CHAPTER V. THE "GOLDWING" AT SANDY POINT.
Dory Dornwood had been to the point before, and had met Paul Bristol there. Of course, the son of toil had never associated with the Chesterfields on anything like an equality, and he had no especial interest in them or their affairs. In the quarrels between the two schools he had been entirely neutral, for the reason that he had not been called upon to take part in any of the battles, and his opinion of the merits of either side was of no consequence.
Dory gave the resident of the point his hand, as he came on board of the "Goldwing," and was glad to see him. Possibly the skipper was willing to have a friend in this particular locality, though he knew that Paul had no influence with the gentlemanly students of the institute.
"I picked up your boat over by Scotch Bonnet," said Dory. "It was just going on the rocks, and I thought it would have a hard time there. I knew from the direction of the wind that it must have come from this region, and I was afraid some one had been upset in her, for there was only one oar in the boat."
"No one was upset in her, though the 'Dragon' is not inclined to stay right side up when the sea is heavy," replied Paul. "I am more thankful to you than I can tell for bringing her back at just this time. If you are willing to hear me, I should like to tell you how she happened to get adrift, and why I am so glad to get her back."
"I am in no hurry, and I am ready to hear anything you wish to say to me," replied Dory, as he invited Paul to take a seat in the standing-room.
There were five other Beech Hill students in the boat, and they seemed to be as willing to hear the story as the skipper was. All of them judged by the manner of the Sandy-Pointer that he had something of interest and importance to tell. Paul gave his account of the trouble between Lily and Walk Billcord without exaggeration or embellishment, though he did not do justice, in his modesty, to his own prowess in the battles with the magnate and his son.
The narrative was exciting enough to secure the closest attention of his auditors; and, when it was finished, all of them had some questions to ask, and most of them some comments to make. As they were not prejudiced in favor of the major or his son, they agreed that the son of toil had served them right. Dory said he should have been very sorry to strike a man of the age of Major Billcord, but he did not see how he could have helped doing so under the circumstances.
"And he has ordered you to remove the cottage at less than a day's notice?" continued the skipper.
"He has, and at a time when my boat had gone adrift, and I had no way to move a single thing which we could not carry two miles in our hands. That is the reason why I was so glad to see the 'Dragon' coming back to the point," replied Paul, looking at the skipper of the "Goldwing" with the deepest interest. "But the water is rather rough this afternoon out on the lake, and I am afraid I can't do much towards moving my mother and sister and all the furniture in that flatboat."
"Then you mean to leave the cottage to be pitched into the lake?" added Dory.
"I don't see that we can do anything else," replied Paul blankly. "It is about a quarter of a mile through the woods to the road, and Major Billcord will not allow a tree to be cut down. I could not move it if I had a hundred men to help me. I might take it to pieces, if I had time enough to do the job; but we have little time, and not much money."
"Suppose we go on shore and take a look at the cottage," suggested Dory, who seemed to be doing some heavy thinking, though he did not hint that he knew of any remedy for the misfortunes of the Bristols. The tender was brought up to the gangway, and Dory went ashore in it, accompanied by Tuck Prince, while Paul took the "Dragon" back.
The skipper walked up to the cottage, and Paul introduced him to his mother and sister. Dory had never seen Lily Bristol before, but he was perfectly willing to agree with the "speech of people," that she was the prettiest girl in the State of New York, and possibly in the State of Vermont. But she looked very sad, and so did her mother, and Dory said nothing to them about the mandate of the magnate.
The visitor looked at the house, and got its approximate dimensions in his mind. He examined the foundations of the structure, and the land upon which it lay. He was thinking, but he said nothing.
"Of course, Major Billcord knows very well that we cannot move the cottage without making a pathway for it through the grove," said Paul, who had observed the expression on Dory's face with the utmost interest.
But he had not expected that the skipper of the "Goldwing" could do anything about moving the dwelling: the most he had hoped was that the visitor would volunteer to assist in the transportation of the furniture, or a portion of it, to some safe place, if such could be found. But Dory was provokingly silent, and did not hint at anything. When he had completed his examination of the premises, he walked towards the end of the point again.
"I suppose you will agree with me that not a thing can be done," said Paul as he followed the skipper; and he began to be very much discouraged at the prospect.
"I don't know whether anything can be done or not," replied Dory, musing. "I can't do anything myself, for I don't feel at liberty to act without the knowledge of my uncle, Captain Gildrock," replied Dory. "If you could move the cottage, have you any other place to put it?"
"Not a place. My mother owns a house, but not a foot of land in the wide universe," answered Paul gloomily.
"It is not very easy to think of any plan for moving the building when we haven't any idea of what is to be done with it," added Dory, surveying with his eye the ground between the cottage and the water of the lake.
"I didn't suppose you could do anything for us in that way," continued Paul. "I thought we might save some of our furniture in the 'Dragon.'"
"You couldn't even get a bureau on board of her," replied Dory, glancing at the flatboat. "If you laid it across the gunwales, it would upset her. But I have an idea, though it may not amount to much. What are your mother and sister going to do? I take it they will not stay here to see the Chesterfields destroy your cottage and its contents?"
"No; they will leave in the morning; but there is no place under the sun for them to go. We have no relations, and hardly any friends," answered Paul very sadly.
"As I said before, I can't do anything without orders in a case like this. I am very sorry for you. If the situation were what my uncle defines as an emergency, I should be permitted to do what is required to save life or property. But there is nearly a whole day's leeway in this case," continued the skipper.
"I didn't know but you might carry some of our things over to the other side in the 'Goldwing,' Paul hinted very timidly.
"I might be able to take some of them; but the schooner would not hold one-half of the goods. I hope to do something better than that, though I can't promise anything. So far as the furniture is concerned, I don't think you need to worry about that, for there will be time enough to remove it to-morrow morning," said Dory.
"Plenty of time, if I have any help," added Paul.
Dory hoped he should be able to do something better than this; and the words had given Paul a strong hope, though he wished the skipper would speak out plainly, and say what he thought of doing.
"It is now about five o'clock," continued Dory, looking at his watch. "We have plenty of time, and I have something to propose. I can't do anything without my uncle's knowledge, but I should like to have your mother and sister go over to Beech Hill in the 'Goldwing;' and you too, Paul, if you don't think it necessary to remain here and look out for the cottage."
"What should they go over there for?" asked the son of toil.
"To tell my uncle your story. If Captain Gildrock decides that nothing can be done for you, I will bring your mother and sister back before dark. Then I will take a cargo of your goods to any place you say in this part of the lake. That is all I feel at liberty to do under the present circumstances," added Dory. "But I am pretty sure that something more will be done for you."
"I will speak to my mother about it," replied Paul. "Will you come with me, Dory?"
The skipper followed him to the cottage, and Paul stated the case to his mother. She was willing to do anything her son thought best. She did not think it was necessary for Lily to go if Paul was to remain in charge of the house; but Dory thought she was a part of the story, and anticipated some hard questions from his uncle which she could answer better than any other person. Mrs. Bristol yielded the point, and in a few minutes they were ready for the trip.
The ladies were seated in the standing-room, and the Beech-Hillers were as polite as so many dancing-masters, "tinkers" though they were. A short distance from the shore the wind was still fresh; and in half an hour the "Goldwing" was in Beechwater, as the principal of the school generally called the lake.
Without waiting to moor the schooner, which he left in charge of Tuck Prince, Dory pulled the ladies to the new boat-house in the tender. They landed at the steps, and the skipper conducted them to Captain Gildrock's library. They were pleasantly welcomed by the principal, though they were entire strangers to him.
Dory stated that he had brought Mrs. Bristol and Miss Lily from Sandy Point, and he wished his uncle to hear the story they had to tell. He hinted that the visitors had better confine themselves to the facts in the case, without any comments; and, as Lily had been the principal and first actor in the drama, he thought she had better open the narrative.
Possibly Dory thought an account of the opening proceedings from the lips of so pretty a girl as Lily might have more influence with his bachelor uncle. The captain smiled graciously, and bowed encouragingly to the fair maiden. She began in a very straightforward way with the narrative, and Dory was glad the occasion permitted him to gaze at her without staring.
When she had completed her narrative, there was but little more for her mother to say. The principal asked a few questions, and then he was in possession of all the facts. He knew all about Major Billcord, and he had no difficulty in believing the simple and unadorned statement to which he had listened. Very likely he was as indignant as any Christian man would have been at the outrage of the magnate and his son, but he did not express himself in this direction.
When Mrs. Bristol and Lily had said all they had to say, the captain looked at Dory to see if he had anything to offer. Dory was not slow to take a hint, and he made quite an energetic speech of considerable length, setting forth his views of the situation.