Haste and Waste; Or, the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. A Story for Young People by - (top 100 books to read txt) 📗

Lawry, when he was ready.

"Aye, aye," replied Ethan, as he turned the crank, and raised the sinker and the cask, so that the skids which supported them could be removed.

"Lower away!" added Lawry, highly excited; and the sinker began to descend into the water, carrying with it the hogshead. "That works first-rate. Now hold on till I get hold of the other end of the guide-rope."

Lawry jumped into the wherry, and sculled round to the other side of the sunken steamer, where he detached the end of the line passing under the keel from the smoke-stack, where it had been secured. He hauled on the rope till he got it clear of the stone with which it had been sunk.

"Lower away!" shouted Lawry.

"Lower, it is," answered Ethan.

"Slowly," added the pilot, as he hauled in the rope.

"It is going to the right place. I can see it in the water."

"Hold on!" cried Lawry; and the wherry was so unsteady beneath him that it was with great difficulty he "kept what he had got" on the rope.

In order to overcome this disadvantage he passed the rope around the smokestack.

"I have it now!" shouted he. "This gives me a splendid purchase;" and he hauled in the rope, bringing the hogshead chock up to the hull of the sunken craft.

"We are growing wiser every moment," laughed Ethan.

"So we are. Lower away, slowly. That's it," said Lawry. "Lower away."

"The sinker is on the bottom," replied Ethan.

"All right; can you see the hogshead?"

"Yes; you have hauled it completely under the guard. The water is as clear as crystal," answered Ethan.

"Hold on a moment till I make fast this line!"

Thus far the experiment had been entirely successful, and Lawry's bosom bounded with emotion. The plan for raising the Woodville was his own, though he had been greatly assisted by Ethan, who had designed and constructed the derrick and windlass, thus diminishing the labor of the enterprise. The young pilot felt like a conqueror when he had placed the first cask in position.

Sculling the wherry back to the raft, he pulled the string attached to the toggle, and drew it out of the noose.

"Hoist away," said he.

"Hoist, it is," replied Ethan, as he took hold with him.

"All right!" shouted the young nautical engineer. "I feel like giving three cheers," he added.

"So do I; and we'll do it, when we get the sinker on the raft."

The stone post came up "in good order and condition," and the skids were placed under it, to keep it in position for the sinking of the second hogshead. The three cheers were given with a will, and they came from the hearts of the boys. They had labored patiently for three days in gathering the material and constructing the machinery for the raising of the steamer, and their first success was a real joy.

"Breakfast-time," said Lawry, as the horn sounded from the ferry-house.

"I don't want any breakfast," answered Ethan. "I don't feel as though we could spare the time for eating."

"Haste and waste," added Lawry, laughing. "We have got a great deal of hard work to do, and we must keep our strength. For my part, I'm hungry."

"I'm not; and I'm so interested in this job that I don't like to leave. We ought to have brought our breakfast down with us."

"I don't think we shall make anything by driving the work too hard. We must keep cool, and do it well. Besides, I'm liable to be called off a dozen times a day."

"What for?"

"To take people over the ferry."

"Oh, bother!" exclaimed Ethan impatiently. "Have we got to leave the work to paddle everybody that comes along over the lake?"

"We have," said Lawry. "I must look out for the family now."

There was a good wind, and the boys returned to the ferry-house in the bateau. Before they had finished their breakfast, the ferry-horn sounded, and Lawry was obliged to take a team over to Pointville before the work could be resumed. Ethan was rather impatient under this delay; but he was too kind-hearted to make any unpleasant remark which would remind his friend of his father's crime.

CHAPTER IX BEN WILFORD'S PLAN

While Lawry was ferrying the team over the lake, Ethan occupied himself in making a long-handled boat-hook, which might be useful in the operation of raising the steamer. While he was thus engaged, a young man, about eighteen years of age, coarsely dressed, and with a very red face, came down the road and stopped at the place where he was at work.

"What you making?" asked the young man.

"A boat-hook," replied Ethan.

"Do you belong here?" continued the stranger nodding his head toward the ferry-house.

"No; I'm only helping Lawry Wilford for a few days."

"The old man's got into hot water, they say."

"Yes."

"Well, he was always preaching to me about doing the right thing; and now he's fallen off the horse-block himself," added the young man, with a slight chuckle.

"It's bad for Mr. Wilford and his family."

"That's so. Where's Lawry now?"

"He has gone over with the ferry-boat."

"I reckon Lawry has to run the machine now."

"He has to run the ferry-boat."

"Well, he knows how. Lawry's smart—he is. I suppose you don't know me."

"I do not."

"I'm Lawry's brother; and that makes it that Lawry is my brother."

"Then you are Benjamin Wilford?"

"That's my name; but Ben Wilford sounds a good deal more natural to me. I heard the old man had got into trouble, and I came up to see about it, though I'm out of a job just now, and couldn't do anything better. I hear that Lawry owns a steamboat, and I didn't know but he'd want some help. Where is she?"

"She's on the bottom, out there by the Goblins," answered Ethan, pointing to the raft. "We are at work raising her."

"Can you get her up, do you think?"

"Yes; I have no doubt we shall have her at the top of the water by to-morrow night."

"I've come just in time, then," added the young man. "I think I know something about a steamboat."

Ethan did not like the looks of Lawry's brother. His bloated face was against him, and the young engineer, without knowing anything more about him than his swaggering manner and red face revealed, wished he had stayed away a few days longer.

"I'll go in and see the old woman, and get some breakfast; then I'll go up with you and see what you are doing," said Ben Wilford.

"We are going up as soon as Lawry comes back," answered Ethan, pointing to the ferry-boat.

The dissolute young man, who had just been discharged from his situation as a deck-hand on one of the steamers, for intemperance and neglect of duty, sauntered into the house; and the fresh breeze soon brought the impatient Lawry to the shore.

"Lawry, we have got some help," said Ethan.

"Who?"

"Your brother has just come."

"Ben?" asked the young lad, a troubled expression gathering on his face.

"Yes; he has gone into the house to get his breakfast."

"I'll go in and see him," added Lawry, who did not seem to be at all pleased with the news of his brother's arrival.

It is a sad thing for a brother to behave so badly that he cannot be welcome at his own home.

Mrs. Wilford shook hands with Benjamin as he entered. She was glad to see him, and her mother's heart went out toward him; but she was filled with doubts and fears. The young man only laughed while his mother wept at the story of the father's crime. He sat down to his breakfast, and declared that he had come home to take care of the family.

"I hope you are able to take care of yourself, Benjamin," replied his mother, as she glanced at his bloated face.

"I always did that, mother. The old man and I couldn't agree very well, but I reckon you and I can get along together. Lawry, how are you?" continued the returned wanderer, as his brother entered the room.

"Very well; how are you, Ben?" answered Lawry, as he shook hands with his brother.

"First-rate. How about the steamboat, Lawry?"

"She's all right; or, she will be, when we get her up."

"Do you think you can raise her?"

"I know we can."

"Well, I heard all about her up in the village, and I have come home to help you. I know all about steamboats, you know."

"What did you leave your place for?"

"The captain and I couldn't agree. I'm going to run an opposition line."

"Are you?"

"I am; bet your life I am."

"Where will you get your boats?"

"Don't want but one; and they say your boat is the finest little craft that ever floated on the lake."

"She is, without a doubt."

"Well, we can take some money out of the captain's pocket, at any rate. We'll make a fortune out of your boat, Lawry, if we get her up."

"I shall get her up by tomorrow night."

"I'll help you, Lawry."

"We don't need any help at present. I must go now, for Ethan is waiting for me."

"Who's Ethan?"

"Ethan French; he is the engineer of the steamer," answered the young pilot, moving toward the door.

"Hold on a minute, Lawry, and I'll be ready to go with you. I can show you how to do the business."

"I know now."

"You're smart, Lawry; but you're not so old as I am."

"I'm old enough to do this job."

"You haven't seen so much of steamboats as I have."

"Now, Benjamin, you mustn't interfere with Lawry's work," interposed
Mrs. Wilford. "He knows what he is about."

"I'm not going to interfere with him; I'm only going to help him."

"If you really want to help me, I'll tell you what you can do," said
Lawry.

"What's that?"

"You can run the ferry."

"Run the ferry!" exclaimed Ben. "Why, I know more about steamboats than you and your engineer put together. Do you suppose I'm going to run a ferry-boat when there's a job of this sort on hand?"

"You can help more in this way than in any other," persisted Lawry.

"Run a ferry-boat!" sneered Ben; "that isn't my style."

"We don't need any help on the steamer."

"Yes, you do. At any rate, I'll go down and see what you are about."

"What's that rock for?" he demanded, pointing to the sinker which lay on the skids.

"To sink the casks with," replied Ethan; and he explained the process by which the hogsheads were attached to the hull of the Woodville.

"Well, Lawry, if you had been studying seven years to get up the stupidest thing that could be thought of, you could not have got up a more ridiculous idea than this," said Ben, laughing contemptuously.

"How would you raise her?" asked Lawry quietly.

"Well, I wouldn't do it in this way, I can tell you. If you want me to take this job in hand for you, I'll do it. You might as well try to raise the Goblins as the steamer in this way."

"It is very easy to condemn the method," added Ethan indignantly; "but it isn't so easy to find a better one."

"You say you don't want any help from me," said Ben.

"If you can tell me any better way, I should like to hear it," replied Lawry.

"If you want me to raise your steamer, say the word."

"Let me know how you intend to do it, first," persisted Lawry. "It's easier to talk than it is to do."

"You're smart, Lawry; but you can't raise that steamer with those casks in seven years."

"I'll have her on the top of the water by to-morrow night," said the young pilot.

"No, you won't."

"You see! But we must go to work, Ethan."

"That's just my idea," said the engineer.

"Then you don't want me to do the job?" added Ben.

"No, I think not," replied Lawry, rather coldly.

"I think my way is the best."

"Perhaps it is; but I don't know what your way is."

"I'll tell you, Lawry, for I don't like to have you waste your time and strength doing nothing; besides, we want the steamer as soon