CHAPTER IV
A HURRY CALL
Without theorizing about it, and, indeed, without knowing the fact, Philbegan at once to rise to his responsibility. The success of theenterprise, he felt, depended in a large degree upon him, and he mustthink of everything necessary in advance.
One night, late in September, he asked his comrades to meet him "onbusiness" in Will Moreraud's room over a store. When they were allgathered around the little pine table with a smoky lamp on it, Phil drewout a carefully prepared memorandum and laid it before him. Then hebegan:--
"As you've made me responsible in this business, I've been studying up alittle. The river's going to rise earlier than usual this year, and intwo weeks at most there'll be water enough to get the boat over thefalls at Louisville."
"How do you know that?" broke in Constant Thiebaud, incredulously.
"Because there has already been a smart rise all along, as you know, andheavy rains are falling in the West Virginia and Pennsylvania mountains.The Allegheny River is bank full; the Monongahela is over its banks; andthe Muskingum and the Big Kanawha and the Little Kanawha are all risingfast. There'll be lots of water here almost before we know it."
"Whew!" cried Irving Strong, rising,--for he could never sit still whenanything interesting was under discussion,--"but how in the name of allthe 'ologies do you know what's going on in the Virginia mountains, andthe rivers, and all that?"
"I've been reading the Cincinnati papers every day since you made me'IT'; that's all. Mr. Schenck lends them to me."
"Well, Gee Whillicks!" exclaimed Constant, "who'd 'a' thought of that!"
"No matter," said Phil, a little abashed by the approbation of hisforesight which he saw in all the boys' eyes and heard in all theirvoices. "No matter about that; but I've more to say. The sooner we canget away with the flatboat, the better."
"Why? What difference does it make?"
"Well, for most of the things we are taking as freight the prices areapt to be much higher in the fall than later, after the steamboats loadup the market. That's what Mr. Shaw says, and he knows. So we must getthe boat loaded just as quickly as we can, and go out as soon as thereis water enough to get her over the falls."
"But we can't do that," said Ed, "because most of the produce we are totake hasn't been brought to town yet. The hay is here, of course, butapples have hardly begun to come in--"
"That's just what I'm coming to," interrupted Phil. "I've been studyingall that. We could get enough freight for two cargoes by waiting for it,but the best figuring I can do shows only about three-quarters of a loadnow actually in town. I propose that we go to work to-morrow and get theother quarter. That's what I called you together for."
"Where are we to get it?"
"Along the river, below town--in the neighborhood of Craig's Landing."
"But how?" asked Ed.
"By hustling. I've made out a list of everybody that produces anythingfor ten miles down the river and five miles back into the hills,--Mr.Larcom, Captain John Wright, Johnny Lampson, Mr. Albritton, GershamMcCallum and his brother Neil, Algy Wright, Mr. Minnit, Dr. Caine, Mr.Violet--and so on. Craig's Landing is the nearest there is to all ofthem, and they can all get their produce there quickly. I propose thatevery boy in the crew take his foot in his hand early to-morrow morning,and that we visit every farmer in the list and persuade him to send hisstuff to the landing at once. I've already seen Captain Wright,--saw himin town to-day,--and he promises me thirty barrels of apples and seventybushels of onions with some other things. I'll go myself to JohnnyLampson. He has at least a hundred barrels of apples, and I'll get them.They aren't picked yet, but I'll offer him our services to pick themimmediately for low wages, and so--"
"I say, boys!" broke in Irv Strong, "I move three cheers for 'obstinatepertinacity.' It's the thing that 'goes' in this sort of business."
"And in most others," quietly rejoined Ed Lowry. "I'm afraid I've neverproperly appreciated it till now."
Phil had some other details to suggest, for he had been trying veryearnestly to think of everything needful.
They would need some skiffs, and he reported that Perry Raymond had sixnew ones, of his own building, which he proposed to let them have as apart of the cargo. They were to use any of them as needed on the voyage,and their use was to offset freight charges. They were to sell theskiffs at New Orleans or above, and to have a part of the proceeds ascommission.
"I move we accept the offer," said Will Moreraud. "It's a good one."
"It is already accepted," replied the young captain a trifle sharply."_I_ closed the bargain at once."
His tone was not arrogant, but it was authoritative. It was a new onefor him to take, and it rather surprised the boys, but on the whole itdid not displease them. It meant that their young captain intended to besomething more effective than the chairman of a debating club; thathaving been asked to assume authority, he purposed to exercise it; thatbeing in command, he meant to command in fact as well as in name.
Some of them talked the matter over later that evening, and though theyfelt a trifle resentful at first, they finally concluded that the boy'snew attitude promised well for the enterprise, and, better still, thatit was right.
"You see he isn't 'cocky' about it at all," said Will Moreraud; "it justmeans that in this game he's 'IT,' and he's going to give the word."
"It means a good deal more than that," said shrewd Irv Strong, who hadbeen born the son of an officer in a regular army post. "It means we'vepicked out the right fellow to be our 'IT,' and I, for one, stand readyto support him with my eyes shut, every time!"
"So do I," cried out all the lads in chorus. "Only you see," saidConstant, "we didn't quite expect it from Phil. Well--maybe if we had,we'd have voted still louder for him for captain; that is, if we've gotany real sense."
"It means," said Ed, gravely, "that if we fail to get _The Last of theFlatboats_ safely to New Orleans, it will be our own fault, not his."
"That's so," said Irving Strong. "But who'd ever have expected thatrattlepate to think out everything as he has done?"
"And to be so desperately in earnest about it, too!" said another.
"Well, I don't know," responded Irving. "You remember how he stuck tothat cistern sum. It's his way, only he's never before had so serious amatter as this to deal with, and I imagine we have never quite knownwhat stuff he's made of."
"Anyhow," said Will, "we're 'his to command,' and we'll see himthrough."
With a shout of applause for this sentiment the boys separated forsleep.
The Last of the Flatboats Page 5