With these words he hurried off, followed by all the boys. He led the way up an inclined plane which ran up to the bows of the ship, and on reaching this place they went along a staging, and finally, coming to a ladder, they clambered up, and found themselves on the deck of the ship.
"I must leave you now, Bart, my boy," said the gentleman; "you go to the quarter-deck and take care of yourselves. I must go down again."
"Who in the world is he, Bart?" asked the boys, as they all stood on the quarter-deck.
"Was there ever such luck!" cried Bart, joyously. "This is the ship Sylph, and that is Mr. Watson, and he has built this ship for my father. Isn"t it odd that we should come to this place at this particular time?"
"Why, it"s as good as a play."
"Of course it is. I"ve known Mr. Watson all my life, and he"s one of the best men I ever met with. He was as glad to see me as I was to see him."
But now the boys stopped talking, for the scene around them began to grow exciting. In front of them was the settlement, and in the yard below was a crowd who had a.s.sembled to see the launch. Behind them was the broad expanse of the Pet.i.tcodiac River, beyond which lay the opposite sh.o.r.e, which went back till it terminated in wooded hills.
Overhead arose the masts, adorned with a hundred flags and streamers.
The deck showed a steep slope from bow to stern. But the scene around was nothing, compared with the excitement of suspense, and expectation.
In a few minutes the hammers were to sound. In a few minutes the mighty fabric on which they were standing would move, and take its plunge into the water.
The suspense made them hold their breath, and wait in perfect silence.
Around them were a few men, who were talking in a commonplace way. They were accustomed to launches, and an incident like this was as nothing in their lives, though to the boys it was sufficient to make their hearts throb violently, and deprive them of the power of speech.
A few minutes pa.s.sed.
"We ought to start soon," said Bart, in a whisper; for there was something in the scene which made them feel grave and solemn.
The other boys nodded in silence.
A few minutes more pa.s.sed.
Then there arose a cry.
And then suddenly there came to their excited ears the rattle of a hundred hammers. Stroke after stroke, in quick succession, was dealt upon the wedges, which thus raised the vast structure from her resting-place. For a moment she stood motionless, and then--
Then with a slow motion, at first scarce perceptible, but which every instant grew quicker, she moved down her ways, and plunged like lightning into the water. The stern sank deep, then rose, and then the ship darted through the water across the river. Then suddenly the anchor was let go, and with the loud, sharp rattle of chains, rushed to the bed of the river. With a slight jerk the ship stopped.
The launch was over.
A boat now came from the sh.o.r.e, bringing the builder, Mr. Watson; and at the same time a steamer appeared, rounding a point up the river, and approaching them.
"Do you want to go to St. John, Bart?"
"Not just yet, sir," said Bart.
"Because if you do you can go down in the ship. The steamer is going to take her in tow at once. But if you don"t want to go, you may go ash.o.r.e in the boat. I"m sorry I can"t stay here to show you the country, my boy; but I have to go down in the ship, and at once, for we can"t lie here in the river, unless we want to be left high and dry at low tide. So good by. Go to the house. Mrs. Watson"ll make you comfortable as long as you like; and if you want to take a drive you may consider my horses your own."
With these words he shook hands with all the boys for good by, and after seeing them safely on board the boat, he waited for the steamer which was to tow the Sylph down the bay. The boys then were rowed ash.o.r.e. By the time they landed, the steamer had reached the ship, a stout cable was pa.s.sed on board and secured, her anchor was weighed, and then, borne on by steam, and by the tide, too, which had already turned, the Sylph, in tow of the steamer, pa.s.sed down the river, and was soon out of sight.
Bart then went to see Mrs. Watson, with all the boys. That lady, like her husband, was an old acquaintance, and in the true spirit of hospitality insisted on every one of them taking up their abode with her for an indefinite period. Finding that they could not do this, she prepared for them a bounteous breakfast, and then persuaded them to go off for a drive through the country. This invitation they eagerly accepted.
Before starting, they encountered Captain Corbet.
"Don"t hurry back, boys," said he, "unless you very pertik"l"ry wish to go up to Moncton by the arternoon tide. Don"t mind me. I got several things to occoopy me here."
"What time could we start up river?"
"Not before four."
"O, we"ll be back by that time."
"Wal. Ony don"t hurry back unless you like. I got to buy some ship-bread, an I got to fix some things about the boat. It"ll take some time; so jest do as you like."
Being thus left to their own devices, and feeling quite unlimited with regard to time, the boys started off in two wagons, and took a long drive through the country. The time pa.s.sed quickly, and they enjoyed themselves so much that they did not get back until dusk.
"It"s too late now, boys, to go up," said the captain, as he met them on their return. "We"ve got to wait till next tide. It"s nearly high tide now."
"All right, captain; it"ll do just as well to go up river to-night."
"Amen," said the captain.
But now Mrs. Watson insisted on their staying to tea, and so it happened that it was after nine o"clock before they were ready to go on board the Antelope. Going down to the sh.o.r.e, they found the boat ready, with some articles which Captain Corbet had procured.
"I"ve been fixing the gunwales," said he; "an here"s a box of pilot-bread. We were gettin out of provisions, an I"ve got in a supply, an I"ve bought a bit of an old sail that"ll do for a jib. I"m afeard thar won"t be room for all of us. Some of you better stay ash.o.r.e, an I"ll come back."
"I"ll wait," said Bart, taking his seat on a stick of timber.
"An I"ll wait, too," said Bruce.
The other boys objected in a friendly way, but Bart and Bruce insisted on waiting, and so the boat at length started, leaving them behind.
In a short time it reached the schooner.
Captain Corbet secured the boat"s painter to the stem, and threw the oar on board.
"Now, boys, one of you stay in the boat, an pa.s.s up them things to me--will you?"
"All right," said Tom. "I"ll pa.s.s them up."
On this Captain Corbet got on board the schooner, followed by Arthur, and Phil, and Pat. Tom waited in the boat.
"Now," said Captain Corbet, "lift up that thar box of pilot-bread fust.
"Tain"t heavy. We"ll get these things out afore we go ash.o.r.e for the others."
"All right," said Tom.
He stooped, and took the box of biscuit in his arms.
At that time the tide was running down very fast, and the boat, caught by the tide, was forced out from the schooner with such a pressure that the rope was stiffened out straight.
Tom made one step forward. The next instant he fell down in the bottom of the boat, and those on board of the schooner who were looking at him saw, to their horror, that the boat was sweeping away with the tide, far down the river.