A QUESTION OF AUTHORITY.
There was no difficulty in sailing the Goldwing up the lake, any more
than there had been down the lake. Though Ash Burton had never steered
with a wheel before, he had observed Tom Topover while he was at the
helm, and he was soon familiar with its management. The late captain was
greatly annoyed to see the sloop going along so well in the direction in
which she would not go before; but Ash was too much delighted with his
occupation to think of indulging in any triumphant expressions, and he
said nothing. Like most boys who live near the water, he was ambitious
to become a boatman, though his experience had been very limited.
"The wind is better now than it was when I had her," said Tom, after he
had watched the motion of the sloop for a time. "She goes along very
well now."
"The wind is exactly the same now as it was before," added Sam
Spottwood, when he saw that the new skipper made no reply to this
remark. "You can see the vane on Captain Gildrock's stable, and it
points exactly to the west as it has all day."
"I don't care nothin' about the vane, I say the wind is better than it
was when I was steering her," returned Tom rather sharply. "You could
see for yourself that she wouldn't go this way when I had her."
"That was only because you did not know how to handle her, and Ash
does," added Sam; and one of the original Topovers would hardly have
ventured to make such a remark.
"If you say that again, I will bat you over the head, Sam Spottwood,"
retorted Tom, shaking his head.
"I have said it once, and that is enough," continued Sam, who had not
yet been subdued by a thrashing.
"We are almost over to the wharf," interposed Ash, who wished to prevent
a quarrel. "The only way to get to the grounds from the pier is through
the boat-house, and the doors are all locked. I did not think of it
before, but we can't land there."
"We don't want to land there or anywhere else yet a while," growled Tom,
for the success of Ash in handling the sloop had reduced him to a very
bad humor.
"You don't mean to use this boat any longer, do you?" asked the new
skipper.
"If you can make her go, I can," answered the Topover sourly; "and I'm
going to do it."
"We can land at the old wharf," continued Ash, as he looked about him
without heeding the remark of the leader of the gang.
"We don't land at the old wharf or any other," added Tom. "I'm going to
sail this boat for an hour or two before I go on shore."
"You can't sail her: you don't know any more about a boat than a goose!"
exclaimed Sam imprudently, though he spoke the literal truth.
"Say that again, Sam Spottwood!" blustered Tom, doubling his right fist,
and looking very savagely at the speaker.
"You are not deaf, and you heard what I said. It's no use for me to say
it again," replied Sam.
"You dassent say it again!"
"We took this boat to get ashore in after we had been cast away, and I
don't believe in using her any more than is necessary," said Sam,
deeming it wise to change the subject.
"I don't let any fellow tell me that I can't handle a boat," replied
Tom.
"I said it, and I shall not take it back, for it is true; and you proved
it, Tom Topover," returned Sam boldly, for neither he nor Ash had ever
submitted to the bullying of the bravo, though they had thus far escaped
a fight.
But Tom had a feeling that either of them would fight, and he had always
been obliging enough to stop short of a blow.
Ash Burton was delighted with the occupation of steering the boat, she
worked so prettily; and he was sorry when she approached the landing. He
had been on the point of proposing another turn around the lake, when
his predecessor in office announced his determination to sail the boat
himself. This put a new aspect upon the business of using a boat
borrowed without leave. All his manly virtue came back to him, and he
resolved not to remain any longer in the boat if Tom was to sail her.
By this time the Goldwing was not more than a hundred feet from the
wharf, and it was time to decide what should be done. If he went to the
wharf, the party would be no better off than on board of the sloop, for
they could not get away from it without climbing over the boat-house. On
the other hand, if the present skipper came about, Tom Topover would
insist upon taking the helm. But the course of the yacht must be changed
at once, or she would run into the wharf.
Ash Burton put the helm hard down at a venture, and without waiting to
decide the main question. Things looked stormy ahead to him. The sloop
promptly came up to the wind, and the boom went over in readiness for
the other tack. It would not take more than a minute or two for the
lively craft to reach the old wharf. Ash realized that he was still the
captain, and by the consent of Tom. He headed for the landing-place he
had chosen.
The wind was blowing squarely upon the old wharf, which made it very
difficult for an inexperienced skipper to bring the boat alongside of
it. The structure was low enough to allow the boom to swing out over it,
and thus spill the sail as the craft came up to it; but the manœuvre
requires skill, and the new skipper was not confident enough in his own
powers to undertake it. He chose a safer way; and when he came up with
the wharf, he threw the sloop up into the wind, intending to lower the
sail and let her fall off till she came to the landing-place.
He called Sam Spottwood, and pointed out to him the halyards. Tom was
busy about something else just then, and did not notice what the skipper
was saying. At the right moment, Ash put the helm down, and when the
sail began to shake, he shouted to Sam, who had returned to the
forecastle.
"Let go!" was his order, and the hand addressed understood him.
The halyards were both cast off; and the sail came down, aided by Sam,
with a rush.
"What are you about, Ash Burton?" demanded Tom Topover, as the canvas
came down on his head, and filled him with consternation, for he thought
something had broken. "What's the matter now?"
"Nothing at all," replied the skipper pleasantly. "Stand by with the
boat-hook, Sam."
"What do you want with a boat-hook?" asked Tom, who had been studying
the situation with a view to sailing the boat himself again.
"Fend off, Sam," added the captain. "We don't want to strike the wharf
too hard: it might injure the boat."
"We don't want to strike it at all!" blustered Tom, springing to his
feet, and taking in the new order of things at a glance. "Is the sail
broke, that made it come down?"
"Nothing is the matter with it, so far as I know," replied Ash.
"What made it come down, then?"
"Because I ordered Sam to let go the halyards, and he did as I told
him."
"You told him to let down the sail?" demanded Tom.
"Of course I did: if I hadn't, the boat might have been smashed against
the wharf," Ash explained.
"What did you come near the wharf for?" growled Tom.
"Fend off, Sam," added the skipper.
By this time the Goldwing was so near that the wharf could be reached
with the boat-hook, and Sam fastened to it. He eased off the boat so
that she came alongside without any crash. The sail was in the
standing-room, and there was no pressure on her, so that she behaved
like a lamb. Ash Burton, seeing that his mission on board was completed,
went forward to join his friend and crony.
"You did this on purpose!" stormed Tom, when he realized the situation.
"Of course I did," replied Ash, with abundant good-nature, as he had
carried his point.
"What did you bring us in here for? Who told you to do it?" demanded
Tom.
"As I was the captain of this craft, I did not take any orders from any
one. Wasn't I the skipper, with your consent, till we came to the
wharf?" asked Ash.
"Didn't I say I wanted to sail her myself?"
"I don't care what you said: I was the captain, and I have brought the
boat to the wharf."
It looked as though there were going to be a storm, and Ash, without
hurrying himself, stepped on the wharf. He was followed by Sam, the four
original Topovers remaining in the standing-room. Their leader, though
no process of reason could convince him against his inclination, was
nonplussed at the argument of the retiring skipper.
Just at that moment the sound of a sharp whistle came across the little
lake. It was followed by a succession of shouts, and all the party
looked in the direction from which the sounds came. On the opposite
shore stood half a dozen boys, who proved to be the rest of the Topover
gang. Some of them were among the new recruits to the group who ran
together, and were inclined to think more of Ash and Sam than of the
veritable leader. Others were original associates of those in the boat,
though of a milder type of rascality.
"There's the rest of our fellows!" exclaimed Tom, willing to dodge the
question of authority which had just come up.
"Come over here, and give us a sail!" yelled one of the party over in
the grove, loud enough to be understood.
"Where are you going now, Ash?" asked Tom, in the mildest tone he could
command.
"The fun for to-day is all over, and we may as well go home," replied
the last skipper.
"We are going to take a little sail in this boat now that we have her,
and there is plenty of fun ahead," continued Tom. "Won't you go with
us?"
"You don't know how to handle the boat, and I won't go in her with you
for skipper," interposed Sam Spottwood, before Ash had time to reply.
"You came very near upsetting us once or twice, and I don't risk my head
with you."
"I can handle the boat as well as Ash can," answered Tom, but his manner
was now adapted to carrying his point. "We might as well have a sail as
go home without one. Captain Gildrock is away in the Sylph, and he won't
be back till dark. Before that time we will put the boat back where we
found her, and no one will be the wiser for the fun we have had."
"You are more likely to leave her on the bottom of the lake than you are
to put her back at her moorings," returned Sam.
Nim Splugger and Kidd Digfield then began to talk in a low tone to their
leader. They had sense enough to see that Tom could not handle the boat,
and very likely they feared that the prediction of Sam Spottwood would
be verified.