A ROW ON BOARD THE GOLDWING.
"I don't care who is captain of the boat," said Tom Topover, after his
companions had talked him into something. "Come on board again, Ash
Burton, and you shall be captain."
"That's so; come back, we want you to be captain," added Kidd Digfield,
who knew more than his companions about a boat, though that was saying
very little.
"What do you say, Sam?" added Ash, turning to his crony.
"I don't believe in it," replied the other decidedly. "You can't depend
upon Tom Topover. If you are the skipper, he will insist upon your
obeying his orders as he did a little while ago."
"I will give it all up to Ash Burton," interposed Tom, who had heard a
part of Sam's remarks.
Ash was strongly tempted; for if there was any one thing in the world
that he liked better than any thing else, it was boating. At Westport he
had sometimes sailed in the Silver Moon, and had learned a little about
the management of such a craft, though he was very far from being a
skilful boatman.
"Tom will get the helm, and then the boat will go to the bottom if they
go out on the lake," argued Sam.
"I don't believe in using the boat, myself," replied Ash faintly; for he
was sighing for the delight of holding the wheel of the Goldwing while
she dashed at her lively pace over the water. He could hardly refuse the
invitation of the Topovers.
"Tom don't know any thing at all about the boat, and that fact makes him
reckless. In my opinion, he will sink the boat, and there will be an
awful row in Genverres about this evening when the Sylph returns,"
continued Sam, seeing that his friend was inclined to yield.
"Ash Burton shall have the full command, and I won't interfere with
him," said Tom; but the two boys on the wharf did not see the wink he
gave to Nim Splugger when he uttered the gracious words.
"Some of them will be drowned," reasoned Sam.
"Then I think I ought to go with them!" exclaimed Ash, suddenly crushing
his scruples. "I don't know much about a boat, but I know more than any
of the rest of the fellows; and I can keep the Goldwing on the top of
the water, if nothing more."
"We had better keep out of the scrape," added Sam, but more weakly than
before, for he was almost as fond of sailing as his friend.
"The rest of the fellows are on the other side of the water, and we
shall have to take them in. If things don't work right when we get
across the lake, we can jump out of the boat again; and we shall be
nearer home there than we are here," said Ash, almost vanquished by his
own logic.
He wanted to go so much, that it was easy for him to persuade himself
that it was his duty to do so in order to prevent Tom from drowning
himself and his companions. The conflict in his mind ended by his going
on board of the sloop, followed, more reluctantly, by his crony.
"I want this thing understood before I go," said Ash, as he walked aft
to the standing-room. "The wind has breezed up a good deal while we have
been talking about it, and it would be as easy as putting your fingers
in the fire to tip the sloop over."
"We understand it well enough: you are to be captain, and all the rest
of us will obey your orders—as long as we like," replied Tom
impatiently, and uttering the last words so that they were heard only by
Nim Splugger.
"But I want it made as clear as day that I am to handle the boat. I know
enough about a sailboat to keep her right side up, and I don't want to
be spilled into the lake by any fellow that don't know as much about the
business as I do."
"We all agree to it," interposed Kidd Digfield. "It's no use to talk all
day about it."
The last speaker knew the halyards from the boat-hook; and he proceeded
to hoist the sail, assisted by Pell Sankland. Ash considered it
understood that he was to be skipper till the end of the cruise, which
he did not intend should last for more than an hour or two. He took his
place at the wheel, and gave the necessary orders for getting the sloop
under way. The fresh breeze took the sail, and in a couple of minutes
she was across the lake. With the wind off the shore, he had no
difficulty in making a landing at the little stage which served as a
landing-place for boats from the other side.
"Where is the Thunderer, Tom?" asked Chick Penny, as he stepped on
board.
"She came to grief," replied Tom. "She dropped to pieces, and tipped us
all into the lake."
"That's just what I supposed she would do," replied Chick. "I wouldn't
trust my old boots in her, to say nothing of my precious carcass."
Hop Cabright wanted to know how they had got hold of the Goldwing, and
the story of the morning's adventures had to be told. But Ash did not
wait for it to be finished. He got under way again, and stood towards
the outlet. More than half of the recruits, making the whole party a
dozen, were fellows like Sam and himself; and he felt more at home in
the Goldwing than he had before. But five of them were original
Topovers; which meant that they did not scruple to steal a boat when
they got a chance, or to rob an orchard, or to break all the windows in
the side of a building for simple fun.
The other seven of the party were very fond of fun, and could be easily
led into mischief, though they had a better idea of the rights of
property. In the dozen who filled the standing-room of the sloop were
all shades of moral obliquity, from Tom Topover, who respected no
person's rights except his own, up to Sam Spottwood, whose greatest
failing was the weakness which did not always induce him to do what he
knew was right.
The narrow limits of Beechwater did not satisfy the desire of the
skipper for a sail, and he stood boldly into the outlet. Possibly, if
the sloop had not been aground a little before at the first sharp turn
in the stream, he would have sailed her into the mud which the current
deposited there. But he was forewarned by the former accident, and he
tacked before the keel touched bottom.
More by good chance than by the possession of any skill in navigating
this difficult stream, Ash got the boat through the bend, and it was
then plain sailing to the river. It was wide enough here to beat, and in
half an hour more the Goldwing was in the great lake. Ash enjoyed his
occupation more than ever before, and he was in a state of exuberant
delight.
"I guess I'll take that wheel now, Ash Burton," said Tom Topover, with a
broad grin on his ugly face, when the boat was fairly out of the river.
"That wasn't the trade," replied Ash.
"I don't care whether it was the trade or not: I am going to steer now,"
added Tom very decidedly.
"Didn't you agree that I should be captain on this cruise?" demanded
Ash, keeping down his indignation as well as he could.
"That was only to get you to come along," replied Tom, with the most
barefaced effrontery. "I had a point to carry, and I carried it. Get out
of my way, Ash Burton, and I will take the thing."
"You don't know how to handle the boat, and I object," interposed Sam
Spottwood.
"Shut up, Sam!" said Tom, turning a savage glance at the last speaker.
"I shall not shut up! You made a fair agreement that Ash should be
captain, or I would not have come," retorted Sam boldly.
"I should not either," added Ash.
"It's no use of jawing about it. I am going to steer this boat the rest
of the cruise, and"—
"No, you are not! You have tried to cheat us, and we will stick to the
trade we made fairly!" insisted Sam.
"Shut up, Sam Spottwood, or I'll bat you over the head!" said Tom
fiercely, and he turned towards Sam with his fists in fighting
condition.
"You don't know how to handle a boat, and I for one won't submit to have
the bargain broken," protested Sam, his blood heated up to fever
temperature.
"Don't hit him, Tom!" interposed Kidd Digfield.
"Ash is captain, and he ought to steer," shouted Chick Penny from the
forecastle.
"Ash must keep the wheel," added Hop Cabright; and so said several of
the others.
Tom Topover looked at them, and then he was mad in good earnest. He
declared that he was going to take the wheel, and he wanted any fellow
that objected to step out into the standing-room, and he would "polish
him off" in the twinkling of an eye.
"I object, and I shall stick to it. A trade's a trade, and I don't think
any fellow has a right to back out of it," Sam responded.
Tom was furious at this remark; and he made a pass at Sam, who was
seated by the side of the skipper, with his fist.
"None of that, Tom!" interposed Ash, stepping between the bully and his
intended victim.
"What are you going to do about it, Ash Burton?" yelled Tom, and he
aimed a blow at the skipper, which was intended to annihilate him.
Ash warded off the blow; but when another was aimed at him, he struck
back. The original Topovers attempted to interfere, but the fury of Tom
could brook no opposition from friend or foe. The result was a general
row. The recruits to the gang took sides with Ash and Sam, and they did
their best to support him; but before the affair could be decided either
way, about a hogs-head of water rolled into the standing-room over the
washboard.
The cooling effects of this inundation were immediately perceptible. Tom
had been thrown down by the skipper, and the wave had nearly drowned
him. All the others were wet through, and the sloop was rolling as
though she intended to do the same thing again. Ash was boatman enough
to understand the situation. He had put the helm up when he was
attacked, for the boat had a tendency to broach to; and she had fallen
off till she presented the broad side of her mainsail to the stiff
breeze.
The boat had come up headed the other way. With the water splashing
about in the standing-room, the skipper came about again, and headed the
sloop on her former course. The cold water had cooled off Tom, and just
now he was wringing out his coat. He appeared to submit to the situation
for the present. Sam desired to return, but Ash wanted to fight the
battle out if it was renewed again.
The Goldwing had dipped up the water when she was off the mouth of
Porter's Bay. Ash set his companions to baling out the standing-room,
and with all the vessels on board, the work was soon finished. Before
she was up with the point beyond the bay, the sun had dried the floor
and seats, and she was the cleaner for her bath.
"Boat ahoy!" shouted some one from the point, which was covered with
trees.
A glance in the direction from which the hail came informed the boys
that there was a picnic on the point.