by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER V.
UP THE RIVER.
At the end of the lake the boats separated, after giving each otherthree hearty cheers.
"Where are you going now?" asked Tim Bunker.
"We will go up the lake again."
"Suppose we try a race?" suggested Fred Harper.
"There will be no harm in it, I suppose," replied Frank, glancing at theButterfly.
"Zephyr, ahoy!" shouted Tony. "We will pull up together, if you like."
"Agreed."
The two boats were then drawn up alongside of each other, ready to startwhen the word should be given.
"Say when you are ready," shouted Tony.
The rowers in each boat were all ready to take the first stroke.
"Ready--pull!" said Frank; and the crews bent to the work.
"Now give it to 'em!" shouted Tim Bunker, as he struck out with his oar.
"Steady, Tim," said Frank. "Be very careful, or you will lose thestroke."
"No, I won't. Put 'em through by daylight!" And Tim, without paying muchattention to the swaying of the coxswain's body, by which his strokeshould have been regulated, redoubled his exertions. He was very muchexcited, and the next moment the handle of his oar hit the boy in frontof him in the back. Then the boy behind hit him, and a scene ofconfusion immediately ensued. Of course no boy could pull his strokeexcept in unison with the others; so the whole were compelled to ceaserowing.
"We have lost it," said Frank, good-naturedly.
The boys, seeing how useless it was to attempt to row in the midst ofsuch confusion, were obliged to wait till order had been restored.
"No, we hain't; pull away!" replied Tim, as He seized his oar, and beganto row with all his might.
"Cease rowing!" said Frank.
"Catch your oars, you sleepies, or they will get in first!" exclaimedTim, who continued to struggle with his oar in defiance of the order.
He had already pulled the boat half round.
"I guess the fifty dollars won't come to this crew," added Tim,contemptuously.
"It certainly will not, if you don't obey orders better than that,"replied Frank.
"I don't want to have the club beat so easy as that."
"But it is all your fault, Tim."
"You lie!"
"What! what!" exclaimed Frank. "We cannot have such language as that. Ifyou don't conform to the constitution you have signed, you shall be puton shore at the nearest land."
"Well, I ain't a going to have it laid to me, when I hain't donenothing. Didn't I pull with all my might and main? and if the otherfellers had done so too, we should have been ahead of 'em afore thistime," answered Tim, somewhat tamed by the threat of the coxswain.
"We will not talk about that until you say whether you intend to conformto the rules of the club, or not," added Frank, firmly.
"Of course I do."
Tim was still gruff in his tones; but it was evident that he wanted toconform to the rules, and that his obstinacy was still struggling forexpression.
"You must not tell the coxswain, or any other member, that he lies,Tim," continued Frank.
"That was a slip of the tongue."
The Bunker tried to laugh it off, and declared that he was so used tothat form of expression he could not leave it off at once. This wasregarded as a great concession by all.
"Very well; if you will promise to do your best to obey the rules, wewill say no more about it."
"Of course I will," replied Tim, with a laugh, which was equivalent tosaying, "If any of you think I am yielding too much, why, I am onlyjoking."
"Now, Tim, that point being settled, I repeat that our mishap was causedby you, though we don't blame you for it. You meant to do your best, butyou didn't go to work in the right way."
"What's the reason I didn't?"
"You broke up the stroke."
"The fellers ought to have pulled faster, then, so as to keep up withme; if they had, we should have done well enough."
"That is not the way. The coxswain is to judge how fast you may pullwith safety."
"Just as you like. All I wanted was to win the race."
"I understand you; but we can do nothing if the discipline of the clubis not observed."
"I didn't know about that."
"Let us understand one another for the future. You must regulate yourstroke by the motion of my body. You are to see nothing but me; andwhatever happens, you must obey orders."
"Let's try it again. I will do as you say," replied Tim, with a greatdeal more gentleness than he had before shown.
"Ready--pull!" said Frank. And away darted the Zephyr up the lake.
Tim pulled very steadily now, and showed a disposition to do as theothers did, and to obey orders. Frank was pleased with the result of theconference, and began to entertain strong hopes of the ultimatereformation of the Bunker.
But the race was lost; the Butterfly was almost at the head of the lake.
"There's a chance for the Butterflies to crow over us," said Tim, aftera silence of several moments.
"There is to be no crowing. If we had beaten them, I should not havepermitted a word to be spoken that would create a hard feeling in theminds of any of them," replied Frank. "And I know that Tony is exactlyof my mind."
"It is no great credit to them to have beaten us under thesecircumstances," added Fred.
"Each club must be responsible for its own discipline. No excuses are tobe pleaded. Good order and good regulations will prevent such accidentsas just befell us."
"That is what discipline is for," said William Bright.
"Exactly so. Don't you remember what Mr. Hyde told me when I tried toexcuse myself for not having my sums done with the plea that I had nopencil?" asked Charles Hardy. "He said it was as much a part of our dutyto be ready for our work as it was to do it after we were ready."
"That's good logic," put in Fred. "If the engine companies did not keeptheir machines in good working order, of course they would render noservice at the fire. You remember Smith's factory was burnt because 'No.2's' suction hose leaked, and the 'tub' couldn't be worked."
"That's it; in time of peace prepare for war."
"Where's the Butterfly now?" asked Tim, who did not feel much interestin this exposition of duty.
"She is headed up to Rippleton River," replied Frank. "I hope she doesnot mean to venture among the rocks."
Rippleton River was a stream which emptied into the lake at its easternextremity. Properly speaking, Wood Lake was only a widening of thisriver, though the stream was very narrow, and discharged itself into thelake amid immense masses of rock.
The mouth of this river was so obstructed by these rocks, that CaptainSedley had forbidden the boys ever to venture upon its waters; though,with occasional difficulties in the navigation, it was deep enough andwide enough to admit the passage of the boat for several miles. Awooden bridge crossed the stream a little way above the lake--an old,decayed affair which had frequently been complained of as unsafe.
"Tony knows the place very well," said Charles. "He will not be rash."
"But there he goes right in amongst the rocks, and the Butterflies arepulling with all their might. He is crazy," added Frank, his countenanceexhibiting the depth of his anxiety.
"Let Tony alone; he knows what he is about," responded Fred.
"Heavens!" exclaimed Frank, suddenly, as he rose in his place. "Therehas been an accident at the bridge! I see a horse and chaise in theriver."
Tim dropped his oar, and was turning round to get a view of the object,when Frank checked him. So strict was the discipline of the club, that,notwithstanding the excitement which the coxswain's announcement tendedto create, not another boy ceased rowing, or even missed his stroke.
"Keep your seat," said Frank to Tim. "Take your oar."
"I want to see what's going on," replied Tim.
"Keep your seat," repeated Frank, authoritatively.
Tim concluded to obey; and without a word resumed his place, andcommen
ced pulling again.
"Tony is after them; if you obey orders we may get there in season torender some assistance," continued Frank. "Don't balk us now, Tim."
"I won't, Frank; I will obey all your orders. I didn't think when I gotup," replied Tim, with earnestness, and withal in such a tone thatFrank's hopes ran high.
"Will you cross the rocks, Frank?" asked Charles Hardy.
"Certainly."
"But you know your father told us never to go into the river."
"Circumstances alter cases."
"But it will be disobedience under any circumstances."
"We won't argue the point now," answered the bold coxswain, quickeningthe movements of his body, till the crew pulled with their utmoststrength and speed, and the Zephyr flew like a rocket over the water.
"I don't like to go, Frank, and though I will obey orders, I now protestagainst this act of disobedience," replied Charles, who was sure thistime that Captain Sedley would commend and approve his inflexible loveof obedience.
"Pull steady, and mind your stroke," added Frank, whose eye was fixedupon the chaise in the water.
"We may strike upon the rocks and be dashed to pieces," suggestedCharles.
"If you are afraid--"
"O, no! I'm not afraid; I was thinking of the boat."
"If it is dashed to pieces in a good cause, let it be so."
"Good!" ejaculated Fred Harper. "That's the talk for me!"
"The water in the lake is very high, and I know exactly where the rockslie. Keep steady; I will put you through in safety."
"Where is the Butterfly now, Frank?" asked William Bright.
"Wait a minute.--There she goes! Hurrah! she has passed the reefssafely. They pull like heroes. There! Up go her oars--they are in-board.There are a man and a woman in the water, struggling for life. The manis trying to save the woman. The chaise seems to hang upon a rock, andthe horse is kicking and plunging to clear himself. Steady--pullsteady."
"Tony will save them all," said Fred.
"Hurrah! there he goes overboard, with half a dozen of his fellows afterhim! There are six left in the boat, and they are working her alongtowards the man and woman. They have them--they are safe. Now they pullthe lady in--hah--all right! I was afraid they would upset the boat.They have got her in, and the man is holding on at the stern. Tony hasgot a rope round the horse's neck, and the fellows are clearing him fromthe chaise."
The Zephyr was now approaching the dangerous rocks, and Frank wasobliged to turn his attention to the steering of the boat through theperilous passage.
"Steady," said he, "and pull strong. All right; we are through. We aretoo late to do anything. They have landed the man and woman, and nowthey are towing the horse ashore. Tony's a glorious fellow! He is worthhis weight in solid gold!"
"Can't we save the chaise?" asked Tim Bunker.
"We can try."
"Hurrah for the chaise then!"
"Bowman, get the long painter ahead," continued Frank.
"Ay, ay."
The coxswain of the Zephyr steered her towards the vehicle, which stillhung to the rock, and, by a skilful maneuver, contrived to make fast theline to one of the shafts of the chaise.
"Ready--pull!" said Frank, as he passed the line over one of thethwarts.
The crew pulled with a will, and the jerk disengaged the chaise, andthey succeeded in hauling it safely to the shore, and placing it highand dry upon the rocks.