THE FIRST REGATTA.
Donald was not disposed to doubt the truth of Laud Cavendish's story,
for the circumstances were precisely the same as those under which he
had received the boat and the money from Captain Shivernock. If he had
had no experience with the eccentric shipmaster himself, he would have
doubted the whole explanation, and refused to take the money. He
recalled the events of Saturday. The last he saw of Laud, on that day,
was when he ran his boat over towards the Northport shore, whither the
captain had gone before him. He had lost sight of both their boats at a
time when it seemed very probable that they would meet. After what Laud
had just said to him, and with the money he had paid him in his pocket,
he was confident they had met. The strange man had purchased the silence
of Laud, as he had his own, and at about the same price.
Donald realized that Captain Shivernock had thrown away about seven
hundred dollars that morning, and, as he thought of it, he was amazed at
his conduct; but the captain did not mind paying a thousand dollars any
time to gratify the merest whim. The young man tried again to fathom the
motive of his eccentric but liberal patron in thus throwing away such
large sums, unnecessarily large, to accomplish his object. The
Lincolnville outrage was the only possible solution; but if he were the
ruffian, he would not have been on Long Island when he had a fair wind
to run home, and Sykes and his wife both agreed that he had left the
house on the morning that Donald had seen him. It was not possible,
therefore, that the captain was guilty of the outrage. Laud had paid him
seven fifty dollar bills, and he had over four hundred dollars in his
pocket. He did not know what to do with it, and feeling that he had come
honestly by it, he was vexed at the necessity of concealing it from his
mother; but he was determined to pay it out, as occasion required, for
stock and hardware for the yacht he was building. When he went to his
chamber, he concealed three hundred and fifty dollars of the money in a
secret place in the pine bureau in which his clothes were kept.
The next morning Kennedy appeared with the man he was authorized to
employ, and the chips flew briskly in the shop all that day. At noon
Donald went to the wharf where he had bought his stock, and paid the
bill for it. The lumber dealer commended his promptness, and offered to
give him credit for any lumber he might need; but Donald proudly
declared that he should pay cash for all he bought, and he wanted the
lowest cash prices. On his return to the shop, he entered, in the
account-book his father had kept, the amount he had expended. The work
went bravely on, for his two journeymen were interested in his success.
They were glad to get employment, and desired that the young
boat-builder should not only build a fine yacht, but should make money
by the job. The stem-piece and stern-post were set up, and gradually the
frame began to assume the shape of a vessel. Donald watched the forming
of the yacht very carefully, and saw that everything was done according
to the model and the scale.
On Saturday morning Mr. Rodman, accompanied by a friend who was a
ship-builder, visited the shop to inspect the work. The frame, so far as
it had been set up, was carefully examined, and the expert cordially
approved all that had been done, declaring that he had never seen a
better job in his life. Of course Donald was proud of this partial
success.
"I have had some doubts, Don John," laughed Mr. Rodman; "but I am
entirely satisfied now."
"Thank you, sir. I have had no doubts; I could see that frame in my mind
as plainly before a stick had been touched as I do now."
"You have done well, and I am quite sure that you will make a yacht of
it. Now, if you will give me a receipt for one hundred dollars, I will
let you have so much towards the price of the Maud, for I suppose you
want to pay your men off to-night."
"I have money enough, sir, to pay my men, and I don't ask you for any
money yet," replied the young boat-builder.
"But I prefer to pay you as the work progresses."
Donald did not object, and wrote the receipt. He was a minor, and his
mother, who was the administratrix of her husband's estate, was the
responsible party in the transaction of business; but he did not like to
sign his mother's name to a receipt, and thus wholly ignore himself,
and, adopting a common fiction in trade, he wrote, "Ramsay and son,"
which he determined should be the style of the firm. Ramsay might mean
his father or his mother, and he had already arranged this matter with
her. Mr. Rodman laughed at the signature, but did not object to it, and
Donald put the money in his pocket, after crediting it on the book.
This was the day appointed for the first regatta of the Yacht Club. The
coming event had been talked about in the city during the whole week,
not only among the boys, but among the men who were interested in
yachting. About a dozen yachts had been entered for the race, though
only four of them belonged to the club; those that were not enrolled
being nominally in charge of members, in order to conform to the
regulations. Donald had measured all these boats, and made a schedule of
them, in which appeared the captain's name, the length of the craft,
with the correction to be subtracted from the sailing time in order to
reduce it to standard time. There were columns in the table for the
starting time, the return time, and the sailing time. The "correction"
was virtually the allowance which a large yacht made to a smaller one
for the difference in length.
The club had adopted the regulation of the Dorchester Yacht Club, which
contained a "table of allowance per mile." In this table, a yacht one
hundred and ten feet six inches long, is taken as the standard for
length. The Skylark was just thirty feet long on the water-line, and her
allowance by the table was two minutes forty-three and four tenths
seconds for every mile sailed in a regatta. The Sea Foam's length was
three inches less, and her allowance was one and three tenths seconds
more. Donald had his table all ready for the use of the judges, of whom
he had been appointed the chairman. Mr. Montague's large yacht had been
anchored in the bay, gayly dressed with flags and streamers, to be used
as the judges' boat. The yachts were to start at ten o'clock.
"I don't want to leave my work a bit," said Donald, as he took off his
apron. "I may have to lose a whole day in the race, and I can't afford
it."
"Now, I think you can," replied Kennedy.
"It looks too much like boys' play."
"No matter what it is. If you are going to make a business of building
yachts and sail-boats, it is for your interest to encourage this sort of
thing all you can," added Kennedy.
"I think you are right there," answered Donald, who had not before taken
this view.
"Besides, you ought to see how the boats work. You will get some ideas
that will be of use to you. You should observe every movement of the
boats with the utmost care. I think you will make more money attending
the regattas, if there was one every week, than by working in the shop."
"You are right, Kennedy, and I am glad you expressed your opinions, for
I shall feel that I am not wasting my time."
"Your father has been to Newport and New York on purpose to attend
regattas, and I am sure, if he were here now, he would not miss this
race for a fifty-dollar bill," continued the workman.
Donald was entirely satisfied, and went into the house to dress for the
occasion. He was soon ready, and walked down the beach towards the
skiff he used to go off to the sail-boat. The sky was overcast, and the
wind blew a smashing breeze, promising a lively race. The Juno had been
entered for the regatta, but she was still at her moorings off the shop,
and Donald wondered where Laud was, for he had been very enthusiastic
over the event. Before he could embark, the new proprietor of the Juno
appeared. He was dressed in a suit of new clothes, wore a new round-top
hat, and sported a cane in his hand. His mustache had been freshly
colored, and every hair was carefully placed. He did not look like a
yachtman; more like a first-class swell.
"I have been all the morning looking for some fellows to sail with me,"
said Laud. "I can't find a single one. Won't you go with me, Don John?"
"Thank you; I am one of the judges, and I can't go," replied Donald,
who, if he had not been engaged, would have preferred to sail with some
more skilful and agreeable skipper than Laud Cavendish.
"Won't your men go with me?"
"I don't know; you can ask them."
"I am entitled to carry five, and I want some live weights to-day, for
it is blowing fresh," added Laud, as he walked towards the shop.
Neither of Donald's men was willing to lose his time, and as Laud came
out of the shop, he discovered a young lady walking up the beach towards
the city. A gust of wind blew her hat away at this moment, and Mr.
Cavendish gallantly ran after, and recovered it, as Donald would have
done if he had not been anticipated, for he recognized the young lady as
soon as he saw her. Even as it was, he was disposed to run after that
hat, and dispute the possession of it with Mr. Laud Cavendish, for the
owner thereof was Miss Nellie Patterdale.
"Allow me to return your truant hat, Miss Patterdale," said Laud.
"Thank you, Mr. Cavendish," replied Nellie, rather coldly, as she
resumed her walk towards the place where Donald stood, a few rods
farther up the beach.
"We have a fine breeze for the race, Miss Patterdale," added Laud,
smirking and jerking, as though he intended to improve the glorious
opportunity, for the young lady was not only bewitchingly pretty, but
her father was a nabob, with only two children.
"Very fine, I should think," she answered; and her tones and manner were
anything but encouraging to the aspirant.
"I hope you are going to honor the gallant yachtmen with your presence,
Miss Patterdale."
"I shall certainly see the race.--Good morning, Don John," said she,
when she came within speaking distance of Donald.
"Good morning, Nellie," replied he, blushing, as he felt the full force
of her glance and her smile--a glance and a smile for which Laud would
have sacrificed all he held dear in the world, even to his cherished
mustache. "Don't you attend the race?"
"Yes, I want to attend now. Ned invited me to go on board of the judge's
boat; but the sun was out then, and mother would not let me go. Father
said the day would be cloudy, and I decided to go; but Ned had gone. I
came down here to see if I couldn't hail him. Won't you take me off to
the Penobscot in your boat?"
"Certainly I will, with the greatest pleasure," replied Donald, with
enthusiasm.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Patterdale," interposed Laud. "I am going off
in the Juno; allow me to tender her for your use. I can take you off,
Don John, at the same time."
"It's quite rough; as you see, Nellie, and the Juno is much larger than
my boat. You can go in her more comfortably than in mine," added Donald.
"Thank you; just as you please, Don John," she answered.
"Bring her up to the wharf, Mr. Cavendish," continued Donald.
Laud leaped into his skiff, and pulled off to the Juno, while Nellie and
Donald walked around to the wharf. In a few moments the boat was ready,
and came up to the pier, though her clumsy skipper was so excited at the
prospect of having the nabob's pretty daughter in his boat, that he had
nearly smashed her against the timbers. The gallant skipper bowed, and
smirked, and smiled, as he assisted Miss Patterdale to a place in the
standing-room. Donald shoved off the bow, and the Juno filled her
mainsail, and went off flying towards the Penobscot.
"It's a smashing breeze," said Donald, as the boat heeled down.
"Glorious!" exclaimed Laud. "Are you fond of sailing, Miss Patterdale?"
"I am very fond of it."
"Perhaps you would like to sail around the course in one of the yachts?"
suggested the skipper.
"I should be delighted to do so," she replied, eagerly; and she glanced
at Donald, as if to ascertain if such a thing were possible.
"I should be pleased to have you sail in the Juno," added Laud, with an
extra smirk.
"Thank you, Mr. Cavendish; you are very kind; but perhaps I had better
not go."
"I should be delighted to have you go with me."
"I don't think you would enjoy it, Nellie," said Donald. "It blows
fresh, and the Juno is rather wet in a heavy sea."
Laud looked at him with an angry expression, and when Nellie turned away
from him, he made significant gestures to induce Donald to unsay what he
had said, and persuade her to go with him.
"I am sure you will be delighted with the sail, Miss Patterdale. You
will be perfectly dry where you are sitting; or, if not, I have a rubber
coat, which will protect you."
"I think I will not go," she replied, so coldly that her tones would
have frozen any one but a simpleton like Laud.
The passage was of brief duration, and Donald assisted Nellie up the
accommodation steps of the Penobscot, stepping forward in season to
deprive Laud of this pleasant office.
"I am much obliged to you, Mr. Cavendish," said she, walking away from
the steps.
"That was mean of you, Don John," muttered Laud, as Donald came down the
steps to assist in shoving off the Juno.
"What was mean?"
"Why, to tell Nellie she would not enjoy the sail with me."
"She could do as she pleased."
"But you told her the Juno was wet," added Laud, angrily.
"She is wet when it blows."
"No matter if she is. It was mean of you to say anything about it, after
all I have done for you."
"It wasn't mean to tell the truth, and save her from a ducking, and I
don't know what you have done for me."
"You don't? Didn't I buy this boat of you, and pay you fifty dollars
more than she is worth?"
"No, you didn't. But if you are dissatisfied with your bargain, I will
take her off your hands."
"You! I want the money I paid."
"You shall have it. Come to the shop after the race, and you may throw
up the trade."
"Will Captain Shivernock pay you back the money?" sneered Laud.
"I'll take care of that, if you want to give her up," added Donald,
warmly.
"Never mind that now. Can't you persuade Nellie to sail with me?"
continued Laud, more gently. "If you will, I will give you a five-dollar
bill."
Donald would have given double that sum rather than have had her go with
him, and she would have given ten times the amount to avoid doing so.
"I can't persuade her, for I don't think it is best for her to go,"
replied Donald.
"No matter what you think. You are a good fellow, Don John: do this for
me--won't you? It would be a great favor, and I shall never forget it."
"Why do you want her to go with you?" demanded Donald, rather
petulantly. "A yacht in a race is no place for ladies. I can find some
fellows on board here who will be glad to go with you."
"But I want her to go with me. The fact of it is, Don John, I rather
like Nellie, and I want to be better acquainted with her."
"If you do, you must paddle your own canoe," replied Donald,
indignantly, as he ascended the steps, and joined the other two judges
on deck.
"We are waiting for you, Don John," said Sam Rodman, who was one of
them.
"It isn't ten yet, and I have the papers all ready. Who is to be
time-keeper?" asked the chairman.
"I have a watch with a second hand, and I will take that office," said
Frank Norwood, who was the third.
Most of the yachts were already in line, and the captain of the fleet,
in the tender of his yacht, was arranging them, the largest to
windward. The first gun had been fired at half past nine which was the
signal to get into line, and at the next, the yachts were to get under
way. All sail except the jib was set, and at the signal each craft was
to slip her cable, hoist her jib, if she had one, and get under way, as
quickly as possible. The "rode" was simply to be cast off, for the end
of it was made fast to the tender, which was used as a buoy for the
anchor.
"Are they all ready?" asked Donald, as the time drew near.
"All but the Juno. Laud has picked up two live weights, and wants
another man," replied Sam Rodman.
"We won't wait for him."
But Laud got into line in season. One of the seamen of the Penobscot
stood at the lock-string of the gun forward, ready to fire when the
chairman of the judges gave the word.
"Have your watch ready, Frank," said Donald.
"All ready," answered Norwood.
"Fire!" shouted Donald.
Some of the ladies "squealed" when the gun went off, but all eyes were
immediately directed to the yachts. The Christabel, with a reef in her
fore and main sails, was next to the Penobscot; then came the Skylark,
the Sea Foam, and the Phantom. Before the gun was fired, the captain had
stationed a hand in each yacht at the cable, and others at the
jib-halyards and down-hauls. The instant the gun was discharged, the
jibs were run up, and the "rodes" thrown overboard. Some of the yachts,
however, were unfortunate, and did not obtain a good start. In one the
jib down-haul fouled, and another ran over her cable, and swamped her
tender. The conflict was believed to be between the Skylark and the Sea
Foam, for there was too much wind for the Christabel, which was the
fastest light-weather craft in the line.
It was a beautiful sight when the yachts went off, with the wind only a
little abaft the beam. The young gentlemen sailing them were rather
excited, and made some mistakes. The Skylark at once took the lead, for
Commodore Montague was the most experienced boatman in the fleet. He
made no mistakes, and his superior skill was soon evident in the
distance between him and the Sea Foam.
The crowd of people on the shore and the judges' yacht watched the
contestants till they disappeared beyond Turtle Head. The boats had a
free wind both ways, with the exception of a short distance beyond the
head, where they had to beat up to Stubb's Point Ledge. There was
nothing for the judges to do until the yachts came in, and Donald spent
a couple of delightful hours with Nellie Patterdale. Presently the
Skylark appeared again beyond the Head, leading the fleet as before. On
she drove, like a bolt from an arrow, carrying a big bone in her mouth;
and the judges prepared to take her time.