"Mr. Sherwood don"t know everything."
"I think he would know what is right in a case like this."
"He thinks you are a little G.o.d, and I know what he would say."
"I will do as mother says, then."
"What do women know about these things?"
"I don"t think Mr. Sherwood or mother would like it if I should give up the command of this boat to any one."
"Let them lump it, then," replied Ben, as he rushed out of the wheel-house, incensed beyond measure at Lawry"s opposition to his unreasonable proposal.
Captain Lawry was sorely disturbed by the conduct of his brother. He could not enjoy his pleasant position at the wheel, and he put the steamer about, heading her toward Port Rock.
"Lawry," said Ben, returning to the wheel-house, "I want you to tell me what you are going to do. I"m older than you, and I have seen more steamboating than you have. I think it"s my right to be captain of this boat."
"I don"t think so."
"I don"t want to jaw any more about it."
"I"m sure I don"t."
"All I"ve got to say is, that if I don"t run this boat no one will."
"What do you mean by that, Ben?" demanded Lawry.
"No matter what I mean. I"m going to have what belongs to me. Once for all, am I to be captain, or not?"
"No," replied Lawry firmly.
Ben went out of the wheel-house, and the pilot did not see him again till after the _Woodville_ reached her wharf. Lawry was sadly grieved at the att.i.tude of his brother; and if Ben had been a reliable person, fit for the position he aspired to obtain, he would have yielded the point. But the would-be captain was an intemperate and dissolute fellow, as unsuitable for the command as he would have been for the presidency of a bank.
Early on the following morning the supplies for the _Woodville_ were taken on board, and at eight o"clock everything was in readiness for the reception of Mr. Sherwood"s party. The steam was merrily hissing from the escape-pipe; Ethan was busy, as he always was, in rubbing down the polished parts of the engine, and Lawry was walking up and down the forward deck. Quite a collection of people had a.s.sembled on the unfinished wharf and the sh.o.r.e to witness the departure of the steamer. As Captain Lawry paced the deck, there was a slight commotion in the crowd, and three persons pa.s.sed through, making their way to the deck. One of them was the sheriff who had arrested the ferryman a few days before. He was followed by Mr.
Taylor, his father"s creditor, and Ben Wilford.
"I"m sorry to trouble you, Lawry," said the official; "but I suppose I must do my duty."
"What"s the matter, sir?" asked Lawry. "What have I done?"
"Nothing, my boy. I think this is rather mean business; but I can"t help it," replied the sheriff, as he produced certain doc.u.ments.
"Your father owes Mr. Taylor a note of nine hundred and fifty dollars, on which the interest has not been paid for two years, making the debt ten hundred and sixty-four dollars."
"But the place is mortgaged for that," replied Lawry.
"I have just foreclosed the mortgage; and now I must attach this steamboat."
"Attach it!" groaned Lawry.
"Such are my orders; your father"s place would hardly sell for enough to pay the debt."
"But this boat is mine," pleaded Lawry.
"You are a minor, Lawry; and your father is ent.i.tled by law to all your earnings, as you have a claim on him for your support. I can"t stop to explain this matter. The steamer is in my possession now, subject to the decree of the court. I shall appoint a person to take charge of her and run her for the benefit of the parties in interest."
"That"s too bad!" exclaimed Lawry.
"I know it is; but I can"t help it," replied the sheriff. "I shall appoint your brother, and from this time he has full control of her."
It was evident even to Lawry, who had not been informed of his brother"s worst intentions, that Ben was at the bottom of this conspiracy. Such was indeed the truth. Mr. Taylor was a young man who had recently inherited a large fortune, which, it was plain, would soon be squandered, for he was both intemperate and reckless. Ben had helped him home one night after a drunken carousal, which had been the beginning of an intimacy between them, for the younger tippler was not one to neglect an opportunity to secure a wealthy friend.
They had talked together about the _Woodville_ on several occasions, and Ben had suggested in what manner he might obtain the debt due him. On the night before the visit of the sheriff to the steamer, the malignant and jealous brother had repeated to his dissipated patron the story of his grievances--that he was a "n.o.body"
at home, and that Lawry wanted to make a deck-hand of him. Though not a badly disposed man in the main, Taylor listened with interest and sympathy to the exaggerated and distorted narrative, and the plan by which Ben was to be put in possession of the steamer was matured.
The creditor went to a lawyer, one of his boon companions, who was quite willing to make business for himself; and he had looked up the law and arranged the facts, by which he expected to hold the steamer.
Doubtless it was a very ingenious scheme, and perhaps it is unfortunate that the case never came to trial, for it involved some interesting legal points. Thus far the design had been carried out, and Ben was in command of the steamer, as an employee of the sheriff.
"I won"t be as hard with you, Lawry, as you were with me," said Ben, as he walked up to Lawry in the wheel-house, to which he had retreated to hide his confusion.
"This is your work, Ben," replied the youth bitterly.
"I was bound to have the command of this steamer, and I have got it," added Ben, with malignant triumph.
"I know you have; you put Mr. Taylor up to this, or he never would have done it."
"Don"t snarl about it, Lawry; the thing is done, and you can"t help yourself. The sheriff has given me the command of the boat."
"And he has attached the place. Mother will be turned out of house and home!" cried Lawry, unable to repress his tears.
"No, she won"t; that will be all right."
"Oh, Ben! How could you do it?"
"You drove me to it. It is all your fault, Lawry; so you needn"t whine about it. Don"t make a fuss; here comes Taylor."
"I don"t want to see him," said Lawry, moving toward the door.
"Don"t go off; I"m going to take Taylor and his friends up the lake, to give them a sail."
"The boat is engaged to Mr. Sherwood, to-day."
"I can"t help it; he will not have her to-day. Come, Lawry, be a man. I won"t be as hard with you, I say, as you were with me. I don"t ask you to be a deck-hand. You shall be the pilot still."
"No, I won"t."
"Won"t you?"
"I will not," said Lawry firmly, as he dried his tears. "The boat is engaged to Mr. Sherwood, and he has invited a party to go with him.
They were to start at nine o"clock, and they will be down here soon."