DORY DORNWOOD CONFRONTS THE TOPOVERS.
Several groups of the students had formed on the banks of Beech Hill
Lake, and were discussing the plans when the school-bell rang. They
obeyed the summons, and began to think this was a queer sort of a
vacation, when the principal informed them that he had forgotten
something. Seeing them talking together at the lake had reminded him of
the omission.
"I must exact a promise from each student that the plan he offers is
wholly his own work," said Captain Gildrock. "There must be no
conversation, conference, or comparison among you, and no student must
show his plan to another, or tell another what it is. All of you who
assent to this, and make this promise, will signify it by standing."
All the boys rose and remained standing. Some of them asked a lot of
questions as usual, but in a few minutes the whole matter was perfectly
understood.
"Under these conditions we shall have to stay in our rooms all the
time," said Dave Windsor; and the remark created a laugh, for it looked
as though the competitors for the prizes were to be prisoners as well as
the rebels.
"You can do your work where you please. The schoolroom, the workshop,
the grove, are open to you, as well as your rooms," replied the
principal. "I consider that each pupil is put on honor not to look at
the work of another. Before the prizes are awarded I shall ask each one
if the plan is wholly his own idea, and I shall be willing to take his
word for it."
"Then everything must be original, must it?" asked Bolly Millweed. "If
we have seen an arrangement of doors or windows we like in a hotel or
church, we must not use it."
"Not at all," answered Captain Gildrock, a little impatiently. "If you
have ideas, they belong to you though you did not originate them. I
simply insist that you shall not use one another's ideas. I don't expect
you to originate many if any new ideas in architecture and engineering;
only to combine old ones for the particular structure we have in view. I
only ask you to do what any old farmer would do if he wanted to put up
a set of farm buildings; and he would not go near an architect or civil
engineer, though it might pay him to do so."
"I understand it now," said Dave.
"I hope you all understand it; but if there are any questions to be
asked it must be done now, for not one will be considered after I
dismiss you this time. You may use any of the boats on Beech Hill Lake
during the next three days without further permission."
The boys were ashamed to ask any more questions, and they left the
schoolroom. They were not to talk together about the plans, and they
separated outside the door, each to make his examination of the shores
of the little lake by himself. In a few minutes they were scattered all
along the border of the lake and creek, each one carefully avoiding all
the others; for, under the skilful training of Captain Gildrock, each
one had come to regard his honor as the apple of his eye.
Of course there were some of the boys who had no more idea of the making
of a plan or the fitness of a locality for the boat-house than they had
of the erection of a Chinese pagoda; and the principal hardly expected
that more than half a dozen plans of the building and as many of the
location would be submitted. But he knew that the study given by the
pupils to the subject would be worth more than the prize to them.
It was rather amusing to see some of them making so serious a matter of
the plans, but probably every one of them thought he could select the
best location for the wharf and boat-house, even if he could not make a
mark towards the plan of the structure. Many of them seated themselves
under the trees in view of the lake, with paper and pencil in hand, as
though they had begun to make the rough sketches of the plan.
By the middle of the forenoon it was clear that some of the students had
got their ideas in working order, for they went to the schoolroom, and
began to make sketches on brown paper. But others were not satisfied
with the limited survey they had made of the lake, and wished to visit
the other side. Though the creek was narrow, there was no bridge on the
Beech Hill grounds, and it was too wide to be leaped over. Mat Randolph
proposed that they should go over in the barges. All hands were called,
and they assented to the plan.
When they were seated in the boats, with only nine oarsmen in each, it
was decided to make a trip around the lake, in order to examine the
shore from the water side. At the head of the lake, in the rear of the
shop and schoolroom, was a rocky hill rising to the height of about a
hundred feet in the loftiest place. The rocks rose perpendicularly from
the lake, and the water was four feet deep alongside of them.
Bolingbroke Millweed was earnest and critical in his survey of these
rocks, though hardly another of the party paid any attention to them.
Probably most of them thought it was the most unsuitable place on the
lake for the boat-house and wharf, though it was nearer to the mansion
and schoolroom than the present wharf, where the barges were moored.
The two boats pulled with a gentle stroke around the lake, stopping at
several points for a more careful survey. If any one had any brilliant
ideas he was as silent as Beech Hill itself, at the head of the lake.
This was the name of the elevation in the rear of the schoolroom, and
the estate, the lake, and the institution had been called after it.
Beech Hill Lake extended north and south within a quarter of a mile of
Porter's Bay, an inlet of Lake Champlain. Between the little lake and
the bay there was a beautiful grove, which was one of the most
delightful resorts on the shipmaster's estate. He had intended to build
a bridge across the creek, back of Beech Hill; but an attempt had been
made to rob his house by a couple of New York burglars, who had landed
at the head of the bay, and crossed the lake in a boat which had
formerly been kept on the other side.
The idea of constructing: a bridge had been given up after this attempt,
but a small pier had been built near the inlet of the creek, for
convenience in landing from boats at the grove. The barges went to this
little wharf, and the crews landed, and separated, each to pursue his
studies by himself. All of them made a careful examination of the west
shore of the lake.
When he had finished his survey, Dory Dornwood seated himself under a
tree not far from the pier. He did not seem to think he had any talent
for architecture or civil engineering, and he had not a very strong hope
of winning either of the prizes. The fact that he was the founder's
nephew would not affect the matter in any way, for each competitor was
to put only a word or character on his work, which was also to be
written on an envelope containing his name. The examiners, whoever they
were, were not to know whose plan they were considering.
While Dory was contemplating the shores of the lake, and making up his
mind in regard to the best place for the wharf, he heard voices in the
direction of the pier. Looking that way, he saw a squad of boys on the
little wharf. Their attention was fixed upon the two barges, which they
were examining with interest, not to say enthusiasm.
Genverres had its proportion of bad boys as well as good ones, and Dory
recognized these visitors to the grove as belonging to the former class.
He had not been in the town long enough to have any acquaintance with
them, and hardly knew them by sight; but his uncle had pointed out a
couple of them whom he suspected of stealing fruit from his garden. In
fact he had suffered so much from the depredations of fruit-thieves,
that he had taken extensive and expensive precautions to keep them out
of his grounds.
The captain had built a fence ten feet high from the main road to the
creek; the latter being considered a sufficient barrier on the west side
of the estate. The grove could easily be reached, but the grounds on the
east side of Beech Hill Lake were now well protected. Dory saw that the
leading spirit of the squad of visitors was Tom Topover, a reckless
young rascal of sixteen or seventeen, who had made himself a terror to
the farmers on the outskirts of the town, as well as to many peaceable
citizens in the village.
The presence of the "Topovers," as they had come to be called, after
their leader, boded no good to the boats, for the squad were
free-and-easy fellows, who had no more regard for the rights of property
than they had for the cleanliness of their faces and their garments.
Dory Dornwood knew how easy it was to get up a quarrel with this class
of young ruffians, and he did not think it was wise to go near them; but
he thought it was best to show himself, so that they might not be
tempted to meddle with the barges by the supposition that they were not
seen. He began to walk about where he could not fail to be observed by
the visitors.
Dory looked all around him through the grove, but he could see only a
few of the other students. Doubtless they were all absorbed in the study
of the plan and location, for not a sound could be heard except the
dashing of the water against the rocks in the creek above the lake.
He and Matt Randolph had each a boatswain's whistle, used in calling
the boats' crews when they were separated, as in the present instance.
Its shrill pipe could be heard at least half a mile in a still day; but
the coxswain of the Winooski hoped he should have no occasion to use it.
The Topovers had seen him, and probably some of the other students, and
must know that the crews of both boats were in the grove, or the barges
would not be at the wharf.
He watched the visitors very closely, but they manifested no
disposition, so far, to meddle with the boats. They were looking at
them, and made them the subject of a great deal of animated
conversation. Dory could not blame them for being delighted with the
barges, and the fact they were pleased was an evidence that they had
some good taste. But presently he saw four of them walking towards him.
They came in a direct line, and the coxswain had no doubt they had
something to say to him. One of them was Tom Topover; another was Kidd
Digfield; the two whom the captain had indicated as the plunderers of
his garden. He did not know the names of the other two.
"Hullo, Dory!" called Tom Topover, when the party came within hailing
distance of him, "Them's tip-top boats you've got down there."
"They are very fine boats," replied Dory.
"I s'pose you fellers have big times in 'em," continued Tom, as he and
his companions halted in front of the coxswain.
"We have first-rate times in them," answered Dory, with a pleasant
smile, for he was very careful that there should be nothing exasperating
in his conduct, and he had learned that one's manner of saying anything
could be very provoking, even when nothing offensive was uttered.
"You ain't usin' them boats now: won't you let me and the fellers take a
little turn in 'em on the pond?" Tom Topover proceeded with as much
assurance as though he was making only a reasonable request, as he
evidently believed it was.
Dory felt that he had no more right to lend one of the boats than he had
to loan one of his uncle's shirts; and he saw the beginning of trouble
in the request.