The Yacht Club; or, The Young Boat-Builder by Oliver Optic (important books to read txt) 📗

they were not there then. But he is used up, anyhow, whether we find the[303] box or not, for he tells one story and Captain Shivernock another; and I think Captain Patterdale believes what I say now. But the race comes off to-day, and if I lose it, I am used up too."

The boat-builder left the house, and went on board of the Maud, which lay off the shop. Samuel Rodman was on deck, and they hoisted the mainsail. The wind had hauled round to the north-west early in the morning, and blew a smashing breeze, just such as Donald wanted for the great occasion. In fact, it blew almost a gale, and the wind came in heavy gusts, which are very trying to the nerves of an inexperienced boatman. The Penobscot, gayly dressed with flags, was moored in her position for the use of the judges.

"We shall not want any kites to-day," said Donald, as he made fast the throat halyard.

"No; and you may have to reef this mainsail," added Rodman.

"Not at all."

"But it is flawy."

"So much the better."

"Why so?"

"Because a fellow that understands himself and[304] keeps his eyes wide open has a chance to gain something on the heavy flaws that almost knock a boat over. It makes a sharper game of it."

"But Commodore Montague is up to all those dodges."

"I know he is; but in the other race, he lost half his time by luffing up in a squall."

"But don't you expect a fellow to luff up in a squall?" demanded Rodman.

"If necessary, yes; but the point is, to know when it must be done. If you let off the main-sheet or spill the sail every time a puff comes, you lose time," replied Donald. "I believe in keeping on the safe side; but a fellow may lose the race by dodging every capful of wind that comes. There goes the first gun."

"Let us get into line," added Rodman, as he cast off the moorings and hoisted the jib. "Let her drive."

Donald took the helm, and the Maud shot away like an arrow in the fresh breeze.

"Her sails set beautifully," said the skipper for the occasion; though Rodman was nominally the captain of the yacht, and was so recorded in the books of the club.[305]

"Nothing could be better."

"We shall soon ascertain how stiff she is," added Donald, as a heavy flaw heeled the yacht over, till she buried her rail in the water. "I don't think we shall get anything stronger than that. She goes down just so far, and then the wind seems to slide off. I don't believe you can get her over any farther."

"That's far enough," replied Rodman, holding on, to keep his seat in the standing-room.

The Maud passed under the stern of the judges' yacht, and anchored in the line indicated by the captain of the fleet. The Skylark soon arrived, and took her place next to the Penobscot. In these two yachts all the interest of the occasion centred. The Phantom and the Sea Foam soon came into line; and then it was found that the Christabel had withdrawn, for it blew too hard for her. Mr. Norwood and his son came on board, with Dick Adams, who was to be mate of the Maud, and Kennedy, who was well skilled in sailing a boat. Donald had just the crew he wanted, and he stationed them for the exciting race. Mr. Norwood was to tend the jib-sheets in the standing-room, Kennedy the main sheet, while Dick[306] Adams, Frank Norwood, and Sam Rodman were to cast off the cable and hoist the jib forward.

"Are you all ready, there?" called Donald, raising his voice above the noise made by the banging of the mainsail in the fresh breeze.

"All ready," replied Dick Adams, who was holding the rode with a turn around the bitts.

"Don't let her go till I give the word," added Donald. "I want to fill on the port tack."

"Ay, ay!" shouted Dick; "on the port tack."

This was a very important matter, for the course from the judges' station to Turtle Head would give the yachts the wind on the port quarter; and if any of them came about the wrong way, they would be compelled to gybe, which was not a pleasant operation in so stiff a breeze. Donald kept hold of the main-sheet, and by managing the sail a little, contrived to have the tendency of the Maud in the right direction, so that her sail would fill on the port tack. He saw that Dick Adams had the tender on the port bow, so that the yacht would not run it down when she went off.

"There goes the gun!" shouted Rodman, very much excited as the decisive moment came.[307]

But Dick Adams held on, as he had been instructed to do, and pulled with all his might, in order to throw the head of the Maud in the right direction.

"Hoist the jib!" shouted Donald, when he saw that the yacht was sure to cast on her port tack.

Rodman and Norwood worked lively; and in an instant the jib was up, and Mr. Norwood had gathered up the lee sheet.

"Let go!" added Donald, when he felt that the Maud was in condition to go off lively.

She did go off with a bound and a spring. Donald crowded the helm hard up, so that the Maud wore short around.

"Let off the sheet, lively, Kennedy!" said the skipper. "Ease off the jib-sheet, Mr. Norwood!"

"We shall be afoul of the Phantom!" cried Dick Adams, as he began to run out on the foot-ropes by the bowsprit.

"Lay in, Dick!" shouted Donald. "Don't go out there!"

Dick retraced his steps, and came on deck. The Phantom had not cast in the right direction, and was coming around on the starboard tack, which had very nearly produced a collision with[308] the Maud, the two bowsprits coming within a few inches of each other.

"I was going out to fend off," said Dick, as he came aft, in obedience to orders.

"I was afraid you would be knocked off the bowsprit, which is a bad place to be, when two vessels put their noses together. It was a close shave, but we are all right now," replied the skipper.

"The Sea Foam takes the lead," added Mr. Norwood.

"She had the head end of the line. The Skylark made a good start."

"First rate," said Kennedy. "She couldn't be handled any better than she is."

"We lead her a little," continued Mr. Norwood.

"We had the advantage of her about half a length; as the Sea Foam has a length the best of us."

The yachts were to form the line head to the wind, and this line was diagonal with the course to Turtle Head, so that the Sea Foam, which was farthest from the Penobscot, had really two length's less distance to go in getting to Stubb's[309] Point Ledge than the Skylark; but this difference was not worth considering in such a breeze, though, if the commodore was beaten by only half a length by the Maud, he intended to claim the race on account of this disparity. The two yachts in which all the interest centred, both obtained a fair start, the Maud a little ahead of her great rival. The Phantom had to come about, and get on the right tack, for Guilford was too careful to gybe in that wind. The Sea Foam got off very well; and Vice Commodore Patterdale was doing his best to make a good show for his yacht, but she held her position only for a moment. The tremendous gusts were too much for Edward's nerves, and he luffed up, in order to escape one. The Maud went tearing by her, with the Skylark over lapping her half a length.

"Haul up the centre-board a little more, Dick," said Donald, who did not bestow a single glance upon his dreaded rival, for all his attention was given to the sailing of the Maud. "A small pull on the jib-sheet, Mr. Norwood, if you please."

"You gained an inch then," said Kennedy, striving to encourage the struggling skipper.

But Donald would not look at the Skylark. He[310] knew that the shortest distance between two points was by a straight line; and having taken a tree on the main land near Castine as his objective point, he kept it in range with the tompion in the stove-pipe, and did not permit the Maud to wabble about. Occasionally the heavy gusts buried the rail in the brine; but Donald did not permit her to dodge it, or to deviate from his inflexible straight line. She went down just so far, and would go no farther; and at these times it was rather difficult to keep on the seat at the weather side of the standing-room. Dick Adams, Norwood, and Rodman were placed on deck above the trunk, and had a comfortable position. The skipper kept his feet braced against the cleats on the floor, holding on with both hands at the tiller; for in such a blow, it was no child's play to steer such a yacht.

"You are gaining on her, Don John," said Mr. Norwood.

"Do you think so, sir?"

"I know it."

"The end of her bowsprit is about even with the tip of our main boom," added Kennedy.

"How much fin have we down, Dick?" asked the skipper.[311]

The mate of the Maud rushed to the cabin, where the line attached to the centre-board was made fast, and reported on its condition.

"Haul up a little more," continued Donald. "Steady! Not the whole of it, but nearly all."

"It is down about six inches now."

"That will do."

For a few moments all hands were still, watching with intense interest the progress of the race. The commodore, in the Skylark, was evidently doing his level best, for he was running away from the Sea Foam and the Phantom.

"Bravo, Don John!" exclaimed the excited Mr. Norwood. "You are a full length ahead! I am willing to sign the contract with Ramsay & Son to build the yacht for me."

"Don't be too fast, sir. We are not out of the woods yet, and shall not be for some time."

"I am satisfied we are going to beat the Skylark."

"Beat her all to pieces!" added Frank Norwood. "She is doing it as easily as though she were used to it."

"I give you the order to build the yacht," said Mr. Norwood.[312]

"Thank you, sir; but I would rather wait till this race is finished before I take the job. We may be beaten yet—badly beaten, too. There are a dozen things that may use us up. The tide is not up, so that I can't play off the dodge I did in the Sea Foam; and if I could, Bob Montague is up to it."

"There is no need of any dodge of any sort," replied Mr. Norwood. "We are beating the Skylark without manœuvring; and that is the fairest way in the world to do it."

"This is plain sailing, sir; and the Skylark's best point is on the wind. For aught I know, the Maud may do the best with a free wind," said Donald; and he had well nigh shuddered when he thought of the difference in yachts in this respect.

"It may be so; but we are at least two lengths ahead of her now."

"Over three," said Kennedy.

"So much the better," laughed Mr. Norwood. "The more we gain with the wind free, the less we shall have to make on the wind."

"But really, sir, this running down here almost before the wind is nothing," protested Donald, who felt that his passenger was indulging in strong[313] expectations, which might not be realized. "The tug of war will come when we go about. We have to beat almost dead to windward; and it may be the Maud has given us her best point off the wind."

"You don't expect her to fail on the wind—do you, Don John."

"No, sir; I don't expect her to fail, for she did first rate yesterday, when we tried her. She looked the breeze almost square in the face: but I can't tell how she will do in comparison with the Skylark. Of course I don't expect the Maud to be beaten; but I don't want you to get your hopes up so high, that you can't bear a disappointment."

"We will try to bear it; but Frank don't want a yacht that is sure to be beaten," added Mr. Norwood.

"Then perhaps it is fortunate I didn't take the job, when you offered to give it to me."

"But I think the Maud will win the race," persisted the confident gentleman.

"So do I; but it is always best to have an anchor out to windward."

"Bully for you, Don John!" shouted Kennedy,[314] after the yacht had crossed the channel where the sea was very rough and choppy. "You made a good bit in the last quarter of an hour, and we are a dozen lengths ahead of her."

"Surely she can never gain that distance upon us!" exclaimed Mr. Norwood.

"It is quite possible,