A thin coat of lead color was then put on the outside, and one of white inside. The boys had some skill in painting, for they had been called upon to do all kinds of work, from laying brick up to tinkering a watch. Several coats were given to the whole, but the last two on the outside were of black.
Captain Gildrock had decided to have an iron false keel added, partly to protect the wood and partly to serve as ballast. A pattern of the casting had been made and sent up to Port Henry to be cast. It was in one piece, and weighed over a ton. Of course, it had to be bolted on before the Lily was launched. It was too heavy and cumbrous to be transported on the Sylph; but Mr. Miker had to deliver a cargo of stone at Port Henry, and it could be brought down on the gundalow. It was nothing but fun for the students to tow the unwieldy craft about the lake, and the next Saturday holiday was to be used for this purpose.
At eight o'clock in the morning the Sylph, fully manned by the students this time, started out of the creek with her tow. Paul Bristol had been assigned to a place as a deck hand on board, and he had made several trips in the steamer. On the present occasion he had asked to be excused, in order to attend to some work for his mother.
For two weeks before, Lily had been at work for Mr. Bissell, taking the place of Susy Wellington, who had gone to visit her friends in Albany. She had written to her mother that she should like to spend Sunday at home. It was difficult and expensive to get from Westport to Genverres then, for the steamers did not go up Beaver River.
Paul thought he could manage it. As it was a still day on the lake, he was going after her in the flatboat, in the afternoon. It was a ten-mile pull, but he was good for that. He had hauled up the boat after dinner to put it in order, when he discovered a queer-looking craft coming down the creek.
FOOTNOTE:
[A] The editor of "Forest and Stream" has prepared a work for amateurs, called "Canoe and Boat Building," which may be obtained of the publishers of that valuable paper, or at the bookstores.