by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VI.
HURRAH FOR TONY!
Tony and his six companions, who had been with him in the river, stoodon the rocks shivering with cold, when the Zephyr's crew landed. Therest of her boys had been sent to conduct the lady and gentleman to thenearest house, and render them such assistance as they might require.
"You are a brave fellow, Tony!" said Frank, warmly, as he grasped thewet hand of his friend.
"I am very wet and cold, whatever else I may be," replied Tony, tryingto laugh, while his teeth chattered so that he could hardly speak.
"You had better go home; you will catch cold," continued Frank.
"We must wait for the fellows."
"No, you shall take six of the Zephyr's crew, and pull home as fast asyou can, and we will wait for the rest."
"We can do no more good here; so we may as well go. Thank you for youroffer, Frank, and I will accept it. If you like I will take Fred Harperto steer down, for I should like to pull an oar myself to warm up with."
"Certainly;" and Frank detailed six of his club, including Fred, whoseated themselves in the Butterfly.
"I don't know about those rocks, Tony," said Fred, as he grasped thetiller ropes.
"The water is so high, that there is no danger, I will have an eye tothe passage when we get to it," replied Tony, as he took his old placeat the bow oar.
The Butterfly pushed off, and in a few moments after passed thedangerous rocks in safety. Her crew pulled with energy, and it is quitelikely that they got warm before they reached the boat-house.
It was some time before the rest of the Butterfly's crew returned to therocks where they had landed.
"Where's Tony?" asked one of them, a boy of fourteen, but so small instature that his companions had nicknamed him "Little Paul," of whom weshall have more to say by and by.
"They have gone home; we sent six of our fellows with them. They weretoo wet and cold to stay here," replied Frank. "You can return in ourboat."
"The gentleman wants to see Tony very much."
"Who is he?"
"His name is Walker; it would do your heart good to hear him speak ofTony."
"I dare say; but Tony is worthy of all the praise that can be bestowedupon him. How is the lady?"
"She is nicely, and _she_ thinks Tony is an angel. She declares that adozen strong men could have done no more for them."
"She is right; you did all that could have been done by any persons. TheButterfly's first laurel is a glorious one, and I can congratulate youon the honors you have won."
"Thank you, Frank," said Little Paul, modestly. "I am sorry you were notwith us to share the honors."
"We should have been, if it hadn't been for Tim Bunker," said CharlesHardy, a little sourly.
Tim had gone with the Butterfly, or Charles would not have dared to makesuch a remark.
"And if you had had your way, we shouldn't have come when we did," addedWilliam Bright, smartly.
"What do you mean, Bill?"
"Didn't you protest against passing the rocks."
"I did, because it was directly in opposition to Captain Sedley'sorders."
"Never mind, fellows," interposed Frank; "for my part, I am glad theButterfly had it all to herself. She has just come out, and it will be afeather in her cap."
"But we saved the chaise," said Charles.
"We pulled it ashore; it was safe enough where it was. The Butterflysaved the lives of the man and woman, and of the horse. They would havedrowned, and all the glory consisted in saving them. Tony and his crewdeserve all the credit, and I, for one, am happy to accord it to them."
"That's just like you, Frank!" exclaimed Little Paul. "I believe, if thetwo boats had changed places, you would have given us all the credit."
"You behaved nobly."
"Just as you would have done if you had been in Tony's place."
"We will talk that over some other time. We are ready to return whenyou are."
"I suppose there is nothing more to be done."
They were about to embark, when they discovered a party of menapproaching the place, several of them carrying ropes and poles.
"Hold on;" shouted Farmer Leeds, to whose house the boys had conductedthe lady and gentleman. "We want your boat to get the chaise out of theriver with."
"It is out now," replied Little Paul.
The boys waited till the party reached the river. A clump of trees hadprevented them from seeing the chaise till they had got almost to theshore; and, as Little Paul expressed it afterwards, "they lookedsurprised enough, to see it high and dry upon the rocks."
"I must say one thing, Mr. Leeds," began Mr. Walker; "and that is, youhave smart boys in this vicinity."
"Toler'ble," replied the farmer, with a smile.
"They are men in noble deeds."
"This boating business turns the boys into men; and though, in myopinion, it would be just as well to set 'em to work in the cornfields,there is no denying that it brings 'em out, and makes 'em smart."
"My wife would certainly have been drowned without their help."
"I daresay."
"But where is the little fellow that commanded the boat?" asked Mr.Walker, scrutinizing the faces of the boys.
"He has gone home, sir; he was wet and cold."
"That is right; I am glad he has; I shall go and see him by and by. Andthese are the boys that brought the chaise ashore?"
"Yes, sir," replied Little Paul. "This is Frank Sedley, the coxswain ofthe Zephyr."
"Well, Master Sedley, I am under great obligations to you."
"Not at all to me, sir. Tony Weston saved you. We only pulled the chaiseashore."
"But you shall not be forgotten. The other boat is gone, you say?"
"Yes, sir. Tony Weston is the coxswain of the Butterfly."
"And a noble fellow he is, too. He will be a great man one of thesedays. It did my heart good to see how cool and collected he was; howskilfully he managed the boat, when it came down upon us like a racehorse. He gave off his orders like a hero, and they were obeyed with apromptness and precision that would have been creditable to the crew ofa man-of-war, after a three years' cruise. And then, when he ordered sixof the boys to stay in the boat, and the rest to follow him into thewater, it was really heroic. Over he went, with his crew after him, asthough they had been so many ducks. And in the water, they worked withas much coolness and courage as though it had been their native element.I would give half my fortune to be the father of such a son."
"I would give all of mine," added Farmer Leeds. "You don't know half hisworth yet. But there is nothing for us to do here; the men shall haulyour chaise up to the house, and as we walk along I will tell you aboutTony."
"Master Sedley, I shall see you again to-day or to-morrow. Tell Tonyhow highly I value his noble service, and tell him I shall call upon himthis evening," said Mr. Walker, as he went away with Farmer Leeds.
"My father would be very happy to have you stop at his house while youremain in Rippleton," continued Frank, who was not sure that thefarmhouse would accommodate him.
"As to that," interposed Farmer Leeds, "I can't offer you so grand ahouse as Captain Sedley's, but such as it is, you are welcome to it."
"Thank you, Master Sedley, for your hospitable invitation; but I think Iwill remain with my good friend here." And he departed with the farmer.
"All aboard!" said Frank, and the boys tumbled into the boat, andgrasped their oars.
The Zephyr pushed off, and her cheerful crew pulled merrily down theriver. Frank was conscious that the organization of the boat clubs hadbeen the means of accomplishing the good work which the crew of theButterfly had just achieved. He was aware that some of the people in thevicinity had cherished strong objections to the clubs, and that Tony hadhad considerable difficulty in persuading the parents of his crew toallow their sons to join. The adventure at the bridge, he thought, wouldhave a tendency to reconcile them, and to elevate and dignify boating.At any rate a good deed had been done, and the pare
nts of those who hadtaken part in it could not but be proud of the laurels their sons hadearned.
The Zephyr, under Frank's skilful pilotage passed the rocks in safety,though, as they darted through the narrow channel, he could see theirsharp edges only a little way below the surface of the clear water.
They had scarcely entered the open lake before they perceived the Sylph,under full sail with a smashing breeze, close aboard of them.
"Frank!" shouted Captain Sedley, who was at the helm, while Uncle Benwas gazing at them with a very sorrowful face from the half deck.
"Ay, ay, sir!" replied Frank, as he laid the Zephyr's course towards thesailboat.
Though his father had only spoken his name, there was something in thetone which could not be misapprehended; but it did not occur to him, hewas so engaged in thinking of the incidents at the bridge, that he haddisobeyed his father's command in passing into the river.
As the Zephyr approached, the Sylph luffed, and came up into the wind,to wait for her. Frank brought his boat round under the stern of thesailboat, and "lay to" an oar's length from her.
"Frank," said his father, sternly, "I am surprised that you shouldventure among those rocks, when I have expressly forbidden you ever togo into the river."
"But, father, there was--"
"How could you do such a thing, after I had so carefully warned you--sopositively interdicted it? Suppose your boat had been dashed in pieces,"continued Captain Sedley, who, though deeply grieved at his son'sapparent disobedience, was too indignant to hear an excuse; for such hesupposed Frank was about to offer--one of those silly, frivolous excuseswhich boys sometimes seize upon to palliate their misconduct.
"I protested against it!" said Charles Hardy, rising from his seat.
"Shut up!" exclaimed Little Paul, his cheek glowing with indignation, ashe pulled Charles back into his seat.
"I went to save life, father," replied Frank, almost choked by hisemotions, a flood of tears springing in his eyes and well-nigh blindinghim.
"To save life!" said Captain Sedley, touched by the reply, and far moreby Frank's emotion.
He saw that he had spoken too quick--that his son had not passed therocks without a good and sufficient reason.
"Yes, sir," replied Frank, struggling to master his feelings; and thenhe related all that had occurred at the bridge; how Tony had saved thelady and gentleman, and the horse; and how his crew had pulled thechaise ashore.
"You did right, Frank; forgive my hasty words," said Captain Sedley,with deep feeling.
"Good, my hearty!" exclaimed Uncle Ben, clapping his hands.
A heavy load had been removed from the mind of the veteran, who hadalmost come to believe that Frank _could_ do no wrong.
"Tony's a hero; and shiver my timbers, if he oughtn't to be president ofthe United States, when he's old enough," exclaimed Uncle Ben.
"He is a brave fellow. You have done well, both of you. However strictour orders are, no person should be a machine. Orders should be obeyedwith judgment," continued Captain Sedley.
"That's a fact. I could tell a yarn about that," added Uncle Ben. "WhenI was in the old Varsayles, bound round the Horn--"
"Another time we will hear your yarn, Ben," interposed Captain Sedley."We will go over and see Tony now, and congratulate him on the honorsthe Butterfly has won. Haul in the gib sheet, Ben."
"Ready--pull!" said Frank.
"Who protested now, Master Charles Hardy?" asked Little Paul, as hegood-naturedly punched the forward youth in the ribs.
"Circumstances alter cases," replied Charles, sagely, as he bent on hisoar.
"Fact! but they altered them when the deed was done, not now, when youhave found out that it was all right."