"Well, hold me, somebody, I'm going to faint!"
It was Jerry who made this remark; and he did actually pretend to fall
over against Will, who happened to be standing next to him at the time.
The four chums were in St. Paul, and had just been shown the interior of
the houseboat, on board of which they expected to make the voyage down
the river, over the many hundreds of miles separating them from New
Orleans.
Even Frank was smiling as though surprised; while Bluff stared around in
wonder. Will was chuckling to himself, as though he had known about it
all along, and wished to spring a surprise on his mates by keeping
still. That was what his smiles meant, Frank now knew, at the time the
others were speculating as to what the houseboat of a wealthy old
bachelor might be like.
"Talk to me about a dilapidated old craft, this sure takes the cake!"
ventured the plain-spoken Bluff, presently, when he could catch his
breath. "Why, say, I've seen some shantyboats that could give this one a
handicap, and still win out. Do you mean to say, Will Milton, your Uncle
Felix is afraid of somebody running away with this old tub? That must be
his little joke on us."
"Oh! nobody ever said there was anything palatial about uncle's
houseboat," Will hastened to declare; "you fellows made up that fairy
story to please yourselves. If you knew my uncle, you'd never think of
him wasting his money on a floating palace. Fact is, boys, I do know all
about this same craft; and if you sit down I'll tell you how he came to
get hold of her in the first place."
"Might as well take a little rest, because I do feel sort of weak after
such a shock," declared Jerry.
"Well, now," remarked the man who had accompanied them aboard the boat,
and who had unlocked the door very carefully, as though the cabin
contained some wild animal he was afraid might escape, this being the
boat builder, Mr. Whittaker; "I'd like to hear that myself. You see, all
I know is that Mr. Milton left this boat in my charge, and I was to keep
constant watch over it, for which he agreed to pay in full. I've looked
it over from stem to stern, and I declare if I was ever able to make up
my mind what there was about the old thing to cause him to be so
anxious. So tell us about it, my boy, if you please."
"Why, it's just this way," Will went on to say; "Uncle was knocking
around down South some years ago, when he got in a tight scrape, and
might have lost his life only for the fortunate coming of the man who
owned this houseboat. I guess at that time it was called a shantyboat,
Bluff, for a fact. Well, it seems that my uncle, who does lots of queer
things, I'm told, thought so much of the boat that he bought her from
the man, who was a traveling bee-keeper, and who said he had purchased
the craft from a clock peddler, who used to drop down from town to town
finding odd jobs to do. Now you've got the history of the gallant
craft."
"And what did he want her for; just to keep on account of having his
life saved by her coming at the right time?" demanded Jerry.
"Oh!" said Will, readily enough; "he used her several seasons as a
houseboat; and after drifting as far down the river as he cared to go,
he'd have her towed up again. Few shantyboats ever come back again, you
know. Once they get South, they're sold, and broken up for firewood. But
I rather think Uncle Felix must have had some pleasant days and nights
aboard this same boat, and that's why he values her, in one way."
Bluff broke out into laughter, doubling up like a hinge.
"It makes me weep, boys, to think of the adjectives we've wasted on the
old tub. I reckon among the lot we've called her everything that stood
for a grand outfit. Why, I've often shut my eyes, and tried to picture
the finest thing that ever was built. And now to see this old boat gives
me a fit. Where do you suppose the silk-covered eiderdown quilts are
stowed away; eh? And the mahogany trimmings; with the gas range Jerry
was speaking about? Oh! my, here's a little old wood-burning stove, with
one lid cracked. And well, here's luck, boys, just four bunks, arranged
on the two sides of the cabin, one for each."
Frank had not allowed himself to indulge in any of the high-flown
anticipations that had captured his two chums. That queer little smile
on Will's face had warned him against such a course. And so now he was
in a position to look at things from a sensible point.
"Hold on, fellows," he remarked, quietly; "if you've had to take a
tumble, whose fault is it but your own? Will never gave you to
understand that this was going to be a voyage in a floating palace; you
just chose to picture all that sort of stuff for yourselves. And after
all, when you take an inventory of things here, it isn't so bad a
handout."
"Good for you, Frank," said Will, as if pleased.
"Just forget all that nonsense you imagined about sailing down in a
gilt-edged houseboat, boys, and look the thing squarely in the face. The
boat is still in good condition, and as staunch as anything. There's
plenty of room for getting around, and for storing our stuff, bedclothes
and eatables. Will you tell me what more the Outdoor Chums need in order
to have a jolly good time?"
Bluff and Jerry looked at each other. The former scratched his head, and
then the disappointed expression vanished from his face.
"I guess you're about right there, Frank," he admitted; "we've been
through all sorts of times, and we never yet asked for more than just
ordinary comforts. Leave the millionaire boats for the sons of rich men,
who are so soft and pampered that they just can't rough it any. We've
shown we could stand a lot; and anyhow, we can have a heap of fun aboard
this old she-bang, once we cut loose from St. Paul."
"But what strikes me in the funny bone is this," declared Jerry. "If it
looked queer to us why a fellow named Marcus Stackpole would want to
sneak aboard a palatial craft to steal something, or get away with the
boat itself, now what under the sun could anybody in their right senses
expect to find on this tub worth taking; tell me that, will you?"
And all of the others only shook their heads in the negative, as though
the conundrum were too much for them.
"Ask me something easy," remarked Bluff; "like the number of stars in
the Milky Way, and I might give a guess; but I'm stumped when you want
me to say why anybody would spend good hard-earned dollars to have this
old boat guarded for months in Mr. Whittaker's yard here; and then warn
us to be careful how we let any strangers travel with us."
"Well," said Jerry, "you know what I said about his having something
hidden aboard, that this other fellow knew about, and wanted. I still
stick to that, more than ever; and I'm never going to rest till I find
out."
"Just like you, Jerry," remarked Frank; "like as not you'll be wanting
to tear away the whole inside planking piece by piece, in hopes of
making a discovery. There never was such a fellow for investigating
things; and there never will be again."
"Sure," replied the other, with a grin. "But when do we get our duffle
aboard, fellows? Can't start any too soon to please me."
The disappointment had been keen, for Bluff and Jerry had foolishly
indulged in all manner of extravagant ideas concerning the luxuries they
expected to find on board a houseboat owned by a rich man like Uncle
Felix; but after all they were sensible boys, and could extract a lot of
fun out of very small material.
The main thing was that they had a boat, strong and serviceable, to bear
them on the long voyage; plenty of money with which to purchase
provisions; and the whole summer before them in which to make the trip.
Imagination, such as is always rampant in the mind of a boy, did the
rest. They could anticipate all manner of glorious adventures as taking
place before their distant destination was reached.
Frank was ready to settle that matter without delay.
"I don't see any reason why we couldn't move out of here before night
comes," he remarked. "Bluff could see to getting all our stuff aboard,
while some of the rest accompanied me to buy the provisions. They'll
deliver the stuff here right away; and then we can cut loose. We've got
clothes and ammunition and all such things, including blankets for the
crowd."
"Hurrah! I'll get a move on right away, and yank that lot of bags down
here in a jiffy," declared Bluff, always ready to do things in a hurry.
"Well," remarked Mr. Whittaker, "I reckon you boys expect to have a
great time of it this summer; and if I was some years younger I'd just
like to be along with you. From the way you talk I rather imagine this
isn't the first trip you four've taken in company."
At that the boys looked at each other and laughed.
"What the Outdoor Chums have gone through with would fill lots of
books," Frank took occasion to remark; "and if I had the time I'd like
to tell you a few of the good times we've had together. But we've got to
get a hustle on if we want to drop down the river this afternoon;
because there's always lots to do at the last minute. Off you go, Bluff;
and Will, you come with me. I think Jerry had better help Bluff manage
the luggage."
And so they separated, each couple going about the business in hand with
the energy boys can always display when they expect to have a good time.
"Be mighty careful with my camera case," called out Will, after the
others. "If anything happened to that tool of mine, you'd never hear the
last of it. And then, however would we get any pictures of the queer
things that happen by the way? I expect to snap off some striking views
of you fellows doing stunts. Remember some of the ones we've got in the
album at home?"
"Just forget about them right now," answered Bluff, who knew that he
himself figured in not a few of them, often in rather undignified
attitudes, for instance where the wide-awake artist had happened to
catch him sitting astride a limb, with an angry bull below.
Within two hours they had come back again to the boatyard; and Bluff,
with the help of Jerry, managed to get aboard all their traps, brought
from home.
"Good, there's going to be plenty of room," Bluff declared, as he tugged
several of the last bundles up the gang-plank leading to the deck of the
boat; "because we carry enough duffle to sink a small boat--guns,
cooking utensils, blankets, clothes bags with changes of woolens,
photographic stuff by the bushel. And there come Frank and Will, loaded
to the gunwales with packages, too."
"Is that all the grub we're going to stack up with, for a voyage that
may take four or six weeks?" demanded Jerry, in dismay, when the
newcomers put their packages down aboard the houseboat.
"Oh! dear me, no," said Will; "these are only the little extras we
picked up on the way here; fruit and cakes, and some things we happened
to forget in the grocery. The wagon-load will be along shortly now."
"That sounds about right," declared Jerry. "Honest, now, I'm that hungry
a wagon-load of grub has the proper sort of ring, because I think I can
make away with the entire collection at a sitting. Bring on your whole
ham, and a dozen or two fried eggs. Think of the delicious coffee our
friend Bluff here used to make, when he got his hand in. Oh! how can I
wait till we're afloat, for supper to come along?"
"Well, there's the wagon right now," said Frank; "so we needn't be long
in having Mr. Whittaker set us afloat on the river. After that some of
us will have to man the big sweep here, and guide the boat."
"And think of us wise ones figuring on having an engine to do all the
work?" exclaimed Jerry, throwing up his hands. "But Bluff here has got a
nice little surprise for you, boys."
"What is it, Bluff?" asked Will, eagerly.
"It's about a name for our new craft," replied the other, with a knowing
look on his face. "You see, we had it all made up to call her the
Paragon or perhaps the Wanderer. But, fellows, after setting my eyes on
the condition of affairs here, it struck me that names like those would
be sort of out of order. And while Jerry was waiting to see the rest of
our things loaded on the wagon, I just stepped into a paint shop, and
had him fix me up something on a neat little board. This goes over the
door here, and can be read half a mile away. Now, hold your breath,
boys!"
With that he began to undo a package he had brought, and which was
carefully tied up in brown paper. Whipping the long narrow board free,
presently Bluff held it up to the very spot where he had declared he
meant to fasten it with nails. And as the others read what he had had
painted on the signboard, they gave a shout of appreciation, for the
name seemed to just hit the right chord.
It was "Pot Luck!"