"Well, Master Sedley, I am under great obligations to you."
"Not at all to me, sir. Tony Weston saved you. We only pulled the chaise ash.o.r.e."
"But you shall not be forgotten. The other boat is gone, you say?"
"Yes, sir. Tony Weston is the c.o.xswain of the b.u.t.terfly."
"And a n.o.ble fellow he is, too. He will be a great man one of these days. It did my heart good to see how cool and collected he was; how skilfully he managed the boat, when it came down upon us like a race horse. He gave off his orders like a hero, and they were obeyed with a promptness and precision that would have been creditable to the crew of a man-of-war, after a three years" cruise. And then, when he ordered six of the boys to stay in the boat, and the rest to follow him into the water, it was really heroic. Over he went, with his crew after him, as though they had been so many ducks. And in the water, they worked with as 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 his worth yet. But there is nothing for us to do here; the men shall haul your chaise up to the house, and as we walk along I will tell you about Tony."
"Master Sedley, I shall see you again to-day or to-morrow. Tell Tony how highly I value his n.o.ble service, and tell him I shall call upon him this 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 you remain in Rippleton," continued Frank, who was not sure that the farmhouse would accommodate him.
"As to that," interposed Farmer Leeds, "I can"t offer you so grand a house 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 I will remain with my good friend here." And he departed with the farmer.
"All aboard!" said Frank, and the boys tumbled into the boat, and grasped their oars.
The Zephyr pushed off, and her cheerful crew pulled merrily down the river. Frank was conscious that the organization of the boat clubs had been the means of accomplishing the good work which the crew of the b.u.t.terfly had just achieved. He was aware that some of the people in the vicinity had cherished strong objections to the clubs, and that Tony had had considerable difficulty in persuading the parents of his crew to allow their sons to join. The adventure at the bridge, he thought, would have a tendency to reconcile them, and to elevate and dignify boating.
At any rate a good deed had been done, and the parents of those who had taken part in it could not but be proud of the laurels their sons had earned.
The Zephyr, under Frank"s skilful pilotage pa.s.sed the rocks in safety, though, as they darted through the narrow channel, he could see their sharp 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 Ben was 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 the sailboat.
Though his father had only spoken his name, there was something in the tone which could not be misapprehended; but it did not occur to him, he was so engaged in thinking of the incidents at the bridge, that he had disobeyed his father"s command in pa.s.sing 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 the sailboat, and "lay to" an oar"s length from her.
"Frank," said his father, sternly, "I am surprised that you should venture among those rocks, when I have expressly forbidden you ever to go into the river."
"But, father, there was--"
"How could you do such a thing, after I had so carefully warned you--so positively interdicted it? Suppose your boat had been dashed in pieces,"
continued Captain Sedley, who, though deeply grieved at his son"s apparent disobedience, was too indignant to hear an excuse; for such he supposed Frank was about to offer--one of those silly, frivolous excuses which 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, as he pulled Charles back into his seat.
"I went to save life, father," replied Frank, almost choked by his emotions, a flood of tears springing in his eyes and well-nigh blinding him.
"To save life!" said Captain Sedley, touched by the reply, and far more by Frank"s emotion.
He saw that he had spoken too quick--that his son had not pa.s.sed the rocks without a good and sufficient reason.
"Yes, sir," replied Frank, struggling to master his feelings; and then he related all that had occurred at the bridge; how Tony had saved the lady and gentleman, and the horse; and how his crew had pulled the chaise ash.o.r.e.
"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 had almost come to believe that Frank _could_ do no wrong.
"Tony"s a hero; and shiver my timbers, if he oughtn"t to be president of the United States, when he"s old enough," exclaimed Uncle Ben.
"He is a brave fellow. You have done well, both of you. However strict our orders are, no person should be a machine. Orders should be obeyed with judgment," continued Captain Sedley.
"That"s a fact. I could tell a yarn about that," added Uncle Ben. "When I 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 honors the b.u.t.terfly has won. Haul in the gib sheet, Ben."
"Ready--pull!" said Frank.
"Who protested now, Master Charles Hardy?" asked Little Paul, as he good-naturedly punched the forward youth in the ribs.
"Circ.u.mstances alter cases," replied Charles, sagely, as he bent on his oar.
"Fact! but they altered them when the deed was done, not now, when you have found out that it was all right."
CHAPTER VII.
COMMODORE FRANK SEDLEY.
For a few days all Rippleton rang with the praises of Tony and his companions. All the particulars of the affair at the bridge had been given in the Rippleton Mercury, and the editor was profuse in his commendations of the skill and courage of the b.u.t.terfly Boat Club; and he did not withhold from the Zephyr the credit which was justly due.
Tony was a hero, and his fame extended for many miles around.
Mr. Walker and his lady, who had been rescued from the river, visited Captain Sedley and the Weston family the next day. I need not tell my young readers how earnest he was in the expression of his admiration and grat.i.tude. He was a wealthy merchant, and resided in a neighboring town.
Being as warm-hearted and generous as he was just and discriminating, it was quite natural that he should give his feelings expression in some substantial token of his grat.i.tude.
Before he left Rippleton, a check for five hundred dollars was placed in the hands of George Weston, with directions to give four hundred of it to the b.u.t.terfly, and one hundred to the Zephyr. In the division of the b.u.t.terfly"s share, Mr. Walker desired that one hundred dollars should be given to Tony, and twenty-five dollars apiece to the crew; consenting, however, to let the whole sum be common property if the club desired.
This liberality was certainly munificent, princely; but Mr. Walker"s wealth was quite sufficient to enable him to gratify his generous impulses. Tony said he felt a little "ticklish" about taking it, at first; but George a.s.sured him that Mr. Walker would feel hurt if he did not, and he concluded to accept it.
"But what shall we do with it, George?" asked the young hero, who was not a little embarra.s.sed by the possession of so much money.