CHAPTER XXV. THE FIRST OFFICER AND PARTY IN BATTLE ARRAY.
The feeling which had grown up between the Beech Hill and the Chesterfield students was not hatred, enmity, or even ill will. When they first met near Sandy Beach neither party could have had anything against the other. No traditional hatred had been handed down, for both institutions were new.
The Chesterfield Collegiate Institute was established only a year before, and was intended to be a very high-toned establishment, judged by the society standard. The boys were generally the sons of rich men or merchants, with a standing in the world; and Colonel Buckmill catered for this class. Everything about the school was genteel, and the boys had been taught to "feel their oats."
In accordance with their education they naturally looked down upon farmers, mechanics, and small shopkeepers. They were gentlemen, and the sons of gentlemen, the principal said, and he treated them as such. Out of this feeling on the part of the students had come the bad conduct of the Chesterfields at their first meeting with the Beech Hillers. They expected, and probably received from the country people in their immediate vicinity, a certain degree of deference, for the institute was a good customer to all who had anything to sell.
Doubtless the possession of the new boats had excited them to a degree which made them somewhat reckless when they were away from the influences that surrounded them at the school. But even in the offensive epithets they had applied to the students from the other side of the lake, they meant no evil. When they were treated with the contempt of silence they felt like great men who had been neglected, and they wanted to make themselves felt.
But they had been beaten with their own weapons, and the desire to humiliate their school-neighbors was increased. They wanted to get the Beech Hillers into some sort of a scrape, to annoy them all they could, and though the Topovers were not at all after their style, they were glad to make friends with them for the time, in order to accomplish their purpose.
It looked as though the Chesterfields had come across the lake for the purpose of doing mischief to their conquerors in the two former contests. They could hardly have come to give the Topovers a pleasure excursion in their elegant barges, and their presence in the boats made it appear that they meant mischief.
It must be acknowledged that the Beech Hill students generally enjoyed these meetings with the enemy, as they regarded the Chesterfields, for the contests with them were full of excitement and fun. But on the present occasion they were too full of building, too much interested in the enterprise of moving the timber from Burlington to the quarry, to care for a battle with the young gentlemen from the other side.
Most of the students wished that Dory Dornwood were in command of the steamer, for he had twice proved that he was more than a match in skill for the Chesterfields. As it was, Captain Thad Glovering was the autocrat of the occasion. All hands must obey his orders, even if they led to the most disastrous failure. Mr. Jepson was the only adult on board; and in his present capacity of chief engineer of the steamer, he was as much under the orders of the captain as any of the boys. He simply minded his own business, and did his best to instruct his two assistants in the structure and management of the engine, hoping the time would soon come when he could be relieved from his somewhat disagreeable position.
Captain Glovering saw that the Chesterfields were making for the caisson with all the speed of their boats. They would not attempt to meddle with the steamer, but they could put the Topovers on the caisson, and the first thing they would do would be to cast off the hawsers. They were cutting across the shoal water, and would come out in time to intercept the tow.
"What do you think of it now, Dory?" asked Oscar Chester, in the pilot-house.
"Of course those fellows mean to pay off the old score if they can," replied the first pilot. "I doubt if we are ever on good terms with the Chesterfields, as I wish we could be."
"I suppose they don't feel any better towards us after what the principal said to them when they hailed the steamer, and wanted to get up a race. They are the sons of the magnates of the land, and it was rough for Captain Gildrock to tell them they were not gentlemen, and that he would not allow us to associate with them for that reason," added Oscar, chuckling, for all hands had enjoyed the snubbing which the principal had given them.
"My uncle told them the simple truth, though it was hard for them to digest," replied Dory, as he glanced at the two barges.
"Don't you think you ought to have a talk with Thad Glovering, Dory?" asked Oscar, after he had watched the approaching barges for a moment. "He don't seem to be doing anything, and in ten minutes more we shall have to pick up the tow."
"If Captain Glovering asks my advice, I shall give it to him; but not without. I have no more right to meddle with his business than any other fellow," replied Dory, very decidedly. "If I were in his place I should not want every fellow putting his finger in my pie. He is responsible for the steamer and the tow; and in my opinion Thad knows what he is about."
Captain Glovering was on the hurricane deck, watching the approach of the boats. He did not seem to be at all nervous or uneasy in regard to the situation. The Sylph was just beginning to round in so as to strike the channel. On the other side of it the water was only from one to three feet deep, and the caisson would make a wide sweep in coming about.
"If the tow should get adrift here it would ground in shoal water," said Dory, as he glanced again at the approaching barges.
"Captain Glovering has just called Will Orwell, and he means to do something. It is time something was done," replied Oscar.
The acting first officer had come on the hurricane deck, and the captain was apparently giving him some orders. Will hastened to the forward deck again. All hands were called; and this summons included all who were not actually on duty in the engine and firerooms or the pilot-house, for the work of the cooks and stewards was finished for that day.
Will selected eight of them and sent them to the stern of the steamer. It was evident that something was to be done, and the students wondered what it was. The captain was not asleep, and it was clear that he was conscious of the perils of the tow. Thad had observed with admiration the conduct of Dory in the former engagements with the Chesterfields and Topovers, and he had strictly obeyed every order without asking a question. He was glad of the present opportunity to distinguish himself, and he hoped to give a good account of himself.
"Mr. Pilot, I wish you would hug the port side of the channel, and get the tow as far as possible from the shoal water," said Captain Glovering, entering the pilot-house as soon as he had given his orders to the first officer. "I wish to stop her as soon as possible."
"I have been doing that, Captain Glovering," replied Dory. "It will be safe to stop her as soon as you give the order."
"Thank you," added the captain, with more politeness than is usual on board of vessels.
Captain Glovering hastened to the stern of the hurricane deck where he could see the tow. Will and his eight hands were on the rail ready to do the duty intrusted to them. The captain called to the pilot to stop her. The order was promptly obeyed, but the headway of the Sylph kept her at the same relative distance from the caisson. Then a few strokes back were called for. The first officer had put fenders over the stern; but the captain did not allow the tow to come in contact with the steamer.
As soon as the caisson was near enough, Will and his party leaped on board of it. The captain had given the order to go ahead before they did so. The steamer straightened the tow-lines, and in a few moments everything was moving on as before. The wind was light from the northwest, and Dory hugged the weather side of the channel; but the Sylph was still half a mile from the nearest point of land at the entrance of the river.
"The captain has done something, but I haven't the least idea what it is," said Oscar, as the tow-lines began to stretch.
"Neither have I, for I have not even looked behind me to see what he was about," replied the first pilot, who never neglected his own duty to attend to other people's business.
"He has put the first officer and eight of the fellows on board of the caisson," added Oscar. "But there are thirty-five fellows in the barges, and the captain don't expect to beat them off with only nine of ours. I wonder he did not send the whole crowd except what are needed to work the steamer."
"Don't be in a hurry to criticise, Oscar," laughed Dory, without even looking out at the rear windows of the pilot-house to see what the captain was about.
"Does Thad Glovering expect nine of our fellows to whip four times their number?" demanded the second pilot, who was evidently beginning to be somewhat excited. "We are not going more than three knots now, and the Chesterfields can have it all their own way. Our fellows can't do anything on the caisson when the barges pour in twenty or thirty fellows upon them; and the Topovers are fighting men."
"Keep cool, Oscar," said Dory, smiling.
"Do you know what the captain's plan is, Dory?" asked the second pilot nervously.
"I do not; I have not the first idea in regard to it," answered Dory. "But I think you had better go astern where you can see what is going on. If there is going to be a fight Captain Glovering will certainly want you; and you may have a chance to tackle Tom Topover."
"I should like the chance," said Oscar, as he left the pilot-house.
By this time the barges were within a few rods of the caisson. One was bearing down upon the stern, and the other upon the starboard side of it. Mad Twinker, who was leading in the Dasher, was evidently the commodore of the squadron, for he gave orders to Jeff Monroe in the Racer. He clearly had a plan, and intended to capture the caisson, or at least to set it adrift.
In the bow of the commodore's barge was Tom Topover and Nim Splugger, ready to leap on board of the expected prize. In the Racer, Kidd Digfield and Pell Sankland occupied the corresponding positions. The other Topovers were seated in the rear of their leaders, and were to follow them in the boarding exploit.
When the barges were within fifty feet of the caisson the captain's plan was suddenly developed. On the top of the timber were a dozen long pike-poles, which Captain Gildrock had ordered at Burlington. Each one was armed with a sharp spike in one end. They were to be used in raising the building, and in managing the caisson in the narrow creek.
At the word from Will Orwell, each of the nine students picked up a pike, and poised it in the direction of the approaching barges.