against me. -It is needless to say that I had no lack of friends; and, with the -consent of the constable, it was arranged that he should take me before -the magistrate at noon, while the boat was at Centreport. No charge -could be proved against me, and I hardly gave the subject a thought. - -The passage down the lake was a delightful one. We passed the old -_Ruoara_ just before we made the landing at Gulfport. At this town we -saw Major Toppleton and his son go ashore, for the purpose of taking -the railroad boat on her arrival. Neither of them showed himself on the -trip, and I only hoped they appreciated the new steamer, and enjoyed -the delightful music. I was rather afraid the colonel would court a -collision with his powerful rival; but I am happy to say he was too -good-natured, in the flush of his success, to exult over his enemy. - -We made all our landings, and, passing through the Horse-Shoe Channel -as usual, arrived at Ucayga on time. This concluded our first -round-trip to the head of the lake. It was a success far beyond our -most sanguine hopes, and the exchequer of the steamboat company was -largely benefited by it. The future was as bright as the present, and -really I could not see that the Lake Shore Road had any chance against -us. - -But this was to be a day of excitement. Colonel Wimpleton landed at -Centreport for the purpose of organizing a grand steamboat excursion to -Ucayga and back in the afternoon; and when the boat returned I found -the town in a blaze, for a pleasure trip, with a band of music, was no -small affair to the people. Handbills were scattered throughout the -place, and, as we had the advantage of a magnificent day, there was no -want of enthusiasm on the subject. - -As soon as the steamer reached Centreport, I went with the constable, -Colonel Wimpleton, and the ablest lawyer in the place, over to -Middleport. We found Captain Portman at the hotel, and hastened to the -office of the magistrate. Like my friend from up the lake, I waived -the examination, and was simply bound over to appear before the court -several weeks hence for trial. Colonel Wimpleton and one of his friends -gave bonds for my appearance, and the excitement in this direction was -ended. - -I went home, and invited my mother and sisters to the excursion in the -afternoon. Of course I had a long story to tell of the history of the -trip to Hitaca, and I had attentive listeners in the dear ones at home. -I knew that my mother dreaded and deprecated the fearful rivalry which -was going on between the two sides. I assured her that the best way to -make peace was not always by giving up. One party was as nearly right -as the other, and when each had shown his full strength there would be -a better opportunity to heal the breach. I told her that, so far as -I was concerned, and Waddie also, there was no ill-feeling. It was a -business competition, in which neither had any reason to complain of -the other, so long as he did not trench upon his rights. - -As I walked down to the lake with my mother and sisters, I saw Grace -Toppleton in her father’s garden. I wished that I could invite her to -the excursion, for nothing could have added so much to its pleasure as -her presence. But it was not proper for me to ask her, and it would not -have been proper for her to accept if I had. I was proud and happy as I -went on board of the _Ucayga_ with my mother and sisters. The steamer -was already filled with passengers, and at half-past two we started. -The band struck up an appropriate air as the wheels began to turn, and -I never saw a happier party than that which crowded the decks of the -_Ucayga_. In spite of the excitement, in spite of the throng on board, -we were, as usual, on time. - -When we touched the wharf near the railroad, the ferry-boat had -arrived, and I saw Major Toppleton and Tommy on shore, listening to the -music and observing the multitude which covered our decks. I hoped I -should not meet them, face to face, again; for I knew that our success -had only increased their bitterness toward me. But they did not seem to -be so ugly as when I had last seen them. Indeed, there was a smile upon -their faces, as though the music delighted them. When our bow line was -thrown ashore, they stepped on board, and came upon the hurricane-deck, -where I stood. - -“You seem to be having a great time to-day, Wolf,” said Tommy. - -“Only a little excursion,” I replied. “But the music is good, and I -rather enjoy it.” - -“So do I, Wolf,” answered Tommy graciously. “I am going up with you, if -you have no objection.” - -“Certainly not. Here is my stateroom; and if you and your father will -walk in, I will do the best I can to make you comfortable,” I replied, -pointing to my apartment. - -“Thank you; I prefer to be on deck,” added Tommy. “You have beaten us -all to pieces to-day, Wolf, and we give it up now. What’s the use of -quarreling about it?” - -“None at all, most assuredly,” I replied, with enthusiasm. “There is -Waddie Wimpleton, who is just of your opinion.” - -“Well, I don’t think much of Waddie, as you know, Wolf. I only meant -that you and I wouldn’t quarrel.” - -“I don’t know why you and Waddie should quarrel. He intends to do the -right thing.” - -“Perhaps he does; but the least said is soonest mended,” said Tommy, -rather coldly. - -I was amazed and astounded at this sudden change of front in Tommy, -who had hardly bestowed a pleasant word upon me for months. I could -not feel sure that he meant what he said; but I resolved to afford him -no cause of complaint if he really was sincere. It seemed to me more -probable that he had some end to gain, under the mask of friendship, -than that he was willing to make peace with me. - -“Your boat appears to be doing remarkably well to-day, Wolf,” said -Major Toppleton, stepping up to me. - -“Yes, sir; she is making good trips to-day.” - -“By the way, Wolf, you need give yourself no uneasiness about that -trial. I caused your arrest under a misapprehension, and no harm shall -come to you.” - -“I am very glad to hear you say so, sir, though I really had no fears -of the consequences.” - -“I am going to adopt Tommy’s suggestions, and have no more quarreling,” -added the great man. - -“I hope not, sir.” - -“You can have it all your own way on the lake now.” - -“I only wish to do what is right.” - -“I know you do, Wolf. Are you at home in the evening, now?” - -“No, sir. I have to spend the night at Hitaca. I suppose our family -will move up there soon, and you will get rid of us then.” - -“We don’t desire to get rid of you,” interposed Tommy. - -“I want to see you, Wolf, when you are at leisure,” continued the -major. “When can you call upon me?” - -“To-morrow noon, if you please,” I replied, delighted at the prospect -of again being permitted to stand under the same roof with Grace. - -“I will be at home,” said the magnate, as he walked away at the -approach of Colonel Wimpleton. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. MAJOR TOPPLETON’S PROPOSITION. - - -“What does Toppleton want with you?” asked Colonel Wimpleton, coming up -to me after the major and his son had retired. - -The magnate of Centreport looked ugly, as though, in the moment of his -great triumph, he feared a conspiracy to rob the steamboat company of -the laurels it had won. - -“Nothing in particular, that I am aware of,” I replied, not exactly -pleased to have even an unkind look bestowed upon me, after the victory -which I had been instrumental in winning. - -“You seem to be on excellent terms with him,” sneered the colonel. - -“I do not wish to quarrel with any one.” - -“What did Toppleton want?” demanded the great man, rather more sharply -than the occasion seemed to require. - -“I don’t know that he wants anything. He invited me to call at his -house, and I promised to do so,” I answered candidly. - -“You did!” - -“I did, sir. Both the major and Tommy were kind enough to say that -they did not wish to quarrel with me; and certainly I have no ill-will -against them.” - -“You have not!” repeated Colonel Wimpleton, with emphasis. “Am I not -your bail on a groundless charge preferred by them?” - -“But they have done me more of good than of evil; and the major said no -harm should come to me on account of the trial.” - -“Wolf, I don’t like this way of doing things. If you are in my service, -I don’t want you to have anything to do with my enemies. If three -dollars a day is not enough for a boy like you, I will give you four or -five; but you mustn’t play into the hands of Toppleton.” - -“I don’t intend to do so, sir. I never yet deserted those who used me -well, and I don’t intend to begin now. If you think you cannot trust -me, sir, don’t do it.” - -The time for starting having arrived, the conversation, which did not -promise very agreeable results, was interrupted. The band struck up its -music, and the _Ucayga_ left the wharf. I went into my stateroom for -the purpose of being alone a moment, for I wanted to think over what -the colonel had just said to me. He was evidently jealous of anything -like intimacy between the Toppletons and myself, and was afraid I would -“sell out” the steamboat company. I was not flattered by the suspicion. -I considered the subject very faithfully; but I decided that it was -unreasonable in my present patron to insist that I should have nothing -to do with the Toppletons. As long as Grace lived and smiled upon me, -I could assent to nothing of the kind, even if I lost my situation. At -the same time, I intended to be true to my employers, even if Grace -ceased to smile upon me for doing so. - -On the up trip the _Ucayga_ was even uncomfortably crowded; for, -besides the excursion party, we had a large number of through -passengers. But, as soon as the boat was clear of the wharf, they began -to settle down, and to cease to crowd each other. The band played -splendidly, and everybody seemed to be satisfied. At Centreport we -left the crowd, though the boat was still well filled. The program -of the preceding day was repeated. We passed the old _Ruoara_ near -Gulfport, and arrived at Hitaca a little before the time in my table. -As we had kept all our promises, the new line was in high favor with -the public. - -The next morning, the old boat departed with hardly a corporal’s guard -of passengers, while the _Ucayga_ was crowded. We landed our freight -at Ucayga on time, and everybody was satisfied that the new line was -an assured success. I need not follow its triumphs any further, for it -would be only a repetition of what has already been said. The steamboat -line was carrying nearly all the passengers. The old-line boats had -hardly business enough to pay for the oil used on the machinery, though -the Lake Shore Railroad did tolerably well with its local trade. - -When the _Ucayga_ arrived at Centreport, on the day after the -excursion, I crossed the lake; and, after a short visit to my mother, -I hastened to the mansion of Major Toppleton. I was not only curious -to know what the major wanted of me, but I was thirsting for the -opportunity to meet Grace. The latter motive was doubtless the -stronger one; for, since the poor girl had risked so much to give me -warning of the intended arrest, I flattered myself that she was not -wholly indifferent to me. - -With a fluttering heart I rang the bell at the door of Major -Toppleton’s house. I was admitted to the library. Neither the great man -nor his son was at home; but the servant assured me they would soon -return, for it wanted but a few minutes of lunch-time. I ventured to -ask if Miss Grace was at home. I knew she was, for I heard the piano in -one of the neighboring rooms, and the music was so sweet I was sure no -hands but hers could produce it. In a moment she entered the library, -her soft cheeks crimsoned with a blush, which made me feel exceedingly -awkward. - -“Why, Mr. Wolf! I am so glad to see you!” said she; and, in the -enthusiasm of the moment, she advanced toward me, and gave me her hand. - -“I’m sure you cannot be as glad to see me as I am to see you,” I -replied, pressing the little hand in mine. - -Dear me! What was I doing? Straightway I began to feel very queer -and awkward, and cheap and mean. She was confused, and apparently -astonished by the boldness of my remark, for she retired to a sofa on -the other side of the room. I was beginning to thank her for the great -service she had rendered me on Monday, when Major Toppleton and Tommy, -whom the stupid servant had taken the trouble to summon, entered the -library. I wished they had deferred their coming for half an hour. -Both of them seemed to be very glad to see me, and took no notice of -the presence of Grace. To my astonishment, the magnate invited me to -lunch with him. I had not the courage to refuse, or, in other words, to -banish myself from the presence of Grace. - -“Wolf, we had just nine passengers from Hitaca this morning,” said the -major, with a chuckling laugh, as though he intended to make the best -of his discomfiture. - -“We had over two hundred and fifty,” I replied. - -“Yesterday afternoon we had a fair freight down; but we can’t do -anything against that new steamer, especially when you have a band of -music on board,” added the major. “Will you take some of this cold -chicken?” - -“Thank you, sir--a little. For your sake I am sorry the steamboat line -is doing so well.” - -“You can do anything you please with Colonel Wimpleton, just now,” he -added. - -“I think not, sir.” - -“I believe you can. The fact is, you suggested the plan by which the -railroad line has been defeated.” - -“But the plan is already in working order, and it will go on just as -well without me as with me.” - -“I am sorry we had any trouble with you, Wolf, for suddenly from a boy -you have become a man, and a dangerous man, too, for our side of the -lake.” - -I was forced to believe that this was mere flattery, intended to help -along some object not yet mentioned. - -“I have done the best I could for my employers, on whichever side I -happened to be engaged.” - -“That’s true. I am going to speak plainly now, Wolf. We are beaten; -but we don’t intend to remain beaten for any great length of time. The -prosperity of Middleport depends greatly upon the Lake Shore Railroad, -and I intend to make that a success if it costs me all I am worth. I -shall build a bridge at the foot of the lake, so that I can go into -Ucayga without the aid of a ferry-boat. A Lightning Express is going -through from Middleport to the station at Ucayga in three-quarters of -an hour. So far I am determined.” - -“That will not help your case much, so far as through travel is -concerned.” - -“Considerable, Wolf. We shall save fifteen minutes.” - -“But we shall still beat you by half an hour.” - -“Very true; but I don’t intend to stop here. I shall either build a -steamer equal or superior to the _Ucayga_, to run between Hitaca and -Middleport, or I shall run the railroad to the head of the lake.” - -“Will it pay?” - -“I think it will, but, though Wimpleton and I have always quarreled of -late years, I am willing to be fair. I have a plan, which I will state -to you. If Wimpleton will run the _Ucayga_ from Hitaca to Middleport in -connection with the railroad, I will take off my boats. This will be a -fair thing for both of us. You may state the case to him. If he agrees -to it, all right; if not, I shall make my next move.” - -This, then, was what the major was driving at, and I was to be the -ambassador between the rivals. I was willing to do the best I could, -but I proposed that Tommy and Waddie should meet and discuss the -matter. The little magnate of Middleport promptly and indignantly -refused to meet the other little magnate. I promised to report the next -day on my mission. As I was leaving, I invited Mrs. Toppleton and Grace -to make a trip with me up or down the lake. Somewhat to my surprise, at -the suggestion of the major, they accepted the invitation for that day. -We crossed the lake, and I assure the reader I took every pains to make -my guests happy. - -Neither Waddie nor his father was on board again that day; but -the latter went up to Hitaca with me in the afternoon. Cautiously -approaching the subject I stated Major Toppleton’s proposition. The -colonel would hardly listen to it, much less accept it. He swore, and -abused his great rival. He would have nothing to do with Toppleton. He -would sink the _Ucayga_ before he would help the railroad to a single -passenger. He was very savage, and, before he had finished, poured out -the vials of his wrath upon me for mentioning the subject. - -The next day I reported the result of my mission; and Major Toppleton -was quite as savage as the colonel had been. He swore, too, and -declared that he would run the _Ucayga_ off the route before another -summer. - -I spoke to Waddie on the subject, and he expressed a strong desire to -meet Tommy, and to be friends with him. He favored the plan of Major -Toppleton, and if he had possessed as much influence over his father as -Tommy over his, the arrangement would doubtless have been made. I was -not without hope that the plan might yet be adopted. - -But I have told my story as a steamboat captain; and anything more -would be but a repetition. I had labored to make peace, but had failed. -If there were olive branches in the future, there were none in the -present. I continued to run the _Ucayga_ during the winter, with the -same success which attended her from the first of my connection with -her. We did about all the through business, and the Lake Shore Railroad -languished under the competition. - -At the next meeting of the steamboat company Waddie resigned, to -the intense indignation of his father, and Dick Bayard was elected -president. He also declined a reelection as major of the battalion, and -Ben Pinkerton was chosen to the command. Thus far Waddie was true to -his good resolutions, though he had much difficulty with his father on -account of the change. He often came to me for advice, for the students -of the institute seemed to distrust him still. No mutiny or rebellion -occurred on his side of the lake, for the resigning of his offices -prevented any collision. - -Tom Walton made a good thing out of the _Belle_, and when the season -closed, I obtained a place for him as deck-hand on board of the -_Ucayga_, where he did tolerably well for the winter. - -In November our family moved up to Hitaca, for my father and I were -compelled to spend our nights and Sundays at that port. Our place -in Middleport was let for the winter. Occasionally, while lying at -Centreport, I made an errand over to Major Toppleton’s that I might see -Grace; but I seldom met her. I hoped, most earnestly, that the two -lines might be united, and peace restored between the two great houses. -As Waddie was in favor of it, the prospect was not altogether dark. -As the union meant peace, I continued to labor for it. If effected, -the _Ucayga_ would lie at the wharf in Middleport between trips. I -earnestly desired it. Then Grace would be a frequent passenger on the -boat. - -I have told the story of “The Young Captain of the _Ucayga_ Steamer;” -how he became captain, and how well he succeeded in this capacity. The -story is complete, and nothing more remains to be said of him; but the -history of the great quarrel between the two sides of the lake, which -has other phases, is not finished. There is another story to be told; -but, as most of its events transpired while I was absent, I could only -tell it from hearsay. I prefer that it should be related by an actual -witness, and for this reason I have invited my friend Ned Skotchley to -take the pen, and write “Switch Off; or, The War of the Students.” - -I told Ned not to say anything more about me than he was obliged to -do; but he is an obstinate fellow, and I find, by looking over his -manuscript, that he has, to a very great extent, disregarded my -instructions. But I am not responsible for the praise he bestows upon -me, though, whatever he says of me, I am conscious that I have tried to -be a Christian, to be faithful to my employers, and always to be “On -Time.” - -THE END - -“Switch Off” is the title of the next volume in the ALGER SERIES, No. -150, by Oliver Optic, in which there are many rare adventures and an -ending which is eminently satisfactory. - - * * * * * - -NICK CARTER STORIES - -New Magnet Library - -Price, Fifteen Cents _Not a Dull Book in This List_ - -Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that -the books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the -work of a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no -other type of fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of -new plots and situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from -all sorts of troubles and landed the criminal just where he should -be--behind bars. - -The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories -than any other single person. - -Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been -selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of -them as being fully interesting as any detective story between cloth -covers which sells at ten times the price. - -If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet -Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - - 850--Wanted: A Clew By Nicholas Carter - 851--A Tangled Skein By Nicholas Carter - 852--The Bullion Mystery By Nicholas Carter - 853--The Man of Riddles By Nicholas Carter - 854--A Miscarriage of Justice By Nicholas Carter - 855--The Gloved Hand By Nicholas Carter - 856--Spoilers and the Spoils By Nicholas Carter - 857--The Deeper Game By Nicholas Carter - 858--Bolts from Blue Skies By Nicholas Carter - 859--Unseen Foes By Nicholas Carter - 860--Knaves in High Places By Nicholas Carter - 861--The Microbe of Crime By Nicholas Carter - 862--In the Toils of Fear By Nicholas Carter - 863--A Heritage of Trouble By Nicholas Carter - 864--Called to Account By Nicholas Carter - 865--The Just and the Unjust By Nicholas Carter - 866--Instinct at Fault By Nicholas Carter - 867--A Rogue Worth Trapping By Nicholas Carter - 868--A Rope of Slender Threads By Nicholas Carter - 869--The Last Call By Nicholas Carter - 870--The Spoils of Chance By Nicholas Carter - 871--A Struggle With Destiny By Nicholas Carter - 872--The Slave of Crime By Nicholas Carter - 873--The Crook’s Blind By Nicholas Carter - 874--A Rascal of Quality By Nicholas Carter - 875--With Shackles of Fire By Nicholas Carter - 876--The Man Who Changed Faces By Nicholas Carter - 877--The Fixed Alibi By Nicholas Carter - 878--Out With the Tide By Nicholas Carter - 879--The Soul Destroyers By Nicholas Carter - 880--The Wages of Rascality By Nicholas Carter - 881--Birds of Prey By Nicholas Carter - 882--When Destruction Threatens By Nicholas Carter - 883--The Keeper of Black Hounds By Nicholas Carter - 884--The Door of Doubt By Nicholas Carter - 885--The Wolf Within By Nicholas Carter - 886--A Perilous Parole By Nicholas Carter - 887--The Trail of the Finger Prints By Nicholas Carter - 888--Dodging the Law By Nicholas Carter - 889--A Crime in Paradise By Nicholas Carter - 890--On the Ragged Edge By Nicholas Carter - 891--The Red God of Tragedy By Nicholas Carter - 892--The Man Who Paid By Nicholas Carter - 893--The Blind Man’s Daughter By Nicholas Carter - 894--One Object in Life By Nicholas Carter - 895--As a Crook Sows By Nicholas Carter - 896--In Record Time By Nicholas Carter - 897--Held in Suspense By Nicholas Carter - 898--The $100,000 Kiss By Nicholas Carter - 899--Just One Slip By Nicholas Carter - 900--On a Million-dollar Trail By Nicholas Carter - 901--A Weird Treasure By Nicholas Carter - 902--The Middle Link By Nicholas Carter - 903--To the Ends of the Earth By Nicholas Carter - 904--When Honors Pall By Nicholas Carter - 905--The Yellow Brand By Nicholas Carter - 906--A New Serpent in Eden By Nicholas Carter - 907--When Brave Men Tremble By Nicholas Carter - 908--A Test of Courage By Nicholas Carter - 909--Where Peril Beckons By Nicholas Carter - 910--The Gargoni Girdle By Nicholas Carter - 911--Rascals & Co. By Nicholas Carter - 912--Too Late to Talk By Nicholas Carter - 913--Satan’s Apt Pupil By Nicholas Carter - 914--The Girl Prisoner By Nicholas Carter - 915--The Danger of Folly By Nicholas Carter - 916--One Shipwreck Too Many By Nicholas Carter - 917--Scourged by Fear By Nicholas Carter - 918--The Red Plague By Nicholas Carter - 919--Scoundrels Rampant By Nicholas Carter - 920--From Clew to Clew By Nicholas Carter - 921--When Rogues Conspire By Nicholas Carter - 922--Twelve in a Grave By Nicholas Carter - 923--The Great Opium Case By Nicholas Carter - 924--A Conspiracy of Rumors By Nicholas Carter - 925--A Klondike Claim By Nicholas Carter - 926--The Evil Formula By Nicholas Carter - 927--The Man of Many Faces By Nicholas Carter - 928--The Great Enigma By Nicholas Carter - 929--The Burden of Proof By Nicholas Carter - 930--The Stolen Brain By Nicholas Carter - 931--A Titled Counterfeiter By Nicholas Carter - 932--The Magic Necklace By Nicholas Carter - 933--’Round the World for a Quarter By Nicholas Carter - 934--Over the Edge of the World By Nicholas Carter - 935--In the Grip of Fate By Nicholas Carter - 936--The Case of Many Clews By Nicholas Carter - 937--The Sealed Door By Nicholas Carter - 938--Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men By Nicholas Carter - 939--The Man Without a Will By Nicholas Carter - 940--Tracked Across the Atlantic By Nicholas Carter - 941--A Clew From the Unknown By Nicholas Carter - 942--The Crime of a Countess By Nicholas Carter - 943--A Mixed Up Mess By Nicholas Carter - 944--The Great Money Order Swindle By Nicholas Carter - 945--The Adder’s Brood By Nicholas Carter - 946--A Wall Street Haul By Nicholas Carter - 947--For a Pawned Crown By Nicholas Carter - 948--Sealed Orders By Nicholas Carter - 949--The Hate That Kills By Nicholas Carter - 950--The American Marquis By Nicholas Carter - 951--The Needy Nine By Nicholas Carter - 952--Fighting Against Millions By Nicholas Carter - 953--Outlaws of the Blue By Nicholas Carter - 954--The Old Detective’s Pupil By Nicholas Carter - 955--Found in the Jungle By Nicholas Carter - 956--The Mysterious Mail Robbery By Nicholas Carter - 957--Broken Bars By Nicholas Carter - 958--A Fair Criminal By Nicholas Carter - 959--Won by Magic By Nicholas Carter - 960--The Piano Box Mystery By Nicholas Carter - 961--The Man They Held Back By Nicholas Carter - 962--A Millionaire Partner By Nicholas Carter - 963--A Pressing Peril By Nicholas Carter - 964--An Australian Klondyke By Nicholas Carter - 965--The Sultan’s Pearls By Nicholas Carter - 966--The Double Shuffle Club By Nicholas Carter - 967--Paying the Price By Nicholas Carter - 968--A Woman’s Hand By Nicholas Carter - 969--A Network of Crime By Nicholas Carter - 970--At Thompson’s Ranch By Nicholas Carter - 971--The Crossed Needles By Nicholas Carter - 972--The Diamond Mine Case By Nicholas Carter - 973--Blood Will Tell By Nicholas Carter - 974--An Accidental Password By Nicholas Carter - 975--The Crook’s Bauble By Nicholas Carter - 976--Two Plus Two By Nicholas Carter - 977--The Yellow Label By Nicholas Carter - 978--The Clever Celestial By Nicholas Carter - 979--The Amphitheater Plot By Nicholas Carter - 980--Gideon Drexel’s Millions By Nicholas Carter - 981--Death in Life By Nicholas Carter - 982--A Stolen Identity By Nicholas Carter - 983--Evidence by Telephone By Nicholas Carter - 984--The Twelve Tin Boxes By Nicholas Carter - 985--Clew Against Clew By Nicholas Carter - 986--Lady Velvet By Nicholas Carter - 987--Playing a Bold Game By Nicholas Carter - 988--A Dead Man’s Grip By Nicholas Carter - 989--Snarled Identities By Nicholas Carter - 990--A Deposit Vault Puzzle By Nicholas Carter - 991--The Crescent Brotherhood By Nicholas Carter - 992--The Stolen Pay Train By Nicholas Carter - 993--The Sea Fox By Nicholas Carter - 994--Wanted by Two Clients By Nicholas Carter - 995--The Van Alstine Case By Nicholas Carter - 996--Check No. 777 By Nicholas Carter - 997--Partners in Peril By Nicholas Carter - 998--Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé By Nicholas Carter - 999--The Sign of the Crossed Knives By Nicholas Carter - 1000--The Man Who Vanished By Nicholas Carter - 1001--A Battle for the Right By Nicholas Carter - 1002--A Game of Craft By Nicholas Carter - 1003--Nick Carter’s Retainer By Nicholas Carter - 1004--Caught in the Toils By Nicholas Carter - 1005--A Broken Bond By Nicholas Carter - 1006--The Crime of the French Café By Nicholas Carter - 1007--The Man Who Stole Millions By Nicholas Carter - 1008--The Twelve Wise Men By Nicholas Carter - 1009--Hidden Foes By Nicholas Carter - 1010--A Gamblers’ Syndicate By Nicholas Carter - 1011--A Chance Discovery By Nicholas Carter - 1012--Among the Counterfeiters By Nicholas Carter - 1013--A Threefold Disappearance By Nicholas Carter - 1014--At Odds With Scotland Yard By Nicholas Carter - 1015--A Princess of Crime By Nicholas Carter - 1016--Found on the Beach By Nicholas Carter - 1017--A Spinner of Death By Nicholas Carter - 1018--The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor By Nicholas Carter - 1019--A Bogus Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1020--The Puzzle of Five Pistols By Nicholas Carter - 1021--The Secret of the Marble Mantel By Nicholas Carter - 1022--A Bite of an Apple By Nicholas Carter - 1023--A Triple Crime By Nicholas Carter - 1024--The Stolen Race Horse By Nicholas Carter - 1025--Wildfire By Nicholas Carter - 1026--A _Herald_ Personal By Nicholas Carter - 1027--The Finger of Suspicion By Nicholas Carter - 1028--The Crimson Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1029--Nick Carter Down East By Nicholas Carter - 1030--The Chain of Clews By Nicholas Carter - 1031--A Victim of Circumstances By Nicholas Carter - 1032--Brought to Bay By Nicholas Carter - 1033--The Dynamite Trap By Nicholas Carter - 1034--A Scrap of Black Lace By Nicholas Carter - 1035--The Woman of Evil By Nicholas Carter - 1036--A Legacy of Hate By Nicholas Carter - 1037--A Trusted Rogue By Nicholas Carter - 1038--Man Against Man By Nicholas Carter - 1039--The Demons of the Night By Nicholas Carter - 1040--The Brotherhood of Death By Nicholas Carter - 1041--At the Knife’s Point By Nicholas Carter - 1042--A Cry for Help By Nicholas Carter - 1043--A Stroke of Policy By Nicholas Carter - 1044--Hounded to Death By Nicholas Carter - 1045--A Bargain in Crime By Nicholas Carter - 1046--The Fatal Prescription By Nicholas Carter - 1047--The Man of Iron By Nicholas Carter - 1048--An Amazing Scoundrel By Nicholas Carter - 1049--The Chain of Evidence By Nicholas Carter - 1050--Paid with Death By Nicholas Carter - 1051--A Fight for a Throne By Nicholas Carter - 1052--The Woman of Steel By Nicholas Carter - 1053--The Seal of Death By Nicholas Carter - 1054--The Human Fiend By Nicholas Carter - 1055--A Desperate Chance By Nicholas Carter - 1056--A Chase in the Dark By Nicholas Carter - 1057--The Snare and the Game By Nicholas Carter - 1058--The Murray Hill Mystery By Nicholas Carter - 1059--Nick Carter’s Close Call By Nicholas Carter - 1060--The Missing Cotton King By Nicholas Carter - 1061--A Game of Plots By Nicholas Carter - 1062--The Prince of Liars By Nicholas Carter - 1063--The Man at the Window By Nicholas Carter - 1064--The Red League By Nicholas Carter - 1065--The Price of a Secret By Nicholas Carter - 1066--The Worst Case on Record By Nicholas Carter - 1067--From Peril to Peril By Nicholas Carter - 1068--The Seal of Silence By Nicholas Carter - 1069--Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle By Nicholas Carter - 1070--A Blackmailer’s Bluff By Nicholas Carter - 1071--Heard in the Dark By Nicholas Carter - 1072--A Checkmated Scoundrel By Nicholas Carter - 1073--The Cashier’s Secret By Nicholas Carter - 1074--Behind a Mask By Nicholas Carter - 1075--The Cloak of Guilt By Nicholas Carter - 1076--Two Villains in One By Nicholas Carter - 1077--The Hot Air Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1078--Run to Earth By Nicholas Carter - 1079--The Certified Check By Nicholas Carter - 1080--Weaving the Web By Nicholas Carter - 1081--Beyond Pursuit By Nicholas Carter - 1082--The Claws of the Tiger By Nicholas Carter - 1083--Driven from Cover By Nicholas Carter - 1084--A Deal in Diamonds By Nicholas Carter - 1085--The Wizard of the Cue By Nicholas Carter - 1086--A Race for Ten Thousand By Nicholas Carter - 1087--The Criminal Link By Nicholas Carter - 1088--The Red Signal By Nicholas Carter - 1089--The Secret Panel By Nicholas Carter - 1090--A Bonded Villain By Nicholas Carter - 1091--A Move in the Dark By Nicholas Carter - 1092--Against Desperate Odds By Nicholas Carter - 1093--The Telltale Photographs By Nicholas Carter - 1094--The Ruby Pin By Nicholas Carter - 1095--The Queen of Diamonds By Nicholas Carter - 1096--A Broken Trail By Nicholas Carter - 1097--An Ingenious Stratagem By Nicholas Carter - 1098--A Sharper’s Downfall By Nicholas Carter - 1099--A Race Track Gamble By Nicholas Carter - 1100--Without a Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1101--The Council of Death By Nicholas Carter - 1102--The Hole in the Vault By Nicholas Carter - 1103--In Death’s Grip By Nicholas Carter - 1104--A Great Conspiracy By Nicholas Carter - 1105--The Guilty Governor By Nicholas Carter - 1106--A Ring of Rascals By Nicholas Carter - 1107--A Masterpiece of Crime By Nicholas Carter - 1108--A Blow For Vengeance By Nicholas Carter - 1109--Tangled Threads By Nicholas Carter - 1110--The Crime of the Camera By Nicholas Carter - 1111--The Sign of the Dagger By Nicholas Carter - 1112--Nick Carter’s Promise By Nicholas Carter - 1113--Marked for Death By Nicholas Carter - 1114--The Limited Holdup By Nicholas Carter - 1115--When the Trap Was Sprung By Nicholas Carter - 1116--Through the Cellar Wall By Nicholas Carter - 1117--Under the Tiger’s Claws By Nicholas Carter - 1118--The Girl in the Case By Nicholas Carter - 1119--Behind a Throne By Nicholas Carter - 1120--The Lure of Gold By Nicholas Carter - 1121--Hand to Hand By Nicholas Carter - 1122--From a Prison Cell By Nicholas Carter - 1123--Dr. Quartz, Magician By Nicholas Carter - 1124--Into Nick Carter’s Web By Nicholas Carter - 1125--The Mystic Diagram By Nicholas Carter - 1126--The Hand That Won By Nicholas Carter - 1127--Playing a Lone Hand By Nicholas Carter - 1128--The Master Villain By Nicholas Carter - 1129--The False Claimant By Nicholas Carter - 1130--The Living Mask By Nicholas Carter - 1131--The Crime and the Motive By Nicholas Carter - 1132--A Mysterious Foe By Nicholas Carter - 1133--A Missing Man By Nicholas Carter - 1134--A Game Well Played By Nicholas Carter - 1135--A Cigarette Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1136--The Diamond Trail By Nicholas Carter - 1137--The Silent Guardian By Nicholas Carter - 1138--The Dead Stranger By Nicholas Carter - 1140--The Doctor’s Stratagem By Nicholas Carter - 1141--Following a Chance Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1142--The Bank Draft Puzzle By Nicholas Carter - 1143--The Price of Treachery By Nicholas Carter - 1144--The Silent Partner By Nicholas Carter - 1145--Ahead of the Game By Nicholas Carter - 1146--A Trap of Tangled Wire By Nicholas Carter - 1147--In the Gloom of Night By Nicholas Carter - 1148--The Unaccountable Crook By Nicholas Carter - 1149--A Bundle of Clews By Nicholas Carter - 1150--The Great Diamond Syndicate By Nicholas Carter - 1151--The Death Circle By Nicholas Carter - 1152--The Toss of a Penny By Nicholas Carter - 1153--One Step Too Far By Nicholas Carter - 1154--The Terrible Thirteen By Nicholas Carter - 1155--A Detective’s Theory By Nicholas Carter - 1156--Nick Carter’s Auto Trail By Nicholas Carter - 1157--A Triple Identity By Nicholas Carter - 1158--A Mysterious Graft By Nicholas Carter - 1159--A Carnival of Crime By Nicholas Carter - 1160--The Bloodstone Terror By Nicholas Carter - 1161--Trapped in His Own Net By Nicholas Carter - 1162--The Last Move in the Game By Nicholas Carter - 1163--A Victim of Deceit By Nicholas Carter - 1164--With Links of Steel By Nicholas Carter - 1165--A Plaything of Fate By Nicholas Carter - 1166--The Key Ring Clew By Nicholas Carter - 1167--Playing for a Fortune By Nicholas Carter - 1168--At Mystery’s Threshold By Nicholas Carter - 1169--Trapped by a Woman By Nicholas Carter - 1170--The Four Fingered Glove By Nicholas Carter - 1171--Nabob and Knave By Nicholas Carter - 1172--The Broadway Crofts By Nicholas Carter - 1173--The Man Without a Conscience By Nicholas Carter - 1174--A Master of Deviltry By Nicholas Carter - - * * * * * - -Western Stories About BUFFALO BILL - -Price, Fifteen Cents Red-blooded Adventure Stories for Men - -There is no more romantic character in American history than William -F. Cody, or, as he was internationally known, Buffalo Bill. He, with -Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer, and a few -other adventurous spirits, laid the foundation of our great West. - -There is no more brilliant page in American history than the winning of -the West. Never did pioneers live more thrilling lives, so rife with -adventure and brave deeds, as the old scouts and plainsmen. Foremost -among these stands the imposing figure of Buffalo Bill. - -All of the books in this list are intensely interesting. They were -written by the close friend and companion of Buffalo Bill--Colonel -Prentiss Ingraham. They depict actual adventures which this pair of -hard-hitting comrades experienced, while the story of these adventures -is interwoven with fiction; historically the books are correct. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - - 1--Buffalo Bill, the Border King By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 2--Buffalo Bill’s Raid By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 3--Buffalo Bill’s Bravery By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 4--Buffalo Bill’s Trump Card By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 5--Buffalo Bill’s Pledge By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 6--Buffalo Bill’s Vengeance By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 7--Buffalo Bill’s Iron Grip By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 8--Buffalo Bill’s Capture By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 9--Buffalo Bill’s Danger Line By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 10--Buffalo Bill’s Comrades By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 11--Buffalo Bill’s Reckoning By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 12--Buffalo Bill’s Warning By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 13--Buffalo Bill at Bay By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 14--Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Pards By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 15--Buffalo Bill’s Brand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 16--Buffalo Bill’s Honor By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 17--Buffalo Bill’s Phantom Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 18--Buffalo Bill’s Fight With Fire By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 19--Buffalo Bill’s Danite Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 20--Buffalo Bill’s Ranch Riders By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 21--Buffalo Bill’s Death Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 22--Buffalo Bill’s Trackers By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 23--Buffalo Bill’s Mid-air Flight By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 24--Buffalo Bill, Ambassador By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 25--Buffalo Bill’s Air Voyage By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 26--Buffalo Bill’s Secret Mission By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 27--Buffalo Bill’s Long Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 28--Buffalo Bill Against Odds By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 29--Buffalo Bill’s Hot Chase By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 30--Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Ally By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 31--Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Trove By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 32--Buffalo Bill’s Hidden Foes By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 33--Buffalo Bill’s Crack Shot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 34--Buffalo Bill’s Close Call By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 35--Buffalo Bill’s Double Surprise By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 36--Buffalo Bill’s Ambush By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 37--Buffalo Bill’s Outlaw Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 38--Buffalo Bill’s Border Duel By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 39--Buffalo Bill’s Bid for Fame By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 40--Buffalo Bill’s Triumph By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 41--Buffalo Bill’s Spy Trailer By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 42--Buffalo Bill’s Death Call By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 43--Buffalo Bill’s Body Guard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 44--Buffalo Bill’s Still Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 45--Buffalo Bill and the Doomed Dozen By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 46--Buffalo Bill’s Prairie Scout By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 47--Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Guide By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 48--Buffalo Bill’s Bonanza By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 49--Buffalo Bill’s Swoop By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 50--Buffalo Bill and the Gold King By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 51--Buffalo Bill, Dead Shot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 52--Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Bravos By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 53--Buffalo Bill’s Big Four By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 54--Buffalo Bill’s One-armed Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 55--Buffalo Bill’s Race for Life By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 56--Buffalo Bill’s Return By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 57--Buffalo Bill’s Conquest By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 58--Buffalo Bill to the Rescue By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 59--Buffalo Bill’s Beautiful Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 60--Buffalo Bill’s Perilous Task By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 61--Buffalo Bill’s Queer Find By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 62--Buffalo Bill’s Blind Lead By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 63--Buffalo Bill’s Resolution By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 64--Buffalo Bill, the Avenger By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 65--Buffalo Bill’s Pledged Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 66--Buffalo Bill’s Weird Warning By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 67--Buffalo Bill’s Wild Ride By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 68--Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Stampede By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 69--Buffalo Bill’s Mine Mystery By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 70--Buffalo Bill’s Gold Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 71--Buffalo Bill’s Daring Dash By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 72--Buffalo Bill on Hand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 73--Buffalo Bill’s Alliance By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 74--Buffalo Bill’s Relentless Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 75--Buffalo Bill’s Midnight Ride By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 76--Buffalo Bill’s Chivalry By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 77--Buffalo Bill’s Girl Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 78--Buffalo Bill’s Private War By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 79--Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Mine By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 80--Buffalo Bill’s Big Contract By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 81--Buffalo Bill’s Woman Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 82--Buffalo Bill’s Ruse By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 83--Buffalo Bill’s Pursuit By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 84--Buffalo Bill’s Hidden Gold By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 85--Buffalo Bill in Mid-air By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 86--Buffalo Bill’s Queer Mission By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 87--Buffalo Bill’s Verdict By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 88--Buffalo Bill’s Ordeal By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 89--Buffalo Bill’s Camp Fires By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 90--Buffalo Bill’s Iron Nerve By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 91--Buffalo Bill’s Rival By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 92--Buffalo Bill’s Lone Hand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 93--Buffalo Bill’s Sacrifice By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 94--Buffalo Bill’s Thunderbolt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 95--Buffalo Bill’s Black Fortune By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 96--Buffalo Bill’s Wild Work By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 97--Buffalo Bill’s Yellow Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 98--Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Train By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 99--Buffalo Bill’s Bowie Duel By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 100--Buffalo Bill’s Mystery Man By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 101--Buffalo Bill’s Bold Play By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 102--Buffalo Bill: Peacemaker By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 103--Buffalo Bill’s Big Surprise By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 104--Buffalo Bill’s Barricade By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 105--Buffalo Bill’s Test By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 106--Buffalo Bill’s Powwow By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 107--Buffalo Bill’s Stern Justice By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 108--Buffalo Bill’s Mysterious Friend By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 109--Buffalo Bill and the Boomers By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 110--Buffalo Bill’s Panther Fight By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 111--Buffalo Bill and the Overland Mail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 112--Buffalo Bill on the Deadwood Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 113--Buffalo Bill in Apache Land By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 114--Buffalo Bill’s Blindfold Duel By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 115--Buffalo Bill and the Lone Camper By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 116--Buffalo Bill’s Merry War By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 117--Buffalo Bill’s Star Play By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 118--Buffalo Bill’s War Cry By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 119--Buffalo Bill on Black Panther’s Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 120--Buffalo Bill’s Slim Chance By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 121--Buffalo Bill Besieged By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 122--Buffalo Bill’s Bandit Round-up By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 123--Buffalo Bill’s Surprise Party By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 124--Buffalo Bill’s Lightning Raid By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 125--Buffalo Bill in Mexico By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 126--Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 127--Buffalo Bill’s Tireless Chase By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 128--Buffalo Bill’s Boy Bugler By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 129--Buffalo Bill’s Sure Guess By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 130--Buffalo Bill’s Record Jump By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 131--Buffalo Bill in the Land of Dread By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 132--Buffalo Bill’s Tangled Clue By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 133--Buffalo Bill’s Wolf Skin By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 134--Buffalo Bill’s Twice Four Puzzle By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 135--Buffalo Bill and the Devil Bird By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 136--Buffalo Bill and the Indian’s Mascot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 137--Buffalo Bill Entrapped By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 138--Buffalo Bill’s Totem Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 139--Buffalo Bill at Fort Challis By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 140--Buffalo Bill’s Determination By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 141--Buffalo Bill’s Battle Axe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 142--Buffalo Bill’s Game with Fate By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 143--Buffalo Bill’s Comanche Raid By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 144--Buffalo Bill’s Aerial Island By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 145--Buffalo Bill’s Lucky Shot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 146--Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Friends By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 147--Buffalo Bill’s Supreme Test By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 148--Buffalo Bill’s Boldest Strike By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 149--Buffalo Bill and the Red Hand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 150--Buffalo Bill’s Dance with Death By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 151--Buffalo Bill’s Running Fight By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 152--Buffalo Bill in Harness By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 153--Buffalo Bill Corralled By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 154--Buffalo Bill’s Waif of the West By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 155--Buffalo Bill’s Wizard Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 156--Buffalo Bill and Hawkeye By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 157--Buffalo Bill and Grizzly Dan By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 158--Buffalo Bill’s Ghost Play By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 159--Buffalo Bill’s Lost Prisoner By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 160--Buffalo Bill and the Klan of Kau By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 161--Buffalo Bill’s Crow Scouts By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 162--Buffalo Bill’s Lassoed Spectre By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 163--Buffalo Bill and the Wanderers By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 164--Buffalo Bill and the White Queen By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 165--Buffalo Bill’s Yellow Guardian By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 166--Buffalo Bill’s Double “B” Brand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 167--Buffalo Bill’s Dangerous Duty By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 168--Buffalo Bill and the Talking Statue By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 169--Buffalo Bill Between Two Fires By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 170--Buffalo Bill and the Giant Apache By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 171--Buffalo Bill’s Best Bet By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 172--Buffalo Bill’s Blockhouse Siege By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 173--Buffalo Bill’s Fight for Right By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 174--Buffalo Bill’s Sad Tidings By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 175--Buffalo Bill and “Lucky” Benson By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 176--Buffalo Bill Among the Sioux By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 177--Buffalo Bill’s Mystery Box By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 178--Buffalo Bill’s Worst Tangle By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 179--Buffalo Bill’s Clean Sweep By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 180--Buffalo Bill’s Texas Tangle By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 181--Buffalo Bill and the Nihilists By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 182--Buffalo Bill’s Emigrant Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 183--Buffalo Bill at Close Quarters By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 184--Buffalo Bill and the Cattle Thieves By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 185--Buffalo Bill at Cimaroon Bar By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 186--Buffalo Bill’s Ingenuity By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 187--Buffalo Bill on a Cold Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 188--Buffalo Bill’s Red Hot Totem By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 189--Buffalo Bill Under a War Cloud By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 190--Buffalo Bill and the Prophet By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 191--Buffalo Bill and the Red Renegade By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 192--Buffalo Bill’s Mailed Fist By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 193--Buffalo Bill’s Round-up By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 194--Buffalo Bill’s Death Message By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 195--Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Disguise By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 196--Buffalo Bill, the Whirlwind By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 197--Buffalo Bill in Death Valley By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 198--Buffalo Bill and the Magic Button By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 199--Buffalo Bill’s Friend in Need By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 200--Buffalo Bill With General Custer By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 201--Buffalo Bill’s Timely Meeting By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 202--Buffalo Bill and the Skeleton Scout By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 203--Buffalo Bill’s Flag of Truce By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 204--Buffalo Bill’s Pacific Power By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 205--Buffalo Bill’s Impersonator By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 206--Buffalo Bill and the Red Marauders By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 207--Buffalo Bill’s Long Run By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 208--Buffalo Bill and Red Dove By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 209--Buffalo Bill on the Box By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 210--Buffalo Bill’s Bravo Partner By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - 211--Buffalo Bill’s Strange Task By Col. Prentiss Ingraham - - * * * * * - -_A CARNIVAL OF ACTION_ - -ADVENTURE LIBRARY - -_Splendid, Interesting, Big Stories_ - -PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS - -For the present the Adventure Library will be devoted to the -publication of stories by William Wallace Cook. - -The fact that one man wrote all of these stories in no way detracts -from their interest, as they are all very different in plot and -locality. - -For example, the action in one story takes place in “The Land of Little -Rain;” another deals with adventure on the high seas; another is a -good railroad story; others are splendid Western stories; and some -are mystery stories. All of them, however, are stories of vigorous -adventure drawn true to life, which gives them the thrill that all -really good fiction should have. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - -In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the -books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New -York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance -promptly, on account of delays in transportation. - -To be published in January, 1925. - - 1--The Desert Argonaut By William Wallace Cook - 2--A Quarter to Four By William Wallace Cook - -To be published in February, 1925. - - 3--Thorndyke of the Bonita By William Wallace Cook - 4--A Round Trip to the Year 2000 By William Wallace Cook - -To be published in March, 1925. - - 5--The Gold Gleaners By William Wallace Cook - 6--The Spur of Necessity By William Wallace Cook - -To be published in April, 1925. - - 7--The Mysterious Mission By William Wallace Cook - 8--The Goal of a Million By William Wallace Cook - -To be published in May, 1925. - - 9--Marooned in 1492 By William Wallace Cook - 10--Running the Signal By William Wallace Cook - -To be published in June, 1925. - - 11--His Friend the Enemy By William Wallace Cook - 12--In the Web By William Wallace Cook - 13--A Deep Sea Game By William Wallace Cook - - * * * * * - -Round the World Library - -Price, Fifteen Cents Stories of Jack Harkaway and His Comrades - -Every reader, young and old, has heard of Jack Harkaway. His remarkable -adventures in out-of-the-way corners of the globe are really classics, -and every one should read them. - -Jack is a splendid, manly character, full of life and strength and -curiosity. He has a number of very interesting companions--Professor -Mole, for instance, who is very funny. He also has some very strange -enemies, who are anything but funny. - -Get interested in Jack. It will pay you. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - - 1--Jack Harkaway’s School Days By Bracebridge Hemyng - 2--Jack Harkaway’s Friends By Bracebridge Hemyng - 3--Jack Harkaway After School Days By Bracebridge Hemyng - 4--Jack Harkaway Afloat and Ashore By Bracebridge Hemyng - 5--Jack Harkaway Among the Pirates By Bracebridge Hemyng - 6--Jack Harkaway at Oxford By Bracebridge Hemyng - 7--Jack Harkaway’s Struggles By Bracebridge Hemyng - 8--Jack Harkaway’s Triumphs By Bracebridge Hemyng - 9--Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands By Bracebridge Hemyng - 10--Jack Harkaway’s Return By Bracebridge Hemyng - 11--Jack Harkaway Around the World By Bracebridge Hemyng - 12--Jack Harkaway’s Perils By Bracebridge Hemyng - 13--Jack Harkaway in China By Bracebridge Hemyng - 14--Jack Harkaway and the Red Dragon By Bracebridge Hemyng - 15--Jack Harkaway’s Pluck By Bracebridge Hemyng - 16--Jack Harkaway in Australia By Bracebridge Hemyng - 17--Jack Harkaway and the Bushrangers By Bracebridge Hemyng - 18--Jack Harkaway’s Duel By Bracebridge Hemyng - 19--Jack Harkaway and the Turks By Bracebridge Hemyng - 20--Jack Harkaway in New York By Bracebridge Hemyng - 21--Jack Harkaway Out West By Bracebridge Hemyng - 22--Jack Harkaway Among the Indians By Bracebridge Hemyng - 23--Jack Harkaway’s Cadet Days By Bracebridge Hemyng - 24--Jack Harkaway in the Black Hills By Bracebridge Hemyng - 25--Jack Harkaway in the Toils By Bracebridge Hemyng - 26--Jack Harkaway’s Secret of Wealth By Bracebridge Hemyng - - * * * * * - -Not How Much _But_ HOW GOOD - -In the editorial preparation of the STREET & SMITH NOVEL the question -of how much in money we were going to get for each volume never really -occurred to us. We lost sight entirely of the fact that these books -sold at 15 cents the copy, and gave as much serious consideration to -the selection and preparation of the stories as though they were going -to sell for ten times as much. - -We think, after all, that this is the real test of service. That we -are performing a service to millions of American readers, there can be -no doubt. Never before has such reading matter been placed within the -reach of the modest purse. We have striven to keep our line clean and -feel confident that we have done so. - -The very nature of the stories published in the STREET & SMITH NOVELS -insures them consideration from people who have no time nor inclination -to read the classics, and who probably would not read anything else if -they did not have the STREET & SMITH books. - -Any decent literature that instills a desire on the part of the general -public to read is, in our opinion, performing a real service. - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION - 79 Seventh Avenue New York City - - * * * * * - -The Dealer - -who handles the STREET & SMITH NOVELS is a man worth patronizing. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:table'> - <div style='display:table-row'> - <div style='display:table-cell; padding-right:0.5em'>Title:</div> - <div style='display:table-cell; padding-right:0.5em'>On Time</div> - </div> - <div style='display:table-row;'> - <div style='display:table-cell'></div> - <div style='display:table-cell'>or, Bound to Get There</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Oliver Optic</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June 7, 2021 [eBook #65552]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Demian Katz, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University (http://digital.library.villanova.edu/))</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON TIME ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp52" style="max-width: 43.8125em;"> - <img id="coverpage" class="w100" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover" /> -</div> - -<div style="padding-top:2em"> -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 style="margin-top: 0em">Transcriber’s Note:</h2> - -<p>The Table of Contents was created by the transcriber and placed -in the public domain.</p> - -<p><a href="#TN_end">Additional Transcriber’s Notes</a> are at the -end.</p> -</div></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class=" nobreak boxcontents"> -<p class="xlargefont center boldfont">CONTENTS</p> - -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Chapter I. A New Project.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Chapter II. The Auction at Ruoara.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">Chapter III. On Board the “Belle.”</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Chapter IV. In the Picnic Grove.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Chapter V. The Battle With Words.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Chapter VI. The Battle With Blows.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Chapter VII. Waddie and I.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">Chapter VIII. The Wreck of the “Highflyer.”</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">Chapter IX. By the Great Horn Spoon!</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">Chapter X. Waddie in a New Character.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Chapter XI. A Steamboat Strike.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Chapter XII. Captain Wolf Penniman.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">Chapter XIII. In the Wheel-house.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">Chapter XIV. The Horse-Shoe Channel.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">Chapter XV. A Decided Victory.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">Chapter XVI. Tommy Toppleton Mounted.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">Chapter XVII. Tommy Toppleton Threatens.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">Chapter XVIII. The Two Majors.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">Chapter XIX. The Major’s Next Move.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">Chapter XX. Grace Toppleton Faints.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">Chapter XXI. Grace Toppleton’s Story.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">Chapter XXII. Our Next Move.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">Chapter XXIII. Up the Lake.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">Chapter XXIV. A Trick of the Enemy.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">Chapter XXV. The Steamboat Excursion.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">Chapter XXVI. Major Toppleton’s Proposition.</a></p> -</div></div> -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="figcenter illowp75" style="max-width: 40.625em;"> - <div class="caption"><p class="center"><span class="sansseriffont largefont">ALGER SERIES No. 149</span><br /> -<span class="xxlargefont">On Time</span><br /> -<em>BY</em><br /> -<span class="xxlargefont"><span class="smcap">Oliver Optic</span></span></p></div> - - <img class="w100" src="images/cover_illo.jpg" alt="Cover image." /> - - <div class="caption"><p class="center sansseriffont smallfont">STREET & SMITH CORPORATION<br /> -PUBLISHERS <span style="padding-left:2em">NEW YORK</span></p></div> -</div></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center largefont">BOOKS THAT NEVER GROW OLD</p> - -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont" style="letter-spacing:0.25em">Alger Series</p> - -<p class="center largefont">Price, Fifteen Cents <span style="padding-left:1em">Clean Adventure Stories for Boys</span></p> - -<p class="center largefont">The Most Complete List Published</p> - -<p>The following list does not contain all the books that Horatio Alger -wrote, but it contains most of them, and certainly the best.</p> - -<p>Horatio Alger is to boys what Charles Dickens is to grown-ups. His -work is just as popular to-day as it was years ago. The books have -a quality, the value of which is beyond computation.</p> - -<p>There are legions of boys of foreign parents who are being helped -along the road to true Americanism by reading these books which are -so peculiarly American in tone that the reader cannot fail to absorb -some of the spirit of fair play and clean living which is so characteristically -American.</p> - -<p>In this list will be included certain books by Edward Stratemeyer, -Oliver Optic, and other authors who wrote the Alger type of stories, -which are equal in interest and wholesomeness with those written by -the famous author after which this great line of books for boys is -named.</p></div> - -<p class="center p1"><em>ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT</em></p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr><td class="tbla">1—Driven From Home</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">2—A Cousin’s Conspiracy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">3—Ned Newton</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">4—Andy Gordon</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">5—Tony, the Tramp</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">6—The Five Hundred Dollar Check</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">7—Helping Himself</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">8—Making His Way</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">9—Try and Trust</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">10—Only an Irish Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">11—Jed, the Poorhouse Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">12—Chester Rand</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">13—Grit, the Young Boatman of Pine Point</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">14—Joe’s Luck</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">15—From Farm Boy to Senator</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">16—The Young Outlaw</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">17—Jack’s Ward</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">18—Dean Dunham</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">19—In a New World</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">20—Both Sides of the Continent</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">21—The Store Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">22—Brave and Bold</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">23—A New York Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">24—Bob Burton</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">25—The Young Adventurer</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">26—Julius, the Street Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">27—Adrift in New York</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">28—Tom Brace</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">29—Struggling Upward</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">30—The Adventures of a New York Telegraph Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">31—Tom Tracy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">32—The Young Acrobat</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">33—Bound to Rise</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">34—Hector’s Inheritance</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">35—Do and Dare</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">36—The Tin Box</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">37—Tom, the Bootblack</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">38—Risen from the Ranks</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">39—Shifting for Himself</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">40—Wait and Hope</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">41—Sam’s Chance</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">42—Striving for Fortune</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">43—Phil, the Fiddler</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">44—Slow and Sure</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">45—Walter Sherwood’s Probation</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">46—The Trials and Triumphs of Mark Mason</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">47—The Young Salesman</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">48—Andy Grant’s Pluck</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">49—Facing the World</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">50—Luke Walton</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">51—Strive and Succeed</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">52—From Canal Boy to President</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">53—The Erie Train Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">54—Paul, the Peddler</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">55—The Young Miner</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">56—Charlie Codman’s Cruise</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">57—A Debt of Honor</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">58—The Young Explorer</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">59—Ben’s Nugget</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">60—The Errand Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">61—Frank and Fearless</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">62—Frank Hunter’s Peril</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">63—Adrift in the City</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">64—Tom Thatcher’s Fortune</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">65—Tom Turner’s Legacy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">66—Dan, the Newsboy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">67—Digging for Gold</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">68—Lester’s Luck</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">69—In Search of Treasure</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">70—Frank’s Campaign</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">71—Bernard Brook’s Adventures</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">72—Robert Coverdale’s Struggles</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">73—Paul Prescott’s Charge</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">74—Mark Manning’s Mission</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">75—Rupert’s Ambition</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">76—Sink or Swim</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">77—The Backwoods Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">78—Tom Temple’s Career</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">79—Ben Bruce</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">80—The Young Musician</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">81—The Telegraph Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">82—Work and Win</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">83—The Train Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">84—The Cash Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">85—Herbert Carter’s Legacy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">86—Strong and Steady</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">87—Lost at Sea</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">88—From Farm to Fortune</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">89—Young Captain Jack</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">90—Joe, the Hotel Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">91—Out for Business</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">92—Falling in With Fortune</td><td class="tbra">By Horatio Alger, Jr.</td></tr> - -</table></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="figcenter illowp48" style="max-width: 40.625em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i005.jpg" alt="Title page." /> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1 class="nobreak">ON TIME<br /> -<span class="smallfont">OR,</span><br /> -<span class="largefont">BOUND TO GET THERE</span></h1> -</div> - -<p class="center p2 s2"><span class="smallfont">BY</span><br /> -<span class="largefont">OLIVER OPTIC</span><br /> -<span class="mediumfont">Author of many books for boys which will never grow old.</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp20" style="max-width: 7.8125em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/icon.jpg" alt="Publisher's Icon." /> -</div> - -<p class="center p2"><span class="largefont">STREET & SMITH CORPORATION</span><br /> -PUBLISHERS<br /> -<span class="largefont">79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York</span></p> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="boxcopy"> -<p class="center">Copyright, 1869<br /> -By W. T. ADAMS</p> - -<p class="center p2">Renewal Granted to<br /> -Alice Adams Russell, 1897</p> - -<p class="center p2">On Time</p> -</div> - -<p class="center p2">(Printed in the United States of America) -</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[5]</span></p> - -<p class="center xxlargefont nobreak" style="margin-bottom:1em" id="CHAPTER_I">ON TIME.</p> -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">A NEW PROJECT.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“You don’t want that boat, Wolf, any more than -the lake wants water,” said my father, after I had -read an advertisement, in the Ruoara <em>Clarion</em>, of the -effects of a bankrupt which were to be sold at auction -the next day.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think the lake would amount to much -without water; in fact, to no more than I do without -business,” I replied. “I want something to do, and if -I can buy this boat at a low price, I am sure I can -make something out of her.”</p> - -<p>“What can you do with her? She is a very pretty -plaything; but you and I can’t afford such luxuries,” -added my father.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want her for a plaything, father,” I persisted. -“I want to make some money out of her.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[6]</span></p> - -<p>“You are an enterprising boy, Wolf; but I really -don’t see any money in a boat like that.”</p> - -<p>“I think there is, though of course I may be mistaken. -Since Major Toppleton has been running his -steamers across the lake to Centreport so many times -a day, the ferry would not pay, and the owner has -gone up to Ruoara with his boat. Now, there are -many people who wish to cross between the steamers’ -trips.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think that would pay,” said my father, -shaking his head.</p> - -<p>“There is hardly a boat to let, either in Middleport -or Centreport. I think a boat kept for parties of -pleasure would pay well. There are plenty of people -who want to go up the lake fishing; and there would -be a great many more if a decent boat were to be -had.”</p> - -<p>“Well, Wolf, you have made your own money, and -you are smart enough to take care of it yourself. If -you want to go into a speculation on your own account, -I haven’t a word to say. But what will this -boat cost?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I don’t mean to pay anything like her<span class="pagenum">[7]</span> -value. If she can be bought at a low figure, I can do -something with her, even if I have to sell her.”</p> - -<p>“They say she cost five or six hundred dollars.”</p> - -<p>“I should say she could not be built and fitted up -for anything less than six hundred. I am willing to -go one hundred on her. If I can buy her for that, I -can turn her again so as to double my money,” I continued -confidently.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. A boat is either the best or the -worst property in the world.”</p> - -<p>“I know that. It is October now, and the boating-season -is about over, though there is considerable fishing -done up the lake. Not many people want to buy -a boat in the fall, and for that reason she won’t bring -much.”</p> - -<p>“Here is the hundred dollars. If you can buy her -for that, I think you will be safe enough,” added my -father, as he took the bills from the bureau drawer.</p> - -<p>I was very fond of boating, and would rather have -made my living in that way than any other; but while -I could get two, or even one dollar a day for running -an engine, I could not afford to risk my chances with a -boat. I was out of business now. I had been contemptuously<span class="pagenum">[8]</span> -discharged from the Lake Shore Railroad, -and, not a little to my chagrin, Colonel Wimpleton, -who had made me liberal offers to serve in his new -steamer, did not repeat them. My father also was out -of employ, and, though we were not likely to suffer at -present for the want of work, we could ill afford to -be idle.</p> - -<p>I had taken it into my head that I could make something -with a good sailboat. The people of the two -towns, as well as many strangers who came to them, -were fond of fishing, and six or seven dollars a day for -such a boat as I proposed to buy would not be an -extravagant price, including, as it would, my own -services as skipper. Twenty days’ work would refund -my capital, and I could reasonably hope to obtain this -amount of business during the next two months. The -next summer she would be a small fortune to me, for -boats were in constant demand.</p> - -<p>The next day I crossed the lake, and went up to -Ruoara in Colonel Wimpleton’s new steamer, the -<em>Ucayga</em>. This was the first time I had sailed in her, -and I could not help seeing that she was “a big thing.” -It seemed almost incredible to me that I had been<span class="pagenum">[9]</span> -offered the situation of captain of this boat, and even -more incredible that I had refused it; but both of -these statements were true. I had come to the conclusion -that the colonel had repented of his splendid -offer.</p> - -<p>Just now the Lake Shore Railroad was in the -ascendant, and the <em>Ucayga</em> was under a shadow. She -had very few passengers, while the train which had -just left Middleport had been crowded. It was a busy -season among travelers, and I heard that the colonel -was terribly galled by the ill-success of his line. Major -Toppleton had ordered the captains of the two boats -which ran up the lake to be regularly ten minutes behind -time, so that the steamer was unable to leave -Centreport in season to connect with the trains at -Ucayga. This delay entirely defeated the colonel’s -plans, and the <em>Ucayga</em> was generally obliged to leave -without any of the through passengers, which comprised -more than half. Without them the boat would -not pay.</p> - -<p>It did not make much difference to Colonel Wimpleton -whether the steamer made or lost money for him, -if he could only get ahead of the railroad. The<span class="pagenum">[10]</span> -<em>Ucayga</em> had failed to connect with the railroads at -the foot of the lake two or three times a week; and -this had given her a very bad reputation. It was true -that the Lightning Express, on which I had formerly -run as engineer, had been similarly unfortunate quite -a number of times; but as the major’s plan was fully -understood by the people up the lake, the train was -regarded as the surer of the two modes of conveyance.</p> - -<p>Lewis Holgate, the son of the man who had robbed -my father, was still the engineer of the Lightning Express. -He was under the powerful protection of -Tommy Toppleton, who ruled all Middleport by ruling -his father, the magnate of the town. Lewis was a -treacherous wretch. He had labored to ruin me, under -the direction of his young master; but I tried to think -as kindly of him as I could. I was daily in fear that, -through his unskilful management of the locomotive, -an accident would occur on the road. I am almost -sure that Colonel Wimpleton would have hailed such -a catastrophe with satisfaction, so deep and bitter was -his hatred of Major Toppleton, and so great was his -opposition to the road. As the matter stood, neither<span class="pagenum">[11]</span> -the train nor the steamer was entirely reliable. A -little more shrewdness, skill, and enterprise would -have turned the scale in favor of either.</p> - -<p>The <em>Ucayga</em> started this morning without waiting -for the arrival of the up-lake steamer. As soon as she -left the wharf, I began to walk about her decks and -cabins on an exploring-tour. I was delighted with her -appointments; and, while I tried to be impartial between -the steamer and the railroad, my admiration of -the beautiful craft inclined me to believe that she -ought to win. In the course of my wanderings about -the boat, I came to the forward deck. About the first -person I encountered here was Mr. Waddie Wimpleton. -He sat on the capstan, smoking a cigar, for the -young scion of the Wimpleton house was bent on -being as “big” as anybody else.</p> - -<p>“What are you doing on our boat, Wolf Penniman?” -demanded he, leaping down from his high seat -the moment he saw me.</p> - -<p>“I’m going down to Ruoara on her; that’s all I’m -doing just now,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Did you come to count the passengers?” said he -bitterly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[12]</span></p> - -<p>“I did not, though, for that matter, it would not be -a difficult task to count them.”</p> - -<p>“None of your impudence, Wolf Penniman!”</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter, Waddie?” I asked, laughing. -“I suppose you know I’m not the engineer of the railroad -now, and you need not waste any hard words -upon me.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to see you on this boat, or on our -side of the lake,” he added, restoring the cigar to his -mouth, and looking as magnificent as a little magnate -could look.</p> - -<p>“I won’t hurt you, or the boat.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet you won’t!”</p> - -<p>“This is a splendid boat,” I continued, in a conciliatory -tone.</p> - -<p>“Splendid enough.”</p> - -<p>“But I don’t think you are smart to let the major -get ahead of you, as he does.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by that?”</p> - -<p>“If I were running this boat, I should have my -share of the through passengers,” I replied, with all -the good-nature I possessed.</p> - -<p>“You would do big things!” sneered he.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[13]</span></p> - -<p>“I should try to.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t come it over me, as you did over my -father.”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t the least desire to come it over you. I -expect to go into business on my own account pretty -soon,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“If it hadn’t been for me, you would have been -captain of this boat,” said he, intending to throw his -heaviest shot by this remark.</p> - -<p>“Well, I suppose you did what you thought was -best for the line; and if you are satisfied, I ought -to be.”</p> - -<p>“You didn’t make much when you ran away from -Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“Neither did I lose much. If we are both satisfied -about that, we need not quarrel.”</p> - -<p>“I shall always quarrel with you, Wolf Penniman, -as long as I live,” he added spitefully. “I hate you!”</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope you will have a good time. For my -part, I don’t hate you, Waddie; and if I had a chance -to do you a good turn, I would do it now as quick as -ever I would.”</p> - -<p>“You needn’t snuffle to me. I don’t ask any favors<span class="pagenum">[14]</span> -of you. I am president of the steamboat company, -and I suppose you would like to have me get down on -my knees and beg you to take command of this boat.”</p> - -<p>“Not much,” I replied, laughing.</p> - -<p>“You think you are a great man!”</p> - -<p>“No, I’m only a boy, like yourself.”</p> - -<p>“If I had seen you before the boat started, you -should not have gone in her.”</p> - -<p>“That game was tried on the other side of the lake. -It don’t work well.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you come on board of this boat again; if -you do, we will try it on.”</p> - -<p>Both of the little magnates down upon me, and I -was forbidden to ride in either steamer or cars! Waddie -puffed up his cigar and walked away, evidently -with the feeling that he was not making much out of -me. The <em>Ucayga</em> touched at the wharf, and I went -on shore. So did the little magnate of Centreport.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[15]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE AUCTION AT RUOARA.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>It was not yet time for the auction, and I waited -on the wharf to see the steamer start. She was still -a novelty in Ruoara, and many people came down to -the shore to observe her beautiful proportions, and -the speed with which she cut through the waters. -Hundreds of them made the trip to Ucayga and back -for the sole purpose of seeing the boat. After the old -steamers were taken off, and before the <em>Ucayga</em> was -put on the route, the inhabitants of this town had been -obliged to cross the ferry to Grass Springs, and take -the trains of the Lake Shore Railroad when they -wished to go in either direction. The advent of this -palatial steamer was therefore a new era to them, and -they regarded her with pride and pleasure.</p> - -<p>Ruoara was situated nearly opposite Grass Springs; -but the four islands lay off the former town, and a -little below. The South Shoe was due west from the -wharf where the boat touched, and she was obliged to -back, and go over a mile out of her course, to avoid<span class="pagenum">[16]</span> -the island and the shoal water which lay near it. The -South Shoe, therefore, was a nuisance in its relation to -the steamboat navigation of Ruoara. The five minutes -which this circuit required had doubtless caused -the <em>Ucayga</em> to miss her connection more than once.</p> - -<p>I have been told that I am a machinist by nature. -I do not know how this may be, but I am sure that I -never see a difficulty without attempting to study out -the means to remedy it. As I stood on the wharf, -watching the winding course of the splendid steamer, -I could not help grappling with the problem of saving -this loss of time on the trip. These five minutes -might sometimes enable the boat to win the day in the -competition with the railroad.</p> - -<p>As I have hinted before, I knew every foot of bottom -in this part of the lake. I had sailed hundreds -of miles among these islands, and, while I was thinking -over the matter, the key to the problem flashed -upon my mind. I do not mean to say that it was a -very brilliant idea; but, simple as it was, it had evidently -not occurred to the captain of the steamer, who -was a Hitaca man, and knew only the ordinary channels -of the lake, used by the steamers. I had an idea;<span class="pagenum">[17]</span> -but I deemed it wise to keep my own counsel in the -matter, for a suggestion from me would probably have -been deemed impertinent.</p> - -<p>When the <em>Ucayga</em> disappeared behind the South -Shoe, I turned my attention to the business which had -brought me to Ruoara. A short distance down the -lake, and on its bank, was a beautiful and very elaborate -cottage, which had evidently been intended as a -copy of that occupied by Colonel Wimpleton. Off the -lake-wall lay the boat which I hoped to purchase. The -owner had made an immense “spread,” and failed out -clean in the height of his glory. People who could -afford to purchase such rich and gaudy trappings as -those with which the bankrupt owner fitted up his -mansion, did not care to buy them at second-hand. -Everybody expected that the ornamental appendages -of the establishment would be sold for a tithe of their -cost; and so they were.</p> - -<p>To most of the people on the lake, any boat beyond -a skiff for actual service was regarded as a luxury, -especially such a craft as that which floated off the -wall. Taking hold of the painter, I hauled her in, and -stepped on board. She was a very rakish-looking boat,<span class="pagenum">[18]</span> -sloop-rigged, with a cabin forward containing two -berths, and the smallest stove it is possible to imagine. -She was about twenty-four feet long, and as well appointed -in every respect as though she had been fitted -up to cross the ocean. The owner had certainly lavished -money upon her, which he could afford to do, at -the expense of his creditors.</p> - -<p>While I was examining her I saw the crowd of -purchasers moving about the house as the sale proceeded. -It was a hopeful sign that no one seemed to -care a straw about the boat. Men and women were -examining everything else about the establishment, but -the <em>Belle</em>—for that was the name I found upon her -stern—was wholly neglected. I continued my examination -without the notice of any one for some time. -I took the trap off the well, and got at the bottom. I -found that she was built in the most thorough manner. -I was sure she had cost all of six hundred dollars.</p> - -<p>“What are you doing in that boat, Wolf Penniman?”</p> - -<p>I raised my head from the diligent search I was -making in the bottom of the boat, and discovered Mr. -Waddie on the wall.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[19]</span></p> - -<p>“I am looking at her,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“What are you looking at her for?”</p> - -<p>“Because I want to see her.”</p> - -<p>“What do you want to see her for?”</p> - -<p>“I take an interest in boats,” I answered, not caring -to be very communicative with the scion of the Wimpletons.</p> - -<p>It immediately occurred to me that Waddie’s business -at Ruoara was the same as my own, and my heart -sank within me, for I could not hope to bid against -one who had so much money at his command. But I -could not think, for the life of me, why Waddie should -want the boat, for he had one of about the same size, -which was his own private property. Probably he had -taken a fancy to her, as I had.</p> - -<p>“Are you going to buy her, Wolf?” asked he, with -more interest than he was accustomed to manifest in -anything.</p> - -<p>“That will depend upon circumstances.”</p> - -<p>“Who told you that I was going to buy this boat?” -demanded he sharply.</p> - -<p>“No one.”</p> - -<p>“You came up to bid against me!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[20]</span></p> - -<p>“I didn’t know you were coming till I saw you -here.”</p> - -<p>“If you bid against me, Wolf Penniman, I’ll be the -death of you.”</p> - -<p>“I think not,” I replied, laughing at this rash threat.</p> - -<p>“I will! You will find me an uglier customer to -deal with than you did Tom Toppleton. Do you think -I’m going to have you dogging my steps wherever -I go?”</p> - -<p>I could only laugh.</p> - -<p>“No one about here wants the boat but me,” he -added.</p> - -<p>“I want her.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and you want her only because I do,” -snarled he.</p> - -<p>“It’s an open thing, I suppose. This is a public -auction; and if you are willing to give more than I -can, of course you will have her,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“If you don’t bid against me, she will be knocked -off at the first offer.”</p> - -<p>“We won’t quarrel, Waddie.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, we will, if you bid against me. The auctioneer<span class="pagenum">[21]</span> -is coming. You mind what I say. If you bid -against me, you will repent it as long as you live.”</p> - -<p>Such language from an ordinary boy would have -been very remarkable; from Waddie it was not at all -so. It was his usual style of bullying. It seemed -very strange that the young gentleman should attempt -to bully me into silence when he could outbid me; but -I ascertained afterward that his father objected to -buying the boat, and even refused to furnish the -money, so that Waddie could only bid to the extent -of the funds then in his possession. However weak -and indulgent the colonel was, he had not sunk into -the condition of subserviency to his son into which the -major had fallen.</p> - -<p>The auctioneer, followed by only a small portion of -the crowd from the house, approached the spot where -Waddie stood. I jumped ashore, and secured a place -on the wall. The auctioneer took his stand on the -stern of the <em>Belle</em>; but none of the attendants upon -the sale felt interest enough to go on board, or even to -examine the craft. It was plain enough that the competition -lay between Waddie and myself alone. I -had made up my mind to lose the boat, and I felt<span class="pagenum">[22]</span> -badly about it. I could not expect to bid successfully -against the son of the rich man. However, I meant -to try, and I only hoped that Waddie would keep his -temper. He had certainly given me fair warning; but -perhaps it was my misfortune that I did not happen to -be afraid of him.</p> - -<p>While I stood there, I could not help thinking that -I was spoiling all my chances of a situation in the -future on board of the <em>Ucayga</em>, if the colonel should -again be disposed to repeat his munificent offers. But -I had a dream of doing even a better thing with the -<em>Belle</em> than I could on board of the steamer or on the -Lake Shore Railroad, and without being subject to the -caprices of either of the young gentlemen who were -so potent in both.</p> - -<p>The auctioneer gave us a grandiloquent description -of the “fairy pleasure barge” which was before us. -He was not a nautical man, and sadly bungled in his -terms. She was the fastest sailer on the lake; was a -good sea-boat. She was right and tight in every respect.</p> - -<p>“For, gentlemen,” he added facetiously, “a boat, -unlike a man, is a good deal better when she is tight<span class="pagenum">[23]</span> -than when she is not tight”—a witticism at which the -auctioneer laughed much more heartily than the auditors. -“She is copper-fastened, besides being fastened -to the wall. Like myself, and some of you, gentlemen, -she is very sharp. And now, how much am I offered -for this magnificent yacht, the finest, without exception, -on the lake. What shall I have for her?”</p> - -<p>“Twenty-five dollars,” said Waddie Wimpleton, -who could not conceal his interest and anxiety in the -result.</p> - -<p>“Did you say twenty-five dollars, Mr. Wimpleton?” -said the auctioneer, with a look which was intended to -manifest his astonishment at the smallness of the bid. -“Why, she cost over six hundred dollars! You can’t -mean that, Mr. Wimpleton.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I do mean it!” said Waddie smartly.</p> - -<p>“Twenty-five dollars is bid for this splendid yacht, -sharp as a Yankee pedler, and copper-fastened, besides -being fastened to the wall. Who says a hundred?”</p> - -<p>No one said a hundred. No one said anything for a -few moments, during which time the auctioneer dwelt -upon the beautiful proportions of the craft, and repeated -his jokes for a third time.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[24]</span></p> - -<p>“Only twenty-five dollars is bid for the <em>Belle</em>! Why, -gentlemen, that would not pay for one of her sails.”</p> - -<p>“Thirty dollars,” I added.</p> - -<p>“Thirty dollars!” repeated the auctioneer, glancing -curiously at me. “Perhaps I ought to say that the -conditions of this sale are cash on delivery. Thirty -dollars! Shall I have a hundred?”</p> - -<p>Waddie glanced furiously at me, and I saw that his -fists were clenched.</p> - -<p>“Thirty-five,” said he.</p> - -<p>“Forty.”</p> - -<p>“Forty-five,” snapped he.</p> - -<p>“Fifty,” I added quietly.</p> - -<p>I had hardly uttered the word before Waddie’s fist -was planted squarely on the end of my nose, and the -blood spurted from it. He was about to follow it up -with another, when I deemed it necessary to do something. -I parried his stroke, and hit him so fairly in -the eye that he reeled, lost his balance, and went over -backwards into the lake with a fearful splash.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[25]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">ON BOARD THE “BELLE.”</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Somehow, when we resort to violence, we often do -much more than we intend. I did not desire to do -anything more than defend myself; but Waddie stood -between me and the water, and when I hit him, he -went over. I have never claimed to be saint or angel. -I was human enough to “get mad” when the young -gentleman flattened my nose and made it bleed. I -simply defended myself by the only means within my -power, though I did not intend to throw Waddie into -the lake.</p> - -<p>The water was not more than three or four feet deep -near the wall; but Waddie might have been drowned -in it, if he had not been promptly assisted by the auctioneer -and others. But if the water was not deep, it -was cold, and hydropathy is an excellent remedy for -overheated blood.</p> - -<p>“That’s the way Wolf fights,” said Waddie, as he -shook the water from his clothes.</p> - -<p>“He served you right,” replied the auctioneer, who,<span class="pagenum">[26]</span> -I believe, did not belong to Ruoara—certainly not to -Centreport.</p> - -<p>“Do you call this fair play?” demanded Waddie, -with chattering teeth.</p> - -<p>“To be sure I do. You turned on him, and hit him -without any warning,” retorted the auctioneer. “He -hit you back, and paid you in your own coin. You -went over into the lake, but that was not his fault. -Fifty dollars is bid for this beautiful boat, that cost -over six hundred.”</p> - -<p>“I told him I would be the death of him if he bid -against me,” replied Waddie; but there was not much -life in his words.</p> - -<p>“O, ho! you did—did you? Well, I’m glad he -knocked you into the lake; and if I had known what -you told him, you might have staid in the lake for all -me,” added the auctioneer indignantly, for the greatest -sin in his estimation was a conspiracy to suppress bidding -at an auction. “Fifty dollars! Shall I have -sixty?”</p> - -<p>Waddie lingered on the wall, shivering with the -cold; but, to my astonishment, he did not make any -additional bid. I could not understand it. The auctioneer<span class="pagenum">[27]</span> -again called the attention of the audience to -the many virtues of the <em>Belle</em>, and then observed, in -piteous tones, that only fifty dollars was bid for the -beautiful craft.</p> - -<p>“I haven’t done with you yet, Wolf Penniman,” -said Waddie, creeping up to me.</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope you will finish with me as soon as -possible,” I replied, stepping back from the wall so as -not to afford him any temptation to push me into the -lake.</p> - -<p>“I’ll keep my word with you.”</p> - -<p>“Fifty dollars!” stormed the auctioneer, justly indignant -at the sacrifice of the boat.</p> - -<p>“When must it be paid for?” demanded Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Cash on delivery,” replied the auctioneer sharply.</p> - -<p>“Can it be delivered to-morrow?”</p> - -<p>“No; the sale must be closed to-day. Fifty dollars!”</p> - -<p>“Sixty,” said Waddie, with an ugly glance at me, -after one of the bystanders had whispered a word to -him, to the effect, I suppose, that he would lend him -ten dollars.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[28]</span></p> - -<p>“Sixty-five,” I added quietly.</p> - -<p>“Sixty-five!” repeated the auctioneer, more hopefully.</p> - -<p>Waddie was beginning to warm up again, and had -actually ceased to shiver. He spoke to the bystander -with whom he was acquainted, and then bid seventy -dollars. I immediately advanced to seventy-five.</p> - -<p>“Seventy-five!” shouted the auctioneer. “Gentlemen, -this is a shameful sacrifice of valuable property.”</p> - -<p>I saw Waddie’s friend shake his head, as though he -was not willing to risk more than twenty dollars on -the speculation; but while the young gentleman was -arguing the point with him, the <em>Belle</em> was struck off to -me. The scion of the house of Wimpleton swore like -a bad boy when this result was reached. He shook -his fist at me, and raised a laugh among the bystanders, -not all of whom appeared to reverence the idol -which had been set up in Centreport. My purchase included -the small boat which served as a tender to the -<em>Belle</em>, the mooring-buoy, and other appurtenances.</p> - -<p>The auctioneer’s clerk gave me a bill of sale of the -boat, and I paid the cash on the spot. I was the happiest -young man on the shore of the lake. Waddie<span class="pagenum">[29]</span> -had disappeared as soon as the sale was completed, -and I was subjected to no further annoyance from him. -Having finished my business in Ruoara, I was ready to -sail for home, and astonish the Middleporters with the -sight of my purchase.</p> - -<p>“That’s a fine boat you have bought,” said one of -the half-dozen persons who stood on the wall watching -my movements.</p> - -<p>I looked up and saw that the speaker was Dick -Bayard, a Wimpletonian, and the senior captain in the -Centreport Battalion. He was a leading spirit among -the students on his side of the lake. He had been the -actual, though not the nominal, leader in the war on -the Horse Shoe, and had distinguished himself by his -energy and enterprise in that memorable conflict. His -father lived in Ruoara, which accounted for his appearance -there when the institute was in session. I -had a great deal of respect for him, after I saw how -well he bore himself in the silly war, though he had -always been a strong and unreasonable supporter of -Waddie, and had aided him in persecuting me before I -was driven out of Centreport.</p> - -<p>“Yes, she is a first-rate boat,” I replied; for speaking<span class="pagenum">[30]</span> -well of my boat was even better than speaking -well of my dog.</p> - -<p>“Are you going down to Middleport now?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; right off.”</p> - -<p>“Will you take a passenger?” he asked, rather -diffidently.</p> - -<p>“Who?”</p> - -<p>“Myself.”</p> - -<p>“I will, with pleasure.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Wolf.”</p> - -<p>I pushed the tender up to the wall, and he stepped -into it.</p> - -<p>“Some of the fellows say you are not a bit like -other boys, Wolf; and I begin to think they are more -than half-right,” said Dick Bayard, as he came on -board of the <em>Belle</em>.</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t know. I don’t suppose I’m very different -from other fellows,” I replied, with becoming -modesty.</p> - -<p>“You don’t seem to have a grudge against any one. -If a fellow abuses you, you treat him as well as ever. -You knock him over in self-defense, and then behave -toward him just as though nothing had happened.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[31]</span></p> - -<p>“I think I can afford to do so.”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t think you would let me sail up the lake -with you,” laughed he.</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Like a good many other fellows, I have toadied to -Waddie Wimpleton, and helped him hunt you down.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care anything about that now.”</p> - -<p>“I see you don’t. Can I help you?” he asked, as I -began to hoist the mainsail.</p> - -<p>“You may take the peak-halyard, if you please.”</p> - -<p>We hoisted the jib and mainsail, and stood up the -lake with a gentle breeze. I took the elaborately carved -tiller in my hand, and if ever a young man was -proud of his boat, his name was Wolfert Penniman. -The <em>Belle</em> fully realized all even of the auctioneer’s enthusiastic -description.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you belong to the institute now, Dick?” I -asked, after we had said all that it was necessary to -say in praise of the <em>Belle</em>, and after my companion had -related to me more of her history than I knew before.</p> - -<p>“Not much,” said he, laughing; “my name is still -on the books, and I am still captain of Company A,<span class="pagenum">[32]</span> -Wimpleton Battalion; but I don’t go to school half -the time.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?” I asked curiously.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to. Since the steamboat company -was formed, Waddie has put on so many airs that -some of us can’t stand it. In fact, our president does -not treat us much better than he did you.”</p> - -<p>“That is unfortunate for you, and still more so for -him.”</p> - -<p>“They say the Toppletonians are down upon -Tommy; but I am inclined to think the feeling is -worse on our side than on yours. Waddie is the most -unpopular fellow on our side of the lake.”</p> - -<p>“I have often wondered how you fellows, whose -fathers are rich men, could let Waddie lord it over you -as he does. My father is a poor man, but I can’t -stand it.”</p> - -<p>“They won’t stand it much longer,” replied Dick, -shaking his head. “Our fellows have had about -enough of it.”</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?” I inquired.</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t exactly know, and, if I did, I suppose -it would not be prudent to tell you,” laughed Dick.<span class="pagenum">[33]</span> -“They are going to turn him out of office, for one -thing.”</p> - -<p>“I think that would do him good. That same thing -will happen to Tommy Toppleton at the next election.”</p> - -<p>“Waddie got into a row the other day with a lot of -fellows that don’t belong to the institute. He undertook -to drive them off the ground where they were -playing, near the town school. They wouldn’t go, and -one of them, a plucky little fellow, spoke his mind -pretty freely to him. Waddie and one of his cronies -caught him the next day and gave him a cowhiding. -The town fellows mean to pay him off, and I know -they will.”</p> - -<p>“They will only get into trouble. Waddie’s father -will stand by him,” I added.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what they mean to do.”</p> - -<p>“What did Waddie want to drive the town fellows -off the ground for?” I inquired.</p> - -<p>“They were playing ball, and Waddie wanted the -ground to have a game with his friends.”</p> - -<p>“Whose ground was it?”</p> - -<p>“It was the piece of land called the school pasture, -and belongs to the town. You know where it is.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[34]</span></p> - -<p>“I know the place.”</p> - -<p>“One party had just as good a right to the ground -as the other; but you know how Waddie does things. -If he wants anything he takes it, and makes a row if -everybody don’t yield to him.”</p> - -<p>“That’s his style.”</p> - -<p>“But don’t say anything about what I’ve said, please. -If anything happens to Waddie, it will be laid to these -fellows.”</p> - -<p>“They ought to have been smart enough to keep -still themselves,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“One of them told me about it in confidence. I -shouldn’t have said anything to you, if you lived on -our side now.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t say anything.”</p> - -<p>I was not likely to think anything more about it, -and still less to meddle with the affair.</p> - -<p>“We are tired of this thing on our side of the lake,” -continued Dick. “If we had twenty fellows that would -serve Waddie as you did to-day, when he pitched into -you, we might make a decent fellow of him after a -while. For my own part, I don’t mean to take a word -of lip from him. If he insults me, I shall give him as<span class="pagenum">[35]</span> -good as he sends. Indeed, I have done so once or -twice, and he hates me like poison for it.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think you make anything by using hard -words.”</p> - -<p>“What do you do, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think that abusive language does me any -harm, and I mean to be good-natured, whatever happens; -though, when it comes to hitting me in the face, -and giving me a bloody nose, I can’t quite stand that, -and I defend myself as vigorously as I know how. I -think a fellow can be a gentleman without putting his -neck under anybody’s heel.”</p> - -<p>I landed Dick Bayard at Centreport, and stood over -to the other side of the lake. I moored the <em>Belle</em> in a -little bay not far from my father’s house, and went -home to report my good fortune.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[36]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">IN THE PICNIC GROVE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Of course I thought of but little except my boat -after she came into my possession, and before the day -closed I had exhibited her to all who felt an interest -in such matters. My father was delighted with her, -and congratulated me on the bargain I had made. -Tom Walton declared that the <em>Belle</em> was the finest -craft on the lake. Before night, so thoroughly had -my boat been talked up in Middleport, I had a party -engaged for the next day, to visit the fishing-grounds.</p> - -<p>After seeing the boat, and discussing the matter -with my father, I had the conscience to fix the price -of her at seven dollars a day, which included my own -services. When a gentleman spoke of engaging her -for a week or more, I told him he should have her for -five dollars a day for any longer period than three -days.</p> - -<p>The weather was very warm and pleasant for October, -and my first trip to the fishing-grounds was a -great success. My party were delighted with the boat,<span class="pagenum">[37]</span> -and I did all I could to make them comfortable. The -gentlemen had a good time, and spoke so favorably -of the <em>Belle</em> and of me, that the person who proposed -to go for a week closed the bargain with me, and I was -engaged to start on Monday morning. I was in a fair -way to get back, before the season closed, what I had -paid for the boat.</p> - -<p>On Saturday I had no engagement; but I found it -quite impossible to keep out of the <em>Belle</em>. I intended -to go on an exploring expedition up the lake, in order -to find some good landing-places. I went after Tom -Walton, to give him an invitation to accompany me; -but I found he was at work for a day or two in one of -the stores. The wind blew quite fresh from the northwest, -and the lake was tolerably rough, which made -me the more desirous of testing the qualities of the -<em>Belle</em>.</p> - -<p>While I was reefing down the mainsail, I saw the -<em>Highflyer</em> pass the Narrows, headed up the lake. This -was Waddie Wimpleton’s boat. She was about the -size of the <em>Belle</em>, and I could not see why the young -gentleman wanted the latter. The <em>Highflyer</em> would -certainly have satisfied me, though in the course of the<span class="pagenum">[38]</span> -day I was better informed in regard to his motives. -Waddie had reefed his mainsail, and was going at a -rapid rate up the lake.</p> - -<p>I had no wish to come into collision with him, -though I was rather anxious to know which boat could -make the best time. He was alone; indeed, I had -often noticed that he sailed without any company; -and, as neither of the institutes was in session on -Saturdays, I had often seen him bound up the lake on -that day. He had the reputation of being a good -boatman, and certainly he had had experience enough -to qualify him to act in that capacity.</p> - -<p>I cast off the moorings of the <em>Belle</em>, and stood out -into the lake, where I could get the full benefit of the -wind. Waddie was some distance ahead of me; but -I soon saw that his eye was upon me. I intended to -keep well over on the west side of the lake, so as to -avoid him. I needed not the express declaration he -had made to assure me that he hated me, and that he -would use all possible means to annoy and punish me. -Although I was not afraid of him, I did not wish to -afford him any opportunity to gratify his malignity -upon me.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[39]</span></p> - -<p>He sailed the <em>Highflyer</em> very well. Every minute -he glanced at the <em>Belle</em>, to ascertain what progress she -was making. Probably he supposed that I had put off -for the sole purpose of racing with him, which, however, -was not true, though I was very glad of a chance -to measure paces with him. Neither of us was obliged -to wait long for a decided result, for in half an hour -from the time I started, the two boats were abreast of -each other, though still half a mile apart. Then the -reason why he wished to purchase the <em>Belle</em> was apparent. -She was faster than the <em>Highflyer</em>; and Waddie -did not enjoy being beaten by any boat on the -lake.</p> - -<p>Though I was not near enough to observe the effect -upon him, I had no doubt he was foaming and fuming -with wrath at the audacity of a poor boy like me, who -ventured to beat him. While I was walking by him -with perfect ease, he threw his boat up into the wind, -and turned out the reef in the mainsail. The wind -was freshening every hour, and I regarded this as a -very imprudent step on his part. In fact, I began to -feel that I might, in some way, be held responsible for -any disaster which should happen to him, if by racing<span class="pagenum">[40]</span> -with him I goaded him on to any rashness. I therefore -came about, and began to beat down the lake, to -assure him that I was not inclined to race under whole -sail in such a blow.</p> - -<p>When he had shaken out his reef, however, he gave -chase to me. The <em>Highflyer</em> labored heavily in the -rough waves, and I was not sure that the duty of -rescuing her rash skipper from a watery grave would -not soon devolve upon me. He followed, and having -all sail on his boat, he gained upon me on the wind. -At this rate he would soon be crowing over me, and, -the reputation of the <em>Belle</em> would be injured. I was -averse to being beaten, even under a reefed mainsail. -I let out my sheet, and stood over toward the eastern -shore. Waddie followed me, and as I could not now -decline the race on his terms, I soon headed the <em>Belle</em> -up the lake.</p> - -<p>By the time I had laid my course, the <em>Highflyer</em> was -abreast of me. Now both of us had the wind on the -quarter. A boat on the wind, with all sail set, can be -better handled than when going before it. I saw the -<em>Highflyer</em> plunging down deep into the waves; but I<span class="pagenum">[41]</span> -suppose Waddie had not learned that a boat overpressed -in a blow does not make any better time than -one carrying just sail enough to make her go comfortably, -without wasting her headway in dives and -plunges. On this tack he no longer gained upon me. -On the contrary, it was soon evident that the <em>Belle</em> -was running away from him. My boat was good for -at least one more mile in five than the <em>Highflyer</em>.</p> - -<p>I ran away from Waddie, and went up the lake as -far as Gulfport. I soon lost sight of him, and I concluded -that he had made a landing somewhere on the -shore. It was too rough to explore the coast, for the -wind was driving the waves upon the rocks and -beaches with savage power, and it was not prudent -to go too near the land. I put the <em>Belle</em> about, and -commenced beating down the lake. I thought no -more of Waddie, my mind being wholly taken up in -sailing my boat, and in the pleasant anticipation of -making a profitable thing of her.</p> - -<p>On the eastern shore of the lake, between Centreport -and Gulfport, there was a wood, covering, perhaps, -a square mile of land. It was much used by picnic<span class="pagenum">[42]</span> -parties in the summer, and had a cook-house for -frying fish and making chowders. A rude landing-place -had been prepared for steamers, for the deep -water extended quite up to the shore. In the process -of beating the <em>Belle</em> down the lake, I ran her close up -to the pier off the grove. As I was coming about, I -heard a cry which seemed to indicate great distress. -I was startled by the sound; but, as there were neither -Indians nor wild beasts in the vicinity, I concluded -that I had mistaken the nature of the call.</p> - -<p>I was proceeding on my course when the cry was -repeated. It was certainly the sound of mingled anger -and distress. I threw the <em>Belle</em> up into the wind, and -listened. The cry was repeated, and I stood in toward -the shore. Passing the pier, I saw Waddie’s boat secured -to the logs. Just above the wharf there was a -little land-locked bay, into which I ran the <em>Belle</em>. The -cry of distress was not again repeated; but my curiosity -was fully aroused. I concluded that Waddie had -found some boy or girl, smaller and weaker than himself, -and was exercising the evil propensities of his -nature upon his victim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[43]</span></p> - -<p>I lowered my sails, and secured them. Fastening -the painter of the <em>Belle</em> to a tree, I walked toward the -cook-house, with the small boat-hook, not bigger than -a broom-handle, in my hand. I must say that I -dreaded a conflict of any description with Mr. Waddie. -There was no more reason in him than in a stone -wall, and he really delighted in torturing a victim. If -any one interfered to repress his cruelty, he took the -act as a personal insult, and regarded himself as oppressed -by not being allowed to exercise his malice -upon the weak.</p> - -<p>I walked cautiously toward the spot from which the -cry had come, for I wished to obtain a view of the -situation before I was seen myself. The trees were -large, and afforded me abundant concealment. Every -few moments I stopped to listen; and I soon heard -several voices, some of them peculiarly gruff and unnatural. -It was plain that Waddie and his victim -were not the only actors in the scene. Placing myself -behind a tree, I took a careful observation, and discovered -smoke rising among the branches; but I could -not yet see who the speakers were. Something was<span class="pagenum">[44]</span> -going on; but whether it was a comedy or a tragedy -I could not determine.</p> - -<p>I continued cautiously to approach the spot, and -soon gained a position where I could obtain a full view -of the scene. I had expected to find Waddie persecuting -some poor wretch. The “boot was on the -other leg.” The scion of the house of Wimpleton was -the victim, and not the oppressor. The world seemed -to be turned upside down. Waddie, divested of all -his clothing but his shirt and pants, was tied to a tree. -Near him a fire was snapping and crackling, while over -it hung a kettle. Although I was at the windward of -the fire, the odor which pervaded the woods assured -me that the kettle was filled with tar.</p> - -<p>Around the fire were four stout boys, rigged out in -fantastic garments, their faces covered with masks and -other devices to conceal their identity. Near the fire -lay a couple of bolsters, which, no doubt, were filled -with feathers. One of these fellows was stirring the -contents of the kettle, and another was replenishing -the fire, while the other two looked on. Who they -were I could form no idea, for their strange uniforms -completely disguised them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[45]</span></p> - -<p>Waddie looked like the very picture of hopeless -misery. I had never seen such an aspect of utter despair -on his face. He was as pale as death, and I -could even see the tremors of his frame as he trembled -with terror.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[46]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE BATTLE WITH WORDS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>I was not quite willing to believe that the four stout -fellows in the vicinity of the kettle really intended to -“tar and feather” Waddie Wimpleton. In the first -place, it was astounding that any one on the Centreport -side of the lake should have the audacity to conceive -such an outrage upon the sacred person of the -magnate’s only son. Why, the people generally held -the great man in about the same reverence as the -people of England hold their queen. The idea of committing -any indignity upon his person, or upon the persons -of any of his family, seemed too monstrous to be -entertained.</p> - -<p>I judged that the scene before me was the sequel to -the incident of which Dick Bayard had told me. But -the actors were Centreporters, and it was amazing to -think that even four boys in the whole town could -actually undertake to revenge themselves upon Mr. -Waddie. All that I had done in my quarrel with him<span class="pagenum">[47]</span> -was in self-defense, and the scene transpiring before -me was quite incomprehensible.</p> - -<p>Perhaps what Dick Bayard had told me in some -measure explained the situation. It was a fact that -the students of the Wimpleton Institute were in a -state of rebellion so far as Waddie was concerned, and -the influence of this spirit had doubtless extended -beyond the borders of the academy. If the Wimpletonians -were audacious enough to think of mutiny -against the young lordling, it was not strange that -others, not immediately associated with him, should -even outdo their own intentions.</p> - -<p>The particular school where Waddie had driven the -boys from their ball-grounds was near the outskirts of -the village, and was attended by the sons of some of -the farmers living far enough from the center of influence -to be in a measure beyond its sphere. After all, -perhaps it is really more singular that any American -boys could be found who would submit to the tyranny -and domineering of Waddie, than that a few should -be found who were willing to resist it to the last extremity.</p> - -<p>Strange as the phenomenon seemed to be to one<span class="pagenum">[48]</span> -who for years had witnessed the homage paid to -Waddie Wimpleton and Tommy Toppleton, the fact -was undeniable. The little magnate of Centreport -was there, bound fast to a tree. The young ruffians, -who were so intent upon retaliating for the injury -inflicted upon them, had probably lain in wait at this -unfrequented place, perhaps for several weeks. I had -heard the screams of their victim when they captured -him, and I was sure that he had not yielded without -a rugged resistance.</p> - -<p>The fire blazed under the tar-kettle, and the preparations -were rapidly progressing. I kept in my -hiding-place, and watched with breathless interest the -proceedings. So completely were the actors disguised -that I could not recognize a single one of them. So -far as Waddie was concerned, I could not be supposed -to have any deep interest in his fate. Perhaps the -humiliating and disgusting operation which the ruffians -intended to perform would do him good.</p> - -<p>I ought to say here that the newspapers, at about -this time, were filled with the details of such an indignity -inflicted upon an obnoxious person in another -part of the country. Probably some of these boys had<span class="pagenum">[49]</span> -read the account, and it had suggested to them a -suitable punishment for Waddie. I had seen the narrative -myself, but only with contempt for the persecutors, -and sympathy for their victim.</p> - -<p>Certainly these boys had no right to inflict such an -outrage upon Waddie. Though he had been no friend -of mine, and though, on the contrary, he gloried in -being my enemy, I pitied him. If I did anything for -him, it would be just like him to kick me the next day -for my pains. I had stumbled upon the scene by accident, -but it seemed to me that I had a duty to perform—a -duty from which my unpleasant relations -with the victim did not absolve me.</p> - -<p>Should I interfere to prevent this indignity? My -mother was not present, but it seemed to me that I -could hear her voice saying to me, in the gentlest of -tones, “Love your enemies.” I saw her before me, -reading from the New Testament the divine message. -Then she seemed to look up from the book, and say to -me, “Wolfert, if Christ could forgive and bless even -those who sought to slay Him, can you not lift one of -your fingers to help one who has wronged you?”</p> - -<p>The duty seemed to be very plain, though I could<span class="pagenum">[50]</span> -not help thinking that Waddie would insult me the -next moment after I had served him, just as Tommy -Toppleton had done when I rescued him from his captors -on the lake. No matter! I must do my duty, -whether he did his or not. I was responsible for my -own actions, not for his.</p> - -<p>This conclusion was happily reached; but then it -was not so easy to act upon its behests. Four stout -fellows were before me, either of whom was a full -match for me. What could I do against the whole of -them? Perhaps nothing; perhaps I could not save -Waddie from his fate; but it was none the less my -duty to try, even at the expense of some hard knocks. -I had the little boat-hook in my hand. It was an insignificant -weapon with which to fight four times my -own force. But somehow I felt that I was in the -right; I felt the inspiration of a desire to do a good -deed, and I had a vague assurance that help would in -some manner come to me, though from what direction -I could not imagine, for at this season of the year few -people ever visited the picnic grove.</p> - -<p>Leaving the shadow of the tree, which had concealed -me from the young ruffians, I walked boldly<span class="pagenum">[51]</span> -toward them. The tramp of my feet on the crackling -sticks instantly attracted their attention. To my great -satisfaction they suddenly retreated into a little thicket -near the tar-kettle.</p> - -<p>“Save me, Wolf! Save me!” cried Waddie, in -tones of the most abject despondency. “Save me, and -I will be your best friend.”</p> - -<p>I did not believe in any promises he could make; -but I directed my steps toward him, with the intention -of releasing him.</p> - -<p>“Stop!” shouted one of the boys, in a singularly -gruff voice, which afforded me no clue to the owner’s -identity.</p> - -<p>I halted and looked toward the thicket.</p> - -<p>“It’s only Wolf Penniman,” said one of the party, -who spoke behind the mask that covered his face. -“It’s all right. He’ll help us do it.”</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?” I demanded, pretty -sharply.</p> - -<p>“We are only paying off Waddie. Will you help -us, Wolf?” replied one of the conspirators.</p> - -<p>“No, certainly not. You have no right to meddle -with him.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[52]</span></p> - -<p>“Well, we are going to do it, whether we have -any right or not. We will tar and feather him, as sure -as he lives.”</p> - -<p>“Who are you?” I asked innocently.</p> - -<p>“No matter who we are. Has Waddie any right to -insult us? Has he any right to cowhide a fellow -smaller than he is, within an inch of his life?”</p> - -<p>“No; but two wrongs don’t make a right, anyhow -you can fix it. Don’t you think it is mean for four -great fellows like you to set upon one, and abuse -him?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“It isn’t any meaner than what Waddie did, anyhow. -We mean to teach him that he can’t trample -upon us fellows, and drive us around like slaves. We -have stood this thing long enough, and we mean to -show him that the knife cuts both ways,” replied the -fellow with the gruffest voice.</p> - -<p>“I don’t see it. I haven’t any doubt Waddie has -imposed upon you; but I think he has used me as -badly as he ever did any other fellow. I don’t believe -in this sort of thing.”</p> - -<p>“I never will do it again, Wolf, if you will save me -this time,” pleaded poor Waddie, in piteous tones.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[53]</span></p> - -<p>“Well, it’s none of your business, Wolf Penniman, -and you can leave,” added the speaker.</p> - -<p>“I think you had better let Waddie go this time. -I’ll go bail for him, if you will,” I continued good-naturedly, -for I was not disposed to provoke a conflict -with the ruffians.</p> - -<p>“Not if we know it! We have watched too long to -catch him to let him go now,” replied the gruff-toned -ruffian, emerging from the bushes, followed by his -companions.</p> - -<p>They halted between Waddie and me, and I tried to -make out who they were; but they were so effectually -disguised that all my scrutiny was baffled. I have -since come to the conclusion that I had never been -acquainted with them, and so far as I know, no one -ever found out who they were. I resorted to the most -persuasive rhetoric in my power to induce the boys -to forego their purpose; but they were obdurate and -inflexible. I tried to give them a Sunday-school lesson, -and they laughed at me. I endeavored to point out -to them the consequences of the act, assuring them -that Colonel Wimpleton would leave no measure untried -to discover and punish them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[54]</span></p> - -<p>“We’ll risk all that,” replied the leading ruffian impatiently. -“Now, dry up, Wolf Penniman. We don’t -wish any harm to you; but you shall not spoil this -game. Come, fellows, bring up the tar-kettle.”</p> - -<p>The wretch went up to Waddie, whose hands were -tied behind him, and began to pull off his shirt. The -unhappy victim uttered the most piercing screams, -and struggled like a madman to break away from the -tree.</p> - -<p>“This thing has gone far enough,” I interposed indignantly, -as a couple of the rascals took the tar-kettle -from the fire, and began to carry it towards the -tree.</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do about it?” blustered the -chief of the party.</p> - -<p>“I am going to stop it,” I replied smartly.</p> - -<p>“I guess not! If you don’t take yourself off, we’ll -give you a coat of the same color.”</p> - -<p>I rushed up to the two boys who were carrying the -kettle, and began to demonstrate pretty freely with -the boat-hook. They placed their burden on the -ground, and stood by to defend it. I hooked into it -with my weapon, and upset it.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[55]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE BATTLE WITH BLOWS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The gruff-voiced conspirator rushed furiously toward -me, and I retreated a few paces. The two in -charge of the tar-kettle picked it up, and saved a portion -of its contents. My heavy assailant was roused -to a high pitch of anger by the opposition I made to -his plans, and seemed to be disposed to proceed to extremities. -He had picked up a club, and continued to -advance. Once or twice he made a pass at me with -his weapon, but I dodged the blow.</p> - -<p>I was not angry, and I was cool. I saw that my foe -was clumsy, if he was stout. As he threw his heavy -cow-hide boots about, he reminded me of an elephant -dancing a hornpipe. I saw two or three chances to hit -him, but I refrained from doing so, for I did not want -a broken head upon my conscience.</p> - -<p>“Come here, Martin!” shouted he to one of his fellow-conspirators; -and this was the only name I heard -used during the whole of the strife.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[56]</span></p> - -<p>“Why don’t you knock him?” demanded the person -called, as he sprang forward to assist the big fellow.</p> - -<p>I continued to retreat, and intended to fall back upon -my boat for protection; but the second assailant got in -behind me, and presently I saw more stars than I was -anxious to behold in broad daylight. I concluded that -I was a fool to indulge in squeamishness on such an -occasion, when my head was in danger of being “caved -in” by the heavy blows of the rascals. Besides, the -rap I had received had a tendency to rouse my ire; in -fact, it did rouse it; and at the next convenient opportunity, -I struck the big fellow a smart blow on the -head. Evidently it hit him in a tender place, for he -dropped flat upon the ground.</p> - -<p>I was alarmed at this catastrophe, and fortunately -the second assailant was affected in the same way. I -had secured a position where I could not be attacked -in the rear, and having disposed of the heaviest of my -foes, I turned upon the other. The fate of his companion -was a salutary lesson to him, and he retired to -the side of the fallen champion.</p> - -<p>But the big fellow was not so badly damaged as I -had feared. He was not even stunned, and soon<span class="pagenum">[57]</span> -sprang to his feet, rubbing his head, and endeavoring -to collect his scattered ideas. My own head felt as -though a cannon-ball had dropped upon it. I took off -my cap and examined the place with my hand. There -was a big “bump” on the side of my head to certify -the damage I had received.</p> - -<p>“Come up here, fellows!” shouted the leader in the -enterprise, with a savage oath, when he had in some -measure recovered from the shock of the blow I had -given him.</p> - -<p>They arranged their disguises anew, and held a -consultation. I could not hear what they said, but I -knew that I was the subject of their remarks. Each -of them then provided himself with a club, and I -realized that they intended to make an organized attack -upon me. If they captured me, my chances of -being tarred and feathered were about as good as -those of Waddie. It would have been the most prudent -thing I could do to retire from the field, and permit -the party to carry out their vicious purpose upon -the little magnate of Centreport. Though I had been -“punished” as much as I cared for, I felt so much -interest in the affair that I was not willing to leave.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[58]</span></p> - -<p>I saw two of the party, who had not before been -engaged, start at a smart run, with the evident intention -of getting between me and the water. I broke -into a run myself, and made for the boat. Jumping -on board, I pushed her off far enough to save me from -molestation. But then I observed that the other two -ruffians had not engaged in the pursuit. The two who -had done so stationed themselves on the bank of the -lake, and appeared to be so well satisfied that I began -to think something was wrong.</p> - -<p>Suddenly it flashed upon my mind that the big fellow -intended to outwit me; that he and his companion -would do the dirty job while my two guards kept me -at a safe distance. Having put my hand to the plow, -I had too much pride, if not principle, to permit myself -to be outflanked in this manner. As the case now -stood, the big ruffian had won the battle. I was disgusted -with myself, and hastened to retrieve the mistake -I had made. I pushed the boat in toward the -shore, and my two sentinels stepped down to meet me.</p> - -<p>“That’s a fine boat you have, Wolf,” said one of -them good-naturedly, as he leaped on the half-deck.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[59]</span></p> - -<p>The other one followed him, and I deemed it wise -to pick up my boat-hook.</p> - -<p>“She is fine enough,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Will you let us look at her?” said the speaker, -winking at the other.</p> - -<p>What did he wink for? That was what I wanted -to know. Why were they so good-natured? It was -not a very difficult problem, after all. Why should -they not be good-natured, if they could keep me where -I was while their companions did their vile work upon -Waddie? They were smart—they were!</p> - -<p>“Certainly you may look at her, if you like,” I replied -very pleasantly, all of a sudden, for I intended -to be as smart as I could.</p> - -<p>“They say you are a first-rate fellow, Wolf,” continued -the one who had first stepped on board, as he -jumped down into the standing-room, where I was.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I am!”</p> - -<p>“I can’t see why you stick up for such a mean boy -as Waddie Wimpleton.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t stick up for him. I only like to see a fellow -have fair play,” I replied, seating myself, as -though I had nothing more to desire or hope for.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[60]</span></p> - -<p>“He don’t give anybody fair play. This is about -the best boat I ever saw,” the speaker added, as he -looked into the little cabin.</p> - -<p>“She is first-rate,” I answered carelessly.</p> - -<p>“Cabin, beds, carpet, stove.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and there is a chance to set a table there,” I -went on, after the second guard had contrived to push -the boat away from the shore, as he supposed, without -attracting my attention. “Go in, if you like, and I -will show you how we dine on board of the <em>Belle</em>.”</p> - -<p>I spoke with becoming enthusiasm about the boat -and her fixtures, and I think my guests believed that -they had drawn away my attention from Waddie. At -any rate, the first speaker went into the cabin, and, -at my suggestion, the second one followed him.</p> - -<p>“Now, do you see that board which is turned up -against the mast?” I proceeded, as I pointed to the -table.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I see it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, just turn the button and let it down.”</p> - -<p>It stuck pretty tight, as I knew it would, and both -of them took hold to lower the board. While they<span class="pagenum">[61]</span> -were thus engaged, I drew the slide and banged the -doors to, before they suspected what I was doing. -Slipping in the padlock, I locked it, and while my -guards were turning the table in the cabin, I performed -the same office outside. They were prisoners, -and I felt that I might reasonably expect to find them -where I had left them. They might damage the -cabin of the <em>Belle</em>, but that was all they could do.</p> - -<p>I hauled the boat in, and, as I leaped on shore, I -heard another piercing scream from Waddie, which -assured me that the tragedy had been renewed. I -leaped on the land, and, with the boat-hook still in -my hand, hastened to the scene of active operations. -As I approached the spot I saw the two ruffians tearing -Waddie’s clothes from his back, in readiness to -apply the tar-swab. The wretched victim screamed -piteously. I saw that I had no time to trifle with -the affair. I decided to be the aggressor this time. -I rushed furiously at the big fellow whom I had hit -before. He did not see me till I was within fifty feet -of him. He had laid aside his club, and I “pitched -in.” I dealt him a heavy blow on the side of his -head, and he retreated to the place where he had left<span class="pagenum">[62]</span> -his weapon. I made at the other one then; but the -terrors of the boat-hook were too much for him, and -he fled to obtain his club.</p> - -<p>While they were falling back upon their ammunition -I took my knife from my pocket, and, rushing up -to the tree, cut the cord which confined Waddie. He -was free; but his hands were still tied together. I -told him to follow me; and, gaining a moment’s time, -I released his hands.</p> - -<p>“I’ll never forget this, Wolf,” said he. “I will not, -as true as I live.”</p> - -<p>“We haven’t got out of the scrape yet. Pick up -that stick, and keep close to me. We must fight it -out now.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll fight as long as I can stand,” he replied resolutely.</p> - -<p>The fellow with the gruff voice swore like a pirate -when he saw that Waddie was free, and he and his -companion immediately gave chase to us. I had no -longer any reason to fight, and I was not disposed to -do so, except in self-defense; but I was determined to -bring off Waddie unharmed, whatever happened.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[63]</span></p> - -<p>We made a détour toward my boat, closely pursued -by the two ruffians, now foaming with rage at -the failure of their wicked scheme. We outran them, -and soon had placed a sufficient distance between us -and them to justify a halt. But we were not a great -way from the boat.</p> - -<p>“What has become of the other two fellows?” asked -Waddie, puffing under the exhaustion of his hard -run.</p> - -<p>“They are safe,” I replied; and involuntarily I put -my hand into my pocket, to search for the key of the -padlock on the cabin slide.</p> - -<p>“Where are they?”</p> - -<p>“In my boat, locked up in the cabin.”</p> - -<p>I continued to fumble in my pockets for the key; -but I could not find it, and the conclusion was forced -upon me that I had stupidly left it in the lock. If my -two guards could not release themselves, this service -could easily be performed by their associates. I had -made a bad mistake; though, after all, the blunder -would only save them the trouble of breaking the -lock, and otherwise damaging the boat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[64]</span></p> - -<p>I found that keeping still was the best method of -baffling our pursuers, since they had evidently lost -sight of us. I heard their voices, but the sound receded, -and it was plain that they were moving toward -the lake.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[65]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">WADDIE AND I.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>As nearly as I could judge in our place of concealment, -the big fellow, who was the leading spirit of -the conspirators, had been careful to keep the inside -line of retreat from the tar-kettle to the boat. -Of course, he expected us to retire in that direction; -but when we distanced him in the chase he had moved -directly to the water-side, while I had swept around -in a much larger circle. As soon as he lost sight of -us in the thick undergrowth, which had only been -cut away on a few acres composing the picnic-grounds, -he had made the shortest line for the boats.</p> - -<p>“Where is your boat, Wolf?” asked Waddie, who -was actually trembling with apprehension, though I -could not blame him for being alarmed, since the villains -were still on his track, and still intent upon -subjecting him to the degrading ordeal.</p> - -<p>“It lies about a quarter of a mile below yours, at -the wharf,” I replied to my trembling companion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[66]</span></p> - -<p>“What shall we do?”</p> - -<p>“We must keep still for a little while, till we see a -good chance to reach the boat.”</p> - -<p>“I am cold, Wolf,” said he.</p> - -<p>Perhaps he offered this as an explanation of his -shaking condition; but, although the weather was -pleasant for the season, it was still chilly enough to -render thick clothing quite comfortable. Above his -boots the poor fellow had on nothing but his shirt -and pants, and the former had been torn half-off by -the wretches who persecuted him. I took off the -heavy jacket I wore, and gave it to him.</p> - -<p>“You will be cold yourself, Wolf,” said he, with a -degree of consideration of which I did not believe -him capable.</p> - -<p>“No; I can get along very well. Put it on.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Wolf; you are very kind.”</p> - -<p>Those were amazing words to be uttered by him -to me! But his father had been even more gentle, -and had apparently forgotten all about me in a few -days. He put on my coat, which fitted him very -well, and I buttoned it up to the throat for him. He -declared that it “felt good”; and I have no doubt it<span class="pagenum">[67]</span> -did, for the driving wind upon his bare shoulders must -have been anything but comfortable.</p> - -<p>“Do you know any of those fellows?” asked -Waddie.</p> - -<p>“I do not. I heard the big fellow call one of the -others Martin, but I haven’t the least idea who any -of them are. I suppose they belong on your side of -the lake, and I haven’t seen much of the fellows there -lately,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Do you think they belong to our institute?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe they do. They are coarser, rougher -fellows than the students on either side.”</p> - -<p>“I should like to know who they are,” added -Waddie, compressing his lips and shaking his head. -“But whoever they are, if they don’t have to suffer for -this, you may set me down for a ninny.”</p> - -<p>“I think we had better get out of the scrape before -we say much about punishing them. I am inclined to -believe that big fellow will suffer from a sore head -for a few weeks to come. I cracked him hard with -this boat-hook.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps this sore head will enable us to find out -who he is.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[68]</span></p> - -<p>“I hope so; but these fellows have been pretty -cunning. I heard one of them say they had been on -the watch for you several weeks.”</p> - -<p>“I was a fool to come ashore here.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know why you were, unless you suspected -something of this kind.”</p> - -<p>“I hadn’t the remotest suspicion of anything. I -don’t know of any reason why they should wish to -treat me in this manner. I haven’t done anything to -them.”</p> - -<p>“But you don’t know who they are.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I haven’t done anything to any fellows.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure of that, Waddie?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t remember anything.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t?” And it seemed very strange to me -that he had forgotten the facts related to me by Dick -Bayard.</p> - -<p>“No, I don’t. Do you think I would lie about it?” -retorted he, in a tone and manner which seemed quite -natural to me.</p> - -<p>“Didn’t you and some one else cowhide one of the -town fellows some time ago?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[69]</span></p> - -<p>“Oh, that was four or five weeks ago. It couldn’t -have anything to do with that.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it may. These fellows say they have -been on the lookout for you for weeks.”</p> - -<p>“I had forgotten about that,” said he, looking meditative, -and, I thought, chagrined. “But those fellows -insulted me, especially a young cub, who threatened -to thrash me. I gave him a dose the next day, which -I think he will remember when he wants to be impudent -to me.”</p> - -<p>“Precisely so! And I am only surprised that you -did not remember it yourself when you were tied to -that tree with the tar-kettle before you.”</p> - -<p>“Do you really believe that fellow is at the bottom -of this affair?” asked Waddie, knitting his brows.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know anything about it.”</p> - -<p>“But that fellow was smaller than any of these.”</p> - -<p>“Of course, I can give you no information, for I -don’t know any of them. But we will talk over that -matter another time. You stay where you are, -Waddie, and I will take an observation.”</p> - -<p>I crept for some distance through the cow-path in -the underbrush, till I heard voices near the lake. I<span class="pagenum">[70]</span> -could not see the ruffians, but I judged by the sound -that they were moving toward the wharf where -Waddie’s boat was moored. I proceeded still farther -toward the lake, and, emerging from the bushes, I -discovered all four of the wretches on the wharf. -The two whom I had imprisoned in the cabin of the -<em>Belle</em> had broken out, as I had anticipated, or, possibly, -the other two had released them. I feared that they -had ruined, or badly damaged, my boat, and I was -very anxious about her.</p> - -<p>I hastened back to the spot where I had left Waddie, -and conducted him to a position near the open woods. -I did not think it expedient to exhibit ourselves yet, -and we waited an hour or more in our concealment. -I could not see Waddie’s persecutors. They did not -attempt any further pursuit. Probably they supposed -we had started on foot for Centreport, and, doubtless, -they deemed it proper to consider what steps were -necessary to insure their own safety, for they knew -very well that Colonel Wimpleton would turn out -the whole town in pursuit of them as soon as he heard -of the attempted outrage.</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon!” exclaimed Waddie, who<span class="pagenum">[71]</span> -was becoming very impatient after an hour’s anxious -waiting, “there they are, going off in my boat!”</p> - -<p>“Good!” I replied. “They couldn’t do anything -that would suit me better; that is, if they have not -sunk or smashed the <em>Belle</em>.”</p> - -<p>This thought gave me a severe pang, and I almost -groaned as I thought of my beautiful craft ruined -by these malignant wretches.</p> - -<p>“No matter if they have, Wolf. My father will -pay for making her as good as ever she was,” said -Waddie.</p> - -<p>“But I am engaged to go up the lake in her with a -party on Monday morning.”</p> - -<p>“We will pay all damages, so that you shall not -lose a penny. But I’ll bet you won’t want to go -up the lake next week in the <em>Belle</em>,” he added warmly.</p> - -<p>I did not care to follow up the significance of this -remark, for I had not much confidence in the fair-weather -promises of the Wimpletons. I judged that -he intended to do some great thing for me. Perhaps -he only flattered himself that he meant to be magnanimous -and generous. He was as impulsive in his loves -as in his hates; and, though he adhered to the latter<span class="pagenum">[72]</span> -with extraordinary tenacity, the former cooled off very -suddenly.</p> - -<p>“Do you suppose those fellows know how to handle -a boat?” I continued, as I saw Waddie’s sloop go out -into the lake under full sail.</p> - -<p>“I hope not,” replied he, with energy. “But I -wish they were in your boat, instead of mine, for -then they would go to the bottom if they upset her.”</p> - -<p>“I hope they won’t be drowned,” I added, as the -boat heeled over so that her gunwale went under.</p> - -<p>“I don’t care if they are.”</p> - -<p>“Be reasonable, Waddie.”</p> - -<p>“I am reasonable. What do you suppose I care -for the villains, after what they have done to me?”</p> - -<p>“Love your enemies, Waddie. Return good for -evil.”</p> - -<p>“It’s easy enough to talk; but I don’t believe much -in that sort of stuff.”</p> - -<p>“It isn’t stuff, Waddie. If I had acted on your -principle, you would have been tarred and feathered -before this time.”</p> - -<p>“You won’t lose anything by what you have done, -Wolf,” replied he rather sheepishly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[73]</span></p> - -<p>“I don’t expect to make anything by it.”</p> - -<p>“You will.”</p> - -<p>“That isn’t the idea. If I had acted on your plan, -I should have taken hold and helped those fellows -impose upon you. I don’t ask or expect anything for -what I have done. I have made enemies of these -chaps, whoever they are, for the sake of one who -drove me out of Centreport, hit me a crack in the -face the other day, and told me squarely that he hated -me.”</p> - -<p>“You wait, Wolf, and see what you will see.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t ask anything, and I won’t take anything -for what I have done. I only want you to have ideas -a little different about other people.”</p> - -<p>“It’s no use of talking; you may be a saint, but I -can’t be one,” said Waddie impatiently. “I think -those fellows will swamp the boat; but she has air-tanks, -and can’t sink.”</p> - -<p>“We needn’t stay here any longer. You can go up-town -in my boat. I think we may as well be ready to -pick those fellows up when they upset.”</p> - -<p>“I will try to find my clothes,” said Waddie, as he -moved off toward the tar-kettle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[74]</span></p> - -<p>I went down to my boat. She lay just as I had left -her, except that the two glass ports in the trunk of the -cabin were broken. The prisoners had evidently attempted -to reach the lock by thrusting their arms -through these apertures. Whether they succeeded or -not, or whether they were released by their companions -outside, I do not know. Beyond the breaking of -the glass, no injury had been done to the <em>Belle</em>. The -padlock and key were both there. I hoisted my reefed -mainsail, and stood up to the wharf, toward which -Waddie was now walking, with his coat and vest on -his arm.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[75]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE WRECK OF THE “HIGHFLYER.”</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When I ran the <em>Belle</em> out of the little inlet in which -I had moored her I found that the wind had been -increasing, and the waves were really quite savage. -My first solicitude was in regard to the ruffians in -Waddie’s boat; for, whatever they deserved in the -way of punishment, it was terrible to think of their -being engulfed in the raging waters. I soon obtained -a view of them. They had lowered the sail, and -were tossing madly about on the waves. Of course, -the craft was no longer under control, if it had been -since the rogues embarked in her, and she appeared to -be drifting rapidly toward the land.</p> - -<p>The line of the shore in this part of the lake extended -about northwest and southeast. Without -knowing anything at all about a boat, the conspirators -against the peace and dignity of Waddie Wimpleton -had run out from the wharf, keeping the wind on the -beam. Doubtless, the furious movements of the boat<span class="pagenum">[76]</span> -astonished them. It must have shaken them up to a -degree they had never before experienced; but they -were reckless fellows, and perhaps believed that this -was the ordinary behavior of a boat when the breeze -was fresh.</p> - -<p>They were not far from right in this respect; but -they ought to have known that a boat needs skilful -handling at such a time. They had continued on their -course about half-way across the lake. They did not -seem to know enough to ease off the sheet when the -heavy flaws came, or to “touch her up” with the -helm. When it came so heavy that they could stand -it no longer, they lowered the sail. A boat without -any sail on, even in a blow, is as bad as an unruly -horse without a bridle. She must have steerageway, -or she cannot be controlled. She was now in the -trough of the sea, rolling helplessly in the billows—now -dipping in the water on one side, and now on -the other.</p> - -<p>When I ran in at the pier Waddie jumped on -board of the <em>Belle</em>. He had put on his coat and vest, -but still complained that he was very cold. I had -some old coats in my cabin, which I offered to him,<span class="pagenum">[77]</span> -and, though they were not fashionable garments, he -was glad to avail himself of my wardrobe.</p> - -<p>“It blows heavier than ever, Waddie,” I said, while -he was putting on one of the ragged and weather-stained -overcoats.</p> - -<p>“If you can’t run up to town, I can go on shore and -walk up,” he replied, glancing at the angry lake.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I can go it, well enough; but I was thinking -of those fellows out there.”</p> - -<p>“I shall not waste much fine feeling upon them, you -had better believe!”</p> - -<p>“They have lowered the sail, and are rolling about -there like mud-turtles on a log. The boat must be -full of water.”</p> - -<p>“She will not sink, and as long as they hold on -they will be safe enough.”</p> - -<p>“I am not so sure of that, Waddie. They are drifting -like mad toward the rocky point above Gulfport. -If they run your boat on those sharp rocks, it will be -all day with them.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care for the boat.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t want her smashed—do you?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[78]</span></p> - -<p>“I don’t care if she is. She has been beaten, and, -if she should be smashed, my father would order another.”</p> - -<p>I did not care so much about the boat as I did about -the fellows in her. I did not wish to have even one -of them drowned before my eyes. I put on my coat, -and then pushed off from the wharf. In a few moments -we were in the thickest of it, and even the <em>Belle</em> -curtsied so low as to take in the “drink” over her -lee rail. But I eased her off so that she went along -very well, as any boat will when properly handled.</p> - -<p>“They are hoisting sail,” said Waddie.</p> - -<p>“So much the worse for them,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Have they reefed her?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think they know enough to do that.”</p> - -<p>“They have! What are you going to do?”</p> - -<p>“I am going to keep near enough to them to pull -them out of the water if they get overboard.”</p> - -<p>“They are running right before the wind, toward -the Gulfport point. I think they have had sailing -enough for one day. Let her out a little, Wolf; perhaps -we can ascertain who they are.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[79]</span></p> - -<p>“I think not. They will keep their faces covered -up while you are around; for being found out would -be almost as bad as being drowned to them.”</p> - -<p>The ruffians, probably seeing the sail on the <em>Belle</em> -reefed, found that they could do a similar thing with -their own canvas. They had fastened the reef-points -in some manner, and were running before the gale toward -the rocky point. I did not understand what -they intended to do; but it did not occur to me that -they would be stupid enough to attempt a landing on -a lee shore in such a sea as raged at the time. If -they had any common sense, it ought to have taught -them better.</p> - -<p>I let out the sheet, and gave chase. The <em>Belle</em> -leaped like a race-horse over the waves, tossing the -spray in bucketfuls over Waddie and myself. I -hoped to overhaul the <em>Highflyer</em> in season to warn the -ruffians of their danger. But they were half a mile -to leeward of me when the chase commenced, for I -did not think of pursuing them till they began to hoist -the sail. I thought it would be time enough to help -them when they called for assistance, as I was not<span class="pagenum">[80]</span> -quite sure they would not still subject my companion -to further indignities if they could catch him on shore.</p> - -<p>I was gaining rapidly on the <em>Highflyer</em>, under her -clumsy management, and if there had been half a mile -farther to run I should have come up with her. The -rascals in charge of her appeared to be profiting by -their experience. They were daring fellows, as their -intentions toward Waddie at the grove fully demonstrated, -and they did not exhibit any signs of fear, -though I could well believe they were not a little -anxious about the future. Probably they had discovered -that the <em>Highflyer</em> was a life-boat, for her -copper air-tanks were in plain sight in her forward -cuddy. To my mind it was a pity that such bold -fellows should be such consummate rascals, for so I -must call any persons who would tar and feather a -boy, under any circumstances.</p> - -<p>“What do you suppose they mean to do, Wolf?” -asked Waddie, beginning to be much excited by the -situation.</p> - -<p>“I think they intended to go up to Centreport in -your boat, but found they could not go against the -wind. They didn’t know how to beat her up. I<span class="pagenum">[81]</span> -believe they intend to get ashore now as quick as they -can.”</p> - -<p>“Do they mean to land on those rocks ahead of -them?”</p> - -<p>“I should judge that they did. They are not far -from them, either,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I may as well say good-by to the <em>Highflyer</em>, then.”</p> - -<p>“I shouldn’t wonder if you might say good-by to -some of those fellows, also,” I added, very anxious for -the result.</p> - -<p>Waddie said no more, and I did not then. Both of -us were bracing our nerves for the catastrophe, which -could not be postponed many minutes longer.</p> - -<p>“Boat, ahoy!” I shouted, with all the voice I could -command.</p> - -<p>“What do you want?” replied the gruff-toned fellow, -who, in the boat as on the shore, was the leading -spirit.</p> - -<p>“Keep off the shore, or you will all be drowned!” I -shouted.</p> - -<p>“No, you don’t!” answered back the chief conspirator.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[82]</span></p> - -<p>This reply, being interpreted, evidently signified that -the speaker did not mean to be caught or run down, -or in any other way vanquished by his pursuer.</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon!” exclaimed Waddie, -clinging to the side of the boat, “she is in for it!”</p> - -<p>“Keep off!” I shouted furiously; and by this time -the <em>Belle</em> was within five rods of the <em>Highflyer</em>.</p> - -<p>“Keep off yourself!” responded the gruff-toned -fellow; and I noticed they had all covered their faces -again.</p> - -<p>“You will lose your lives if you don’t keep off!” I -added, with all the energy I could throw into the -words.</p> - -<p>I found it necessary, at this exciting point of the -chase, to sheer off myself, lest a treacherous rock -should knock a hole in the <em>Belle</em>. At the same instant -the <em>Highflyer</em> rose on a wave, and then went -down on the sharp rocks, with so much force that her -bottom must have been completely stove in. I heard -the crash, and held my breath with anxiety for the -fate of the boys on board. They dropped down into -the water, which I could now see rose within her -nearly to the gunwales, and held on for life.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[83]</span></p> - -<p>The receding wave carried the wreck back, and another -lifted it up and jammed it down upon the jagged -rocks with tremendous force. It was built of light -material, and could not resist such a pounding for a -single instant. Her mast went by the board, and -she actually broke into pieces. The next wave that -swept over her forced two of the four boys out of -her, and pitched them into the water while the other -two held on to the fragments.</p> - -<p>“That’s rough!” gasped Waddie.</p> - -<p>“I hope they will get out of it; but we can’t do -anything for them,” I replied, with my heart in my -throat.</p> - -<p>I saw the two fellows who had been pitched out of -the boat making their way over the rocks to the dry -land. One of them limped, as though he had been -severely injured. By this time all of them had lost -their masks, or uncovered their faces; but they were -too far from me to be identified. The <em>Belle</em> was now -standing away from the scene of the thrilling event -close-hauled; but we watched the two boys on the -wreck, still fearful that the fierce waves might swallow -them up. The billows continued to drive the fragments<span class="pagenum">[84]</span> -nearer to the shore, till we saw the boys rush -through the water and make their escape.</p> - -<p>“That is the end of the <em>Highflyer</em>,” said Waddie. -I was thankful that it was not also the end of her late -crew.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[85]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON!</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>By this time the wind had increased to a tempest, -and never before had I seen such waves and such -spray on Lake Ucayga. I should not have been willing -to believe that any sea that ever raged on our -beautiful sheet of water could make such a complete -wreck of a boat, even with the aid of the rocks, as -that we had just witnessed. The <em>Highflyer</em> was as -thoroughly broken up as though the work had been -accomplished with axes and hammers, and the pieces -were driven far up on the rocky shore.</p> - -<p>The persecutors of Waddie had escaped; but they -had probably been as effectually frightened as any -four boys ever were before; and they were not likely -to go into the business of navigation again on their -own account very soon. They deserved a severe punishment; -but, on the whole, I was rather glad that -we had not been able to identify them, for the vengeance -of Waddie and his father was also so disproportionate<span class="pagenum">[86]</span> -to the offense that, in the present instance, -nothing less than absolute ruin of the ruffians, and -even of their families and friends, would appease the -wrath of the injured magnate and his son.</p> - -<p>The <em>Belle</em> behaved remarkably well. I was aware -of her stiff and stanch character before I bought her; -but she more than realized my expectations. She -was as buoyant as a feather, and lifted her head to -the seas as gracefully as though the tempest was her -natural element. She took in torrents of spray, but -she did not ship any water. Her mast bent like a -reed in the blast, and, of course, I had to favor her -when the heavy gusts struck her. Both Waddie and -myself were wet to the skin, and both of us were -shivering with the cold. It was not exactly pleasant, -therefore, however exciting it was.</p> - -<p>I ran the <em>Belle</em> out into the lake, and then, at a -single stretch, made the pier at the picnic grove, the -point from which we had started before. I was afraid -I should lose my mast, and I was not disposed to -cripple the boat merely to see what she could do. Behind -the pier we had tolerably smooth water, and I -decided to put another reef in the mainsail.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[87]</span></p> - -<p>“What are you going to do now, Wolf?” asked -Waddie, his teeth chattering as he spoke.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to put in one more reef, for I don’t -like to risk my mast,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Are you going to try to run down in the teeth -of this blow?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“I must get home myself, and get the boat home.”</p> - -<p>“I thought you ran in here to wait for better -weather.”</p> - -<p>“No; only to put in another reef.”</p> - -<p>“But I don’t know that I can quite stand this. I -am not afraid of anything, but I am half-frozen.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll warm you very soon, and you may go home -as comfortably as though you were in the cabin of the -<em>Ucayga</em>,” I replied. “We are in no particular hurry, -but I don’t think we shall see any better weather to-day.”</p> - -<p>I went into the cabin, and lighted the fire in the -little stove, which was filled with kindling-wood, ready -for the match. I rigged the little copper funnel on -the forward deck, and in that wind the draft was -so strong that the fire roared merrily in a few moments. -Having secured the mainsail, I joined Waddie<span class="pagenum">[88]</span> -in the cabin, closing the doors behind me. In less -than half an hour we had a temperature of at least -ninety degrees, and both of us were thawed out. We -took off our coats, and placed them near the stove. -We were as warm as toast, and though I did not announce -the fact, I believed that the <em>Belle</em> was a great -institution.</p> - -<p>“I had something to eat on board of the <em>Highflyer</em>,” -said Waddie; “but my dinner has gone to destruction -with the boat.”</p> - -<p>“I have some provisions on board, such as they are; -but I suppose they will not suit one who sits at your -father’s table.”</p> - -<p>“Anything will suit me, Wolf. I am not dainty -when I’m hungry; and I am as hungry as a bear.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m as hungry as a wolf.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose you are!” laughed Waddie, who appeared -to be conscious that I had made a pun, though -I did not regard it as a very savage one.</p> - -<p>I took from the locker under the berth on which -I sat a basket of “provender,” which my mother had -put up for me. For common sort of people, I thought<span class="pagenum">[89]</span> -we lived very well, and I was not ashamed to produce -the contents of my basket, even in the presence of the -little magnate of Centreport. I had some slices of -cold ham, some bread and butter, and an apple-pie. If -the crust of the latter was a little coarse and dark-colored, -it was still tender and healthful. I lowered -the table and arranged the food upon it, using the -dishes which constituted a portion of the boat’s furniture.</p> - -<p>Waddie did me the honor to say that my dinner -was quite as good, if not better, than that which he -had lost in the <em>Highflyer</em>, and he soon proved his -sincerity by eating a quantity which rather astonished -me, liberal feeder as I was. I am sure I relished the -meal all the more because he enjoyed it so much. I -should have added hot coffee to the feast, only we -had no milk, and both of us agreed that coffee would -not be coffee without this important addition.</p> - -<p>The dinner was finished. I cleared away the dishes -and restored the cabin to its usual order. By this -time we were quite dry, for an atmosphere of from -ninety to a hundred makes sharp warfare upon moist -garments. The heat was beginning to be oppressive<span class="pagenum">[90]</span> -to me, and I opened the slide a little way, to admit -the fresh air so abundant that day on the lake. I -took my coat and resumed my seat on the berth, for -the cabin was not high enough to permit a standing-posture. -Waddie sat opposite to me. He had been -in deep thought for some minutes, while I was making -my preparations to breast the storm again.</p> - -<p>I had put on my coat, and was buttoning it close -around my throat, to keep out the cold and the water, -when my companion startled me by a demonstration -as strange in him as it would have been in the Emperor -Napoleon, if I had been admitted to the sacred -precincts of the Tuileries. Suddenly he sprang forward -and reached out his right hand to me across -the table. I looked at it in bewildered astonishment, -and with a suspicion that Waddie had suddenly become -insane.</p> - -<p>“Will you take my hand, Wolf?” said he, in the -mildest of tones.</p> - -<p>“Certainly I will, if you desire it;” and I clasped -the offered member.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, I have been your enemy,” said he, still -retaining my hand. “I have hated you; I have used<span class="pagenum">[91]</span> -you meanly; I have despised you. Will you forgive -me?”</p> - -<p>“With all my heart, Waddie,” I replied, pressing his -hand. “I never laid up anything against you.”</p> - -<p>“Are we friends?” he asked earnestly.</p> - -<p>“We are.”</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon, Wolf, I shall stick to -you now like a brother! Oh, I’m in earnest, Wolf. -You needn’t smile at it!”</p> - -<p>“I think you are sincere.”</p> - -<p>“I know I am. It is not altogether because you got -me out of a bad scrape to-day that I say all this, but -because you behaved so handsomely after all my -meanness toward you. I don’t understand it yet, -Wolf. I don’t see how you could do it; but I know -it is so, and that’s enough for me. I wish I could -be like you.”</p> - -<p>“I hope you will be better than I am,” I modestly -replied.</p> - -<p>“I don’t ask to be any better than you are. All -the fellows like you—I mean all the decent fellows. -My father is rich, and yours is poor; but that don’t -seem to make any difference. The fellows on the<span class="pagenum">[92]</span> -other side would have mobbed Tommy Toppleton for -your sake if he hadn’t broken his leg. I don’t see -why they should like you so much better than Tommy. -Our fellows don’t seem to like me much better, though -I don’t see why they shouldn’t.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we will talk that over another time,” I -answered, not deeming it prudent to be entirely candid -with him.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to stick to you, Wolf, till the end of -time, and I’m going to take your advice, too, if you -will give it to me.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know that my advice will be worth much; -but if I can be of any service to you, Waddie, I shall -be very glad. I think we must get under way now.”</p> - -<p>“What shall I do?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing at all. Stay in the cabin and make yourself -as comfortable as possible. I can handle the <em>Belle</em> -without any assistance.”</p> - -<p>“But I want to talk with you some more.”</p> - -<p>“Well, we shall have time enough when we get -down to Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“I feel as though you had been the best friend I<span class="pagenum">[93]</span> -ever had in the world, and, by the great horn spoon! I -am going to be such a friend as you never had before.”</p> - -<p>“I wouldn’t make any rash promises, Waddie,” I -answered, smiling at his enthusiasm. “You had better -sleep on it.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to sleep on it. I have been your -enemy, but now I am your friend. If it hadn’t been -for me, you would have been running the <em>Ucayga</em> to-day.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t find any fault, though such a berth as that -would have suited me first-rate,” I continued, laughing; -but I confess I had but little confidence in my -new-made friend’s zeal in my favor.</p> - -<p>“It is not too late, Wolf, for my father and I are -disgusted with the management of the boat, and it is -high time something should be done.”</p> - -<p>“We will talk it over by and by,” I added, leaving -the cabin.</p> - -<p>I put another reef into the mainsail, cast off the -painter, which I had made fast to the pier, and pushed -off. In a moment the <em>Belle</em> was rolling and pitching<span class="pagenum">[94]</span> -in the heavy surges of the lake. With two reefs in -her mainsail she would not lie very close to the wind; -but I ran her across the lake, intending to work along -under the lee of the west shore, partially sheltered by -the high bank from the fury of the tempest.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[95]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">WADDIE IN A NEW CHARACTER.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Even as close-hauled as she could be under the -double-reefed mainsail, the <em>Belle</em> flew on her course; -but under this short sail she did not labor so heavily -as before, and I had no fear but that she would -make tolerably good weather of it. As I had anticipated, -I found comparatively smooth water under the -lee of the west shore; but, with two reefs in the mainsail, -I found it impossible to lie close enough to the -wind to avoid running out into the heavy sea.</p> - -<p>I decided to make a sheltered cove, and turn out the -last reef I had put in, satisfied that I could keep close -enough under this sail to avoid the savage sea in the -middle of the lake. Waddie was reclining upon one -of the berths, as comfortable as though he had been -in his father’s house, while I was again shivering with -the cold and wet to the skin. I supposed he was working -up his good resolutions. I never had much hope -of Waddie, his temper was so bad and his impulses<span class="pagenum">[96]</span> -so violent. On the other hand, it had always seemed -to me that a very little improvement would make a -good fellow of Tommy Toppleton. It was, therefore, -almost incredible that the former should be the first -to proclaim his good resolutions, and express a desire -to mend his character.</p> - -<p>Waddie’s impulses, whether good or evil, appeared -to be equally violent. It is true I had never before -heard him whisper a doubt that he was not, even -morally, the best young man in the vicinity; but his -demonstration seemed to be rather too enthusiastic to -endure for more than a day or two, or a week at the -most. Tommy Toppleton had never, I confidently believe, -soared to the elevation of making good resolutions. -If he had, there would have been hope of -him.</p> - -<p>My companion in the boat was engaged in deep -and earnest thought. I should not have known any -better what he was thinking about if he had told me -in so many words. In the face of his earnestness, -therefore, I could not help cherishing a slight hope -that he would do better—it was not a strong hope. -I determined to encourage him as much as I could,<span class="pagenum">[97]</span> -and in a gentle way make such suggestions to him -from time to time as his case seemed to require.</p> - -<p>After all, it was not so surprising that Waddie -should have his eyes opened by the exciting events -of that day. He had been thoroughly convinced that -he was not omnipotent; that there was such a thing -as retribution. Probably he was also aware of the -extent of the dislike with which the Wimpletonians regarded -him. He was no fool, and ordinary perception -would have enabled him to comprehend his relations -with his associates at the institute. I think he ought -to have known all that Dick Bayard had told me; -and possibly he was suspicious that his battalion and -the stockholders of his steamboat company intended -to mutiny against him. At any rate, he was conscious -of his own unpopularity; he had acknowledged -as much to me. He was in deep thought. I did not -disturb him.</p> - -<p>I turned out the reef, and Waddie still devoted -himself to his meditations. The <em>Belle</em> filled away -again, and in the shelter of the shore went along quite -easily. The change in the motion of the boat seemed<span class="pagenum">[98]</span> -to attract the attention of my passenger, and he -opened the slide, to see what was going on.</p> - -<p>“The wind has gone down, hasn’t it, Wolf?” said -he.</p> - -<p>“No; the sea is just as heavy out in the middle of -the lake as ever. We are under the lee of the shore -now.”</p> - -<p>“You seem to be quite comfortable. I think I will -come out, for I want to talk with you.”</p> - -<p>“It is pretty dry now. You will find some more -old coats under the port berth.”</p> - -<p>Waddie presently came out of the cabin, enveloped -in an old overcoat which my father had worn out. -He appeared to have something on his mind, of which -he was anxious to discharge himself. He took a seat -by my side; but, though the <em>Belle</em> was going along -tolerably well for such a day, he did not speak for -some time. Aware of his impulsive nature, I rather -expected to be appointed engineer or captain of the -<em>Ucayga</em>; for, as I have said before, he was the president -of the steamboat company, though his movements -were more effectually controlled than his rival -on the other side of the lake.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[99]</span></p> - -<p>“Wolf, I know you don’t like me very well,” said -he, at last, and with something like a troubled look on -his face.</p> - -<p>“Well, I can’t say that your conduct toward me -has been such as to make me love you very much. I -won’t be a hypocrite, Waddie,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“But what made you interfere when those fellows -were abusing me?” he asked, looking me full in the -face. “If you don’t like me, why did you risk a -broken head to save me? That’s what I want to -know.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know that I can explain my conduct very -well,” I answered, laughing. “I have always tried to -think kindly of those who wanted to injure me. I -thought that those fellows were doing an abominably -mean and wicked thing, and that it was my duty to -interfere. That’s really all I know about it.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t understand it. I was in hopes that, after -all I have done and said, you really did like me.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t dislike you.”</p> - -<p>“No matter; of course, I can’t blame you for not -liking me; but I want to begin anew. When I gave -you my hand, and wanted to be friends, I was in real<span class="pagenum">[100]</span> -earnest. I want you to be my friend, and stand by -me.”</p> - -<p>“Stand by you!” I exclaimed. “I can’t stand by -you unless you are in the right. I wouldn’t stand by -you after you, with another, had caught a small boy -and licked him.”</p> - -<p>Waddie bit his lips, and I thought he was going to -get mad, for what I had said was a home-thrust.</p> - -<p>“I was wrong in that, Wolf,” said he, with a -struggle, which was creditable to him, and which -raised him very much in my estimation.</p> - -<p>“You were, indeed; and that scrape was the father -of the one you got into to-day.”</p> - -<p>“I know it; and I am afraid there are other scrapes -in store for me. The institute fellows and the members -of our battalion are down upon me; so is the -steamboat company.”</p> - -<p>“Do you wish me to tell you just what I think, -Waddie?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“I certainly do.”</p> - -<p>“Even if it is not pleasant?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; say on.”</p> - -<p>“If I were in your place, Waddie, I would be the<span class="pagenum">[101]</span> -most popular fellow in the whole region round about -us. I would have every fellow like me, and stand by -me,” I continued earnestly, as the boat approached the -Narrows.</p> - -<p>“Well, I have tried to be.”</p> - -<p>“Have you, indeed!” I replied, laughing in spite of -myself at the absurdity of the proposition, though it -is very likely Waddie believed what he said, strange -as it may seem.</p> - -<p>“I have been president of the steamboat company, -major of the battalion; and I don’t see why the fellows -don’t like me.”</p> - -<p>“I will tell you candidly why they do not. Because -you think more of yourself than you do of any -other fellow. You are selfish and exacting. You -think every fellow ought to yield to you; and you -are tyrannical and overbearing toward them. That’s -what’s the matter, though I shouldn’t have said so if -you had not told me to do it.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think I am so bad as that?” said he, looking -moody and solemn, rather than angry, as I supposed -he would be.</p> - -<p>“I have told you just what I think. Look at it for<span class="pagenum">[102]</span> -yourself a moment. Go back to the time when you -blowed up that canal-boat. Do you think you treated -the skipper and his daughter just right? Then you -threatened to blow out my brains if I did not do as -you told me.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t say any more about that. I am willing to -own that I was wrong,” pleaded he.</p> - -<p>“Well, come down to a later day. At the auction -you commanded me not to bid on the <em>Belle</em>. You -pitched into me, tooth and nail, because I did bid. -You forbade my going on the <em>Ucayga</em>, just as Tommy -Toppleton ordered me not to ride on his railroad, -though I paid my fare in both instances. I don’t -rake up these things for any other purpose than to -prove what I said. You can’t expect any fellow to -like you if you conduct yourself in such a manner.”</p> - -<p>“What shall I do?”</p> - -<p>“Do anything but what you have done. Respect -the wishes and feelings, and especially the rights, of -others, whether they be poor or rich. I happen to -know myself that the institute fellows are down upon -you, and that they don’t mean to stand your domineering -and tyranny much longer.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[103]</span></p> - -<p>“What are they going to do?” he asked curiously.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure I don’t know; only that they mean mutiny, -in general terms. It is just the same on our -side of the lake. The Toppletonians intend to pull -Tommy down from his high places. At the last election -of officers they did elect another president, but -he declined to serve, though he was sorry enough -afterward that he did not stand.”</p> - -<p>“You talk plainly, Wolf,” continued Waddie seriously. -“I don’t think I’m quite so hard a fellow as -you make me out to be.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you just what I think, and just what others -think.”</p> - -<p>“You are my friend now—are you not, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“I will do everything I can for you; and if you -will do what is right I will stand by you to the end -of time.”</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon, I will do right if I know -how! You shall tell me what to do.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to tell you what to do. If you mean -right, you can’t very well go wrong.”</p> - -<p>“You will advise me, won’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly I will, if you wish me to do so.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[104]</span></p> - -<p>“What would you do now if you were in my place?”</p> - -<p>The arrival of the <em>Belle</em> at Centreport pier prevented -me from answering this question, though I -kept thinking of it while I was securing the boat to -enable Waddie to go on shore. But he was not willing -to part with me, and insisted so strongly that I -should go up to “his house” with him that I could -not refuse. He clung to me like a brother, and I was -confident that he intended then to mend his manners, -whether he held out in the resolution or not. I lowered -my sail, and walked up the street with him.</p> - -<p>I went to his house, and the visit was productive -of the most important results.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[105]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">A STEAMBOAT STRIKE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>While I was walking with Waddie from the pier -to his father’s house, I deemed it necessary to ask -myself whether or not I was “toadying” to the son -of the rich man of Centreport. I should have despised -myself if I had believed such was the case. Both -my father and myself were determined to be independent, -in the true sense of the word. We had discussed -the meaning of the word, and reached the -conclusion that genuine independence was not impudence, -a desire to provoke a quarrel, or anything of -that kind. We agreed that the term was often misunderstood -and abused.</p> - -<p>But true independence was a genuine self-respect, -which would not allow its possessor to cringe before -the mighty, or to sacrifice honor and integrity for the -sake of money or position. Doubtless both of us had -been guilty, to some extent, of this subserviency; but -we were determined not to fall below our standard<span class="pagenum">[106]</span> -again. Colonel Wimpleton and Major Toppleton had -money and influence; but we had skill and labor. -We could do without them quite as well as they could -do without us. Avoiding all conspiracies, all impudence, -and all intentions to quarrel, we meant to maintain -our own self-respect. If neither of the great -men wanted us, we could go elsewhere, and “paddle -our own canoe” to our own satisfaction.</p> - -<p>I may say that my father and I had made a kind -of compact of this nature; and when I found myself, -to my great astonishment, and almost to my chagrin, -to be hand and glove with Waddie, I began to suspect -that I had been sacrificing myself to the mammon -of influence. But a little reflection assured me I was -not guilty of the charge. I had saved my new friend -from a disgraceful and humiliating ordeal only from -a sense of duty, and not with the intention of “currying -favor” with him. I had told him, fairly and -squarely, what I thought of him, and what others -thought of him. As I considered what I had said to -him I found no occasion to reproach myself. On the -contrary, so far as appearances went, I had converted -Waddie from the error of his ways.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[107]</span></p> - -<p>My companion was gentle and kind to me. He -acted like an altered person—using no harsh or bullying -language and appearing to be only anxious to -ascertain what was right, in order that he might do it. -I followed him into his father’s library, where a cheerful -fire blazed in the grate, and we seated ourselves -before it. I had hardly ever been in this room before, -though I had frequently visited the major’s library.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, just as the <em>Belle</em> came up to the pier I -asked what you would do if you were in my place,” -said Waddie, after we had comfortably disposed ourselves -in the cushioned armchairs. “You did not answer -me.”</p> - -<p>“You ask me hard questions, Waddie,” I replied, -laughing. “I do know what I should do if I were -in your place, but I do not like to set myself up as -your adviser.”</p> - -<p>“I ask you to do it. I will thank you for it.”</p> - -<p>“I will tell you what I think, and then you can do -as you like. I can give you advice; but you are not -obliged to follow it, you know.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[108]</span></p> - -<p>“Don’t you be so afraid to speak, Wolf!” added -Waddie rather impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Well, then, in the first place, I should make my -peace with all the fellows, whether in the institute -or not.”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to do that; but the thing of it is, how -to do it.”</p> - -<p>“You have been riding a high horse. You are -major, president, and I don’t know what not. You -have used those positions to tyrannize over and bully -even your best friends.”</p> - -<p>“Well?” said he, as I paused to note the effect of -these words upon him.</p> - -<p>“You must put yourself in a humble position, to -begin with.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll do it!” exclaimed he, with enthusiasm. “I’ll -do anything you say, if it is to go down on my knees -before the ragged little rowdies in the streets of Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“I shall not advise you to do anything of that kind; -but, under the circumstances, I should resign the positions -of major and president.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[109]</span></p> - -<p>“Resign them!”</p> - -<p>“Yes; I would show the fellows first that I am -as willing to obey as I am to command. The fellows -mean mutiny, both in the steamboat company and in -the battalion.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll do it. What next?” he asked, rubbing his -hands, in humble imitation of his magnificent father, -when he was pleased.</p> - -<p>“I should take my place in the battalion as a private, -do my duty faithfully, and obey my officers in -every respect. As a stockholder in the company, I -should behave modestly, and not attempt to carry my -points by bullying, or any other unfair practises. In -any and every capacity, if I had an opportunity to do -a kindness to either friend or enemy, I should do it, -even at some considerable personal sacrifice. But I -don’t wish to burden you with my opinions.”</p> - -<p>“I thought you would tell me to go to the Sunday-school, -or something of that sort.”</p> - -<p>“I certainly recommend that; but I was speaking -only of your relations with the boys in the vicinity. -If you have a good heart, you will do your duty.”</p> - -<p>“There will be a meeting of the steamboat company<span class="pagenum">[110]</span> -next week. I will have my resignation ready. -Oh, I am in earnest,” protested Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you had better consult your father. I -don’t want you to act blindly on my advice. He may -not think it best for you to do as I say.”</p> - -<p>“I know he won’t; and for that reason I shall not -say anything to him. I’m not going to say anything -against my father; but I know what’s what.”</p> - -<p>“But you may endanger his interests in the -steamer,” I suggested.</p> - -<p>“No; the directors can’t do anything without his -approval. There is no danger. Besides, my father is -as cross as a bear lately. The railroad on the other -side is beating us every day. He has been quarreling -with the captain and engineer for a week.”</p> - -<p>“Is it their fault that the boat is beaten?” I inquired.</p> - -<p>“Father thinks it is, in part. The engineer won’t -drive the boat, and the captain is a slow coach.”</p> - -<p>Waddie had scarcely made his explanation before -the library door opened, and Colonel Wimpleton bolted -into the room. He appeared to be much excited,<span class="pagenum">[111]</span> -threw down his hat, and seemed to be disposed to -smash things. He did not see me at first; but when -he discovered my presence he came up to me, and, to -my great astonishment, offered me his hand. He -glanced curiously at Waddie, as he realized the fact -that his son was on good terms with me.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad to see you, Wolf,” said he, as he grasped -my hand. “I suppose you thought I had forgotten -you; but I have not. A Wimpleton never forgets a -friendly act, nor forgives a malicious one. What’s -up, Waddie?” he continued, as he turned to his son.</p> - -<p>“Wolf and I are the best friends in the world, -father,” replied Waddie. “Ain’t we, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“That’s so, just now; and I hope it will always -continue,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it will!” persisted Waddie.</p> - -<p>“It’s rather odd, to say the least,” added the colonel, -with an incredulous stare at both of us.</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell you how it happened,” said Waddie.</p> - -<p>And he related the history of the events of the -morning, and gave me all the credit, and rather more, -I thought, than I deserved.</p> - -<p>“That was handsome of you, Wolf, after all that<span class="pagenum">[112]</span> -has happened. But who were these rascals? I will -make an end of them!”</p> - -<p>“We didn’t know who they were; and we couldn’t -find out.”</p> - -<p>“I shall find out!”</p> - -<p>Perhaps he would; but at that moment the captain -and engineer of the <em>Ucayga</em> were announced, and the -colonel began to look as savage as when he entered -the room. The servant was told to admit them.</p> - -<p>“The villains!” gasped the great man. “They were -half an hour behind time this morning, though they -did not wait for the up-lake boats.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they were not to blame, father,” suggested -Waddie mildly.</p> - -<p>“Not to blame! Do you think I don’t know?”</p> - -<p>The two men entered the library, hat in hand. They -were brothers, which, perhaps, is the only explanation -which can be offered of the fact that they adhered -to each other in the present difficulty.</p> - -<p>“Colonel Wimpleton, we came up to say that we -have concluded not to run in the <em>Ucayga</em> any longer,” -said the captain, with considerable deference, though<span class="pagenum">[113]</span> -there was a kind of dogged firmness in his tones and -in his looks.</p> - -<p>“Well, sir!” snapped the colonel.</p> - -<p>“We have done our best, but we can’t please you.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t please me by being half an hour behind -time every day.”</p> - -<p>“It isn’t my fault,” protested the captain. “And I -won’t be insulted, as I have been to-day before all my -passengers. You may get a new captain and a new -engineer as soon as you please.”</p> - -<p>“None of your impudence!”</p> - -<p>“My impudence is no worse than yours. You won’t -find any men who can do better than we have.”</p> - -<p>“If I can’t, I will sink the boat in the middle of -the lake.”</p> - -<p>“We don’t want to talk; our time is out.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you mean to run the trip this afternoon?” -demanded the colonel, whose face suddenly flushed, as -he saw the trick of his employees.</p> - -<p>“No, sir! We do not,” replied the captain, a gleam -of satisfaction on his face, as he realized that he was -punishing the great man.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[114]</span></p> - -<p>“Don’t say a word, father. Let them go,” whispered -Waddie.</p> - -<p>“You will find that we are not slaves,” added the -captain.</p> - -<p>Colonel Wimpleton looked at his watch. It wanted -only half an hour of the advertised time to start the -boat for Ucayga. He looked at Waddie, looked at -me, and then at the two men, who doubtless expected, -by the means they had chosen, to bring him -down from “the high horse.” I watched the great -man with intense interest; and perhaps I was as much -excited as any person in the room.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[115]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">CAPTAIN WOLF PENNIMAN.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>My impression now is that neither the captain nor -the engineer really intended to throw up his situation. -While I could not, and did not, blame them for refusing -to submit to the savage abuse of Colonel Wimpleton, -I did not think it was quite fair to spring this -trap upon their employer within thirty minutes of the -time the boat was to start. But the colonel was not -altogether unreasonable in his complaints. The men -did not use every exertion to be on time. There was -fault on both sides.</p> - -<p>The captain had been instructed not to lose his connection, -even if he always went without the up-lake -passengers. On this day, as I learned, he had failed -to connect, though he had not waited for the Hitaca -boat. Passengers were dissatisfied, and the new -steamer was rapidly losing the favor of the traveling -public.</p> - -<p>Colonel Wimpleton, as he stood before the fire in<span class="pagenum">[116]</span> -his library, realized that these men were trying to -punish him. The whispered words of Waddie evidently -made their impression upon him. He curbed -his wrath and was silent for a moment.</p> - -<p>“Let them go, father,” said Waddie.</p> - -<p>He did let them go, and gave them an order on his -agent for their wages.</p> - -<p>“Will the boat make her trip this afternoon?” asked -the captain, who did not seem to be pleased with the -result of the interview.</p> - -<p>“That’s my affair,” replied the colonel.</p> - -<p>“We are going on board for our things. We have -steam up, and, if she is not going, my brother will -have the fires raked down.”</p> - -<p>“He needn’t trouble himself. You have an order -for your money. Good afternoon.”</p> - -<p>The two men took this hint and left.</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon!” shouted Waddie, springing -to his feet.</p> - -<p>“What’s to be done?” queried the colonel, glancing -at me.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, you are the captain of the <em>Ucayga</em> from this -moment!” roared Waddie, slapping me furiously on<span class="pagenum">[117]</span> -the back. “This is my last act as president of the -steamboat company! Do you approve it, father?”</p> - -<p>“It is what I wanted before. But we have only -half an hour—less than that,” replied the great man, -looking at his watch again.</p> - -<p>“We can make time if we are fifteen minutes late. -Do you accept, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“I do; with many thanks.”</p> - -<p>“But the engineer?” said the colonel anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Send over for my father with all possible haste. -I will go down and look out for the engine until he -comes,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I will go over myself in your boat, Wolf. In this -breeze I can cross in five minutes,” added Waddie, -seizing his hat and rushing out of the house.</p> - -<p>“I will go with you to the steamer, Wolf,” said -Colonel Wimpleton.</p> - -<p>All this was so sudden that I had not time to realize -the situation. As I walked down to the wharf with -the magnate of Centreport, I recalled some mysterious -words of Waddie, which seemed now to have a point. -He had told me that I should not care to go up the<span class="pagenum">[118]</span> -lake the next week with the fishing-party. Certainly -he could not have known that the event which had -just occurred would open the way for me; but he was -doubtless aware that the moment he said the word the -captain of the <em>Ucayga</em> would be discharged. He knew -that his father was dissatisfied with the management -of the boat, and I suppose, as soon as he had determined -to be my friend, he meant to give me the position.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, I have intended this place for you ever -since you used me so well in the yacht,” said the -colonel, as we walked down the street. “Waddie -would not consent. He hated you like a demon. But -you have conquered him, and that is more than I -could ever do.”</p> - -<p>I wanted to tell him that good was all-powerful -against evil; but the remark looked egotistical to me, -and I suppressed it.</p> - -<p>“I hope you don’t expect too much of me,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“No; but I expect a good deal of you. Everybody -on the lake knows you, and you are smart. We must -beat that railroad somehow or other.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[119]</span></p> - -<p>“I think we can, sir, if we have any kind of fair -play. But Major Toppleton’s boats are always ten or -fifteen minutes behind time.”</p> - -<p>“No matter if they are. If you leave at half-past -two, you can always make time, if you don’t waste -your minutes, as our captain often has done. Wolf, -I believe he has been bribed by Toppleton to lose his -connections.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know about that.”</p> - -<p>“He is a Hitaca man, and has no sympathy with -our side of the lake.”</p> - -<p>Perhaps the colonel was right. When I looked the -matter over afterward I was satisfied that there was -some ground for the suspicion. We reached the -wharf, and went on board of the <em>Ucayga</em>. We arrived -at just the right time, for both the captain and -the engineer were stirring up ill feeling among the -crew of the boat; and the latter was at work on the -engine, with the evident intention of spoiling the afternoon -trip. Colonel Wimpleton drove them ashore -without indulging in any unnecessary gentleness. I -directed the fireman to fill up the furnaces, and overhauled<span class="pagenum">[120]</span> -the machinery. While I was thus engaged my -father arrived. He was conducted to the engine-room -by Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Penniman, allow me to introduce you to Captain -Penniman, master of the steamer <em>Ucayga</em>,” said -the president of the steamboat company, with a degree -of good-nature of which I had never before supposed -him capable.</p> - -<p>“Captain Penniman, I am happy to make your acquaintance,” -laughed my father, as he grasped my -hand and gave it a significant pressure. “I think our -family is getting up in the world, for we have now -the honor to boast that we have a steamboat captain -in it.”</p> - -<p>“A very great honor, no doubt; but it will depend -somewhat upon the manner in which he discharges -his duties,” I replied, as good-naturedly as either of -my companions. “Father, we are on duty now, and -we must be on time.”</p> - -<p>I looked at my watch. It still wanted ten minutes -of half-past two. Waddie had been so fortunate as -to find my father on the wharf, and had not been -delayed a moment in procuring his services. While<span class="pagenum">[121]</span> -at work on the engine I had been making a close calculation. -It was necessary to land our passengers on -the wharf at Ucayga by four o’clock, which gave me -an hour and a half to make the distance—twenty miles—including -the stay in Ruoara, generally of fifteen -minutes.</p> - -<p>My predecessor, when he left the wharf in Centreport -at half-past eight in the forenoon, or half-past -two in the afternoon, was pretty sure to miss his connection; -but he had gone over twenty-one miles, while -I intended to save more than a mile, equivalent to five -minutes of time, in the passage. I had thought over -this matter before, and though my appointment had -been sudden, I was not unprepared for my difficult and -delicate task.</p> - -<p>“Father, great things are expected of us,” said I, as -Waddie went out of the engine-room, to witness the -arrival of the old <em>Ruoara</em>, which was just then coming -in at the other side of the wharf.</p> - -<p>“I trust we shall not disappoint them; but I hope -you know what you are about,” replied he, casting -an anxious glance at me.</p> - -<p>“I do, father; I am just as confident as though I<span class="pagenum">[122]</span> -had been running this boat for a year. I want you -to run her at the highest speed you can with safety.”</p> - -<p>“I will do it. I served my time on a steamer, and -I am at home here.”</p> - -<p>“Keep her moving lively; that’s all I want,” I replied, -as I left the engine-room and made my way to -the hurricane-deck.</p> - -<p>Colonel Wimpleton had employed a couple of “runners” -properly to set forth to the passengers who -were going through the merits of his new and splendid -steamer. They were duly posted up in the change -which had just been made.</p> - -<p>“Take the <em>Ucayga</em>, Captain Wolf Penniman!” -shouted these worthies. “Sure connection! No failure -this time! You have to change three times by -the railroad. The <em>Ucayga</em>, Captain Wolf Penniman, -gentlemen!”</p> - -<p>I was rather startled to hear my name thus freely -used; but I was surprised and gratified to see that not -a few of the passengers came on board of the steamer, -though they were told by the railroad runners that -they would be sure to miss the train at Ucayga. I -recognized not a few of those whom I had known on<span class="pagenum">[123]</span> -the railroad, persons who had come to the engine to -talk with me, while waiting for the train or the boat.</p> - -<p>“All aboard that’s going!” shouted the mate of the -<em>Ucayga</em>.</p> - -<p>“Haul in the planks, and cast off the fasts!” I called -to the hands who were in readiness to discharge this -duty.</p> - -<p>I confess that my bosom thrilled with strange emotions -as I issued my first order. But I felt quite at -home, for I had run a great deal upon the old boats, -both in the engine-room and on deck. I had witnessed -the operation of making a landing so frequently that -I was sure I could do it without assistance, if necessary. -I had measured the distance, estimated the -force of winds and currents, so many times that I -had thoroughly conquered the problem.</p> - -<p>The <em>Ruoara</em> backed out and headed for Middleport -at quarter of three, for the train started at three. -Lewis Holgate still ran the locomotive, and it had -been found that he must start on time or he was sure -to miss his connection.</p> - -<p>No regular pilots were employed on any of these -steamers. The mate and deck-hands took the wheel<span class="pagenum">[124]</span> -when required, and any of them were able to make -the landing. I told the former to take the wheel, for -I had decided to let him make the landings on this -trip, rather than run even the slightest risks by my -own inexperience. The <em>Ucayga</em> slipped out from the -wharf, and my father, true to his instructions, gave -her full steam.</p> - -<p>“We are nearly ten minutes later than usual,” said -Colonel Wimpleton, shaking his head ominously, as -we met on the forward deck.</p> - -<p>“I pledge you my word, sir, that the boat shall be -in Ucayga on time,” I replied confidently.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[125]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">IN THE WHEEL-HOUSE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Colonel Wimpleton was evidently very anxious, as -he had been from the beginning, for the success of -the steamer. On the present occasion, when the -<em>Ucayga</em> was nearly ten minutes behind her ordinary -time, I grant that he had not much to hope for in the -light of past experience; but he did not know my -plans, and I did not wish to startle him by announcing -them, fearful that, if I did so, he would not permit -me to carry them out. I repeated my promise to be -on time, and though he was far from satisfied, he could -not do anything but wait the result.</p> - -<p>My calculations were based upon the assured fact -that the <em>Ucayga</em> could easily make sixteen miles an -hour. She had the reputation of being a fast boat, -and I intended that she should sustain her reputation. -Immense expense had been lavished upon her to give -her great speed, as well as to make her elegant and -commodious. The testimony was that she had repeatedly<span class="pagenum">[126]</span> -made her sixteen miles without straining or undue -crowding. This was all I asked of her. If she did -only what she was warranted to do, and what she -had often accomplished, I was safe.</p> - -<p>I knew every tree and point on the west shore, along -which the railroad extended, and its exact distance -from Middleport. I watched these points, and consulted -my watch frequently, to assure myself that the -boat was not falling behind my calculations. Her -first four miles were made inside of fifteen minutes, -and I was not sure that my father was not overdoing -the matter; but he was a safe man, and I did not think -it necessary even to see him.</p> - -<p>On the forward deck I attended to the arrangement -of the baggage, so as to make the stay at Ruoara as -brief as possible. There were two baggage-trucks, -upon which I caused to be loaded all the freight, luggage, -and merchandise for Ruoara. I saw that the -deck-hands were rather disposed to snuff at a boy -like me in command of the steamer; but, in self-defense, -I must add that I was nearly as tall as a man. -They were slow, and did not obey promptly. I -thought I could, in part, explain the failure of my<span class="pagenum">[127]</span> -predecessor to be on time. But it was of no use for -me to bluster at these men, though they were probably -working more leisurely than usual.</p> - -<p>“Is everything going to suit you?” asked the colonel, -as they were approaching the wharf at Ruoara.</p> - -<p>“Not quite, sir.”</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” he demanded anxiously.</p> - -<p>“The men work as though they were digging their -own graves, which were to be occupied as soon as -finished.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t they mind you?”</p> - -<p>“They don’t refuse to mind, but they are slow. -They think I’m only a boy.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll discharge every one of them!”</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, sir; but don’t do that. I would rather -add a quarter a day to their wages,” I replied; for I -happened to know that they were greatly dissatisfied -with their pay, and justly so, I thought. “Then, if -they don’t work, they shall be discharged.”</p> - -<p>“Do so, if you think best,” replied the colonel -promptly.</p> - -<p>“And the mate?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[128]</span></p> - -<p>“Give him half a dollar a day, if that will help the -matter.”</p> - -<p>“I think they are not paid fair wages, or I would -not have said a word. As it is, I can make friends of -them in this way.”</p> - -<p>“Only beat the railroad, and I don’t care what it -costs,” replied the magnate impatiently.</p> - -<p>“I will do it, sir.”</p> - -<p>The plan was a stroke of policy on my part. As a -boy I could do nothing with these men by bullying and -threatening them. By doing a good thing for them, -I could conquer them easily. I went up to the wheel-house -as the boat neared the wharf.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Van Wolter, I will thank you to make this -landing yourself,” said I, addressing the mate, who -had the wheel.</p> - -<p>“I think I can do it,” replied he, with a broad grin, -which was as much as to say that I could not do it.</p> - -<p>“So can I; but I prefer that you should do it this -time,” I added.</p> - -<p>“I suppose so!” he answered, with something like a -sneer. “The mate, on a dollar and a half a day, is -always expected to do the captain’s work on this boat.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[129]</span></p> - -<p>“I shall not ask you to do mine; but are you dissatisfied -with your wages?”</p> - -<p>“I think the pay is mean.”</p> - -<p>“So do I; and from to-day your wages shall be two -dollars a day. I have already spoken to Colonel Wimpleton -about this matter, and he consents to it.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you; that’s handsome,” replied Van Wolter. -“Excuse me for what I said just now; I didn’t mean -anything by it.”</p> - -<p>“All right. I want you to have the boat ready to -start in just seven minutes after she stops at the -wharf. And, to help the matter, you may say to -the hands that their pay shall be raised a quarter of -a dollar each per day. They must work lively when -we make a landing.”</p> - -<p>“You are a gentleman and a scholar, Captain Penniman, -and what you need most time will give you.”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?”</p> - -<p>“More years.”</p> - -<p>He rang the bell, slowed the boat, and made as -beautiful a landing as I had ever seen in my life. The -moment the steamer touched the wharf he rushed -down the ladder to the forward deck.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[130]</span></p> - -<p>“Now, lively, my men!” shouted he, as he grasped -the handles of one of the trunks.</p> - -<p>I saw him say something in a low tone to the -hands. I knew what it was, and the effect was electrical. -They worked well, and tumbled in the freight -with an alacrity which must have astonished the staid -citizens of that place who had gathered on the wharf. -It was Saturday, and there was a large quantity of -freight, and a great many passengers; but within the -seven minutes I had named the steamer was ready to -be off. I had saved half the time usually taken up -in this landing, and there was room to reduce it still -more.</p> - -<p>“You are late again,” said a gentleman to Colonel -Wimpleton, as he came on board. “We shall lose the -train.”</p> - -<p>“I hope not.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I know we shall. I think our people will have -to go over to Grass Springs and take the train.”</p> - -<p>“We shall be on time, sir,” I ventured to say.</p> - -<p>“I think we shall,” added the colonel.</p> - -<p>“All aboard and all ashore!” shouted the mate, with<span class="pagenum">[131]</span> -a zeal born of the half-dollar per day his pay had been -increased.</p> - -<p>I sprang up the ladder, and took my place in the -wheel-house. It was just ten minutes past three. I -was five minutes inside of my own calculations, but -more than ten behind the steamer’s usual time. “The -tug of war” had come for me, for I intended to steer -the boat myself, and save from five to ten minutes of -the boat’s ordinary time. I must now explain, more -particularly than I have before done, how this feat -was to be accomplished.</p> - -<p>As I have before stated, the South Shoe lay off the -town of Ruoara. It was exactly due west from the -wharf where the <em>Ucayga</em> made her landing. To the -southward and westward of this island the water was -shallow, and more than a mile was added to the distance -from Ruoara to Ucayga by going round these -shoals, or about five minutes to the time. But this -was not all. The boat was obliged to back, and actually -turn, before she could go ahead at full speed; -and this operation would consume all of five minutes -more.</p> - -<p>I have before spoken of the narrow passage between<span class="pagenum">[132]</span> -the Horse Shoe and the Shooter, where the Toppletonians -landed when they took possession of the former -island. This channel was very narrow, but it was -also very deep. I proposed to run the <em>Ucayga</em> through -this passage, and thus save ten minutes on the trip. -The steamer made her landing at the end of the wharf, -so that she did not have to turn; and all we had to -do, making the passage in the direction indicated, was -to cast off the fasts and go straight ahead.</p> - -<p>Ruoara was built on a broad point of land which -projected out into the lake, so that the narrow channel -lay due north of the end of the pier. A straight line -through the channel, as the needle points, would strike -the North Shoe; and this circumstance rendered the -navigation beyond the passage rather difficult. But I -had thought of the problem so many times that I was -satisfied, knowing the channel as well as I did, that -I could take the steamer through without any trouble.</p> - -<p>“Cast off your fasts and haul in the plank!” I -shouted from my position, as I grasped the wheel.</p> - -<p>The zealous crew, inspired by the increase of their -wages, promptly obeyed the order. I rang the bell -to go ahead, just as Van Wolter entered the wheel-house.<span class="pagenum">[133]</span> -Perhaps my readers may not feel much confidence -in my skill, and it may be necessary for me to -repeat the statement that I had spent a great deal of -time on board of the steamers on the lake, most of it -in the engine-room with Christy Holgate, it is true, -but not a little of it on deck and in the wheel-house. -I had often steered the boat. I had found the helmsman -was as willing to be relieved as my instructor, -the engineer, had been. I knew the wheel, and I -knew the bells. I rang to go ahead, and gave the -wheel a sheer to port.</p> - -<p>“You want to back her first, don’t you?” suggested -Van Wolter, in a very respectful tone.</p> - -<p>“No; I’m going to show you what I can do now,” -I replied, with a smile.</p> - -<p>“But, captain, you will be aground in three minutes,” -protested the mate, laying his hand on the -wheel.</p> - -<p>“Let me alone! Don’t bother me now,” I replied -rather sharply, as the steamer gathered headway.</p> - -<p>I snapped the bell again, to go ahead full speed, -and away she buzzed toward the narrow channel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[134]</span></p> - -<p>“I don’t know about this!” exclaimed Van Wolter.</p> - -<p>“I do; don’t say a word.”</p> - -<p>He did not; but in half a minute more Colonel -Wimpleton and Waddie both appeared at the door of -the wheel-house, and rushed in, highly excited, and -evidently expecting to be smashed in a couple of minutes.</p> - -<p>“Where are you going, Wolf?” demanded the colonel -almost fiercely.</p> - -<p>“To Ucayga, sir,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Stop her this instant!”</p> - -<p>“Too late now, sir. I’m all right; I know what I’m -about,” I answered.</p> - -<p>The boat rushed into the narrow channel.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[135]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE HORSE-SHOE CHANNEL.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Colonel Wimpleton, Waddie, and the mate all held -their breath, as though they expected to see the magnificent -<em>Ucayga</em> knocked in splinters the next instant. -She was going at full speed through the narrow channel; -but, if I had been underneath her, I could not -have told any better how many feet and inches there -were between her keel and the sands at the bottom of -the channel. If the passage through this narrow -place was thrilling to others, it was more so to me, -and I was fully conscious of the responsibility that -rested upon me.</p> - -<p>If the steamer struck the ground, it would be ruin -to me. My new-found situation, and all the emoluments -attached to it, would be lost. But I felt that -a failure to be on time at Ucayga would be hardly -less fatal to me. I had fought the battle faithfully -for the Lake Shore Railroad, when I was in the employ -of the company, and had never missed a train. -I intended to be equally faithful and devoted to the<span class="pagenum">[136]</span> -steamboat company. I knew what was expected of -me, and I was determined that my boat should always -be on time.</p> - -<p>Success was a duty. The first step toward a failure -was to believe in one. I had figured up my plan so -carefully that I knew what could be done, always -providing that the steamer was up to her guaranty. I -was thrilled by the situation; but I was confident and -determined. I could not take my eye off the course -for an instant to look at Colonel Wimpleton and his -son; but I could judge of their suspense and anxiety -by the breathless silence they maintained. If the -<em>Ucayga</em> took the ground, I should hear from them -then; and that would be as soon as I cared to have -the spell broken.</p> - -<p>I had not yet reached the most difficult point of the -navigation. If I continued on my straight course, the -steamer would strike on the North Shoe, and the -problem to be practically solved was whether the boat -could be turned about forty-five degrees without being -swept upon the shoals to the northward. She was a -long vessel, and it required all the philosophy and science -I possessed to meet the question. When the<span class="pagenum">[137]</span> -helm was put to starboard, the momentum of the -steamer would tend to throw her course outside of the -arc of the circle she would describe in turning. The -faster she went the greater would be her momentum, -or, after she had begun to turn, her centrifugal force.</p> - -<p>I had studied a great deal over this question since -I visited Ruoara to purchase the <em>Belle</em>, for I was convinced -that this passage must be open to the boat in -order to enable her to compete with the railroad, by -saving at least ten minutes of precious time. I had -studied it over very carefully, with every possible allowance -for wind and current. I had chalked out -diagrams of the channel on the ceiling-boards of the -<em>Belle</em>, and my policy was thoroughly defined in my -own mind. The channel between the Horse Shoe and -the North Shoe was perhaps a hundred and twenty -feet wide—it did not vary twenty feet from this distance, -I knew. When the boat was within a hundred -feet of the bend in the channel, I rang to stop her.</p> - -<p>“I thought you would have to back out,” said Colonel -Wimpleton, drawing a long breath, perhaps of -relief to find that the magnificent craft was not already -high and dry on the shoals.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[138]</span></p> - -<p>“I’m not going to back out, sir—by no means,” I -replied, as I threw the wheel over to starboard.</p> - -<p>The <em>Ucayga</em> surged ahead under the impetus she -had attained, and turned her bow to the west, with -the shoal close aboard of her on the port side. She -minded her helm beautifully, and as soon as I had -brought the bow flagpole in range with the chimney -of a certain cottage on the west shore, I rang to go -ahead. Righting the helm, I let her go again at full -speed. The allowance I had made for the centrifugal -sweep of the boat carried me clear of the shoals on -the starboard hand; and, though I had hugged the -shoal on the port hand, the actual course of the boat -was very nearly in the middle of the channel. In a -couple of minutes more all danger had been passed.</p> - -<p>“You may take the helm now, if you please, Mr. -Van Wolter,” said I to the mate.</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon,” roared Waddie, “we are -out of that scrape!”</p> - -<p>“That was done as handsomely as ever I saw anything -done in my life!” exclaimed the mate, with a -broad grin on his good-natured face.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know about that, Wolf,” said the colonel,<span class="pagenum">[139]</span> -shaking his head, while the relief which he felt was -plain enough upon his face.</p> - -<p>“You know that we have saved ten minutes by that -operation, sir,” I replied, looking at my watch. “It is -seventeen minutes past three and we have only nine -miles more to make which can be done in thirty-five -minutes. This will bring us in at the wharf at seven -minutes before four. We shall have at least five minutes -to spare. We should certainly have been behind -time if we had gone around the South Shoe.”</p> - -<p>“But do you think it is safe to go through that -narrow place, Wolf?” asked the great man.</p> - -<p>“I think I can take this boat through a thousand -times without failing once,” I answered, wiping the -perspiration from my brow, for the intense excitement -of the passage, overlooked and criticized as I was by -the magnate and his son, had thrown me into a fever -heat.</p> - -<p>“If I had known what you intended to do, I would -not have permitted it.”</p> - -<p>“For that reason, sir, I did not tell you,” I replied, -laughing. “I want to say, sir, that I haven’t done -this thing blindly and recklessly.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[140]</span></p> - -<p>“That’s so!” exclaimed the mate, who understood -the matter better than any one present except myself.</p> - -<p>“You said something to me a few weeks ago about -taking command of this boat, Colonel Wimpleton. -Well, sir, I have studied up this subject, and taken -the shore bearings. I can give you the precise rule -I followed.”</p> - -<p>“I should like to hear it,” said the colonel, bestowing -upon me a cheerful smile of approbation.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. When the pine tree on the Shooter ranges -with the barn on the east shore, stop her. Then, when -the north point of the Shooter ranges with an oak tree -on the east shore, starboard the helm. When the boat -has turned so that the chimney of the cottage ranges -with the bow flagpole, the pilot sighting from the -center of the wheel-house, go ahead again. Then you -are all right; and it can be done a thousand times -without a single failure if you follow the directions.”</p> - -<p>“But why do you stop her?” asked the colonel -curiously.</p> - -<p>“So that, in turning, the tendency to sweep too -far to starboard may be counteracted in part. But<span class="pagenum">[141]</span> -after I have tried it a few times, I can go through -without stopping her.”</p> - -<p>“You are a genius,” laughed the colonel. “I begin -to hope that we shall beat the railroad, after all.”</p> - -<p>“We are sure of it every time we can leave Centreport -at two-thirty.”</p> - -<p>“The up-lake boats must get to Centreport as soon -as that in order to enable the train to be on time,” -replied Colonel Wimpleton, rubbing his hands as -though he was master of the situation.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think you are quite ready for Major Toppleton’s -next step,” I replied, rather amused at his -want of forethought.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by his next step?”</p> - -<p>“The one I should take myself if I were in his -place.”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?”</p> - -<p>“I think we are beating him just now, sir; and, as -soon as the major finds out that we are getting ahead -of him, he will make another move. We are sure of -the Centreport and Ruoara trade, as long as we are -on time. He can’t get that away from us. But we -want our share of the up-lake business.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[142]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes and we must have it,” added the great man -impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Major Toppleton has bought up the stock of the -old line of boats, and runs them to favor the railroad. -The only possible motive he can have for sending his -boats to Centreport is for the accommodation of passengers -from Hitaca to that place. There are only a -few of them. His next step, then, will be to run his -boats only to Middleport, so that you shall not have -an opportunity to catch a single through passenger.”</p> - -<p>“That occurred to me,” replied the colonel.</p> - -<p>If it had occurred to him, he had been singularly -careless about providing a remedy.</p> - -<p>“It will be done just as soon as the major sees that -we can make our trip from Centreport to Ucayga in -one hour and a half, including the stop at Ruoara. I -am satisfied you will see the posters announcing a new -arrangement within a week.</p> - -<p>“I don’t see that I can help myself,” added the -magnate, biting his lips with vexation.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you, sir?”</p> - -<p>“No, I do not,” continued the colonel, opening his -eyes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[143]</span></p> - -<p>“If you wish it, you can have the entire control -of the travel on this lake. After you have made your -next move, Major Toppleton and the railroad will be -nowhere.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t understand you, Wolf.”</p> - -<p>“You must build the mate to this steamer as soon -as possible.”</p> - -<p>“That’s rather a costly experiment,” mused the -great man.</p> - -<p>“But it will pay, for you will have the entire travel -on the lake, with the exception of the three towns -on the railroad. The through travel pays the bills, -and you can have all that. Those old boats make -only ten miles an hour, and it takes them three hours, -including stops, to come from Hitaca to Centreport. -The <em>Ucayga</em> would make the distance in two. Your -line can leave the head of the lake an hour later than -the old line, and get to Ucayga in three hours and a -half, while it will take the old line four hours and a -quarter.”</p> - -<p>“You are right, Wolf!” exclaimed the colonel. “I’ll -build another boat at once, and call her the <em>Hitaca</em>.<span class="pagenum">[144]</span> -Let me see you to-night, when you get in, and we will -talk it over again.”</p> - -<p>The <em>Ucayga</em> was approaching the railroad wharf. -The Lightning Express train was just coming in -sight, at least ten minutes behind time. When my -boat touched the wharf it was just eight minutes of -four.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[145]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">A DECIDED VICTORY.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The up-lake boat had arrived at Centreport rather -later than usual. Certainly the <em>Ucayga</em> had left her -wharf a full ten minutes behind her ordinary time. -The steamer had had even a less favorable chance than -before, and, under her former management, she must -have been fifteen or twenty minutes behind time. I -had saved at least five minutes of the stay at Ruoara, -and ten more by going through the Horse-Shoe -Channel.</p> - -<p>The two trains which met at Ucayga were due at -five minutes of four. They were seldom more than -five minutes behind time, and as they were both -obliged to make connections, they could not wait many -minutes for either boat or cars. “On Time,” therefore, -meant something; and it was an inexpressible -pleasure to me that I had complied with the conditions. -Boat stock would go up after this feat had been performed<span class="pagenum">[146]</span> -a few times, especially if the Lightning Express -was, as on the present occasion, ten minutes late.</p> - -<p>The steamer from Hitaca had arrived at Centreport -at about half-past two. She had left for Middleport -as soon as she could take in and discharge her freight; -but she must have been five minutes late for the express -train. Lewis Holgate had probably wasted five -minutes more. When the <em>Ucayga</em> was made fast at -the wharf, the train had just reached the ferry on the -other side of the river—the outlet of the lake. The -trains east and west were on time, and by four o’clock -all the passengers who were going in them were in -their seats. The ferry-boat had not yet started. The -conductors stamped their feet, and looked at their -watches every half-minute. To wait for the Lightning -Express passengers would add ten minutes more to -the time to be made up in running about twenty-five -miles.</p> - -<p>As the boat on the other side did not start, the conductors -decided not to wait any longer. The bells -rang, and the two trains puffed, and snorted, and went -on their way. I have no doubt there were many hard -words used by the people on board of the ferry-boat,<span class="pagenum">[147]</span> -as they saw these trains start. If Major Toppleton -was on board, I had no doubt he used some big words, -for he was not above the infirmity of doing so when -irritated.</p> - -<p>Steamer stock went up, and railroad stock went -down. In a fair competition, we had beaten the -Lightning Express. I was satisfied that this calamity -to the railroad, under the circumstances, would cost -Lewis Holgate his situation; for the major, and even -Tommy, would be indignant at the result. I was confident -that what we had done this time could always -be done, for we had made our quick time against a -strong head-wind.</p> - -<p>“We have done it, Wolf!” exclaimed Waddie, as -he came up to me, with a familiar slap on the back, -after the trains left.</p> - -<p>“Yes; and we have done it under rather unfavorable -circumstances,” I replied, quite as pleased as he -was with the result.</p> - -<p>“No matter, so long as we have done it. If we can -only keep doing it I shall be satisfied.”</p> - -<p>“We can; as long as we can leave Centreport at<span class="pagenum">[148]</span> -half-past eight in the morning, and half-past two in -the afternoon, I will guarantee to land the passengers -here at five minutes before ten and five minutes before -four. Of course some accident may happen once or -twice a year, but the rule shall be without any ordinary -exception.”</p> - -<p>“I wish we could compete with them going the -other way,” said Waddie anxiously.</p> - -<p>“I wish we could; but I don’t think that will be -practicable until we have another boat. With one -more steamer, we can have it all our own way,” I -replied.</p> - -<p>“Can’t we do anything, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“If the up-lake boats will be ten or fifteen minutes -late in leaving Centreport, we may; but we can’t -promise to land passengers there in season to continue -their trip by the next boat. You must not promise -anything which you are not sure of performing.”</p> - -<p>“I wish we could do something,” added Waddie. -“I would give anything to beat the railroad both -ways.”</p> - -<p>“We can mend the matter; but I don’t think we can<span class="pagenum">[149]</span> -always be sure of connecting with the Hitaca boat. -Let us see. Our time-table now is:</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Time schedule"> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Leave Ucayga</td><td class="tdr1">4.15.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Arrive at Ruoara</td><td class="tdr1">5.00.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Leave Ruoara</td><td class="tdr1">5.15.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Arrive at Centreport</td><td class="tdr1">5.45.</td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<p>We can improve this, I think,” said I, writing on a -card the places and times as I stated them.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Time schedule"> -<tr><td class="tdl2">“Leave Ucayga</td><td class="tdr1">4.00.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Arrive at Ruoara</td><td class="tdr1">4.45.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Leave Ruoara</td><td class="tdr1">4.55.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl1">Arrive at Centreport</td><td class="tdr1">5.25.</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<p>That is twenty minutes better than we do now.”</p> - -<p>“But the Hitaca boat is advertised to leave Centreport -at 5.15,” interposed Waddie, looking over my -figures.</p> - -<p>“She is advertised to do it, but lately she has been -regularly ten or fifteen minutes behind time,” I replied. -“To-day she will be nearer half an hour.”</p> - -<p>“Try it on, Wolf,” said Waddie, with enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>“I will; but you must not go before your advertised -hours.”</p> - -<p>“That will make no difference. We are advertised -to go on the arrival of the boats and trains.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[150]</span></p> - -<p>“Then what are we waiting for?” I replied. “All -aboard!” I called to Van Wolter, the mate.</p> - -<p>My zealous assistant shouted the usual warnings, -and passengers on the wharf, who were waiting for -the ferry-boat, were invited to come on board. Some -of them accepted the assurance of Waddie that we -should connect with the Hitaca boat at Centreport, and -took passage with us. Just as the <em>Middleport</em>, with -her indignant passengers, approached the wharf, the -<em>Ucayga</em> backed out, and commenced her trip up the -lake.</p> - -<p>“You appear to be in a hurry, Wolf?” said Colonel -Wimpleton, taking a seat with me in the wheel-house, -where Van Wolter had the helm.</p> - -<p>I showed him the card on which I had written out -the time I proposed to make.</p> - -<p>“We can leave Ucayga at four o’clock as well as -quarter of an hour later,” I added. “The Lightning -Express cannot land a passenger in Centreport in a -minute less than an hour and a quarter. We can make -our sailing-time in just that space. If we can save five -or ten minutes of our stay at Ruoara, we need not be<span class="pagenum">[151]</span> -more than five or ten minutes behind this time in -reaching Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“Do as you think best, Wolf,” replied Colonel Wimpleton, -with the most friendly smile I had ever seen on -his face.</p> - -<p>“We shall get to Centreport first to-day, without a -doubt.”</p> - -<p>We discussed the matter for a while, but we were -satisfied that nothing more than a temporary advantage -could be gained until we had another steamer. Before -the <em>Ucayga</em> reached the islands I took a walk through -the boat. Among the passengers I met quite a number -whom I had known on the Lightning Express, and -was very kindly congratulated upon my advancement. -Some of them laughed at the idea of a boy like me -commanding such a steamer; but I defended myself -from the charge of being a boy. I should soon be -seventeen; my mustache was beginning to develop -itself, and I was only a few inches shorter than my -father. Younger fellows than I had done bigger -things than to command a lake steamer. I had shaved -myself every week or fortnight for six months, borrowing -my father’s razor when he was away, and performing<span class="pagenum">[152]</span> -the operation in the secrecy of my chamber, -with the door bolted, to prevent the possibility of an -interruption, and the consequent annoyance of being -twitted.</p> - -<p>I made a desperate resolve, after being “bothered” -for my juvenility, to purchase a razor and other -implements, and shave myself every day, so as to -encourage the downy growth upon my upper lip and -chin. I also decided to have a frock-coat, and to wear -a hat, in order still further to obviate the objectionable -circumstances of “the young captain of the <em>Ucayga</em> -steamer.” I regarded it as rather malicious in people -to insist upon it that I was a boy. I was not a boy. -I was at least a young man, and I was doing a man’s -work. They might as well call a man of thirty a boy -because he played baseball.</p> - -<p>In my tour of inspection I called upon my father in -the engine-room. I had not seen him since the boat -left Centreport. Like a faithful engineer, he had -looked only at the machinery before him, and not -troubled himself about other matters. He hardly -knew anything of the exciting events in which he had -been a prominent actor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[153]</span></p> - -<p>“How goes it, Wolf?” he asked, as I sat down in -his armchair.</p> - -<p>“First-rate.”</p> - -<p>“Have you quarreled with Waddie or the colonel -yet?” he inquired, laughing.</p> - -<p>“No, sir, and am not likely to do so at present. I -am not on the top of the wave. We have beaten -the Lightning Express down, and are going to do the -same thing up.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t overdo the matter, and don’t promise more -than you can perform.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t intend to do so. I know just what I can -do, and I’m going to do it.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t commit yourself to Waddie or his father, -Wolf. Either of them would kick you out of your -high place as quickly as he put you into it.”</p> - -<p>“I think everything is going well now, father. The -colonel intends to build another boat immediately, and -by next spring nobody will trouble the Lake Shore -Railroad, except those who live upon the line.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be too confident.”</p> - -<p>“I know it! I have been studying up this steamboat<span class="pagenum">[154]</span> -business ever since I was discharged by Major -Toppleton.”</p> - -<p>“You are down on the major hard now,” said my -father.</p> - -<p>“No, I’m not. I don’t wish him any harm; but -while I’m paid for serving the steamboat company, I -intend to serve it. I’ve nothing to do with the great -men’s quarrels; but I’m going to be on time, and do -the best thing I can for my employers. I’m going to -put her through by daylight.”</p> - -<p>By this time the steamer was approaching the -Horse-Shoe Channel, and I went up to the wheel-house. -I had taken the bearings so as to pilot the -boat through in this direction as well as in the other. -By the same process, and with the same precautions, I -steered the <em>Ucayga</em> safely through the narrow passage, -and we reached the wharf at Ruoara about three minutes -inside of the time I had proposed, for the strong -wind helped us in going up the lake.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[155]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">TOMMY TOPPLETON MOUNTED.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“On time!” exclaimed Waddie, as I came out of -the wheel-house, after the boat was secured at the -wharf.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and more too,” I replied. “We are ahead of -the Lightning Express this time.”</p> - -<p>“I want to be reasonable, but I never felt so much -like crowing as I do to-day. By the great horn spoon, -I think we have all been asleep on this side of the lake -since the <em>Ucayga</em> commenced running,” added Waddie, -with enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>Van Wolter was already moving the freight and -baggage on shore; and his zeal had not suffered a -particle of diminution. He worked well, and did not -permit a single instant to be wasted. We had only -two trucks, but all the luggage and merchandise they -could contain had been piled upon them; and they -held nearly all we had to be landed. I wanted two -more of these machines, for they could be loaded by<span class="pagenum">[156]</span> -the shore men before the arrival of the boat. Then -we need stay only long enough to wheel the two -trucks on board ashore and the two on the wharf to -the deck. I expected to reduce the delay to three or -five minutes.</p> - -<p>I stood on the hurricane-deck, by the wheel-house, -where I could overlook the operations of the mate and -the deck-hands, and be in readiness to start the boat -the instant the last piece of freight was on board. I -was delighted with the zeal of the mate, and, I may -add, with his politeness and discretion. He did not -break things, and he did not tip over the passengers -as they came on board. He did not yell like a wild -Indian, and say impudent things to gentlemen who -incautiously placed themselves in his way. I liked the -man, notwithstanding his contempt for me as a boy, -manifested at our first meeting. Perhaps I should not -blame him for that; but when I had taken the boat -through the Horse-Shoe Channel, he had done me full -justice, and I forgave him. He was my friend, and I -was very glad to have done a good thing for him in -causing his wages to be raised.</p> - -<p>The other steamer would be ready the following<span class="pagenum">[157]</span> -spring, and I could not help thinking that Van Wolter -would make a first-rate captain for her. At any rate, -if he continued to do as well by me as he had thus -far, I was determined to speak a good word for him.</p> - -<p>“Mr. President, I shall be obliged to ask the company -for two more trucks for this landing,” I continued, -turning to Waddie.</p> - -<p>“You shall have a hundred if you want them,” replied -the little magnate.</p> - -<p>“We want only two; and perhaps two more for -Ucayga, so that we can get rid of these long delays.”</p> - -<p>“You shall have everything you want, Wolf. I -don’t see why we can’t beat the Lightning Express -every day.”</p> - -<p>“We can never do it when the train is on time; and -I tell you Major Toppleton is too smart to let things -drag on the other side as they do just now.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe they can go through on time.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, they can. The engineer who is running the -dummy now will see that the train is never behind -time when they give him the place. I never missed a -connection while I was on the road.”</p> - -<p>“Lewis Holgate is not you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[158]</span></p> - -<p>“But the major will not let him ruin the enterprise -much longer.”</p> - -<p>“Pooh! what can the major do as long as Tom -Toppleton chooses to keep Lewis on the engine?”</p> - -<p>“Well, Tommy won’t choose to keep him there.”</p> - -<p>“I think he will.”</p> - -<p>“But Major Toppleton has another string to his -bow. Our cake will be dough in a week or so at the -most—just as soon as the major fully understands the -matter; and I think it won’t take him more than a -week to see through the millstone.”</p> - -<p>“You mean to say that he will not let his boats come -to Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not. Then you can’t get a single through -passenger. That is what we are coming to in a short -time, unless we find some way to counteract the -major’s plan.”</p> - -<p>“Well, can’t we find some way?” asked Waddie -anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we can. I haven’t had time to think of -the matter much,” I replied, as Van Wolter ordered -the men to cast off the fasts and haul in the plank.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[159]</span></p> - -<p>I went into the wheel-house, rang the bell, and the -<em>Ucayga</em> moved on. I gave the helm to the mate as -soon as he came up. Waddie went below to talk with -his father, to tell him, I suppose, that our victory was -to be but a transient one.</p> - -<p>“How’s the time, Captain Penniman?” asked the -mate.</p> - -<p>“Five minutes of five,” I replied, consulting my -watch, and thinking of Grace Toppleton, as I always -did when I saw it, for she had presented it to me in -behalf of the Toppletonians.</p> - -<p>And I was at variance with them now! No, not -with many of them; only with Tommy and a few of -his toadies. But I did not like to wear the watch, -which had been the gift of those on the other side, for -which Major Toppleton had probably paid the lion’s -share, after the disagreeable events which had occurred. -The thought came to me that I ought to -return it to the donors; but this was rather a violent -alternative for saving my pride.</p> - -<p>“We were not more than ten minutes at the Ruoara -landing, then,” added the mate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[160]</span></p> - -<p>“No; you have done admirably, Mr. Van Wolter, -and I thank you for your zeal.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’s all right! I always mean to do my duty -while I have any sort of fair play,” answered the gratified -man.</p> - -<p>“We must do our duty whether we have fair play -or not,” I added. “That’s my motto.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t know about that.”</p> - -<p>“Two wrongs don’t make a right. The safest, and -indeed the only way for us, is always to do our duty.”</p> - -<p>“I rather think you are right, after all. We are -waxing the Lightning Express over there, this afternoon. -That short cut through the Horse-Shoe Channel -did the business for us.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so; and I’ve been thinking of it for a long -time. I suppose if I had mentioned it before I did it, -I should have been laughed at.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a fact. You have done a big thing to-day, -young man; I beg your pardon—Captain Penniman.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we don’t stand on any ceremony! We shall be -good friends; and while we stick together, we can -accomplish any reasonable thing.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[161]</span></p> - -<p>“Didn’t I hear you and the colonel saying something -about another boat like this one?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; the colonel intends to build another—to be -called the <em>Hitaca</em>—at once.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose it is too soon to say anything yet; but I -want the command of that boat when she is built,” -continued Van Wolter anxiously.</p> - -<p>“I was thinking of that very thing myself; and, if -you are always as faithful as you have been to-day, I -think you will deserve it. I shall mention the matter -to the colonel and Waddie as soon as I get a chance.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you; thank you, captain. That’s very handsome -of you; and you shall never have any cause to -complain of me,” he replied warmly.</p> - -<p>“Of course, I can’t promise anything; but I will do -what I can, if everything is right,” I answered.</p> - -<p>We discussed the former management of the boat, -and I explained to him my plans for the future. We -were in perfect accord, and I was glad that I had so -soon removed all grounds for jealousy, and all tendencies -to pull in the opposite direction, on the part of my -subordinate. We were approaching Centreport. The<span class="pagenum">[162]</span> -train on the railroad, now ten minutes behind time, -was coming into Middleport, on the other side of the -lake. At twenty-five minutes past five we were fast -to the wharf. The boat going up the lake had not yet -left the pier. To my surprise, I found we had quite a -number of up-lake passengers, who had taken the -word of our runners that we should be in time for -the boat at Centreport. We had kept the promise, but -it would not always be safe to make it.</p> - -<p>We arrived in season to enable Colonel Wimpleton -to send for his satchel, and when the steamer for -Hitaca touched the wharf he went on board. He was -determined not to lose a day or an hour in laying -down the keel of the new steamer, and he was going -up the lake to make his contracts for this purpose. -The boat started on her trip, and my work for the -day was finished. Everybody on board was in remarkably -good spirits. For the first time, really, the -steamer had beaten the Lightning Express; and we -intended to “keep doing it” as long as the achievement -was possible. I gave the boat into the keeping -of Van Wolter, and went on shore. My father could<span class="pagenum">[163]</span> -not leave until he had put the engine in order. As -everybody’s wages had been raised, there was no -danger of a conspiracy against the new order of things.</p> - -<p>Not until the excitement of the afternoon’s stirring -work had subsided did it occur to me that I was engaged -to go up the lake on Monday with a party in -the <em>Belle</em>. Of course it would be impossible for me -to keep my engagement to the letter, though I intended -to do so in spirit. The long-desired opportunity -of doing something for Tom Walton now presented -itself. My friend was a thorough and competent -boatman, fully my equal, if not my superior. His -mother was poor and in ill-health, so that she depended -mainly upon him for her support. He was, in -my estimation, a splendid fellow; and his devotion to -his mother, and his constant self-sacrifice for her sake, -won my regard and admiration. I had long desired to -give him a situation worthy his abilities and character.</p> - -<p>Embarking in the <em>Belle</em>, I crossed the lake. After -mooring the boat, I went directly to the house of -Tom’s mother, and was fortunate enough to find my -friend at home. He lived in one of the smallest and<span class="pagenum">[164]</span> -meanest dwellings in Middleport. I was determined -to do a good thing for him, and I thought, after the -boat season was finished, I ought to have influence -enough, as the commander of the <em>Ucayga</em>, to procure -him a first-rate situation for the winter. He came out -of the house, and before I had time to open my business -with him, the Toppleton Battalion, which was out -for drill, came round the corner, and we suspended our -conversation to see the parade.</p> - -<p>Major Tommy Toppleton was at the head of the -column. He had nearly recovered from his broken -leg; but he was not able to walk much yet, and was -mounted on a medium-sized pony. The moment he -saw me, he halted his battalion, and urged his steed -almost upon me.</p> - -<p>“You villain, Wolf Penniman!” said he, still urging -on his pony, as though he intended to crush me under -the iron hoofs of the little charger.</p> - -<p>“Sha’n’t I hold your horse for you?” interposed -Tom Walton, with his inimitable good-nature, as he -seized the bridle-rein of the animal.</p> - -<p>“Let him alone!” roared Major Tommy, striking<span class="pagenum">[165]</span> -my friend a sharp blow on the back with the flat of -his sword.</p> - -<p>I was indignant, and inclined to pull the bantam -major from his horse; but I remembered his broken -leg, or perhaps I should have done so.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[166]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">TOMMY TOPPLETON THREATENS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Tom Walton always had a pleasant way of doing -an unpleasant thing. I suppose he thought Tommy -Toppleton intended to ride over me, or at least intimidate -me by the movements of his high-spirited little -charger, and, as a friend, he considered it his duty to -do something in my defense. This was the reason -why he asked if he should not hold the little major’s -horse.</p> - -<p>I had hardly seen Tommy since he had broken his -leg; but I had no difficulty in believing that he hated -me. He was haughty, tyrannical, and overbearing, -even to a greater degree, when incensed, than my new-made -friend Waddie Wimpleton. He seemed to think -I had no business to live, and move, and have my being, -after I had ceased to be serviceable to him. He -wanted to crush me, and the demonstration of his pony -was only suggestive of what the rider really desired -to do.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[167]</span></p> - -<p>Tom Walton was a tough fellow, and not at all -thin-skinned, in the literal signification of the term. -He did not mind the blow which Tommy had given -him; but, putting himself on the left of the horseman, -and out of the convenient reach of his weapon, he -backed the pony out into the middle of the street.</p> - -<p>“Let him alone!” shouted the major, struggling to -hit, and then to punch, my friend with the sword.</p> - -<p>“Oh, certainly! I’ll let him alone first-rate,” laughed -Tom, as he released the steed from his iron grasp.</p> - -<p>“You puppy, you!” snapped Tommy, foaming with -wrath that a plebeian, like my companion, should venture -to take hold of the bridle of his pony. “How -dare you touch my horse?”</p> - -<p>“Well, I haven’t much pluck; but I didn’t want -him to tread on Wolf’s corns.”</p> - -<p>“Wolf’s a rascal, and you’re another!”</p> - -<p>“Then we are well matched,” chuckled Tom Walton.</p> - -<p>“If I don’t clean you fellows out of this place, it -will be because I can’t!” snarled Tommy.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter, Major Toppleton?” I inquired, -my indignation entirely appeased by the pleasant manner -in which my companion had treated the case.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[168]</span></p> - -<p>“Wolf, you are a traitor!” exclaimed Tommy, with -emphasis.</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“You are an adder, that bites your best friends!”</p> - -<p>“I think you are an adder, major, for you are adding -one hard word to another,” laughed Tom Walton.</p> - -<p>“Don’t give me any of your impudence!”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not; I leave that to my betters.”</p> - -<p>“Wolf, I only halted to tell you that Middleport -will soon be too hot to hold you.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by that, Tommy?” I asked -gently.</p> - -<p>“You know what I mean, well enough. You are -a traitor, and are willing to bite the hand that feeds -you.”</p> - -<p>“I think not.”</p> - -<p>“What have we done for you? Where did you get -that watch and chain in your pocket?”</p> - -<p>“My friends on this side of the lake gave me the -watch and chain.”</p> - -<p>“Humph! Well, my father paid for it!”</p> - -<p>“Then I shall take the liberty to return it to him,”<span class="pagenum">[169]</span> -I replied. “If you will relieve me of it now, it is at -your disposal.”</p> - -<p>I took the watch from my pocket, detached the -chain from my vest, and offered it to him.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want it. It only shows what a fellow you -are. After all we have done for you, Wolf, you go -over on the other side, and do all you can to injure -us—to injure the Lake Shore Railroad.”</p> - -<p>“Allow me to call your attention to the fact that -you discharged me,” I answered mildly. “I must -work for a living, and when the president of the -steamboat company offers me a situation at three dollars -a day, I can’t afford to refuse it.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t you!” sneered he. “Allow me to call your -attention to the fact that, after all we have done for -you, on this side, you got up a row in the car, and -broke my leg.”</p> - -<p>“You got up the row yourself, as you will remember, -if you recall the facts. You insisted upon putting -two passengers out of the car after they had paid their -fare, and while they were behaving themselves in a -proper manner.”</p> - -<p>“You thought you were going to rule the Lake<span class="pagenum">[170]</span> -Shore Railroad. You tried to do it; and that was -what made the row. Do you suppose I would submit -to your dictation? Do you think I had not the right -to discharge an employee of the road? I don’t see it.”</p> - -<p>“Probably we shall not make much by discussing -the matter here, though, if you wish to do so, I will -meet you for that purpose when and where you -please,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I’ll meet you on Monday forenoon, at ten o’clock,” -said he suddenly and maliciously.</p> - -<p>“I am engaged then. Of course I mean any time -when my business will permit.”</p> - -<p>“I thought you didn’t mean what you said,” added -he, turning up his nose and pursing out his lips. “I -want to give you a fair warning. The Wimpletons -wouldn’t have you on the other side after you had -turned traitor to them. I don’t blame them; and we -won’t have you on this side after you have turned -against us. If you mean to stay on this side of the -lake, you must have nothing to do with that steamer.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you think our family has a right to live on -this side of the lake?” I inquired.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[171]</span></p> - -<p>“No matter whether you have or not. We won’t -have you here,” replied Tommy sharply.</p> - -<p>“I think we shall stay as long as we think it best to -do so. I will return this watch to your father, and -then I believe I shall not owe him anything.”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t my father save all the property you had -when Wimpleton foreclosed the mortgage?”</p> - -<p>“He did; he was very kind to us then, and we shall -always gratefully remember all that he did for us, -though he was not called upon to pay out a single -dollar on our account.”</p> - -<p>“And for this you are doing your best to ruin the -Lake Shore Railroad, which cost my father two hundred -thousand dollars! Deny that, if you can!” -stormed Tommy.</p> - -<p>“I do deny it.”</p> - -<p>“Are you not running that steamer on the other -side?”</p> - -<p>“I have that honor.”</p> - -<p>“Hasn’t she beaten the Lightning Express-train -twice to-day?”</p> - -<p>“If she did, it was in fair and honorable competition.<span class="pagenum">[172]</span> -You discharged me, and you are responsible for -the consequences, not I.”</p> - -<p>“What’s the use of talking to an ingrate, like you!” -exclaimed the major impatiently. “I give you fair -warning that I intend to clean you out of the place, -the whole kit of you, Tom Walton included.”</p> - -<p>“All right! It is your next move, Tommy. I hope -you won’t burn your fingers in the scrape, as you have -done several times before.”</p> - -<p>“Do you threaten me?”</p> - -<p>“No, by no means. I only wish to tell you that those -who act unjustly must bear the burden of their own -injustice. When you attempted to have me put out of -the car, it cost you a broken leg, though that was by no -act of mine. I shall try to keep the peace, but if attacked, -I shall defend myself. For all the good you -and your father have done to me and mine, I shall remember -you kindly. I shall forgive and forget all the -injury. I stood by you and your father as long as you -would let me. I refused the very situation which I -have now accepted when in your employ, for no money -could tempt me to forsake my friends. I hope you -will not try to get up a quarrel with me, Tommy, for<span class="pagenum">[173]</span> -I have no ill-will towards you, and would rather serve -you now than injure you.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean that?”</p> - -<p>“Upon my word I do!” I answered earnestly; and -if I know my own heart, I spoke the simple truth.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we will give you a chance to prove what -you say,” said Tommy, with an incredulous shake -of the head. “Attention—battalion! Forward—march!”</p> - -<p>As abruptly as he had come upon me, he left me. -Evidently my words had suggested some plan to him, -and I had a right to expect some proposition from him. -To sum up Tommy’s threats, he intended to drive me -out of the town—not by force or by legal measures, -but by making “the place too hot to hold me;” which, -being interpreted, meant that he and his friends would -vex and annoy our family until we should be glad to -seek a new home elsewhere. Of course a man so influential -as Major Toppleton, senior, had the power to -make Middleport very disagreeable to us.</p> - -<p>“Tommy’s dander is up,” said Tom Walton, as the -battalion marched up the street.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[174]</span></p> - -<p>“It doesn’t take much to bring his wrath up to the -boiling-point,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I think you have given them an awful heavy dose -to-day, Wolf, if all the stories are true,” added Tom, -rubbing his hands as though he enjoyed the situation.</p> - -<p>“What stories?”</p> - -<p>“They say that Colonel Wimpleton, or Waddie, -made you captain of the <em>Ucayga</em>.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so.”</p> - -<p>“And your father the engineer.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so, too.”</p> - -<p>“Then the boat beat the Lightning Express both -ways.”</p> - -<p>“All true.”</p> - -<p>“There’s a big excitement on this side of the lake. -Everybody says Lewis Holgate must step down, and -take the dummy.”</p> - -<p>“I’m willing.”</p> - -<p>“Can you beat them then, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“We can beat them on the down trip from Centreport. -But we don’t expect to do much till next spring; -then the Lake Shore Railroad may hang up its fiddle<span class="pagenum">[175]</span>, -except for business with Middleport and the towns -upon the line.”</p> - -<p>“Is that so?” asked Tom, opening his eyes.</p> - -<p>“No doubt of it. But I wanted to see you about -another matter. Have you any work on hand?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing but odd jobs,” replied Tom, suddenly -looking as sad as it was possible for so good-natured -a fellow to look. “I must find something to do that -will pay me better, or it will go hard with my mother -this winter. She isn’t able to do much.”</p> - -<p>“I can put you in the way of doing something for a -week or two, which will pay you pretty well. The -<em>Belle</em> is engaged to go up the lake next week with a -fishing-party; but, as things are now, I can’t go with -her.”</p> - -<p>“I’m your man!” exclaimed Tom, his eyes sparkling -with pleasure, for this was a job after his own heart.</p> - -<p>“All right. Let us settle on the terms.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you may fix them to suit yourself.”</p> - -<p>“How much are you making now, Tom? I don’t -want to be hard with you.”</p> - -<p>“You won’t be hard with me,” laughed he.</p> - -<p>“But let us have the matter understood. I will do<span class="pagenum">[176]</span> -as well as I can by you. How much do you earn -now?”</p> - -<p>“Some days I make a quarter of a dollar; some -days a half; and I have earned a dollar. If I get -three dollars a week I am pretty well satisfied.”</p> - -<p>“I am to have five dollars a day for the boat when -she is taken by the week, and seven for a single day. -Suppose I give you two dollars a day for every day -the <em>Belle</em> is used.”</p> - -<p>“That’s handsome!” exclaimed Tom. “I shall be -rich on those terms.”</p> - -<p>“No, you won’t. She will not have anything to do -for more than two or three weeks this season. In the -spring she will do well. After she is paid for, we will -divide equally.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Wolf. You are a glorious fellow!”</p> - -<p>We went down to the <em>Belle’s</em> moorings, and I gave -my friend such instructions as he needed. I was sure -my party would have no reason to regret the change -in the skippership of the boat.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[177]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE TWO MAJORS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Tom wanted to sail the <em>Belle</em> a while, in order to -ascertain her points; and though it was now dark, he -unmoored her, and stood up the lake. After I had -called upon the gentleman who had engaged the <em>Belle</em>, -to explain the change in my arrangements—which, as -the person knew Tom very well, were entirely satisfactory—I -went home. My father had just returned -from the other side; and I found our family in the -most cheerful frame of mind. Our star appeared to be -in the ascendant again.</p> - -<p>“I have been warned out of town, father,” said I, as -we sat down to supper.</p> - -<p>“Who warned you?” asked my father, with a smile -which indicated that he did not consider the warning -as of any great consequence.</p> - -<p>“Tommy Toppleton. He halted his battalion, and -pitched into me as though he intended to crush me -beneath the hoofs of his pony.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[178]</span></p> - -<p>I went on to explain what the little major had said; -but none of us were alarmed. My mother counseled -moderation, as she had always done, and father -thought we could make the most by minding our own -business.</p> - -<p>“I told Tommy I would rather serve him than injure -him; and if I know myself, I spoke the truth,” I -added.</p> - -<p>“That’s right, Wolfert! I’m glad you said that, for -I know you meant it,” said my good mother. “While -we do our duty, and endeavor to serve the Lord faithfully -and patiently, we shall triumph in the end. It -does not make much difference if we are cast down for -a time, or if wicked men seem to have conquered us, -we shall prosper if we are good and true. We can -afford to wait for success as long as we do our duty. -As the minister said last Sunday, God does not always -call that success which passes for such in this world. -Real success is being ever faithful to God and conscience.”</p> - -<p>I believed what my mother affirmed; but it always -did me good to hear her repeat the lesson of wisdom -and piety. It always strengthened my soul, and helped<span class="pagenum">[179]</span> -me to maintain my standard of duty. My father was -not a religious man, though he always went to church, -and had a high respect for sacred things. He always -listened in silence to the admonitions of my mother; -but I was sure he approved them, and believed in them.</p> - -<p>Before we rose from the table, the door-bell rang, -and my mother, who answered the summons, informed -me that Major Toppleton desired to see me immediately -at his own house.</p> - -<p>“What does this mean?” asked my father, manifesting -much interest in the event.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know; but the message reminds me of what -Tommy said when we parted,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“What did he say?”</p> - -<p>“When I told him I would rather serve than injure -him, he replied that perhaps I might have a chance to -prove what I said.”</p> - -<p>“It may be that the major intends to make you an -offer,” added my father. “I have no doubt he feels -very sore about the events of this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“Very likely he does, for we certainly beat the -Lightning Express all to pieces; and I am confident -we can do it every time we try, on the down trip.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[180]</span></p> - -<p>“Suppose he should make you an offer?” inquired -my father anxiously. “What if he should offer you -three or four dollars a day to run the Lightning Express?”</p> - -<p>“I am glad you asked the question, father, for my -mind is made up. I may be wrong, but I think I am -right. I should decline the offer.”</p> - -<p>“If he offered you more wages than the colonel -agreed to pay you?”</p> - -<p>“Colonel Wimpleton has fairly engaged me to run -the <em>Ucayga</em>,” I replied, taking my hat from the nail. -“It would not be right for me to leave him without -giving him reasonable notice of my intention to do so.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not. As long as he uses you well, you -are bound to do the same by him, whatever happens.”</p> - -<p>“I refused to leave the railroad company when the -colonel offered me more wages than I was receiving. -He has given me my place in good faith. If I can do -better on this side of the lake than I can on the other, -I think I have the right to resign my situation, if I -give reasonable notice.”</p> - -<p>“Quite right, Wolf,” replied my father warmly.<span class="pagenum">[181]</span> -“Major Toppleton discharged us both without an -hour’s notice, and I don’t think we are under special -obligation to him for his recent treatment of us, -though he certainly did us a good turn when we were -persecuted by Colonel Wimpleton.”</p> - -<p>My father and I were in perfect accord, as we generally -were on questions of right and of policy; and I -hastened to the major’s house, not without a certain -dread of confronting the great man. I was admitted -to the library. I had hoped I should obtain at least a -sight of Grace, but I did not; and I braced my nerves -for the interview with the great major and the little -major, for both of them were present. The father -bowed loftily and haughtily as I entered, and the son -looked supercilious and contemptuous. Neither of -them was courteous enough to invite me to take a -seat, and I stood up before them, waiting their imperial -pleasure.</p> - -<p>“You sent for me, Major Toppleton, and I have -come,” I ventured to say; and the cold reception accorded -to me had a tendency to make me stand upon -my dignity.</p> - -<p>“I find, to my surprise, that you have gone into the<span class="pagenum">[182]</span> -employ of Colonel Wimpleton,” said the senior major, -with a sneer upon his lips.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” I replied, bowing.</p> - -<p>“I am astonished!” added the major.</p> - -<p>“Neither my father nor myself could afford to remain -without employment, when good offers were -made to us,” I answered respectfully.</p> - -<p>“Then I am to understand that you and your father -have arrayed yourselves against me.”</p> - -<p>“By no means, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Do you not understand that Wimpleton’s steamer -and the Lake Shore Railroad are running against each -other?” demanded my late patron severely.</p> - -<p>“I do, sir; but I do not think that a fair business -competition means any personal ill-will. If it does, it -is entirely a matter between you and Colonel Wimpleton. -I am not the owner of the <em>Ucayga</em>, and she will -run just the same whether I go in her or not.”</p> - -<p>Major Toppleton bit his lips. Perhaps he felt that -my point was well taken.</p> - -<p>“You ran the steamer this afternoon, and, by your -knowledge of the Horse-Shoe Channel, made a quick -trip. Those who know say you took the steamer<span class="pagenum">[183]</span> -through in fifteen minutes less than her usual time. I -hold you responsible, therefore, for this day’s work.”</p> - -<p>“Of course I did the best I could for my employers, -as I was in the habit of doing when I ran on the railroad.”</p> - -<p>“After doing as much as I have for you and your -father, I did not expect to see you both arrayed against -me.”</p> - -<p>“But you discharged us both, sir. What could we -do? We could not afford to refuse good offers.”</p> - -<p>“If the Evil One should offer you a price, would -you sell your soul to him?”</p> - -<p>“Decidedly not, sir. It did not happen to be the -Evil One who made us the offers, and they were accepted.”</p> - -<p>“It was the same thing!” exclaimed the major bitterly.</p> - -<p>“Let me talk, father,” said Tommy, who, by a -miracle which I could not comprehend, had thus far -remained silent.</p> - -<p>His father let him talk, and, like an obedient parent, -was silent himself.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, you said you would rather serve me than<span class="pagenum">[184]</span> -injure me,” continued the little major, fixing his gaze -upon me.</p> - -<p>“I did; and I meant so,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Suppose I should offer to give you back your place -on the locomotive.”</p> - -<p>“It will be time enough to answer when you have -done so.”</p> - -<p>I had no idea that he intended to make me any such -offer. The sneers and the looks of contempt bestowed -upon me were sufficient assurances that neither father -nor son regarded me with any other feeling than aversion. -It was not necessary gratuitously to decline the -offer in advance, and thus provoke their anger.</p> - -<p>“Suppose I should make you the offer,” repeated -Tommy, rather disturbed by my evasive reply.</p> - -<p>“As you have not made it, I need not answer.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t like to make an offer, and then have it refused.”</p> - -<p>“I do not like to say what I will do till I have an -opportunity to do it,” I answered.</p> - -<p>“You need not bother your head about it. I don’t -intend to make you an offer. I only wanted to show<span class="pagenum">[185]</span> -you that you did not mean what you said about serving -me,” continued Tommy spitefully. “I wouldn’t——”</p> - -<p>“Stop a minute, Tommy,” interposed his father. -“Wolf, after all we have done for you, we have a -right to expect something better of you.”</p> - -<p>“What would you have me do, sir?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“Do! I’ll tell you. Go to Wimpleton to-night. -Resign your situation. Then come to me, and I’ll talk -with you about a place for——”</p> - -<p>“Stop a minute, father,” said Tommy. “Don’t -make any promises. I wouldn’t have him on the Lake -Shore Railroad any more than I would have Wimpleton -himself. He’s a hypocrite—would rather serve -me than injure me! Let him resign his place on this -steamer! That would be doing something to serve me. -After that it will be time enough to talk.”</p> - -<p>I made no reply, for it was patent to me that Tommy -had sent for me merely to bully me. It was easier and -cheaper to bear it than to resent it.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you think you can ruin the Lake Shore -Railroad, in which I have invested so much money,” -sneered the senior major.</p> - -<p>“I have no desire to do so.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[186]</span></p> - -<p>“But you are trying to do it,” added Tommy.</p> - -<p>“I intend to work for the interests of my employers. -If I have an opportunity to serve you, I shall do so, -but not by being unfaithful to those who pay me for -my work.”</p> - -<p>“That’s just what you did when in my employ,” -said the father. “You made your peace with Wimpleton -in my yacht, feeding him and taking care of him -at my expense.”</p> - -<p>“I did only an act of humanity toward him,” I answered, -stung by the charge.</p> - -<p>“No matter! You are a traitor and a renegade. Go -your way, and take the consequences of your treachery. -But let me tell you and Wimpleton that when I have -made my next move, your steamer might as well be at -the bottom of the lake as to attempt to compete with -the road.”</p> - -<p>I bowed, and left, though I did not escape till -Tommy had again poured out the vials of his wrath -upon me. If the major had published his “next move” -to the world I could not have understood it any better. -The up-lake steamers were no longer to make a landing -at Centreport, where the <em>Ucayga</em> could get any of<span class="pagenum">[187]</span> -her through passengers. I went home and told my -father the result of the interview. He only laughed -at the impotent rage of the two majors.</p> - -<p>Early on Monday morning, as my father and I were -pulling across the lake in my old skiff, we saw the -<em>Grace</em>—Major Toppleton’s yacht—get under way and -stand up the lake. This movement explained what occurred -on the arrival of the morning boat from Hitaca.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[188]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE MAJOR’S NEXT MOVE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>On Monday morning, at quarter-past eight, the -<em>Ucayga</em> was in readiness to start as soon as the steamer -should arrive from Hitaca. She was in sight, and our -runners were on the wharf, prepared to induce through -travelers to leave her for our more elegant and spacious -boat. Waddie was on board, as excited as -though the success of the whole scheme depended entirely -upon him.</p> - -<p>The up-lake steamer was approaching the Narrows; -but, instead of heading directly toward the pier on the -Centreport side, as usual, she hugged the west shore. -We did not suspect that any change in her movements -would be made at present; at least not before it was -duly announced in the advertisements and posters of -the company. I expected to hear of a different arrangement -in a week or two, after Major Toppleton -had thoroughly tested the capacity of the railroad and -steamers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[189]</span></p> - -<p>“What does this mean, Wolf?” demanded Waddie -blandly, as the Hitaca boat stopped her wheels near -the Middleport landing.</p> - -<p>“It means that she is not coming to Centreport with -her through passengers,” I replied, hardly less chagrined -than the president of the steamboat company.</p> - -<p>“But she has no right to do that,” protested Waddie, -who, like the two great men, had the idea that no one -could be justified in acting contrary to his interest and -his wishes.</p> - -<p>“I suppose the owners of that line have the right to -run their boats where they please.”</p> - -<p>“But they have not advertised any change in their -arrangements.”</p> - -<p>“They are responsible for what they do,” I added.</p> - -<p>“They must have passengers on board who wish to -come to Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“Probably the boat will come over here after the -<em>Ucayga</em> starts. Of course this is a plan on the part of -Major Toppleton to prevent us from taking any of his -through passengers. We can’t expect the railroad -company, which controls those boats, to play into our -hands.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[190]</span></p> - -<p>“But we can expect fair play.”</p> - -<p>“Hardly,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“But what can we do?” demanded Waddie, intensely -nettled by this movement of the other side.</p> - -<p>“We can do nothing, just now. I expected this -thing, though not quite so soon.”</p> - -<p>“As the matter stands now, we are beaten.”</p> - -<p>“Just now we are; but I think we shall not stay -beaten long,” I continued good-naturedly. “Your -father understands the matter perfectly, and has not -lost a moment in preparing for the emergency. When -we have the other steamer, we shall be on the top of -the wave again.”</p> - -<p>“But must we keep quiet until the other boat is -completed?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not, Waddie, though we cannot fully compete -with the other side till we have the new boat. I -wonder if your father came down in that steamer.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I think not. He has not had time -to do his business in Hitaca.”</p> - -<p>“I have a plan to propose and, when we have time, -I will talk it over with you.”</p> - -<p>“You always have a plan to propose,” said Waddie,<span class="pagenum">[191]</span> -beginning to look more hopeful. “Perhaps I will see -you when you return, for I must go to school this -morning. I haven’t forgotten what I said on Saturday.”</p> - -<p>“I hope not. If I were you, I would not say anything -to any one that I had made certain good resolutions. -Let them find it out by your actions rather -than your promises.”</p> - -<p>“I will, Wolf; but I am so excited about that -steamboat business that I can’t think of much else.”</p> - -<p>“Control yourself, Waddie. Do your duty faithfully -at school, and I will try to have everything go -right with the boat.”</p> - -<p>“I am vexed at this change in the running of those -boats. It throws us completely out of our plans.”</p> - -<p>“We must expect such things. We can’t have it -all our own way, and we must make the best of the -circumstances as we find them.”</p> - -<p>“Major Toppleton is smart.”</p> - -<p>“I told you he would not be content to have the -wind taken out of his sails. He rose early this morning, -and went up the lake in his yacht. Probably he -went on board of that steamer at Gulfport, and directed<span class="pagenum">[192]</span> -her captain to proceed directly to Middleport, -instead of coming to Centreport first.”</p> - -<p>“What is your plan, Wolf? I am curious to know -about it. Do you mean to start from Middleport?”</p> - -<p>“No, we can’t do that. Major Toppleton controls -the water-front of the town, and we could not get a -landing-place there.”</p> - -<p>“But don’t my father control the water-front on -this side? Don’t we let the major’s boats land here?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly; and it would be very unwise in your -father to prevent them from doing so; for he would -thus shut off from Centreport all direct communication -with Hitaca, and the other towns up the lake. -When he has established a through line, he can afford -to keep his wharves for the exclusive use of his own -boats, though I question the policy of doing so, even -then.”</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon, Wolf, you have a long -head!”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Waddie!”</p> - -<p>“But you have not told me about your plan.”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid I have not time to do so now,” I replied, -looking at my watch. “It is nearly half-past eight.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[193]</span></p> - -<p>“Well, I will see you when you return from -Ucayga.”</p> - -<p>Waddie remained with me till I gave the order to -cast off the fasts and haul in the planks. It was evident -by this time that the boat from Hitaca was not -coming to Centreport until after we had started; and -at precisely half-past eight the <em>Ucayga</em> left the wharf. -We had quite a respectable number of passengers, -though, of course, we had not a single one from up the -lake; and, under the new arrangement, we could not -possibly have one in the future. It was certainly -vexatious, as Waddie had suggested, to be checkmated -in this manner, and I knew that Colonel Wimpleton -would storm furiously when he heard of it.</p> - -<p>I had expected it; and, after the first shock, I felt -reconciled to the misfortune. Under the present arrangement, -the <em>Ucayga</em> accommodated only Ruoara -and Centreport, and till we could offset the movement -of Major Toppleton, she must be run only for their -benefit. There was not more than half business -enough to support her. The plan which I had devised, -and of which I had spoken to Waddie, had its advantages -and its disadvantages; but I was sure that it<span class="pagenum">[194]</span> -would be a paying operation for the steamer. I was -very anxious to state it to the colonel and Waddie.</p> - -<p>As soon as the <em>Ucayga</em> left the wharf, the Hitaca -boat started for Centreport. The major did not intend -to lose any Centreport trade, and by the arrangement -he saved his up-lake passengers for that town. -Doubtless he was a happy man, and Tommy was satisfied -that he had again thrown the magnificent steamer -into the shade. Well, they had, to a certain extent; -but it was our next move.</p> - -<p>We were at the wharf in Ruoara on time; for the -<em>Ucayga</em>, under favorable circumstances, rather exceeded -her rate of sixteen miles an hour. Waddie had -sent up the two trucks which I required, and we made -our landing in about five minutes. I took the wheel -when the boat left the wharf, and carried her safely -through the Horse-Shoe Channel; and this time without -a particle of the nervousness which had disturbed -me before. I gave Van Wolter the bearings, so that -he could be preparing himself for the task when occasion -should require.</p> - -<p>But, really, there was now no reason to go through -the narrow channel. As we had no possible chance of<span class="pagenum">[195]</span> -obtaining any through passengers, it was useless to -wait for the up-lake boats, though under my proposed -arrangement it would have enabled me to save the -day. The mate carefully noted the bearings I pointed -out to him, and the operations which I explained. He -was a skilful man in his business, and I had no doubt -he would soon be a competent pilot for the channel.</p> - -<p>While we were going through the passage, the -Lightning Express dashed along the other side of the -lake; and I was satisfied, from its increased speed and -punctuality, that Lewis Holgate had been superseded. -The locomotive was evidently under the charge of a -skilful hand. But the spirited competition of Saturday, -which I had anticipated would continue for a few -days, seemed to be at an end. The <em>Ucayga</em> was on -time, and so was the train. The passengers from the -latter came over on the ferry, and as they landed, I -saw Major Toppleton and Tommy. A great crowd of -people had come down on the Lightning Express, the -larger part of whom were through travelers.</p> - -<p>To my surprise, my late patrons walked towards the -boat. Both of them looked extremely pleasant, as well -they might, after the large freight they brought down,<span class="pagenum">[196]</span> -at two dollars a head, from Hitaca. They saw me, as -I stood on the hurricane-deck, overlooking the landing -of our merchandise.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, Wolf,” said the senior major. “I -hope you are very well this morning.”</p> - -<p>“Quite well, I thank you, sir,” I replied, as cheerfully -as I could.</p> - -<p>Both majors laughed; they could not help it after -the victory they had won; and I tried to laugh with -them, but it was rather hard work. The father and -son came on board, and presently joined me on the -upper deck.</p> - -<p>“This is a magnificent boat, Wolf,” said the great -man.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, she is a very fine boat,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I had no idea she was so well fitted up. You did not -have many passengers down—did you, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“Not so many as we desired, sir.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose you remember what I said Saturday -night?” chuckled the major.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>“I told you it was my next move.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, I recollect that you said so.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[197]</span></p> - -<p>“Well, Wolf, I have made that move.”</p> - -<p>“I see you have, sir; and, without any disrespect to -you, perhaps Colonel Wimpleton will conclude to make -the next move himself.”</p> - -<p>“The next move!” laughed the major. “We think -on our side, that we have him in a tight place.”</p> - -<p>“He don’t think so himself, Major Toppleton; and -I’m sure I don’t.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, Wolf?”</p> - -<p>“You seemed to be very much pleased with your -success, and I congratulate you upon it. It’s all fair.”</p> - -<p>“Of course it’s all fair; but what is your next -move?” asked the major, trying to conceal a shade of -anxiety that crossed his face.</p> - -<p>“As you did not tell me what your move was to be, -I think I will keep still for the present, especially as it -is not yet matured.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all gas, Wolf,” interposed Tommy. “You -can’t do nothing.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we can’t; but we can try,” I replied, good-naturedly.</p> - -<p>The ferry-boat rang her bell, and my guests departed, -though I offered them a passage in the <em>Ucayga</em>.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[198]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">GRACE TOPPLETON FAINTS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>It was certainly our next move, and after the <em>Ucayga</em> -left the wharf, I went into my stateroom, abaft the -wheel-house, to make some figures relating to my plan. -My apartment was a little parlor, and though I had -scarcely been into it before, I was very much pleased -with it. Besides a berth, in which a nice bed was made -up, the stateroom was provided with a desk, lockers -for books and papers, a couple of armchairs, a table, -and other suitable furniture.</p> - -<p>This was not the traditional “captain’s office” to -which passengers are invited to step up by the boy -with the bell. The office was abaft the port paddle-box -on the main deck; and the <em>Ucayga</em>, in anticipation of -doing a large business, was provided with a clerk, so -that I had nothing to do but attend to the navigation -of the boat.</p> - -<p>I felt like a lord in my palatial little room, and I -was rather sorry that the exigencies of the service did<span class="pagenum">[199]</span> -not require me to sleep in it. I sat down at my desk, -and was soon absorbed in my calculation. In my own -opinion, I had a splendid idea—one which would induce -Major Toppleton and his son to call me a traitor -again as soon as it was reduced to practise. I had not -time to finish writing out the program before the mate -called me, as the <em>Ucayga</em> approached the Horse-Shoe -Channel.</p> - -<p>I took the boat through the difficult passage, and -after we had made the landing at Ruoara, I returned -to my room, and finished writing out my plan. Then, -with the aid of a handbill which hung up in the apartment, -I drew up an advertisement of the proposed new -arrangement suitable for the newspapers and for -posters, so that, the moment it was approved by Colonel -Wimpleton, it could be printed.</p> - -<p>I was much excited by the brilliant scheme I had -devised, and I was not quite sure that I could not -throw the Lake Shore Railroad into the shade, even -with one steamer. Certainly with two, the road would -be reduced to the condition to which the major had -condemned the <em>Ucayga</em>—that of doing merely a local -business for the towns on its own line. I was very<span class="pagenum">[200]</span> -sorry that Colonel Wimpleton did not return by the -morning boat, for I was impatient to show him my figures, -and to have the new program inaugurated without -any delay.</p> - -<p>If the short trips of our boat had done nothing else, -they had hurried up the Lake Shore Railroad; for, -when we reached Centreport, the train had arrived, -and the boat for Hitaca had started. Doubtless Major -Toppleton and his son continued to be perfectly happy, -and believed that they had achieved a decisive and final -victory. For the present they had; but it was our next -move. As I had nearly three hours to spare, and as -Waddie did not appear on board, I went home for an -hour, taking the steamer’s jolly-boat, with two deck-hands, -to pull me across the lake.</p> - -<p>I landed at the steps near the steamboat wharf, and -had hardly ascended to the pier when I had the fortune -or the misfortune to confront Tommy Toppleton. -In the enjoyment of his great victory, he had come -down to witness the arrival of the <em>Ucayga</em>, ten or fifteen -minutes after the departure of the Hitaca boat. -He looked quite as pleasant as when I had met him -down the lake, a couple of hours before.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[201]</span></p> - -<p>“How are you again, Wolf?” said he, halting before -me on the wharf.</p> - -<p>“First-rate,” I replied. “I hope you are.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, all but my leg, and that is doing very well. -I only limp a little now. You are not on time to-day, -Wolf.”</p> - -<p>“Why, yes; I thought I was. The <em>Ucayga</em> was at -her wharf at eleven-twenty-five. That was on time, -and a little ahead of it.”</p> - -<p>“But you were not in season for your passengers to -go up to Hitaca in the boat which has just gone.”</p> - -<p>“No, I was not; but then, you see, we had no passengers -for Hitaca. We did not insure any one a connection -at Centreport to-day, and so none came by our -boat. I did so on Saturday, because your train was -ten or fifteen minutes behind time.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that won’t happen again,” added Tommy -confidently.</p> - -<p>“You haven’t fallen out with Lewis Holgate—have -you?” I inquired.</p> - -<p>“No—oh, no! But I persuaded him to go on the -dummy, where he is more at home.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[202]</span></p> - -<p>“I was satisfied you had some one on the locomotive -who understood the business.”</p> - -<p>“Lewis and I are as good friends as ever.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad to hear that.”</p> - -<p>“Are you, Wolf?” sneered Tommy.</p> - -<p>“Certainly I am.”</p> - -<p>I had my doubts whether Lewis Holgate was as -good a friend as ever; for, being degraded from the -locomotive to the dummy would rankle in his heart, -however well he succeeded in concealing his real feelings.</p> - -<p>“You haven’t resigned your situation as captain of -the steamer—have you, Wolf?” asked the little major, -with a sinister expression.</p> - -<p>“I have not.”</p> - -<p>“On the whole, I think I wouldn’t do it, if I were -you,” he added, laughing.</p> - -<p>“I did not think of doing so, unless the circumstances -required such a step.”</p> - -<p>“Because we are having it all our own way on this -side, and we are perfectly willing you should do anything -you please now.”</p> - -<p>“That’s handsome; that’s magnanimous, Tommy;<span class="pagenum">[203]</span> -and I thank you for your condescension,” I answered, -as cheerfully as I could. “I am very pleasantly situated -just now, and it affords me very great pleasure -to know that anything in the way of fair competition -will not be considered as interfering with your rights -and privileges.”</p> - -<p>“Do anything you like, Wolf. You will be beaten -both ways, now, and I think you have come about to -the end of your rope. After Colonel Wimpleton has -spent so much money on that new steamer, we ought -not grudge him the little business he can obtain in -Centreport and Ruoara.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad you feel so, Tommy, and that I have -your kind permission to take any step I may think -proper.”</p> - -<p>“Do just what you think best now.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t mean to say that my opinion of your conduct -toward us is at all changed; but as I look at it, -your treachery will be its own reward.”</p> - -<p>“That’s rather cool, Tommy. After turning me off -with every indignity and mark of contempt you could -devise, you talk about my treachery!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[204]</span></p> - -<p>“We won’t jaw about that. I don’t love you now; -but we won’t quarrel, if you will only take yourself -out of Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“We may not find it convenient to do that immediately; -but probably our business will require us to -leave soon.”</p> - -<p>“We have made our next move, and we are satisfied.”</p> - -<p>“I hope you won’t find any fault when we make -ours.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not,” sneered the little major. “You -can’t do anything now.”</p> - -<p>“You may be mistaken; but I hope you will take it -as kindly as we do, if things should not go to suit -you.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes!”</p> - -<p>“I have your permission to do what I think best,” -I replied, walking up the pier.</p> - -<p>The little major evidently saw no possible way by -which the <em>Ucayga</em> could compete with the railroad, as -long as the Hitaca boats did not land first at Centreport. -I did. I walked to my father’s house, thinking -over what he had said, and anticipating the storm<span class="pagenum">[205]</span> -which would take place when my plan was carried out, -as I was confident it would be, as soon as it was submitted -to Colonel Wimpleton.</p> - -<p>“There has been a gentleman here to see you, -Wolfert,” said my mother, as I went into the house.</p> - -<p>“Who was he?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Portman, or Captain Portman, I think he said. -He was very anxious to see you.”</p> - -<p>“Portman, Portman,” I replied, repeating the name, -and trying to recall the owner thereof, for it sounded -familiar to me.</p> - -<p>“He is a stout gentleman, and wore gray clothes.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I know!” I exclaimed, pulling out my pocket-book, -and taking therefrom the card of the stout -stranger who had pitched Tommy Toppleton out of -the car on the railroad.</p> - -<p>“He told me, if you came over to-day noon, to send -word to him at the hotel.”</p> - -<p>My mother accordingly sent the message by one of -my sisters; and, while she was absent, I related all the -events of the forenoon. Presently Captain Portman -presented himself. He was very glad to see me, and<span class="pagenum">[206]</span> -spoke of me very handsomely, to my face, for my conduct -on the railroad.</p> - -<p>“As you are no longer in the employ of the Lake -Shore Railroad, Wolf, I thought I would like to offer -you a place,” he said. “But your mother tells me you -have a good situation now.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; I am running the new steamer from -Centreport to Ucayga.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry you are engaged, though I congratulate -you on your splendid situation. I am going to keep a -yacht at my place, near Hitaca, and I wanted you to -take charge of her next spring, and I will give you -plenty of work, and good pay for the winter.”</p> - -<p>“I am very much obliged to you for your kind -offer; but as things stand now, I shall be obliged to -decline.”</p> - -<p>“I see you must; but I am glad to meet you, for I -took a fancy to you. My place is only five miles from -Hitaca, and I should be pleased to see you there.”</p> - -<p>We talked for half an hour about affairs on the -lake, and I invited him to dine with me; but he was -engaged with a friend at the hotel. Just as he was -taking his leave, we heard a timid pull at the door-bell.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[207]</span></p> - -<p>“Miss Grace Toppleton,” said my mother, showing -her into the room where we were, which was the -parlor.</p> - -<p>“Grace!” I exclaimed, delighted to see her.</p> - -<p>But I perceived in an instant that she was intensely -agitated, and I realized that her visit was not one of -ceremony. Indeed, I could not help fearing that some -terrible calamity had happened.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Mr. Wolf! I am——”</p> - -<p>“Take a chair, Miss Grace,” I interposed, as she -gasped, and seemed to be entirely out of breath.</p> - -<p>I placed the rocking-chair for her, and she began to -move toward it. Then I saw that her face had suddenly -become deadly pale. Her step tottered, and she -was on the point of falling to the floor, when I sprang -to her assistance, as did my mother also at the same -time. I received her into my arms, and bore her to -the sofa.</p> - -<p>“Bless me, the poor child has fainted! What can -have happened to her?” exclaimed my mother, running -for her camphor-bottle.</p> - -<p>Though it was not very strange that a young lady<span class="pagenum">[208]</span> -should faint, I was utterly confounded by the situation. -Something had occurred to alarm or agitate -her; but I could not imagine what it was. I looked out -the window; but I could see not even a horse, cow, or -dog, to terrify her.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[209]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">GRACE TOPPLETON’S STORY.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>My mother had the reputation of being a skilful -person in sickness, or in any emergency. She devoted -herself earnestly to the restoration of Grace. -I could not help looking at her, alarmed as I was, while -she lay pale and beautiful on the sofa. Captain Portman -manifested a deep interest in the sufferer, though -he knew that she belonged to the family of my persecutor, -for the male members of which he had -strongly expressed his contempt and disgust.</p> - -<p>I tried again to devise some explanation of the -singular visit of Grace at our house, and of the violent -emotion which agitated her. Although I knew that -her father was indulgent to her, I was afraid that -everything was not pleasant at home. I had seen her -brother strike her a severe blow, and had heard him -talk to her in the most violent manner. If he would -behave thus brutally to her in the presence of others, -what would he not do in the privacy of his own home?<span class="pagenum">[210]</span> -Grace was conscientious, and with the highest views -of truth and duty.</p> - -<p>It was not difficult to believe, therefore, that some -trouble had occurred in the family of the great man -of Middleport, and that poor Grace had fled from her -home in fear of personal violence. I began to flatter -myself, in view of the fact that she had come to me for -protection, and to fancy myself already a knight-errant. -I had all along rejoiced in the belief that she -regarded me with favor and kindness; but this last act -of confidence crowned all my hopes. While I was -thinking what I should do for her, how I should shield -her, she opened her eyes.</p> - -<p>My mother continued her benevolent ministrations -until Grace was wholly restored. Probably she was in -the habit of fainting; at any rate, she came out of the -swoon with a facility which astonished me, and led me -to the conclusion that fainting was not the most serious -thing in the world, as I had supposed when I saw -her silent and motionless on the sofa. She seemed to -gather up her faculties almost as suddenly as she had -been deprived of their use.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Wolf, I came to see you,” said she, after she<span class="pagenum">[211]</span> -was able to speak. “I am sorry I fainted; but I have -not felt well to-day.”</p> - -<p>“Rest yourself, Miss Toppleton,” interposed my -mother. “Don’t try to talk much yet.”</p> - -<p>“I feel much better now, and shall do very well. I -am much obliged to you Mrs. Penniman, for your -kindness.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, not a bit!” exclaimed my mother.</p> - -<p>“But I must do the errand which brought me here, -and go home,” said Grace, rising from the sofa.</p> - -<p>“Don’t get up yet, Miss Toppleton; sit still,” added -my mother, gently compelling her to resume her place -on the sofa.</p> - -<p>“I feel quite well now. I always faint when anything -disturbs me. Mr. Wolf, I have something to -say to you.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I think I will go,” said Captain Portman.</p> - -<p>“Not yet, if you please, sir,” interposed Grace. -“What I have to say concerns you, also. My father -and my brother will be terribly incensed against me -if they know that I have been here.”</p> - -<p>“They shall not know it from any of us,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry that my brother hates you, Mr. Wolf,<span class="pagenum">[212]</span> -and sorry that my father indulges all his whims. My -mother and I think that they do very wrong; but we -can’t help it. Just before I came away from home, I -heard them talking together about the gentleman who -put my brother out of the train at the time his leg -was broken. That was you, sir, I believe?”</p> - -<p>Captain Portman bowed his acknowledgment of the -fact.</p> - -<p>“They were talking about arresting you, sir, and -taking you before the court for an assault upon -Tommy.”</p> - -<p>The stout gentleman smiled, as though it were not a -very serious matter.</p> - -<p>“But I don’t think I should have come here if this -had been all,” continued Grace. “My brother saw and -recognized you in the street, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Very likely,” nodded Captain Portman.</p> - -<p>“Dear me, I must hurry on with my story, or I -shall be too late to do any good!” exclaimed the fair -visitor. “Well, my brother is determined that you -shall be arrested, too, Mr. Wolf. He insists that you -were concerned in the assault. They have gone to -find an officer now. Tommy says he shall prevent<span class="pagenum">[213]</span> -your running that steamboat this afternoon, and perhaps -for a week; and this is really what my brother -wants to do, so far as you are concerned, Mr. Wolf.”</p> - -<p>Was this all? And Miss Grace had not been driven -from her home by the persecution of her father and -brother! Tommy had not even struck her again! I -was really glad, when I came to think of it, that the -matter was no worse. If I had no opportunity to do -desperate deeds in the service of my beautiful friend, -I had the consolation of knowing that there was no -occasion for any. I was happy to realize that peace -reigned in the great mansion.</p> - -<p>When my anxiety for Grace would permit me to -think of myself, I appreciated the obligation under -which she had placed me by this timely warning. I -was willing to be arrested for my agency in expelling -Tommy from the train, for, being entirely innocent, I -could afford to face my accusers.</p> - -<p>“Now, what will you do, Mr. Wolf?” asked Grace, -beginning to be much agitated again.</p> - -<p>“First, I shall be under everlasting obligations to -you for your kindness in taking all this trouble on my -account.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[214]</span></p> - -<p>“Never mind that, Mr. Wolf,” she said, blushing. -“I know you had nothing to do with injuring my -brother, and I do not want you to suffer for this, or to -have your steamboat stopped for nothing. The constable -and Tommy are going to wait for you at the -corner of the street,” she added, indicating the place -where I was to be captured. “You must go some -other way.”</p> - -<p>“I will, Miss Grace.”</p> - -<p>“And I will go and throw myself into the hands -of the Philistines at once,” added Captain Portman, -laughing.</p> - -<p>“I suppose they can’t hurt you, sir,” said Grace.</p> - -<p>“Well, I am certainly guilty of the offense charged -upon me,” replied Captain Portman. “I will not now -pretend to justify it, though your brother was very -unreasonable, and detained me, as well as a crowd of -others, without the slightest excuse for doing so. The -act was done in the anger and excitement of the moment, -and I shall cheerfully submit to the penalty of -the law, as a good citizen should do.”</p> - -<p>I thanked Miss Grace again for her interest in me, -and for the trouble she had taken on my account.<span class="pagenum">[215]</span> -What she had done was no trivial thing to her, as her -fainting fully proved, and I could not but be proud of -the devotion she had exhibited in my cause. She took -her leave; and after she had been gone a few minutes, -Captain Portman departed.</p> - -<p>Tommy’s plan included me in the arrest for an assault -upon him; but that was only a conspiracy to injure -the steamboat line on the other side of the lake. I -deemed it my duty to defeat this little scheme, in the -interests of my employers. I ate my dinner hastily, -and then left the house by the back door, making my -way to the lake, where I had left my skiff, by a round-about -course. I pulled across, and as I went on board -of the <em>Ucayga</em>, I hoped the constable who was waiting -for me would have a good time.</p> - -<p>I was not quite sure that Grace had not made a -mistake, so far as I was to be connected with the arrest. -She might have misunderstood the conversation -she had heard; for I could hardly believe it possible -that Major Toppleton intended to have me arrested. -Everybody knew that I had had no hand in putting -Tommy out of the car. No one had ever asserted such -a thing. But they could affirm that I was in company<span class="pagenum">[216]</span> -with Captain Portman at the time, and that I had instigated -him to do the deed. Of course this was nonsense; -but it might be a sufficient pretense to detain me -long enough for the <em>Ucayga</em> to lose her afternoon trip. -The warning I had received induced me to prepare for -the future, and I instructed the mate to run the boat -through, if at any time I should be absent when it was -time to start.</p> - -<p>I went into the engine-room, and told my father -what had transpired during my absence. He listened -to me, and seemed to be much annoyed by my story; -for it looked like the first of the petty trials to which -we were to be subjected, in accordance with Tommy’s -threats. While I was thus employed, Waddie Wimpleton -appeared, excited and anxious under the defeat -we had that day sustained.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry your father did not come down this -morning,” said I, after he had expressed his dissatisfaction -at the movement of Major Toppleton.</p> - -<p>“Why?” asked Waddie hopefully.</p> - -<p>“Because I have a plan to propose to him.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t you propose it to me?” said he, laughing.</p> - -<p>“I am the president of the steamboat company.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[217]</span></p> - -<p>“I know you are; but I did not think you would be -willing to take a step so decided as the one I shall -propose, without the advice and consent of your -father.”</p> - -<p>“Let me hear what it is, and then I can tell you -whether I will or not.”</p> - -<p>“Come to my stateroom, then, and I will show you -all the figures. If I mistake not, we can do a big -thing, even before the keel of the <em>Hitaca</em> is laid down.”</p> - -<p>“I have been thinking a good deal about our affairs -to-day, Wolf,” said Waddie, as we went upon the -hurricane-deck. “I have tried to feel kindly toward -the folks on the other side. It’s hard work, and I’m -not up to it yet—by the great horn spoon I’m not!”</p> - -<p>“You must not try to overdo the matter,” I replied, -pleased with his enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>“They are endeavoring to injure us all they can. If -Major Toppleton had not prevented his boat from -coming to Centreport this morning, it would have -been easier to feel right toward him.”</p> - -<p>“You need not feel unkindly toward him on that -account. Major Toppleton, as an individual, is one -affair; his railroad and steamboat line is quite another.<span class="pagenum">[218]</span> -A fair competition is all right. We will not say a -word, or do a thing, against the major or his son, personally; -but we must do the best we can for the success -of our line. We are in duty bound to do it, as much -for the public good as our own. If we lessen the time -between Hitaca and Ucayga by an hour, so far we -confer a benefit upon the traveling community. We -need have no ill-will toward any person. If the major -and his son need our help, our kind words, let them -be given. We will not say anything to injure their -line; but we will do the best we can to build up our -own.”</p> - -<p>“But we don’t shorten the time between Hitaca and -Ucayga by an hour, or even a minute,” said Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we shall. Sit down, and I will show you -the figures,” I replied, as I took my program from the -desk.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[219]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">OUR NEXT MOVE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>I had written out a plan for the running of the -<em>Ucayga</em> an entire day. I had studied it out very carefully, -and made all the allowances I deemed necessary. -The basis of our anticipated success was the fact that -our boat would make sixteen miles an hour, while the -old steamers were good for only ten, or when crowded, -for twelve, at the most. Waddie looked at my time-table; -but he did not exhibit any enthusiasm, and I -concluded that he did not understand it.</p> - -<p>“What do you think of it?” I inquired, somewhat -amused by the puzzled expression on his face.</p> - -<p>“I dare say it is first-rate; but I don’t exactly know -what all these figures mean. I see Hitaca on the -paper, but of course you don’t mean to go up there.”</p> - -<p>“That’s just what I mean,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Go to Hitaca!” exclaimed Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Certainly—go to Hitaca.”</p> - -<p>“But my father promised the people of Centreport<span class="pagenum">[220]</span> -and Ruoara that they should have two boats a day to -Ucayga, and if you go up to the head of the lake, you -can’t possibly make two trips a day from there.”</p> - -<p>“That’s very true; nevertheless, we will go to -Hitaca once every day, and still make the two trips, as -your father promised.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t understand it,” answered Waddie, hitching -about in his chair.</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell you about it. We are in Centreport now.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so; and I am willing to make an oath of -that,” laughed the president of the steamboat company.</p> - -<p>“Good! We will begin here, then,” I added, pointing -to the name of the place on my time-table. “We -leave here at two-thirty, and arrive at Ucayga so as to -start from there at four.”</p> - -<p>“Just so; that is the program now.”</p> - -<p>“We follow the present arrangement in all respects, -but with a little addition. We reach Centreport at -five-twenty-five this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“I understand all that,” said Waddie, rather impatiently.</p> - -<p>“From that point we strike out a new track. Instead<span class="pagenum">[221]</span> -of remaining at Centreport over night, we continue -right on to Hitaca, stopping on the way at Gulfport, -Priam, Port Gunga, and Southport. We shall be -in Hitaca at seven-thirty, about an hour ahead of the -railroad line.”</p> - -<p>“That will give us a share of the through passengers,” -added Waddie, as he began to comprehend the -nature of my plan. “But I don’t see how——”</p> - -<p>“Hold on a minute, Mr. President,” I interposed. -“You agree that my method is all right so far?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly.”</p> - -<p>“We beat the other line on the through run by about -an hour.”</p> - -<p>“That’s true.”</p> - -<p>“Then we shall take all, or nearly all, the through -passengers on the afternoon trip up; for none of them -will want to waste an hour on the passage. Besides, -we give them a perfect palace of a boat, compared -with the old steamers.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we shall take them all!” exclaimed Waddie. -“There will be no changing, while the railroad line -must change twice.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[222]</span></p> - -<p>“Still further,” I continued. “There is a train for -the south which leaves Hitaca at eight in the evening. -The old boats are always too late for it; we shall be -in season. That will help us again, for passengers -going beyond Hitaca will not have to remain there -over night.”</p> - -<p>“We shall have it all our own way,” said Waddie, -rubbing his hands with delight.</p> - -<p>“More yet; we can have supper on board, and that -will be another source of profit to the boat, and be an -accommodation to the passengers, who in the old line -have their supper at nine o’clock, after they get to the -hotel.”</p> - -<p>“It’s all plain enough so far. You will stay in -Hitaca over night?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly; and now for the rest of the plan,” I -continued, glancing at my program. “The old-line -boat leaves Hitaca at quarter of six in the morning, -so early as to be a very great annoyance to passengers. -We will leave at half-past six—three-quarters of an -hour later. We can have breakfast on board, which -the old boats cannot for the want of the facilities. We -shall touch at all the intermediate ports, and arrive at<span class="pagenum">[223]</span> -Centreport by half-past eight, or so as to leave at our -usual time.”</p> - -<p>“That’s first-rate!” exclaimed Waddie. “You get -this extra trip to Hitaca by running up at night and -down in the morning.”</p> - -<p>“Exactly so; but we can make only one through -trip a day to Hitaca. We shall reach Ucayga at ten -in the forenoon, as we do now, and come right back on -the return trip. We go from the head to the foot of -the lake in three hours and a half, including stops. -The railroad line does the same thing in four and a -quarter.”</p> - -<p>“They beat us a quarter of an hour between Centreport -and Ucayga, and we beat them an hour between -Centreport and Hitaca, making a balance of three-quarters -of an hour in our favor.”</p> - -<p>“That tells the whole story, Waddie,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“But how about the other trip?” asked the president -anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Until the <em>Hitaca</em> is built, we must submit to be -beaten on that. We can’t go up to the head of the -lake twice a day with one boat. We leave Ucayga at -ten, but we come only to Centreport. In other words,<span class="pagenum">[224]</span> -we shall make one trip a day to Hitaca, and two to -Centreport, from the foot of the lake.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a good deal.”</p> - -<p>“So it is; and, by this new arrangement, we shall -all have to work from about five o’clock in the morning -till eight or nine in the evening.”</p> - -<p>“That will be rough on you.”</p> - -<p>“But we shall have to do it only till the other -steamer is built. The boat will make a good deal of -money. The old line charges two dollars a passenger -for through tickets. We can afford to carry them for -a dollar and a half.”</p> - -<p>“But what shall be done about it? This is all talk.”</p> - -<p>“If your father were here, I think he would send -the boat to Hitaca this very night,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Then I will do so,” added the president promptly.</p> - -<p>“If there is any blame, I will share it with you.”</p> - -<p>“Go ahead, Wolf! If you only beat the other line, -my father will be satisfied. I shall go up to Hitaca -with you.”</p> - -<p>“I will have a stateroom ready for you, if you wish -to sleep on board.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Wolf.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[225]</span></p> - -<p>“But we want some handbills, Mr. President, to -inform the public of the new arrangement. You can -have them printed so that we can take them as we return, -and have them ready to scatter all over Hitaca -when we get there to-night.”</p> - -<p>“I will have them done.”</p> - -<p>I sat down at my desk, and wrote the following advertisement:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="center largefont"><em>NO MONOPOLY!</em></p> - -<p class="center largefont">THROUGH LINE TO UCAYGA!</p> - -<p class="center smallfont" style="line-height:2">THE NEW AND SPLENDID STEAMER<br /> -<span class="largefont">UCAYGA,</span></p> - -<p class="center largefont pminus1"><span class="smcap">Captain Wolfert Penniman</span>,</p> - -<p>Will leave Hitaca every day at <span class="nowrap">6 <span class="fnum">1</span>/<span class="fden">2</span></span> o’clock A. M. -Touching at Southport, Port Gunga, Priam, Centreport, -and Ruoara, and arriving at Ucayga in season to -connect with trains east and west. Will leave -Ucayga at 4 o’clock P. M., and arrive at Hitaca at <span class="nowrap">7 <span class="fnum">1</span>/<span class="fden">2</span></span> -o’clock P. M. Fare, $1.50.</p> - -<p class="ir1 pminus1"><span class="smcap">W. Wimpleton</span>, <em>President</em>.</p> -</div> - -<p>Waddie took this copy, and hastened to the printing-office -with it. I was confident that this program -would carry consternation into the ranks of the old -line. After Waddie had gone, I went down to see<span class="pagenum">[226]</span> -my father. I explained my plan to him, and told him -that the boat would go through to Hitaca that night. -He was a prudent man, and suggested some difficulties, -nearly all of which I had considered and provided -for. Except at Middleport, the wharves were free to -any one who chose to use them, so that there was no -trouble about the landings. Van Wolter was a pilot -for the upper part of the lake. As the public generally -were to be benefited by the new line, we had no opposition -to dread except from the railroad company.</p> - -<p>At half-past two, the <em>Ucayga</em> left her wharf, and, as -usual, arrived at the foot of the lake just before four -o’clock. I had fully explained my purpose to the mate, -and to all on board, that they might make their arrangements -to be absent over night. The railroad passengers -were already in waiting when we reached -Ucayga, and the trains from the east and west were in -sight. Our runners were duly instructed to “ring in” -for through passengers, at a dollar and a half each, -with the time nearly an hour less than by the railroad -line.</p> - -<p>This was really the first day of the exciting competition.<span class="pagenum">[227]</span> -We had not yet unmasked our great battery, -and the victory was still with the Lake Shore Railroad. -I was not at all surprised to see Major Toppleton -and Tommy among the passengers, as we landed. -They had come up a second time that day to enjoy -their triumph, and perhaps, also, to look out for the -interests of their road. They were quite as pleasant -as they had been in the morning, and both of them -took the trouble to pay me another visit.</p> - -<p>“Well, Wolf, how goes it with the new and splendid -steamer?” asked the magnate of Middleport.</p> - -<p>“First-rate, sir.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t seem to have any through passengers,” -laughed he.</p> - -<p>“No, sir; none on this trip.”</p> - -<p>“That is very unfortunate for the new and splendid -steamer,” he added, chuckling.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, it is rather bad; but we have to make the -best of it. We hope to do better by and by.”</p> - -<p>“I hope you will, for you seem to have plenty of -room to spare.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; rather more than we wish we had.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[228]</span></p> - -<p>“I shall be obliged to have some new cars built, for -we had about two hundred through passengers by this -trip, and we could not seat them all in three cars.”</p> - -<p>“I wouldn’t have any built just yet, Major Toppleton,” -I answered pleasantly.</p> - -<p>“There will be more passengers before there are -less. On our morning trip down, and our afternoon -trip up, we are always crowded,” chuckled the major.</p> - -<p>“If you have more than you can accommodate comfortably, -we should be glad to take some of them.”</p> - -<p>“I dare say you would, Wolf; but the fact of it is, -you are so slow that people will not ride with you.”</p> - -<p>“No use, Wolf,” interposed Tommy. “You might -as well hang up your fiddle. You can’t compete with -the Lake Shore Railroad.”</p> - -<p>“We never say die. We intend to have our share of -the business.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you do; but you won’t have it,” said -Tommy, as the two trains came in, nearly at the same -time.</p> - -<p>“Steamer <em>Ucayga</em>; new boat! Through to Hitaca!” -shouted our runners. “No change from boat<span class="pagenum">[229]</span> -to cars! Magnificent steamer! Land you in Hitaca -at half-past seven, gentlemen! Fare only a dollar and -a half!”</p> - -<p>Major Toppleton and Tommy looked aghast, and -turned to me for an explanation.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[230]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">UP THE LAKE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“What do you mean, Wolf?” demanded Tommy -Toppleton, turning fiercely toward me. “Have you -told your runners to lie to passengers?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not,” I replied. “They are telling only -the truth as I understand it.”</p> - -<p>“The truth! Don’t you hear them?” angrily interposed -Major Toppleton.</p> - -<p>“I hear them, sir. They are saying just what they -have been told to say. You will notice that they do -not utter a word against the railroad line.”</p> - -<p>“But they say your boat is going through to -Hitaca!” exclaimed the major.</p> - -<p>“So she is, sir.”</p> - -<p>“To Hitaca!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; I mean so.”</p> - -<p>“Do I understand you that this boat is to run -through to Hitaca?” demanded the great man -fiercely.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[231]</span></p> - -<p>“That is precisely what my words mean,” I replied -calmly. “You will remember that you made your last -move this morning. The president of the steamboat -company makes his last move this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“But this is absurd, and impossible. You don’t -mean it. It is intended to cheat passengers,” fumed -the magnate.</p> - -<p>“All who go with us will be landed at Hitaca at -half-past seven this evening, if no accident happens.”</p> - -<p>“But this boat was built to run from Centreport to -Ucayga.”</p> - -<p>“That is very true, sir; but your move this morning -compelled the president to change his plans.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t carry them out; and it is an imposition -upon the public.”</p> - -<p>“All that we promise we shall perform.”</p> - -<p>“But it is simply impossible.”</p> - -<p>“I think not.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean to tell me, Wolf, that this boat can -make two trips a day between Hitaca and Ucayga?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir, I do not; we only propose to make one -through trip a day, with an additional one to Centreport.<span class="pagenum">[232]</span> -On our ten-o’clock trip up we shall go only to -Centreport.”</p> - -<p>“This is villainous!” said Major Toppleton, grinding -his teeth with rage.</p> - -<p>“One of your mean tricks, Wolf!” added Tommy -savagely.</p> - -<p>“Really you must excuse me, Tommy, but it was -only this morning that I had your kind permission to -take any step I thought proper. Didn’t you mean -so?” I replied.</p> - -<p>“You are going to run an opposition line to Hitaca, -then?” growled the father.</p> - -<p>“And do all you can to injure those who have been -your best friends,” howled Tommy.</p> - -<p>“Why, I was told this forenoon to do what I -pleased. This is fair competition. If people wish to -ride on the railroad, they may do so. We will not -prevent them from going whichever way they please. -If you are not satisfied with your last move, you can -make another. I am sorry you exhibit so much feeling -about the matter,” I continued.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, this is rascally,” said the major, as he saw<span class="pagenum">[233]</span> -the passengers crowding on board of the <em>Ucayga</em>. -“You have cut under in the price, too.”</p> - -<p>“The president of the steamboat company thinks -he can carry passengers for a dollar and a half.”</p> - -<p>“But I will carry them for a dollar!” exclaimed the -major.</p> - -<p>“For half a dollar!” added Tommy.</p> - -<p>“I do not fix the prices for the steamboat company; -but I suppose they can carry passengers as -cheaply as any other line.”</p> - -<p>“All aboard for Hitaca!” shouted the runners.</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen, this is an imposition!” shouted Major -Toppleton, beside himself with rage. “This boat goes -only to Centreport!”</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen, you shall be landed at Hitaca at half-past -seven!” I cried, to counteract the effect of his -words.</p> - -<p>“Passengers by the railroad for Hitaca—fare only -one dollar,” added the major.</p> - -<p>“We’ll try this boat once,” said a gentleman in the -crowd.</p> - -<p>By this time the trains were moving off, and the<span class="pagenum">[234]</span> -travelers had chosen by which route they would go up -the lake. I ran up the ladder to the wheel-house.</p> - -<p>“All aboard, and all ashore!” screamed Van Wolter, -as I gave him the word.</p> - -<p>The planks were hauled in while the major and his -runners were vainly striving to influence the passengers -to leave the boat. We had them, and we kept -them. Most of them were attracted by the pleasant -aspect of the <em>Ucayga</em>, and desired to see more of her. -Many had doubtless heard of her, and were anxious to -give her a trial. We backed out from the wharf, and -were soon on our way up the lake. The people on -board were not a little disturbed by the insinuations -of Major Toppleton; for, coming from him, they -seemed to mean more than if uttered by the runners. -I assured them that we should perform to the letter all -we had promised. I explained the new plan to some -of the regular travelers, and the advantages of the -new line were so obvious that many of them volunteered -to patronize the line in future. We were on -time, and when the <em>Ucayga</em> arrived at Centreport, the -old boat had been gone about ten minutes. We saw -her less than two miles distant. Judging from the<span class="pagenum">[235]</span> -number of passengers on board of the ferry-boat, she -had a very small freight. Our case would argue itself -with the traveling public, for no one could be so -stupid as to prefer the old line, with a change from -boat to cars, and from cars to boat again, and requiring -three-quarters of an hour longer time to make the -passage.</p> - -<p>At Centreport Waddie appeared with a thousand -small handbills, for which I had provided the copy. -He brought his valise with him, and I saw that he intended -to be a passenger. He was of course very -anxious to see the working of the new arrangement. -Van Wolter hurried the freight ashore, and in five -minutes we were ready to continue our voyage. We -were now just fifteen minutes behind the old boat, -which we were to beat by forty-five minutes during -the trip.</p> - -<p>Waddie had taken pains to circulate the information -that the <em>Ucayga</em> would go up the lake to Hitaca at -half-past five, and our crowd of passengers was considerably -increased by those who had chosen to wait. -The number on board was entirely satisfactory, and -her present trip would be a profitable one to her owner.<span class="pagenum">[236]</span> -Waddie rubbed his hands with delight when he saw -how successful we had been in obtaining through passengers, -even before the new arrangement had been -advertised; but the steamer was so very attractive in -her appearance that travelers could not hesitate long in -choosing her.</p> - -<p>“You have a big crowd on board, Wolf,” said Waddie, -after the boat started.</p> - -<p>“We have been remarkably fortunate,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“You have done a big thing for us, captain; and -the best thing I ever did was to make peace with you.”</p> - -<p>“Because you are likely to make money by it!”</p> - -<p>“Not that alone. I want to tell you, Wolf, that I -have kept my promise so far.”</p> - -<p>“I am very glad to hear it, and I hope you will -persevere.”</p> - -<p>“I am rather sorry this sharp competition between -the old and the new line comes in just now,” he added, -musing.</p> - -<p>“Why so?”</p> - -<p>“Because it is only increasing the ill-feeling between -the two sides of the lake.”</p> - -<p>“It will afford you the better opportunity to be just,<span class="pagenum">[237]</span> -if not generous. The competition on our part shall be -fair and honorable.”</p> - -<p>“But we have cut under in price half a dollar on a -trip,” suggested Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Two dollars is too much for a journey of forty-five -miles. The railroad line had a monopoly of the -through passengers, and charged what its officers -pleased. One dollar and a half is a fair price. We -will stick to that, if you and your father consent.”</p> - -<p>“Suppose the major puts the price down to a dollar, -or even less?”</p> - -<p>“He did that, at Ucayga, this afternoon. He offered -to carry all who would go with him for a dollar. -I don’t think many people will be willing to start -three-quarters of an hour sooner in the morning, -change twice in a trip, and go in those old boats for -the sake of saving half a dollar. However, that is -to be proved. But a hundred passengers, at a dollar -and a half, pays as well as a hundred and fifty at a -dollar.”</p> - -<p>“By the great horn spoon, won’t my father be astonished -when he sees the <em>Ucayga</em> putting in at -Hitaca!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[238]</span></p> - -<p>“No doubt of it.”</p> - -<p>“He will approve what I have done, I know,” added -Waddie. “Do you suppose Major Toppleton has gone -up in the steamer ahead of us?”</p> - -<p>“Probably he has; he will be too anxious to see the -working of the new arrangement to stay at home.”</p> - -<p>“I have been thinking of some way to make peace -between our two families,” added Waddie.</p> - -<p>“Have you, indeed? Well, that is hopeful,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid this rivalry will prevent any coming -together, even if my father were willing to make up. -Do you feel quite sure that we are doing right in running -opposition to the other line?” asked Waddie -seriously; and I could not help thinking of the proverbial -zeal of new converts.</p> - -<p>“Let us look at it a moment,” I answered, willing to -take a fair view of the whole subject. “Before the -railroad was built, the boats charged a dollar and a -half from Hitaca to Ucayga, and went through without -any change. Then a Centreport passenger had to -cross the lake, go twenty miles by railroad, and then<span class="pagenum">[239]</span> -cross back again. Half a dollar was added to the -price of passage from one end of the lake to the -other. Centreport was not accommodated, and was -overcharged. Is there any moral law which compels -people to submit to imposition? On the contrary, -ought they not to resist? The steamboat company -carries passengers quicker, more comfortably, and at a -less price. It is, therefore, doing the public a service, -though at the expense of the other line. Your course -is not only right, but commendable. All the people -and all the towns on the lake must not suffer in order -to make the Lake Shore Railroad profitable to its -owner.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose you are right; but I wish the competition -did not add to the ill-will between the two sides.”</p> - -<p>Waddie appeared to be sincere; but it was visionary -in him to think of such a thing as reconciling the two -houses of Wimpleton and Toppleton, though, of -course, such an event was not impossible.</p> - -<p>The <em>Ucayga</em> was approaching Gulfport. The old -boat had just made her landing there; indeed, she -started just in season to allow us to use the wharf. I -was rather afraid the bad blood of the major would<span class="pagenum">[240]</span> -induce him to throw some obstacle in our way, but -nothing of the kind was attempted here. We landed -our passengers; but the other boat had taken all who -were going up the lake, which she was not to be allowed -to do at the other ports.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[241]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">A TRICK OF THE ENEMY.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The next port was Priam, eight miles distant; and -the <em>Ucayga</em> dashed merrily on her way, seeming to feel -and rejoice in the responsibility which was imposed -upon her. Certainly she was doing all that was expected -of her. We were approaching the <em>Ruoara</em>; for -that was the name of the old boat, though it was a -misnomer now to her, for she did not deign to visit -the town after which she was called. She was making -her best time, which, however, was very poor time, -compared with the new boat. Her captain was evidently -hurrying her all he could. I made the signal -with the steam-whistle, to indicate that the <em>Ucayga</em> intended -to pass her on the port hand.</p> - -<p>I was not a little startled to see her put her helm to -starboard, and crowd over upon our track, as though -she intended to bother us. I took the wheel with Van -Wolter, and when she had forced herself in ahead of -us, I sounded the whistle to go on the starboard hand -of her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[242]</span></p> - -<p>“Give her a wide berth,” said I to my companion.</p> - -<p>“I reckon we can hit as hard as she can,” chuckled -the mate.</p> - -<p>“But we won’t hit at all, either hard or soft,” I -added.</p> - -<p>“She has put her helm to port, as though she did -not mean to let us pass her.”</p> - -<p>“She can’t help herself,” I answered, as I crowded -the helm over, so as to give her a wide berth.</p> - -<p>By this time we were abreast of her, and the old tub -was so clumsy that she found it impossible to crowd us -any further. She had come up so that we could recognize -faces on board of her. Near the wheel-house -stood the major and Tommy, looking as ugly as they -conveniently could look. They would have sunk us in -the deep waters of the lake if they could. I was not -disposed to irritate them; for I knew how miserably -they felt, as they gazed upon our crowded decks, and -as they saw our palatial craft sweeping swiftly by -them. It did not appear that the <em>Ruoara</em> had more -than forty or fifty passengers.</p> - -<p>“We can afford to be polite,” said I to Waddie.<span class="pagenum">[243]</span> -“We will give them the compliments of the day as -we pass.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t vex them,” replied Waddie.</p> - -<p>“If they wish to take a common civility as an insult, -they may. On deck, there!” I cried to the hands forward. -“Stand by, and dip the ensign and the jack!”</p> - -<p>Two of the crew promptly obeyed my order. The -ensign at the stern, and the jack at the bow, were -dipped three times, just as we came abreast of the -<em>Ruoara</em>. Our passengers were disposed to be exceedingly -good-natured, and before I was aware of their -purpose, they were engaged in giving three cheers, -and in demonstrating with hats, handkerchiefs, and -other articles. Not a sign of acknowledgment was -made by the old boat, and I am afraid that the magnate -of Middleport did not feel as happy as the people in our -boat. We passed her, and soon left her far behind.</p> - -<p>We made our landings at the other ports of the -lake, creating no little excitement by our unexpected -appearance. We took all the passengers and freight -that were waiting for a passage, leaving nothing for -the old boat, for the first-comer always carried off the -prize. Promptly on the time I had marked down on<span class="pagenum">[244]</span> -my program, the <em>Ucayga</em> entered the narrow river on -which Hitaca is located. We whistled with tremendous -vigor to inform the people of the place of our -arrival, for I was very anxious that Colonel Wimpleton -should be apprised of our approach.</p> - -<p>Van Wolter was perfectly at home in the navigation -of this river, and piloted the boat, without any delay, -to the broad lagoon which forms the harbor of the -town. It was just half-past seven when the bow line -was thrown on shore, and in a few moments more the -steamer was fast to the wharf. Our approach had been -heralded through the town, and the landing-place was -crowded with vehicles, which had come down to convey -our passengers to the hotels, or to their homes. -With them had come a goodly delegation of the solid -men of Hitaca, as well as the miscellaneous rabble -which always waits upon the advent of any new sensation.</p> - -<p>Almost the first person I recognized on the wharf, -from my position on the hurricane-deck, was Colonel -Wimpleton. The <em>Ucayga</em> had been discovered and -identified when miles down the lake, and her owner -would have learned of her coming, even if he had not<span class="pagenum">[245]</span> -been engaged with the steamboat-builder on the creek -near the wharf. I looked at him with interest, for -though we had achieved a triumphant success, we had -acted without his sanction, and even without his -knowledge.</p> - -<p>The moment the boat touched the wharf, the colonel -rushed on board and hastened up to the place where -he had seen Waddie and me. He looked as though he -was laboring under some excitement, but I had yet to -learn whether he was angry or not. Certainly he did -not look very gentle; but then his astonishment at -seeing the <em>Ucayga</em> at Hitaca was a sufficient explanation -of his troubled aspect.</p> - -<p>“What does all this mean, Wolf?” he demanded, -rather sharply; but this was his habit.</p> - -<p>“If any one is to blame, I am the one, for I told -Wolf to run the boat to this place to-day,” interposed -Waddie.</p> - -<p>“But what are you here for?”</p> - -<p>“We were compelled to come, sir,” I replied. “The -action of the railroad line left us no other course. If -you will walk into my room, sir, I will explain the<span class="pagenum">[246]</span> -whole matter; and I hope it will prove satisfactory -to you.”</p> - -<p>“But this is a very strange movement on your part; -and without a word from me,” said Colonel Wimpleton, -as I led the way into my stateroom. “You have -broken up your trips to Centreport, and there will be a -howl of indignation there when I return.”</p> - -<p>“Not at all, sir. We shall run every trip from -Centreport to Ucayga, as usual.”</p> - -<p>“Well, explain yourself,” continued the magnate -impatiently. “Does the boat need repairs, that you -have brought her up here?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir; she is in good order in every respect. -This morning, Major Toppleton made his next move, -and we have not had a single through passenger on -the down trips to-day. As I supposed he would do, -he ordered his boat not to go to Centreport until after -our steamer had started. He took his yacht and went -over to Gulfport early this morning, so that the first -boat did not touch on our side of the lake till the -<em>Ucayga</em> had sailed.”</p> - -<p>“That’s one of his tricks.”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, I don’t know that I blame him. He<span class="pagenum">[247]</span> -means business, and he meant to keep all the through -passengers. At Ucayga, to-day, he and Tommy -crowed over me, and defied me to do anything I -pleased. Now, sir, if you look at my time-table, you -will see that we can, by hard work, make two trips a -day from Centreport, and one from Hitaca, to and -from the foot of the lake.”</p> - -<p>The great man put on his spectacles, and proceeded -to examine the program which I had placed in his -hands. With the explanations I made, he comprehended -the whole subject. His countenance lighted up -with pleasure as he realized that he had the means in -his hands, even now, to win the day in the battle with -his great enemy.</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you mention this thing before, Wolf?” -he asked.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t think of it, sir. When Major Toppleton -made his next move, as he called it, I went to work on -the problem, to see what could be done. I didn’t like -the idea of running from Centreport with only half a -freight. I want to make the boat pay.”</p> - -<p>“She will pay handsomely under this arrangement. -Do you think we need another boat, now?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[248]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; I do. This boat will be going from half-past -six in the morning till half-past seven at night; -and the hands will be on duty from five in the morning -till nine at night. The boats will all need repairs, and -there will be no time to make them.”</p> - -<p>“You can have two sets of hands, if you like.”</p> - -<p>“But we can make only one trip a day from Hitaca -to Ucayga.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that is really enough, for the railroad line -has very few passengers up in the morning, or down -in the afternoon. We shall take the lion’s share of -them. This boat-builder has raised his price so much -that I have not yet made a contract with him.”</p> - -<p>“We can try our plan for a while, if you approve -it, sir,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Certainly I approve it.”</p> - -<p>Waddie produced the handbills he had procured at -Centreport, and a person was employed to distribute -them all over Hitaca. Colonel Wimpleton inserted -advertisements in the papers, paying liberally for “editorial -puffs” of the new line. Everything promised an -entire success for the enterprise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[249]</span></p> - -<p>At quarter-past eight, the old <em>Ruoara</em> made her -appearance, and moored at the wharf just above the -<em>Ucayga</em>. It was a meager show of passengers which -landed from her, and I could well understand the rage -which filled the bosom of the major and his son, as -they stood upon the hurricane-deck gazing at the new -steamer. I wondered what their next move would be, -for it was not in the nature of either of them to submit -to the mortifying defeat they had sustained. I could -think of nothing that it was possible for them to do to -retrieve their misfortune, unless the major built new -steamers, or continued the Lake Shore Railroad to -Hitaca.</p> - -<p>As they did not come near me, I did not devote -much attention to a consideration of their case. Having -nothing more to do on board, I took a walk on -shore with Waddie. I visited a clothing-store, and -purchased a suit of blue clothes, which included a -frock coat. When I got up the next morning, I put on -the new garments, and surveyed myself in the glass. -The effect was decidedly satisfactory. I had a glazed -cap, for I was not quite ready to don a high hat. As<span class="pagenum">[250]</span> -I surveyed myself, I had hopes that I should not again -be accused of being a boy.</p> - -<p>At quarter of six the <em>Ruoara</em> left the wharf. I -could not see more than a dozen passengers on board. -I looked in vain for Tommy and his father. Soon -after, the people began to pour in upon the decks of the -<em>Ucayga</em>, to the great satisfaction of Colonel Wimpleton. -Our handbills had accomplished their purpose, -and our triumph was to be even greater than that of -the day before. I was very much excited by the lively -scene around me. Carriages and other vehicles were -constantly arriving with freight and passengers, and I -found enough to do in answering questions and hurrying -up the men engaged in loading freight. Five minutes -before the hour of starting, the scene became a -little more quiet. I stood upon the wharf, looking at -the situation, when I saw Major Toppleton and his -son, accompanied by a stranger, approaching me.</p> - -<p>“There he is!” said Tommy, pointing to me with -his finger. “Grab him!”</p> - -<p>Hearing the words, I deemed it prudent to hasten -on board, for I concluded that this was the sequel to -the affair of the day before in Middleport. I hurried<span class="pagenum">[251]</span> -to the plank; but before I could reach the deck, the -stranger seized me by the collar. I struggled to -escape, but the man was too strong for me.</p> - -<p>“I have a warrant for your arrest,” said he.</p> - -<p>A trick of the enemy!</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[252]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE STEAMBOAT EXCURSION.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Hold on to him!” shouted Tommy. “This is our -next move.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry to trouble you, Captain Penniman; but -I must do my duty,” said the constable.</p> - -<p>“I should like to inquire what all this means,” I -added, as the officer, finding I did not attempt to annihilate -him, let go his hold of me.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know; the warrant comes up from Middleport. -I suppose it is all right.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t stop here with him,” interposed Major Toppleton. -“Take him away to jail, or some other safe -place.”</p> - -<p>By this time Colonel Wimpleton was at my side -with Waddie, both of them so indignant that I was -afraid that a scene would transpire on the spot. My -powerful patron desired to see the warrant, and the -constable, to the great disgust of the major, exhibited -the document.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[253]</span></p> - -<p>“All right,” said Colonel Wimpleton. “This warrant -commands you to bring your prisoner before a -magistrate at Middleport. Step right on board of our -boat, and we will see that you are enabled to obey the -command to the letter.”</p> - -<p>“I am satisfied,” answered the constable.</p> - -<p>“But I am not,” interposed Major Toppleton -angrily.</p> - -<p>“All aboard!” shouted Van Wolter.</p> - -<p>“I shall do my duty as I understand it,” continued -the constable, as I led the way to the deck of the -<em>Ucayga</em>.</p> - -<p>“It is your duty to commit him to jail,” growled the -magnate of Middleport.</p> - -<p>“I will be responsible for the consequences,” added -Colonel Wimpleton, who could afford to be good-natured, -as he saw his great rival defeated in his purpose.</p> - -<p>To my surprise, both Major Toppleton and his son -followed us on board, and did not offer to go on shore -when the plank was hauled in, and the fasts cast off. -They had evidently remained at Hitaca for the purpose -of carrying out the little scheme they had contrived;<span class="pagenum">[254]</span> -and, having done their worst, they had no -further business there. Probably they could not endure -the idea of remaining at the upper end of the -lake while the battle between the two lines was going -on at the other end. They had learned from our handbills, -so profusely scattered through the town, that the -<em>Ucayga</em> would make another through trip in the afternoon, -and it was necessary for them to be at Ucayga to -attend to the interests of the Lake Shore Railroad.</p> - -<p>It was plain to me that Major Toppleton had come -up to Hitaca with the warrant in his pocket, not to -obtain justice for the injury which Tommy had sustained, -but to interfere with the operations of the new -line. I should have been arrested the day before if -Grace Toppleton, whom I had come to regard as an -angel of peace in my path, had not given me warning. -My enemies must have been entirely satisfied that they -could not hold me responsible for the damage done to -Tommy, and my arrest was only intended as a blow -at the steamboat line. At Hitaca, doubtless, they expected -to detain my boat long enough, at least, to make -her lose her connection at the lower end of the lake.</p> - -<p>The arrival of the <em>Ucayga</em> at Hitaca, and the announcement<span class="pagenum">[255]</span> -of a new daily line, at reduced rates, had -created no little excitement in the town. The people -believed that they were to be better accommodated, and, -very naturally, their sympathies were with the new -line, as the large number of passengers we carried -fully proved. The constable told me that he had been -called upon to serve the warrant only a few minutes -before he made his appearance on the wharf. He saw -at once that it was a trick to annoy the new line, but -he could not help himself. The moment Colonel -Wimpleton showed him how he could discharge his -duty without injury to the enterprise, he promptly -embraced the opportunity. Major Toppleton and -Tommy were doubtless sorely vexed at their failure; -but they went into the cabin, and I did not see them -again for some time.</p> - -<p>It was a beautiful autumnal morning when the -<em>Ucayga</em> started upon her trip, crowded with passengers. -Colonel Wimpleton, alive to the importance of -this day’s work, had engaged the Hitaca Cornet Band -to enliven the passage with their music. The weather -was warm, and the soft haze of the Indian summer -hung over the hills on the shore, where the woods<span class="pagenum">[256]</span> -presented the many hues of the changing foliage. The -water was as tranquil as a dream of peace, and the inspiring -strains of the band completed the pleasure of -the occasion.</p> - -<p>I explained to Colonel Wimpleton, Waddie, and -others who were interested in the matter, the occasion -of the proceedings against me. It is needless to say -that I had no lack of friends; and, with the consent -of the constable, it was arranged that he should take -me before the magistrate at noon, while the boat was -at Centreport. No charge could be proved against -me, and I hardly gave the subject a thought.</p> - -<p>The passage down the lake was a delightful one. -We passed the old <em>Ruoara</em> just before we made the -landing at Gulfport. At this town we saw Major -Toppleton and his son go ashore, for the purpose of -taking the railroad boat on her arrival. Neither of -them showed himself on the trip, and I only hoped -they appreciated the new steamer, and enjoyed the delightful -music. I was rather afraid the colonel would -court a collision with his powerful rival; but I am -happy to say he was too good-natured, in the flush of -his success, to exult over his enemy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[257]</span></p> - -<p>We made all our landings, and, passing through the -Horse-Shoe Channel as usual, arrived at Ucayga on -time. This concluded our first round-trip to the head -of the lake. It was a success far beyond our most -sanguine hopes, and the exchequer of the steamboat -company was largely benefited by it. The future was -as bright as the present, and really I could not see that -the Lake Shore Road had any chance against us.</p> - -<p>But this was to be a day of excitement. Colonel -Wimpleton landed at Centreport for the purpose of -organizing a grand steamboat excursion to Ucayga -and back in the afternoon; and when the boat returned -I found the town in a blaze, for a pleasure trip, with a -band of music, was no small affair to the people. -Handbills were scattered throughout the place, and, -as we had the advantage of a magnificent day, there -was no want of enthusiasm on the subject.</p> - -<p>As soon as the steamer reached Centreport, I went -with the constable, Colonel Wimpleton, and the ablest -lawyer in the place, over to Middleport. We found -Captain Portman at the hotel, and hastened to the -office of the magistrate. Like my friend from up the -lake, I waived the examination, and was simply bound<span class="pagenum">[258]</span> -over to appear before the court several weeks hence -for trial. Colonel Wimpleton and one of his friends -gave bonds for my appearance, and the excitement in -this direction was ended.</p> - -<p>I went home, and invited my mother and sisters to -the excursion in the afternoon. Of course I had a -long story to tell of the history of the trip to Hitaca, -and I had attentive listeners in the dear ones at home. -I knew that my mother dreaded and deprecated the -fearful rivalry which was going on between the two -sides. I assured her that the best way to make peace -was not always by giving up. One party was as -nearly right as the other, and when each had shown -his full strength there would be a better opportunity -to heal the breach. I told her that, so far as I was -concerned, and Waddie also, there was no ill-feeling. -It was a business competition, in which neither had -any reason to complain of the other, so long as he did -not trench upon his rights.</p> - -<p>As I walked down to the lake with my mother and -sisters, I saw Grace Toppleton in her father’s garden. -I wished that I could invite her to the excursion, for -nothing could have added so much to its pleasure as<span class="pagenum">[259]</span> -her presence. But it was not proper for me to ask -her, and it would not have been proper for her to accept -if I had. I was proud and happy as I went on -board of the <em>Ucayga</em> with my mother and sisters. The -steamer was already filled with passengers, and at half-past -two we started. The band struck up an appropriate -air as the wheels began to turn, and I never saw -a happier party than that which crowded the decks of -the <em>Ucayga</em>. In spite of the excitement, in spite of the -throng on board, we were, as usual, on time.</p> - -<p>When we touched the wharf near the railroad, the -ferry-boat had arrived, and I saw Major Toppleton -and Tommy on shore, listening to the music and observing -the multitude which covered our decks. I -hoped I should not meet them, face to face, again; for -I knew that our success had only increased their bitterness -toward me. But they did not seem to be so -ugly as when I had last seen them. Indeed, there was -a smile upon their faces, as though the music delighted -them. When our bow line was thrown ashore, they -stepped on board, and came upon the hurricane-deck, -where I stood.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[260]</span></p> - -<p>“You seem to be having a great time to-day, Wolf,” -said Tommy.</p> - -<p>“Only a little excursion,” I replied. “But the music -is good, and I rather enjoy it.”</p> - -<p>“So do I, Wolf,” answered Tommy graciously. “I -am going up with you, if you have no objection.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not. Here is my stateroom; and if you -and your father will walk in, I will do the best I can -to make you comfortable,” I replied, pointing to my -apartment.</p> - -<p>“Thank you; I prefer to be on deck,” added -Tommy. “You have beaten us all to pieces to-day, -Wolf, and we give it up now. What’s the use of quarreling -about it?”</p> - -<p>“None at all, most assuredly,” I replied, with enthusiasm. -“There is Waddie Wimpleton, who is just -of your opinion.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t think much of Waddie, as you know, -Wolf. I only meant that you and I wouldn’t quarrel.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know why you and Waddie should quarrel. -He intends to do the right thing.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps he does; but the least said is soonest -mended,” said Tommy, rather coldly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[261]</span></p> - -<p>I was amazed and astounded at this sudden change -of front in Tommy, who had hardly bestowed a pleasant -word upon me for months. I could not feel sure -that he meant what he said; but I resolved to afford -him no cause of complaint if he really was sincere. -It seemed to me more probable that he had some end -to gain, under the mask of friendship, than that he -was willing to make peace with me.</p> - -<p>“Your boat appears to be doing remarkably well to-day, -Wolf,” said Major Toppleton, stepping up to me.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; she is making good trips to-day.”</p> - -<p>“By the way, Wolf, you need give yourself no uneasiness -about that trial. I caused your arrest under -a misapprehension, and no harm shall come to you.”</p> - -<p>“I am very glad to hear you say so, sir, though I -really had no fears of the consequences.”</p> - -<p>“I am going to adopt Tommy’s suggestions, and -have no more quarreling,” added the great man.</p> - -<p>“I hope not, sir.”</p> - -<p>“You can have it all your own way on the lake -now.”</p> - -<p>“I only wish to do what is right.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[262]</span></p> - -<p>“I know you do, Wolf. Are you at home in the -evening, now?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir. I have to spend the night at Hitaca. I -suppose our family will move up there soon, and you -will get rid of us then.”</p> - -<p>“We don’t desire to get rid of you,” interposed -Tommy.</p> - -<p>“I want to see you, Wolf, when you are at leisure,” -continued the major. “When can you call upon me?”</p> - -<p>“To-morrow noon, if you please,” I replied, delighted -at the prospect of again being permitted to -stand under the same roof with Grace.</p> - -<p>“I will be at home,” said the magnate, as he walked -away at the approach of Colonel Wimpleton.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[263]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">MAJOR TOPPLETON’S PROPOSITION.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“What does Toppleton want with you?” asked Colonel -Wimpleton, coming up to me after the major and -his son had retired.</p> - -<p>The magnate of Centreport looked ugly, as though, -in the moment of his great triumph, he feared a conspiracy -to rob the steamboat company of the laurels -it had won.</p> - -<p>“Nothing in particular, that I am aware of,” I replied, -not exactly pleased to have even an unkind look -bestowed upon me, after the victory which I had been -instrumental in winning.</p> - -<p>“You seem to be on excellent terms with him,” -sneered the colonel.</p> - -<p>“I do not wish to quarrel with any one.”</p> - -<p>“What did Toppleton want?” demanded the great -man, rather more sharply than the occasion seemed to -require.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know that he wants anything. He invited<span class="pagenum">[264]</span> -me to call at his house, and I promised to do so,” I -answered candidly.</p> - -<p>“You did!”</p> - -<p>“I did, sir. Both the major and Tommy were kind -enough to say that they did not wish to quarrel with -me; and certainly I have no ill-will against them.”</p> - -<p>“You have not!” repeated Colonel Wimpleton, with -emphasis. “Am I not your bail on a groundless charge -preferred by them?”</p> - -<p>“But they have done me more of good than of evil; -and the major said no harm should come to me on -account of the trial.”</p> - -<p>“Wolf, I don’t like this way of doing things. If you -are in my service, I don’t want you to have anything -to do with my enemies. If three dollars a day is not -enough for a boy like you, I will give you four or five; -but you mustn’t play into the hands of Toppleton.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t intend to do so, sir. I never yet deserted -those who used me well, and I don’t intend to begin -now. If you think you cannot trust me, sir, don’t -do it.”</p> - -<p>The time for starting having arrived, the conversation,<span class="pagenum">[265]</span> -which did not promise very agreeable results, was -interrupted. The band struck up its music, and the -<em>Ucayga</em> left the wharf. I went into my stateroom for -the purpose of being alone a moment, for I wanted to -think over what the colonel had just said to me. He -was evidently jealous of anything like intimacy between -the Toppletons and myself, and was afraid I -would “sell out” the steamboat company. I was not -flattered by the suspicion. I considered the subject -very faithfully; but I decided that it was unreasonable -in my present patron to insist that I should have nothing -to do with the Toppletons. As long as Grace lived -and smiled upon me, I could assent to nothing of the -kind, even if I lost my situation. At the same time, -I intended to be true to my employers, even if Grace -ceased to smile upon me for doing so.</p> - -<p>On the up trip the <em>Ucayga</em> was even uncomfortably -crowded; for, besides the excursion party, we had a -large number of through passengers. But, as soon as -the boat was clear of the wharf, they began to settle -down, and to cease to crowd each other. The band -played splendidly, and everybody seemed to be satisfied.<span class="pagenum">[266]</span> -At Centreport we left the crowd, though the -boat was still well filled. The program of the preceding -day was repeated. We passed the old <em>Ruoara</em> near -Gulfport, and arrived at Hitaca a little before the time -in my table. As we had kept all our promises, the new -line was in high favor with the public.</p> - -<p>The next morning, the old boat departed with -hardly a corporal’s guard of passengers, while the -<em>Ucayga</em> was crowded. We landed our freight at -Ucayga on time, and everybody was satisfied that the -new line was an assured success. I need not follow its -triumphs any further, for it would be only a repetition -of what has already been said. The steamboat line -was carrying nearly all the passengers. The old-line -boats had hardly business enough to pay for the oil -used on the machinery, though the Lake Shore Railroad -did tolerably well with its local trade.</p> - -<p>When the <em>Ucayga</em> arrived at Centreport, on the day -after the excursion, I crossed the lake; and, after a -short visit to my mother, I hastened to the mansion of -Major Toppleton. I was not only curious to know -what the major wanted of me, but I was thirsting for -the opportunity to meet Grace. The latter motive was<span class="pagenum">[267]</span> -doubtless the stronger one; for, since the poor girl had -risked so much to give me warning of the intended -arrest, I flattered myself that she was not wholly indifferent -to me.</p> - -<p>With a fluttering heart I rang the bell at the door -of Major Toppleton’s house. I was admitted to the -library. Neither the great man nor his son was at -home; but the servant assured me they would soon -return, for it wanted but a few minutes of lunch-time. -I ventured to ask if Miss Grace was at home. I knew -she was, for I heard the piano in one of the neighboring -rooms, and the music was so sweet I was sure no -hands but hers could produce it. In a moment she -entered the library, her soft cheeks crimsoned with a -blush, which made me feel exceedingly awkward.</p> - -<p>“Why, Mr. Wolf! I am so glad to see you!” said -she; and, in the enthusiasm of the moment, she advanced -toward me, and gave me her hand.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure you cannot be as glad to see me as I am -to see you,” I replied, pressing the little hand in mine.</p> - -<p>Dear me! What was I doing? Straightway I -began to feel very queer and awkward, and cheap and<span class="pagenum">[268]</span> -mean. She was confused, and apparently astonished -by the boldness of my remark, for she retired to a -sofa on the other side of the room. I was beginning -to thank her for the great service she had rendered me -on Monday, when Major Toppleton and Tommy, -whom the stupid servant had taken the trouble to summon, -entered the library. I wished they had deferred -their coming for half an hour. Both of them seemed -to be very glad to see me, and took no notice of the -presence of Grace. To my astonishment, the magnate -invited me to lunch with him. I had not the courage -to refuse, or, in other words, to banish myself from the -presence of Grace.</p> - -<p>“Wolf, we had just nine passengers from Hitaca this -morning,” said the major, with a chuckling laugh, as -though he intended to make the best of his discomfiture.</p> - -<p>“We had over two hundred and fifty,” I replied.</p> - -<p>“Yesterday afternoon we had a fair freight down; -but we can’t do anything against that new steamer, -especially when you have a band of music on board,” -added the major. “Will you take some of this cold -chicken?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[269]</span></p> - -<p>“Thank you, sir—a little. For your sake I am -sorry the steamboat line is doing so well.”</p> - -<p>“You can do anything you please with Colonel Wimpleton, -just now,” he added.</p> - -<p>“I think not, sir.”</p> - -<p>“I believe you can. The fact is, you suggested the -plan by which the railroad line has been defeated.”</p> - -<p>“But the plan is already in working order, and it -will go on just as well without me as with me.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry we had any trouble with you, Wolf, -for suddenly from a boy you have become a man, and -a dangerous man, too, for our side of the lake.”</p> - -<p>I was forced to believe that this was mere flattery, -intended to help along some object not yet mentioned.</p> - -<p>“I have done the best I could for my employers, on -whichever side I happened to be engaged.”</p> - -<p>“That’s true. I am going to speak plainly now, -Wolf. We are beaten; but we don’t intend to remain -beaten for any great length of time. The prosperity -of Middleport depends greatly upon the Lake -Shore Railroad, and I intend to make that a success if -it costs me all I am worth. I shall build a bridge at<span class="pagenum">[270]</span> -the foot of the lake, so that I can go into Ucayga without -the aid of a ferry-boat. A Lightning Express is -going through from Middleport to the station at -Ucayga in three-quarters of an hour. So far I am determined.”</p> - -<p>“That will not help your case much, so far as -through travel is concerned.”</p> - -<p>“Considerable, Wolf. We shall save fifteen minutes.”</p> - -<p>“But we shall still beat you by half an hour.”</p> - -<p>“Very true; but I don’t intend to stop here. I shall -either build a steamer equal or superior to the <em>Ucayga</em>, -to run between Hitaca and Middleport, or I shall run -the railroad to the head of the lake.”</p> - -<p>“Will it pay?”</p> - -<p>“I think it will, but, though Wimpleton and I have -always quarreled of late years, I am willing to be fair. -I have a plan, which I will state to you. If Wimpleton -will run the <em>Ucayga</em> from Hitaca to Middleport in -connection with the railroad, I will take off my boats. -This will be a fair thing for both of us. You may -state the case to him. If he agrees to it, all right; if -not, I shall make my next move.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[271]</span></p> - -<p>This, then, was what the major was driving at, and -I was to be the ambassador between the rivals. I was -willing to do the best I could, but I proposed that -Tommy and Waddie should meet and discuss the matter. -The little magnate of Middleport promptly and -indignantly refused to meet the other little magnate. -I promised to report the next day on my mission. As -I was leaving, I invited Mrs. Toppleton and Grace to -make a trip with me up or down the lake. Somewhat -to my surprise, at the suggestion of the major, they -accepted the invitation for that day. We crossed the -lake, and I assure the reader I took every pains to -make my guests happy.</p> - -<p>Neither Waddie nor his father was on board again -that day; but the latter went up to Hitaca with me -in the afternoon. Cautiously approaching the subject -I stated Major Toppleton’s proposition. The colonel -would hardly listen to it, much less accept it. He -swore, and abused his great rival. He would have -nothing to do with Toppleton. He would sink the -<em>Ucayga</em> before he would help the railroad to a single -passenger. He was very savage, and, before he had<span class="pagenum">[272]</span> -finished, poured out the vials of his wrath upon me for -mentioning the subject.</p> - -<p>The next day I reported the result of my mission; -and Major Toppleton was quite as savage as the colonel -had been. He swore, too, and declared that he -would run the <em>Ucayga</em> off the route before another -summer.</p> - -<p>I spoke to Waddie on the subject, and he expressed -a strong desire to meet Tommy, and to be friends with -him. He favored the plan of Major Toppleton, and -if he had possessed as much influence over his father -as Tommy over his, the arrangement would doubtless -have been made. I was not without hope that the -plan might yet be adopted.</p> - -<p>But I have told my story as a steamboat captain; -and anything more would be but a repetition. I had -labored to make peace, but had failed. If there were -olive branches in the future, there were none in the -present. I continued to run the <em>Ucayga</em> during the -winter, with the same success which attended her from -the first of my connection with her. We did about -all the through business, and the Lake Shore Railroad -languished under the competition.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[273]</span></p> - -<p>At the next meeting of the steamboat company -Waddie resigned, to the intense indignation of his -father, and Dick Bayard was elected president. He -also declined a reelection as major of the battalion, -and Ben Pinkerton was chosen to the command. Thus -far Waddie was true to his good resolutions, though -he had much difficulty with his father on account of -the change. He often came to me for advice, for the -students of the institute seemed to distrust him still. -No mutiny or rebellion occurred on his side of the -lake, for the resigning of his offices prevented any -collision.</p> - -<p>Tom Walton made a good thing out of the <em>Belle</em>, -and when the season closed, I obtained a place for him -as deck-hand on board of the <em>Ucayga</em>, where he did -tolerably well for the winter.</p> - -<p>In November our family moved up to Hitaca, for -my father and I were compelled to spend our nights -and Sundays at that port. Our place in Middleport -was let for the winter. Occasionally, while lying at -Centreport, I made an errand over to Major Toppleton’s -that I might see Grace; but I seldom met her. I<span class="pagenum">[274]</span> -hoped, most earnestly, that the two lines might be -united, and peace restored between the two great -houses. As Waddie was in favor of it, the prospect -was not altogether dark. As the union meant peace, -I continued to labor for it. If effected, the <em>Ucayga</em> -would lie at the wharf in Middleport between trips. -I earnestly desired it. Then Grace would be a frequent -passenger on the boat.</p> - -<p>I have told the story of “The Young Captain of the -<em>Ucayga</em> Steamer;” how he became captain, and how -well he succeeded in this capacity. The story is complete, -and nothing more remains to be said of him; but -the history of the great quarrel between the two sides -of the lake, which has other phases, is not finished. -There is another story to be told; but, as most of its -events transpired while I was absent, I could only tell -it from hearsay. I prefer that it should be related -by an actual witness, and for this reason I have invited -my friend Ned Skotchley to take the pen, and -write “Switch Off; or, The War of the Students.”</p> - -<p>I told Ned not to say anything more about me than -he was obliged to do; but he is an obstinate fellow, -and I find, by looking over his manuscript, that he has,<span class="pagenum">[275]</span> -to a very great extent, disregarded my instructions. -But I am not responsible for the praise he bestows -upon me, though, whatever he says of me, I am conscious -that I have tried to be a Christian, to be faithful -to my employers, and always to be “On Time.”</p> - -<p class="center p1">THE END</p> - -<p class="p1">“Switch Off” is the title of the next volume in the -<span class="smcap">Alger Series</span>, No. 150, by Oliver Optic, in which -there are many rare adventures and an ending which -is eminently satisfactory.</p> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="nobreak center largefont">NICK CARTER STORIES</p> - -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont">New Magnet Library</p> - -<p class="center largefont">Price, Fifteen Cents <span style="padding-left:1em"><em>Not a Dull Book in This List</em></span></p> - -<p>Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact -that the books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to -the work of a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced -no other type of fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation -of new plots and situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly -from all sorts of troubles and landed the criminal just where -he should be—behind bars.</p> - -<p>The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories -than any other single person.</p> - -<p>Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been -selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of -them as being fully interesting as any detective story between cloth -covers which sells at ten times the price.</p> - -<p>If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New -Magnet Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight -you.</p></div> - -<p class="center"><em>ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT</em></p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr><td class="tbla">850—Wanted: A Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">851—A Tangled Skein</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">852—The Bullion Mystery</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">853—The Man of Riddles</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">854—A Miscarriage of Justice</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">855—The Gloved Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">856—Spoilers and the Spoils</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">857—The Deeper Game</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">858—Bolts from Blue Skies</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">859—Unseen Foes</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">860—Knaves in High Places</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">861—The Microbe of Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">862—In the Toils of Fear</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">863—A Heritage of Trouble</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">864—Called to Account</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">865—The Just and the Unjust</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">866—Instinct at Fault</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">867—A Rogue Worth Trapping</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">868—A Rope of Slender Threads</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">869—The Last Call</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">870—The Spoils of Chance</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">871—A Struggle With Destiny</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">872—The Slave of Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">873—The Crook’s Blind</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">874—A Rascal of Quality</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">875—With Shackles of Fire</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">876—The Man Who Changed Faces</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">877—The Fixed Alibi</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">878—Out With the Tide</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">879—The Soul Destroyers</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">880—The Wages of Rascality</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">881—Birds of Prey</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">882—When Destruction Threatens</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">883—The Keeper of Black Hounds</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">884—The Door of Doubt</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">885—The Wolf Within</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">886—A Perilous Parole</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">887—The Trail of the Finger Prints</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">888—Dodging the Law</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">889—A Crime in Paradise</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">890—On the Ragged Edge</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">891—The Red God of Tragedy</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">892—The Man Who Paid</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">893—The Blind Man’s Daughter</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">894—One Object in Life</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">895—As a Crook Sows</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">896—In Record Time</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">897—Held in Suspense</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">898—The $100,000 Kiss</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">899—Just One Slip</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">900—On a Million-dollar Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">901—A Weird Treasure</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">902—The Middle Link</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">903—To the Ends of the Earth</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">904—When Honors Pall</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">905—The Yellow Brand</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">906—A New Serpent in Eden</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">907—When Brave Men Tremble</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">908—A Test of Courage</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">909—Where Peril Beckons</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">910—The Gargoni Girdle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">911—Rascals & Co.</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">912—Too Late to Talk</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">913—Satan’s Apt Pupil</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">914—The Girl Prisoner</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">915—The Danger of Folly</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">916—One Shipwreck Too Many</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">917—Scourged by Fear</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">918—The Red Plague</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">919—Scoundrels Rampant</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">920—From Clew to Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">921—When Rogues Conspire</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">922—Twelve in a Grave</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">923—The Great Opium Case</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">924—A Conspiracy of Rumors</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">925—A Klondike Claim</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">926—The Evil Formula</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">927—The Man of Many Faces</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">928—The Great Enigma</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">929—The Burden of Proof</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">930—The Stolen Brain</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">931—A Titled Counterfeiter</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">932—The Magic Necklace</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">933—’Round the World for a Quarter</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">934—Over the Edge of the World</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">935—In the Grip of Fate</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">936—The Case of Many Clews</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">937—The Sealed Door</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">938—Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">939—The Man Without a Will</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">940—Tracked Across the Atlantic</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">941—A Clew From the Unknown</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">942—The Crime of a Countess</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">943—A Mixed Up Mess</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">944—The Great Money Order Swindle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">945—The Adder’s Brood</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">946—A Wall Street Haul</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">947—For a Pawned Crown</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">948—Sealed Orders</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">949—The Hate That Kills</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">950—The American Marquis</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">951—The Needy Nine</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">952—Fighting Against Millions</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">953—Outlaws of the Blue</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">954—The Old Detective’s Pupil</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">955—Found in the Jungle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">956—The Mysterious Mail Robbery</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">957—Broken Bars</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">958—A Fair Criminal</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">959—Won by Magic</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">960—The Piano Box Mystery</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">961—The Man They Held Back</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">962—A Millionaire Partner</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">963—A Pressing Peril</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">964—An Australian Klondyke</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">965—The Sultan’s Pearls</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">966—The Double Shuffle Club</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">967—Paying the Price</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">968—A Woman’s Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">969—A Network of Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">970—At Thompson’s Ranch</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">971—The Crossed Needles</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">972—The Diamond Mine Case</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">973—Blood Will Tell</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">974—An Accidental Password</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">975—The Crook’s Bauble</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">976—Two Plus Two</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">977—The Yellow Label</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">978—The Clever Celestial</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">979—The Amphitheater Plot</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">980—Gideon Drexel’s Millions</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">981—Death in Life</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">982—A Stolen Identity</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">983—Evidence by Telephone</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">984—The Twelve Tin Boxes</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">985—Clew Against Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">986—Lady Velvet</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">987—Playing a Bold Game</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">988—A Dead Man’s Grip</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">989—Snarled Identities</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">990—A Deposit Vault Puzzle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">991—The Crescent Brotherhood</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">992—The Stolen Pay Train</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">993—The Sea Fox</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">994—Wanted by Two Clients</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">995—The Van Alstine Case</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">996—Check No. 777</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">997—Partners in Peril</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">998—Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">999—The Sign of the Crossed Knives</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1000—The Man Who Vanished</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1001—A Battle for the Right</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1002—A Game of Craft</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1003—Nick Carter’s Retainer</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1004—Caught in the Toils</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1005—A Broken Bond</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1006—The Crime of the French Café</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1007—The Man Who Stole Millions</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1008—The Twelve Wise Men</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1009—Hidden Foes</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1010—A Gamblers’ Syndicate</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1011—A Chance Discovery</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1012—Among the Counterfeiters</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1013—A Threefold Disappearance</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1014—At Odds With Scotland Yard</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1015—A Princess of Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1016—Found on the Beach</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1017—A Spinner of Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1018—The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1019—A Bogus Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1020—The Puzzle of Five Pistols</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1021—The Secret of the Marble Mantel</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1022—A Bite of an Apple</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1023—A Triple Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1024—The Stolen Race Horse</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1025—Wildfire</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1026—A <cite>Herald</cite> Personal</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1027—The Finger of Suspicion</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1028—The Crimson Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1029—Nick Carter Down East</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1030—The Chain of Clews</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1031—A Victim of Circumstances</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1032—Brought to Bay</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1033—The Dynamite Trap</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1034—A Scrap of Black Lace</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1035—The Woman of Evil</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1036—A Legacy of Hate</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1037—A Trusted Rogue</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1038—Man Against Man</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1039—The Demons of the Night</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1040—The Brotherhood of Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1041—At the Knife’s Point</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1042—A Cry for Help</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1043—A Stroke of Policy</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1044—Hounded to Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1045—A Bargain in Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1046—The Fatal Prescription</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1047—The Man of Iron</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1048—An Amazing Scoundrel</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1049—The Chain of Evidence</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1050—Paid with Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1051—A Fight for a Throne</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1052—The Woman of Steel</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1053—The Seal of Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1054—The Human Fiend</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1055—A Desperate Chance</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1056—A Chase in the Dark</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1057—The Snare and the Game</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1058—The Murray Hill Mystery</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1059—Nick Carter’s Close Call</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1060—The Missing Cotton King</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1061—A Game of Plots</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1062—The Prince of Liars</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1063—The Man at the Window</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1064—The Red League</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1065—The Price of a Secret</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1066—The Worst Case on Record</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1067—From Peril to Peril</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1068—The Seal of Silence</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1069—Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1070—A Blackmailer’s Bluff</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1071—Heard in the Dark</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1072—A Checkmated Scoundrel</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1073—The Cashier’s Secret</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1074—Behind a Mask</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1075—The Cloak of Guilt</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1076—Two Villains in One</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1077—The Hot Air Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1078—Run to Earth</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1079—The Certified Check</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1080—Weaving the Web</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1081—Beyond Pursuit</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1082—The Claws of the Tiger</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1083—Driven from Cover</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1084—A Deal in Diamonds</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1085—The Wizard of the Cue</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1086—A Race for Ten Thousand</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1087—The Criminal Link</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1088—The Red Signal</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1089—The Secret Panel</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1090—A Bonded Villain</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1091—A Move in the Dark</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1092—Against Desperate Odds</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1093—The Telltale Photographs</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1094—The Ruby Pin</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1095—The Queen of Diamonds</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1096—A Broken Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1097—An Ingenious Stratagem</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1098—A Sharper’s Downfall</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1099—A Race Track Gamble</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1100—Without a Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1101—The Council of Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1102—The Hole in the Vault</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1103—In Death’s Grip</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1104—A Great Conspiracy</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1105—The Guilty Governor</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1106—A Ring of Rascals</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1107—A Masterpiece of Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1108—A Blow For Vengeance</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1109—Tangled Threads</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1110—The Crime of the Camera</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1111—The Sign of the Dagger</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1112—Nick Carter’s Promise</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1113—Marked for Death</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1114—The Limited Holdup</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1115—When the Trap Was Sprung</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1116—Through the Cellar Wall</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1117—Under the Tiger’s Claws</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1118—The Girl in the Case</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1119—Behind a Throne</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1120—The Lure of Gold</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1121—Hand to Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1122—From a Prison Cell</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1123—Dr. Quartz, Magician</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1124—Into Nick Carter’s Web</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1125—The Mystic Diagram</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1126—The Hand That Won</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1127—Playing a Lone Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1128—The Master Villain</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1129—The False Claimant</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1130—The Living Mask</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1131—The Crime and the Motive</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1132—A Mysterious Foe</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1133—A Missing Man</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1134—A Game Well Played</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1135—A Cigarette Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1136—The Diamond Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1137—The Silent Guardian</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1138—The Dead Stranger</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1140—The Doctor’s Stratagem</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1141—Following a Chance Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1142—The Bank Draft Puzzle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1143—The Price of Treachery</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1144—The Silent Partner</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1145—Ahead of the Game</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1146—A Trap of Tangled Wire</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1147—In the Gloom of Night</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1148—The Unaccountable Crook</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1149—A Bundle of Clews</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1150—The Great Diamond Syndicate</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1151—The Death Circle</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1152—The Toss of a Penny</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1153—One Step Too Far</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1154—The Terrible Thirteen</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1155—A Detective’s Theory</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1156—Nick Carter’s Auto Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1157—A Triple Identity</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1158—A Mysterious Graft</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1159—A Carnival of Crime</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1160—The Bloodstone Terror</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1161—Trapped in His Own Net</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1162—The Last Move in the Game</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1163—A Victim of Deceit</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1164—With Links of Steel</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1165—A Plaything of Fate</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1166—The Key Ring Clew</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1167—Playing for a Fortune</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1168—At Mystery’s Threshold</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1169—Trapped by a Woman</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1170—The Four Fingered Glove</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1171—Nabob and Knave</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1172—The Broadway Crofts</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1173—The Man Without a Conscience</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">1174—A Master of Deviltry</td><td class="tbra">By Nicholas Carter</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="center"> -<p class="nobreak center boldfont displayinline">Western Stories<br />About</p> -<p class="displayinline boldfont xxlargefont" style="padding-left:0.5em">BUFFALO BILL</p></div> - -<p class="largefont center">Price, Fifteen Cents <span style="padding-left:1em">Red-blooded Adventure Stories for Men</span></p> - -<p>There is no more romantic character in American history than William -F. Cody, or, as he was internationally known, Buffalo Bill. He, -with Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer, -and a few other adventurous spirits, laid the foundation of our great -West.</p> - -<p>There is no more brilliant page in American history than the winning -of the West. Never did pioneers live more thrilling lives, so -rife with adventure and brave deeds, as the old scouts and plainsmen. -Foremost among these stands the imposing figure of Buffalo Bill.</p> - -<p>All of the books in this list are intensely interesting. They were -written by the close friend and companion of Buffalo Bill—Colonel -Prentiss Ingraham. They depict actual adventures which this pair of -hard-hitting comrades experienced, while the story of these adventures -is interwoven with fiction; historically the books are correct.</p></div> - -<p class="center"><em>ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT</em></p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr><td class="tbla">1—Buffalo Bill, the Border King</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">2—Buffalo Bill’s Raid</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">3—Buffalo Bill’s Bravery</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">4—Buffalo Bill’s Trump Card</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">5—Buffalo Bill’s Pledge</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">6—Buffalo Bill’s Vengeance</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">7—Buffalo Bill’s Iron Grip</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">8—Buffalo Bill’s Capture</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">9—Buffalo Bill’s Danger Line</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">10—Buffalo Bill’s Comrades</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">11—Buffalo Bill’s Reckoning</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">12—Buffalo Bill’s Warning</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">13—Buffalo Bill at Bay</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">14—Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Pards</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">15—Buffalo Bill’s Brand</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">16—Buffalo Bill’s Honor</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">17—Buffalo Bill’s Phantom Hunt</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">18—Buffalo Bill’s Fight With Fire</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">19—Buffalo Bill’s Danite Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">20—Buffalo Bill’s Ranch Riders</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">21—Buffalo Bill’s Death Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">22—Buffalo Bill’s Trackers</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">23—Buffalo Bill’s Mid-air Flight</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">24—Buffalo Bill, Ambassador</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">25—Buffalo Bill’s Air Voyage</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">26—Buffalo Bill’s Secret Mission</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">27—Buffalo Bill’s Long Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">28—Buffalo Bill Against Odds</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">29—Buffalo Bill’s Hot Chase</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">30—Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Ally</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">31—Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Trove</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">32—Buffalo Bill’s Hidden Foes</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">33—Buffalo Bill’s Crack Shot</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">34—Buffalo Bill’s Close Call</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">35—Buffalo Bill’s Double Surprise</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">36—Buffalo Bill’s Ambush</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">37—Buffalo Bill’s Outlaw Hunt</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">38—Buffalo Bill’s Border Duel</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">39—Buffalo Bill’s Bid for Fame</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">40—Buffalo Bill’s Triumph</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">41—Buffalo Bill’s Spy Trailer</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">42—Buffalo Bill’s Death Call</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">43—Buffalo Bill’s Body Guard</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">44—Buffalo Bill’s Still Hunt</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">45—Buffalo Bill and the Doomed Dozen</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">46—Buffalo Bill’s Prairie Scout</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">47—Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Guide</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">48—Buffalo Bill’s Bonanza</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">49—Buffalo Bill’s Swoop</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">50—Buffalo Bill and the Gold King</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">51—Buffalo Bill, Dead Shot</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">52—Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Bravos</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">53—Buffalo Bill’s Big Four</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">54—Buffalo Bill’s One-armed Pard</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">55—Buffalo Bill’s Race for Life</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">56—Buffalo Bill’s Return</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">57—Buffalo Bill’s Conquest</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">58—Buffalo Bill to the Rescue</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">59—Buffalo Bill’s Beautiful Foe</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">60—Buffalo Bill’s Perilous Task</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">61—Buffalo Bill’s Queer Find</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">62—Buffalo Bill’s Blind Lead</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">63—Buffalo Bill’s Resolution</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">64—Buffalo Bill, the Avenger</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">65—Buffalo Bill’s Pledged Pard</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">66—Buffalo Bill’s Weird Warning</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">67—Buffalo Bill’s Wild Ride</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">68—Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Stampede</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">69—Buffalo Bill’s Mine Mystery</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">70—Buffalo Bill’s Gold Hunt</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">71—Buffalo Bill’s Daring Dash</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">72—Buffalo Bill on Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">73—Buffalo Bill’s Alliance</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">74—Buffalo Bill’s Relentless Foe</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">75—Buffalo Bill’s Midnight Ride</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">76—Buffalo Bill’s Chivalry</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">77—Buffalo Bill’s Girl Pard</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">78—Buffalo Bill’s Private War</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">79—Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Mine</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">80—Buffalo Bill’s Big Contract</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">81—Buffalo Bill’s Woman Foe</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">82—Buffalo Bill’s Ruse</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">83—Buffalo Bill’s Pursuit</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">84—Buffalo Bill’s Hidden Gold</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">85—Buffalo Bill in Mid-air</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">86—Buffalo Bill’s Queer Mission</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">87—Buffalo Bill’s Verdict</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">88—Buffalo Bill’s Ordeal</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">89—Buffalo Bill’s Camp Fires</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">90—Buffalo Bill’s Iron Nerve</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">91—Buffalo Bill’s Rival</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">92—Buffalo Bill’s Lone Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">93—Buffalo Bill’s Sacrifice</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">94—Buffalo Bill’s Thunderbolt</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">95—Buffalo Bill’s Black Fortune</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">96—Buffalo Bill’s Wild Work</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">97—Buffalo Bill’s Yellow Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">98—Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Train</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">99—Buffalo Bill’s Bowie Duel</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">100—Buffalo Bill’s Mystery Man</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">101—Buffalo Bill’s Bold Play</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">102—Buffalo Bill: Peacemaker</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">103—Buffalo Bill’s Big Surprise</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">104—Buffalo Bill’s Barricade</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">105—Buffalo Bill’s Test</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">106—Buffalo Bill’s Powwow</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">107—Buffalo Bill’s Stern Justice</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">108—Buffalo Bill’s Mysterious Friend</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">109—Buffalo Bill and the Boomers</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">110—Buffalo Bill’s Panther Fight</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">111—Buffalo Bill and the Overland Mail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">112—Buffalo Bill on the Deadwood Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">113—Buffalo Bill in Apache Land</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">114—Buffalo Bill’s Blindfold Duel</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">115—Buffalo Bill and the Lone Camper</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">116—Buffalo Bill’s Merry War</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">117—Buffalo Bill’s Star Play</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">118—Buffalo Bill’s War Cry</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">119—Buffalo Bill on Black Panther’s Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">120—Buffalo Bill’s Slim Chance</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">121—Buffalo Bill Besieged</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">122—Buffalo Bill’s Bandit Round-up</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">123—Buffalo Bill’s Surprise Party</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">124—Buffalo Bill’s Lightning Raid</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">125—Buffalo Bill in Mexico</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">126—Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Foe</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">127—Buffalo Bill’s Tireless Chase</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">128—Buffalo Bill’s Boy Bugler</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">129—Buffalo Bill’s Sure Guess</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">130—Buffalo Bill’s Record Jump</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">131—Buffalo Bill in the Land of Dread</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">132—Buffalo Bill’s Tangled Clue</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">133—Buffalo Bill’s Wolf Skin</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">134—Buffalo Bill’s Twice Four Puzzle</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">135—Buffalo Bill and the Devil Bird</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">136—Buffalo Bill and the Indian’s Mascot</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">137—Buffalo Bill Entrapped</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">138—Buffalo Bill’s Totem Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">139—Buffalo Bill at Fort Challis</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">140—Buffalo Bill’s Determination</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">141—Buffalo Bill’s Battle Axe</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">142—Buffalo Bill’s Game with Fate</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">143—Buffalo Bill’s Comanche Raid</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">144—Buffalo Bill’s Aerial Island</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">145—Buffalo Bill’s Lucky Shot</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">146—Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Friends</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">147—Buffalo Bill’s Supreme Test</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">148—Buffalo Bill’s Boldest Strike</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">149—Buffalo Bill and the Red Hand</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">150—Buffalo Bill’s Dance with Death</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">151—Buffalo Bill’s Running Fight</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">152—Buffalo Bill in Harness</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">153—Buffalo Bill Corralled</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">154—Buffalo Bill’s Waif of the West</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">155—Buffalo Bill’s Wizard Pard</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">156—Buffalo Bill and Hawkeye</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">157—Buffalo Bill and Grizzly Dan</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">158—Buffalo Bill’s Ghost Play</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">159—Buffalo Bill’s Lost Prisoner</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">160—Buffalo Bill and the Klan of Kau</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">161—Buffalo Bill’s Crow Scouts</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">162—Buffalo Bill’s Lassoed Spectre</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">163—Buffalo Bill and the Wanderers</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">164—Buffalo Bill and the White Queen</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">165—Buffalo Bill’s Yellow Guardian</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">166—Buffalo Bill’s Double “B” Brand</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">167—Buffalo Bill’s Dangerous Duty</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">168—Buffalo Bill and the Talking Statue</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">169—Buffalo Bill Between Two Fires</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">170—Buffalo Bill and the Giant Apache</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">171—Buffalo Bill’s Best Bet</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">172—Buffalo Bill’s Blockhouse Siege</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">173—Buffalo Bill’s Fight for Right</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">174—Buffalo Bill’s Sad Tidings</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">175—Buffalo Bill and “Lucky” Benson</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">176—Buffalo Bill Among the Sioux</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">177—Buffalo Bill’s Mystery Box</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">178—Buffalo Bill’s Worst Tangle</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">179—Buffalo Bill’s Clean Sweep</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">180—Buffalo Bill’s Texas Tangle</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">181—Buffalo Bill and the Nihilists</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">182—Buffalo Bill’s Emigrant Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">183—Buffalo Bill at Close Quarters</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">184—Buffalo Bill and the Cattle Thieves</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">185—Buffalo Bill at Cimaroon Bar</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">186—Buffalo Bill’s Ingenuity</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">187—Buffalo Bill on a Cold Trail</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">188—Buffalo Bill’s Red Hot Totem</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">189—Buffalo Bill Under a War Cloud</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">190—Buffalo Bill and the Prophet</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">191—Buffalo Bill and the Red Renegade</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">192—Buffalo Bill’s Mailed Fist</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">193—Buffalo Bill’s Round-up</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">194—Buffalo Bill’s Death Message</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">195—Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Disguise</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">196—Buffalo Bill, the Whirlwind</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">197—Buffalo Bill in Death Valley</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">198—Buffalo Bill and the Magic Button</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">199—Buffalo Bill’s Friend in Need</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">200—Buffalo Bill With General Custer</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">201—Buffalo Bill’s Timely Meeting</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">202—Buffalo Bill and the Skeleton Scout</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">203—Buffalo Bill’s Flag of Truce</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">204—Buffalo Bill’s Pacific Power</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">205—Buffalo Bill’s Impersonator</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">206—Buffalo Bill and the Red Marauders</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">207—Buffalo Bill’s Long Run</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">208—Buffalo Bill and Red Dove</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">209—Buffalo Bill on the Box</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">210—Buffalo Bill’s Bravo Partner</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">211—Buffalo Bill’s Strange Task</td><td class="tbra">By Col. Prentiss Ingraham</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="nobreak center largefont boldfont s1"><em>A CARNIVAL OF ACTION</em></p> - -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont">ADVENTURE LIBRARY</p> - -<p class="center largefont boldfont pminus1"><em>Splendid, Interesting, Big Stories</em></p> - -<p class="center xlargefont boldfont">PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS</p> - -<p>For the present the Adventure Library will be devoted to the -publication of stories by William Wallace Cook.</p> - -<p>The fact that one man wrote all of these stories in no way -detracts from their interest, as they are all very different in plot -and locality.</p> - -<p>For example, the action in one story takes place in “The Land -of Little Rain;” another deals with adventure on the high seas; -another is a good railroad story; others are splendid Western -stories; and some are mystery stories. All of them, however, -are stories of vigorous adventure drawn true to life, which gives -them the thrill that all really good fiction should have.</p></div> - -<p class="center"><em>ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT</em></p> - -<p>In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that -the books listed below will be issued during the respective months -in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers -at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr><td class="tbdate" colspan="2">To be published in January, 1925.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">1—The Desert Argonaut</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">2—A Quarter to Four</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbdate" colspan="2">To be published in February, 1925.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">3—Thorndyke of the Bonita</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">4—A Round Trip to the Year 2000</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbdate" colspan="2">To be published in March, 1925.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">5—The Gold Gleaners</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">6—The Spur of Necessity</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbdate" colspan="2">To be published in April, 1925.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">7—The Mysterious Mission</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">8—The Goal of a Million</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbdate" colspan="2">To be published in May, 1925.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">9—Marooned in 1492</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">10—Running the Signal</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbdate" colspan="2">To be published in June, 1925.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">11—His Friend the Enemy</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">12—In the Web</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">13—A Deep Sea Game</td><td class="tbra">By William Wallace Cook</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="nobreak center xxlargefont boldfont s1">Round the World Library</p> - -<p class="center largefont">Price, Fifteen Cents <span style="padding-left:1em">Stories of Jack Harkaway and His Comrades</span></p> - -<p>Every reader, young and old, has heard of Jack Harkaway. His -remarkable adventures in out-of-the-way corners of the globe are really -classics, and every one should read them.</p> - -<p>Jack is a splendid, manly character, full of life and strength and -curiosity. He has a number of very interesting companions—Professor -Mole, for instance, who is very funny. He also has some very -strange enemies, who are anything but funny.</p> - -<p>Get interested in Jack. It will pay you.</p></div> - -<p class="center"><em>ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT</em></p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr><td class="tbla">1—Jack Harkaway’s School Days</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">2—Jack Harkaway’s Friends</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">3—Jack Harkaway After School Days</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">4—Jack Harkaway Afloat and Ashore</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">5—Jack Harkaway Among the Pirates</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">6—Jack Harkaway at Oxford</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">7—Jack Harkaway’s Struggles</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">8—Jack Harkaway’s Triumphs</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tbla">9—Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">10—Jack Harkaway’s Return</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">11—Jack Harkaway Around the World</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">12—Jack Harkaway’s Perils</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">13—Jack Harkaway in China</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">14—Jack Harkaway and the Red Dragon</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">15—Jack Harkaway’s Pluck</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">16—Jack Harkaway in Australia</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">17—Jack Harkaway and the Bushrangers</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">18—Jack Harkaway’s Duel</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">19—Jack Harkaway and the Turks</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">20—Jack Harkaway in New York</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">21—Jack Harkaway Out West</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">22—Jack Harkaway Among the Indians</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">23—Jack Harkaway’s Cadet Days</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">24—Jack Harkaway in the Black Hills</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">25—Jack Harkaway in the Toils</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">26—Jack Harkaway’s Secret of Wealth</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="nobreak center xxlargefont boldfont">Not How Much<br /> -<em>But</em><br /> -HOW GOOD</p> - -<p>In the editorial preparation of the STREET -& SMITH NOVEL the question of how much -in money we were going to get for each volume -never really occurred to us. We lost sight entirely -of the fact that these books sold at 15 -cents the copy, and gave as much serious consideration -to the selection and preparation of -the stories as though they were going to sell for -ten times as much.</p> - -<p>We think, after all, that this is the real test -of service. That we are performing a service -to millions of American readers, there can be -no doubt. Never before has such reading matter -been placed within the reach of the modest -purse. We have striven to keep our line clean -and feel confident that we have done so.</p> - -<p>The very nature of the stories published in -the STREET & SMITH NOVELS insures them -consideration from people who have no time nor -inclination to read the classics, and who probably -would not read anything else if they did -not have the STREET & SMITH books.</p> - -<p>Any decent literature that instills a desire on -the part of the general public to read is, in our -opinion, performing a real service.</p> - -<p class="center boldfont"><span class="largefont">STREET & SMITH CORPORATION</span><br /> -79 Seventh Avenue <span style="padding-left:2em">New York City</span> -</p></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="nobreak xxlargefont boldfont center">The Dealer</p> - -<p>who handles the STREET & SMITH NOVELS -is a man worth patronizing. The fact that he -does handle our books proves that he has considered -the merits of paper-covered lines, and -has decided that the STREET & SMITH -NOVELS are superior to all others.</p> - -<p>He has looked into the question of the morality -of the paper-covered book, for instance, and -feels that he is perfectly safe in handing one of -our novels to any one, because he has our assurance -that nothing except clean, wholesome -literature finds its way into our lines.</p> - -<p>Therefore, the STREET & SMITH NOVEL -dealer is a careful and wise tradesman, and it -is fair to assume selects the other articles he -has for sale with the same degree of intelligence -as he does his paper-covered books.</p> - -<p>Deal with the STREET & SMITH NOVEL -dealer.</p> - -<p class="center boldfont"><span class="largefont">STREET & SMITH CORPORATION</span><br /> -79 Seventh Avenue <span style="padding-left:2em">New York City</span> -</p></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 id="TN_end" style="margin-top: 0em">Transcriber’s Notes:</h2> - -<p>Punctuation has been made consistent.</p> - -<p>Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in -the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors -have been corrected.</p> -</div></div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON TIME ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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