EBEN MAKES A DISCOVERY
After Eben had eaten his breakfast he sat for a few minutes watching
his father as he rowed ashore. He next turned his eyes upon the boats
searching for the missing girl. He even smiled, a somewhat unusual
thing for him, especially at such an early morning hour. He was
sitting upon deck, leaning against the mast full in the glare of the
slowly-strengthening sun. Presently his left hand was run through his
mass of tousled hair, while his right came down with a resounding whack
upon his knee. Something out of the ordinary was amusing this tall
ungainly youth which would have surprised his father had he been
present.
At length he rose slowly to his feet, yawned, stretched himself, and
moved cautiously along the deck toward the cabin. He walked around it
once without deigning to look at the open door. The second time he
shot a swift furtive glance, and caught a fleeting glimpse of someone
in the cabin. His heart gave a great leap and he was about to hurry on
his way, when a merry laugh arrested his steps, causing him to turn and
peer down into the cabin. Then his cheeks crimsoned as he saw the girl
standing at the foot of the steps, her face wreathed with a sunny smile.
"Don't be afraid; I won't hurt you," she told him. "I'm as harmless as
a kitten."
Instantly Eben's mouth expanded into a grin, and he looked sheepishly
around. He knew that he was on forbidden ground, and this added to his
embarrassment. At the same time it gave him a certain degree of
pleasure, as forbidden sweets are always the most delectable.
"Come on down," the girl invited. "I want someone to talk to, for it
is rather lonesome here."
"You'd better come up," Eben found voice to reply. "It's nicer here in
the sun."
"I know it is," and the girl's face became sober in an instant. "But I
am afraid."
"What are ye afraid of?"
"Those men in the boats, of course."
"That they'll git ye?"
"Yes."
"But they won't out there, though," and again Eben grinned. "I knew ye
didn't drown yerself. Ye'd be a fool to do it, wouldn't ye?"
"How did you know?"
"Oh, I saw ye last night headin' fer the 'Eb an' Flo.'"
"Did you see me come on board?"
"No, it was too dark. But when dad wouldn't let me go into the cabin,
I guessed what was up. It was nicer down there than floatin' in the
river, wasn't it? Wonder where ye'd be now, an' how ye'd feel if ye
had drowned yerself."
The girl shivered, and her face turned white.
"Are you hungry?" she unexpectedly asked.
"Why, I jist had me breakfast."
"I know you did, but your father said you are always hungry. Suppose
you come down and I'll give you something more. You didn't have much
to eat."
To his own surprise Eben at once obeyed, lumbered down the steps, and
seated himself by the little table. The girl placed a boiled egg
before him, cut a slice of bread, and poured out a cup of coffee.
"I cooked one egg too many," she explained.
"Lucky ye did," Eben replied, as he broke the shell. "Say, it's great
havin' you here. What's yer name!"
"Only Jess. I hope you will like it."
"I like it already. I think it's nice. An' say, I won't let anyone
git ye."
"That's kind of you. But I thought you hated girls."
"Who told ye that?"
"Your father, of course. Isn't it true?"
"Mebbe it is, an' mebbe it isn't. An' mebbe after all it is. I never
did take much stock in girls."
"Why?"
"Dunno, 'cept it's me make-up. Girls are too fussy fer me, so I like
to keep out of their way."
"But you came my way this morning, though," the girl smilingly reminded.
"Oh, you're different. I like what you did. You came here to be
protected, an' I'm goin' to see that ye are. I won't let them men git
ye."
"What will you do if they come on board?"
Eben dropped his knife and fork suddenly upon the table, while his
hands clenched hard.
"They won't come on board," he declared. "They'll do well to git close
to this boat. Look," and he pointed to a rifle standing in one corner
of the cabin.
"Oh, you mustn't shoot," the girl protested. "You might kill someone,
and then you would be hung for murder."
"No, it's not likely I'll shoot, though I'll feel like doin' it if them
men come snookin' 'round here. I'll jist keep the gun in me hands,
that's all. Guess that'll be hint enough fer them fellers."
"Oh, I wish a strong wind would blow," the girl fervently exclaimed.
"I want to get away from here, and out of sight of those men searching
for me over there."
"It does give one a kind of creepy feelin', doesn't it?" Eben replied.
"But I think we'll git a breeze when the tide comes up, an' then we'll
show ye what this old tub kin do."
"Won't that be great! I have often longed for a sail on the river in a
boat such as this. How you must enjoy this life. I know I should."
"Would ye?" Eben asked. "Well, I guess ye'd soon git tired of it if ye
had to do it all the time. It makes a mighty big difference whether ye
do a thing fer pleasure or fer business. I don't like it, anyway, an'
I'm goin' to git clear of it as soon as I kin. Mebbe I'll follow your
example, an' run away."
"Where do you want to go to, and what do you want to do?"
"I want to go to college an' learn to be an engineer."
"An engineer! What, to run an engine on the railroad?"
"No, not that. I want to be a civil engineer, to build bridges, an' do
sich things. I'd like it better'n anything else."
"Why don't you, then? Won't your father let you?"
"No. He thinks it's all nonsense. He says he's raisin' me to take
charge of this boat some day. But, gee whiz, he's countin' on the
wrong chicken. Anyway, by the time dad's done sailin' this boat, it'll
be fit fer the scrap heap."
"Why do you want to be a civil engineer?" the girl asked. "Do you know
anything about the work?"
"Y' bet I do," and Eben smacked his lips. "I've been studyin' bridges
fer years, 'specially the one across the falls. I've a lot of drawin's
of it. Would ye like to see 'em?"
"Indeed I should," was the interested reply. "I used to draw some
myself."
"Ye did!" Eben looked at the girl in admiration. "I never met anyone
before who could draw. Hope ye won't make fun of my scrawls."
"Certainly not. You don't think I would do such a thing, do you?"
Eben made no reply as he was already on his feet, groping with his
right hand upon a shelf over his bunk. In a few minutes he brought
down a well worn scribbler, opened it, and laid it with pride upon the
table.
"There's my drawin's," he began. "No one but meself ever sot eyes upon
'em before."
"You didn't even show them to your parents or sister?" the girl asked
in surprise, as she looked upon the first drawing presented to view.
"Indeed I didn't. They'd only make fun of me if I did. I hate to be
laughed at, don't you? It riles one all up."
"It does sometimes," the girl acknowledged. "But, then, it is better
not to mind what people say or do, but just go on with our work. Why,
what nice drawings you have here. I can hardly believe you did them
yourself without anyone to teach you."
Eben made no reply, but his eyes shone with complete satisfaction. The
girl was seated at the table and he was standing by her side. A thrill
of joy possessed him such as he had never experienced before. This
beautiful girl appreciated his drawings, and that was enough.
The sketches were crude, but they showed considerable signs of promise,
and this Jess realised as she carefully examined them. One bridge,
especially, arrested her attention, the one which spanned the falls.
"You must have made a long study of this," she remarked, "I recognised
it at once."
"I did, Miss. I spent a whole day there once, an' every time we go
under it I see something new. I ain't got it quite right yit."
For a few minutes the girl examined the drawings without speaking.
There was a far-away look in her eyes when at length she pushed the
book a little from her.
"Your drawings are remarkably good, considering everything," she told
him. "But how would you like for me to give you some lessons?"
"How would I like it?" Eben gasped in amazement. "You give me lessons
in drawin'!"
"And why not? We shall have time, I am sure, and I have not yet
forgotten all I learned."
"Oh, it would be great! But what about dad? I'm afraid he won't let
ye. He might think it will spoil me from bein' a captain some day. He
wants me to study navigation, or something like that, which I hate."
Before any reply could be made, a slight shock was heard against the
side of the boat which startled them both. The girl sprang to her
feet, and looked up the stairway. Then the sound of footsteps was
heard upon the deck above.
"They are after me!" she gasped. "Oh, where can I hide?"
"Stay right here," Eben ordered, as he leaped toward the stairs. "I'll
fix 'em."
His foot had barely touched the first step when his father's body
bulked large in the doorway above. Instinctively Eben drew back, and
stood on the defensive, with every nerve strung to the highest tension.
Slowly the captain descended, and when he had reached the bottom of the
stairway he stopped and looked around. In an instant he comprehended
the situation, and a twinkle appeared in his eyes as he turned them
upon his son.
"Is this the way ye obey orders?" he demanded. "Didn't I tell ye not
to come near this cabin?"
"I know ye did, but that was last night," was the surly reply. "Ye
didn't tell me to stay away this mornin'."
The captain stared at his son for a few seconds as if he had not heard
aright.
"Well, I declare!" he exclaimed. "I gave ye credit fer some brains,
but I guess I was mistaken."
"Don't blame your son, Captain," the girl interposed. "It was not his
fault that he is here, but mine. I asked him to come."
"Ye did! Why, I thought ye didn't want anybody 'cept me to know of yer
whereabouts."
"But it's different with your son here. He had to find out, anyway,
you see, so it was just as well for him to do so this morning."
"So ye waited until I got on shore, eh? H'm, I guess all gals are
alike, as sly as a weasel. As soon as the old man was out of the way,
you two became very chummy. Fergot everything else most likely. It's
a wonder ye weren't paradin' up an' down the deck."
"Oh, we took good care to keep out of sight," the girl laughingly
replied. "We had enough sense left for that. This is certainly a
great hiding place."
"D'ye think so, Miss? But mebbe it isn't so good as ye imagine."
A startled expression came into the girl's eyes, as she turned them
full upon the captain's face.
"Thar, thar, don't be alarmed," the latter comforted. "I didn't mean
to frighten ye. I only wanted to warn ye, that's all."
"Did you hear anything about me while ashore?" the girl asked. "Has
anyone any suspicion that I am here?"
"It seems that way."
"Oh!"
"Yes," the captain continued, "I was talkin' to a young feller on
shore, an' he sent ye his kind regards."
"Not Mr. Donaster! Oh, say it wasn't that man."
"No, it wasn't that critter, but another, an' a fine chap, too. Mebbe
ye kin guess his name. He seemed mighty interested, an' asked me a
number of questions."
"Did he?" The sigh of relief which the girl gave was more expressive
than words. The captain chuckled as he watched her, and his eyes
twinkled.
"Yes, Miss, he came along in a car an' tried to pump me dry with his
queer questions. An' he was a mighty nice feller, too, good-natured,
an' handsome enough fer any gal, no matter how pertic'ler she might be.
He told me to take good care of ye. Hello! what's the matter?"
The cause of the captain's exclamation was the expression of confusion
which suddenly overspread the girl's face. Eben also noticed it, and
for the first time in his life a strange feeling began to agitate his
heart. He could not account for it, but intuitively he felt a spirit
of resentment against the man with the car. This beautiful girl had
come into his lonely, misunderstood life like the sweet invigorating
breath of spring, and he could not bear the thought that anyone else
should have the slightest claim upon her. It was the jealous
unreasoning throb of a first great love. The cabin seemed to be
unusually close. He must have fresh air, and he wanted to be by
himself that he might think. With a bound he was up the stairs to the
deck above.
"Well, I declare!" the captain ejaculated, as he stared after his son.
"What's the matter with that boy, anyway? Ye'd think a hull pack of
wolves was chasin' him by the way he left this cabin. I can't
understand him nohow."
The captain had barely finished speaking when a gust of wind struck the
boat, causing the cabin door to close with a bang.
"Guess the breeze has come at last," he remarked. "It should be a big
blow after this long calm. You jist keep close here while I go on
deck. By the look of things we should be out of this in a few minutes.
How'll that suit ye?"
"Oh, I shall be so thankful," the girl declared. "I cannot feel safe
while we are so near that search-party. Please get away as soon as you
can."