THE ARROW AND THE PIONEER.
After this Joshua was more careful about annoying Walter. Though he was
older, and a little taller than our hero, he had found to his cost that
he was not a match for him in strength. He had also made the unwelcome
discovery that Walter did not intend to be imposed upon. So, though he
ventured to sneer at times, he thought it best to stop short of open
insult. There was also another motive which influenced him. His father
forbade him in tones more decided than usual to interfere with Walter,
whose services he was anxious to retain in the store. Mr. Drummond also
had another reason for this command. He thought that Walter might be
mistaken as to the state of his father's affairs, and that a few
thousand dollars might be rescued by his executor from the ruin. In that
case, there would be a chance of his obtaining control of Walter's
property during his minority.
The picnic came off on Saturday afternoon. The weather, which often
throws a wet blanket upon the festivities of such occasions, was highly
propitious, and several hundred persons, young and middle-aged, turned
out _en masse_. The place selected for the picnic was a field of several
acres, bordering upon a pond. This had been fitted up by the proprietor
with swings, and a roofed building without sides, under which were
placed rough board tables for the reception of provisions. A number of
oak trees with their broad branches furnished shelter.
Besides these arrangements for enjoyment, there were two boats confined
by iron chains, which were thrown around trees near the brink of the
water.
After enjoying the swing for a time, there was a proposition to go out
in the boats.
The boats could comfortably accommodate eight persons each. This number
had been obtained, when Joshua came up.
"I'm going," he said unceremoniously.
"You will have to wait till next time," said Ralph Morse. "We've got
the full number."
"No, I'm going this time," said Joshua, rudely.
"I don't believe there's room. We have eight already."
"There's room for nine. If there isn't you can wait till next time
yourself. Besides, you want me to steer."
"Do you know how to steer?"
"Of course I do," said Joshua, boastfully.
"I guess we can make room," said Mary Meyer, who was always in favor of
peaceful measures.
Joshua clambered in, and took his place as steersman.
The other boat had already set off, and, as it happened, under the
guidance of Walter Conrad, who had long been accustomed to managing a
boat, having had one of his own at home.
"They've got a great steerer on the other boat," said Joshua, sneering.
"It's your cousin, isn't it? Doesn't he know how to steer?"
"About as well as an old cat. He thinks he does, though."
Attention was thus directed to the other boat, which was making easy
progress through the water.
"I don't see but he manages well enough," said Rudolph, after watching
it for a moment.
"Oh, it's easy enough steering here. Wait till we get out a little way."
"Where are you steering, Joshua?" asked Ralph, suddenly, for the boat
nearly half turned round. The fact was that Joshua himself knew very
little about steering. In speaking of Walter's want of skill, he had
precisely described himself.
"I understand what I'm about," answered Joshua, suddenly reversing the
direction, and overdoing the matter, so as to turn the boat half way
round the other way.
"I hope you do," said Ralph, "but it don't look much like it."
"I was looking at the other boat," Joshua condescended to explain, "and
the rudder slipped."
Walter's boat kept the lead. His perfect steering made the task easier
for the rowers, who got the full advantage of their efforts. Joshua,
however, by his uncertain steering, hindered the progress of his boat.
"Can't we beat the other boat?" asked Joseph Wheeler, who was rowing. "I
can row as well as either of those fellows."
"So can I," said Tom Barry; "let's try."
The boats were about five lengths apart, the rowers in the foremost boat
not having worked very hard, when Tom and Joe began to exert themselves.
Their intention was soon manifest, and the spirit of rivalry was
excited.
"Do your best, boys!" said Walter. "They're trying to catch us. Don't
let them do it."
The rowers of the two boats were about evenly matched. If anything,
however, Tom and Joe were superior, and, other things being equal, would
sooner or later have won the race. But Joshua, by his original style of
steering, which became under the influence of excitement even more
unreliable, caused them to lose perceptibly.
"Can't you steer straight by accident, Joshua?" asked Tom, in a tone of
vexation.
"I know more about steering than you do, Tom Barry," growled Joshua,
getting red in the face, for he could not help seeing that he was not
appearing to advantage.
"Show it, then, if you do," was the reply. "If we had your cousin to
steer us, we could soon get ahead."
This was very mortifying to Joshua. He did not care to be outdone by any
one, but to be outdone by Walter was particularly disagreeable.
"It isn't the steering, it's the rowing," he said. "You don't row even."
"Won't you try it, then," said Joe, "and show us what you can do?"
"No, I'd rather steer."
Joshua considered that the steersman's place was the place of honor, and
he was not disposed to yield it.
Meanwhile Walter, from his place in the first boat, watched the efforts
of his rivals. He was determined to keep the lead which he had secured,
and had little fear of losing it.
"Give way, boys!" he cried; "we'll distance them, never fear!"
Every moment increased the distance between the two boats, to the great
satisfaction of those on board the "Arrow," for that was the name of the
head boat.
Just at the north-western corner of the pond there was an inlet of
considerable length, but narrow. Here the water was shallower than in
the remainder of the pond.
"Shall we go in there?" asked Walter.
"Yes, yes," said his fellow-passengers.
Accordingly he steered in, and shortly afterwards the "Pioneer,"
Joshua's boat, also entered. At this time the distance between the two
boats was quite two hundred feet.
The "Arrow" pursued her way steadily to the head of the inlet, a
distance of nearly a quarter of a mile; and then making a graceful turn,
started on her homeward trip. The width of the inlet here was very much
contracted. After making the turn the "Arrow" met the "Pioneer" after a
little distance. There was abundant room for the boats to pass each
other, if they had been properly managed. There was no fault in Walter's
steering, but, by an awkward blunder of Joshua's, the "Pioneer" veered
in her course so that the "Arrow" struck her, to use a nautical term,
amidships. As she was being impelled rapidly at the time, the shock was
considerable, and the fright still greater. The girls jumped to their
feet screaming, and Joshua himself turned pale with fright, but
recovered himself sufficiently to call out angrily, "What made you run
into us, you fool?"
"It's your own fault, Joshua," said Tom Barry, angrily. "You're the most
stupid steerer I ever saw. What made you turn the boat?"
"It's his fault," said Joshua, doggedly.
"Let somebody else steer," said Joe Wheeler. "A baby could steer better
than he."
So a younger boy was put in Joshua's place, much to his mortification,
and he was degraded, as he considered it, to the rank of a passenger.
"I'm going ashore," he said sourly. "Let me out up here."
"All right!" said Tom Barry. "I guess we can get along without you.
Here, you fellows on the "Arrow," just wait a minute, till we've landed
Joshua, and we'll race you back."
True to his determination, Joshua jumped off at the head of the inlet,
and the "Pioneer" was turned by her new pilot.
The "Arrow" and the "Pioneer" took their places side by side, and the
race commenced. The boats were similar, and thus neither had the
advantage on this score. But the rowers on the "Pioneer" were on the
whole stronger and more skilful than those on the "Arrow." On the other
hand, Walter steered perfectly, while Joshua's successor, though he made
no bad blunder, was a novice.
The result was that the race was a clear one. Finally the "Arrow" came
in a length ahead, and Walter felt with quiet satisfaction that the
victory had been gained by his efforts.
He thought once more of the song he had heard, and hoped that he would
be as successful through life in paddling his own canoe.
Joshua went home sulky, and was not seen again on the picnic grounds.