Oliver Optic

“ Never was a young man more earnestly and sincerely thanked for a brave and noble deed; and Mr. Sherwood hinted that something more substantial than thanks would be bestowed upon him.
"Thank you, sir; I don't need anything more," replied Lawry, blushing. "What will be done with the steamer, now?" he asked.
"I have got enough of her," said Mr. Sherwood. "She has given me a shock I shall never forget."
"I don't think it was the fault of the boat, sir," suggested Lawry. ”

“ In order to overcome this disadvantage he passed the rope around the smokestack.
"I have it now!" shouted he. "This gives me a splendid purchase;" and he hauled in the rope, bringing the hogshead chock up to the hull of the sunken craft.
"We are growing wiser every moment," laughed Ethan.
"So we are. Lower away, slowly. That's it," said Lawry. "Lower away."
"The sinker is on the bottom," replied Ethan.
"All right; can you see the hogshead?"
"Yes; you have hauled it completely under the guard. The water is as clear as crystal," answered Ethan. ”

“ Sherwood's party at Port Rock, he started for Burlington, where he had an engagement on the following day. Half a mile above the wharf, he came up with a schooner, which on examination proved to be the Missisque. It was a dead calm, and her new mainsail hung motionless from the gaff. The little captain had not seen her skipper since the day on which the old sail had been blown from the bolt-ropes by the squall; and he ran the Woodville alongside of her, in order "to pass the time of day" with him.
"How are you, Captain John?" shouted the young pilot.
"Why, Lawry! How are you?" ”

“ After taking a turn up and down the deck, Lawry curbed down his superfluous enthusiasm, and returned to the kitchen, where he extinguished the fire in the galley, and put away the dishes and kettles which had been used in getting breakfast. By this time Ethan had finished his work on the engine, and the steam gage indicated a sufficient pressure to work the machinery.
"All ready, Lawry!" shouted he.
"Is everything all right?"
"Yes, as good as new. Now, if you will go into the wheel-house, we will see what she will do." ”

“ Sherwood, and there it touched the hearts of true friends. Though none of them knew much about the ferryman and his family, yet for Lawry's sake they were deeply interested in them.
After breakfast Mr. Sherwood went down to the ferry-house; and the young pilot, with many tears and sobs, told him the whole of the sad story of his father's crime. The rich man was full of sympathy, but nothing could be done. He volunteered to be the culprit's bail, and to provide him with the best counsel in the State. But John Wilford was guilty, and nothing could wipe out this terrible truth. ”

“ Randall.
"What right have you to say I stole your money?" demanded Mr.
Wilford, with a show of intense indignation.
"Because you did."
"Can you prove it?"
"I think I can."
"No, you can't. I don't believe you lost any money. It's only a trick to cheat the bank or your creditors."
"We shall see."
"Don't talk so, husband," repeated Mrs. Wilford.
"Keep still, wife. When a man hasn't done anything, it's hard to be charged with stealing six thousand dollars. They can't prove anything."
"Yes, we can, Mr. Wilford," interposed the sheriff. ”

“ In one word, I will never take a dollar which I have expended for Lawry or the family. Your son is a manly and independent boy, and I don't like to hurt his feelings; so I shall not say anything about this money at present."
"Lawry is a good boy," said Mrs. Wilford proudly.
"He is worth his weight in gold. I am sorry your oldest son is not more like him."
"I don't know what to think of Benjamin."
"Where is he now?"
"I don't know; I haven't seen him since the steamer left, this morning."
"Lawry is a good deal troubled about the ferry-boat."
"He needn't be."
"Can you hire a man to run the boat?" ”

“ It will cost a great deal of money to run the boat.
What do you pay your engineer?"
"I don't know, sir; we have made no bargain yet."
"If Ethan does a man's work, you must pay him a man's wages. I suppose he wants to make his fortune."
"What do you think he ought to have?" asked Lawry.
"Three dollars a day," replied Mr. Sherwood promptly. "I dare say Ethan would not charge you half so much; but that is about the wages of a man for running an engine in these times."
"I am satisfied, if that is fair wages; though it is a great deal more than I ever made."
"Engineers get high wages. ”

“ Lawry was a cook of no mean accomplishments, and he immediately went to work in carrying out his brilliant idea. Somehow, it is a singular fact that boys have a special delight in "getting up something to eat" in the woods, on the water, and generally in all out-of-the-way places. A dinner at Parker's or Delmonico's is not to be compared with baked potatoes and roasted ears of corn in the woods, or with fried fish and potatoes in a boat or on an island. ”

“ People said that John Wilford was lazy; that he did not make the most of his land, and that his ferry, with closer attention to the wants of passengers, might be made to pay double the amount he made from it. He permitted the weeds to grow in his garden, and compelled people to wait by the hour for a passage across the lake.
John Wilford wondered that he could not grow rich, that he could not pay off the mortgage on his place. He seldom sat down to dinner without grumbling at his hard lot. His wife was a sensible woman. She did not wonder that he did not grow rich ”

“ It is in his coat pocket, and it would have gone overboard if it hadn't been for me."
The ferryman finished his dinner in moody silence. He seemed to be thinking of the subject always uppermost in his mind, his thoughts stimulated, no doubt, by the fact that his expected passenger carried a large sum of money on his person.
"Mr. Randall is in a hurry, father," interposed Lawry, when the ferryman had sat a good half-hour after his son's arrival.
"He must wait till I get ready. He's got money, and I haven't; but I'm just as good as he is. I don't know why I'm poor when so many men are rich. ”

“ You can be the pilot, and the other fellow can be the engineer."
"And we can both of us have the privilege of obeying your orders," laughed Lawry.
"Well, I shouldn't be likely to interfere with you; your place would be in the wheel-house."
"And yours in the cabin, Captain Wilford. I can't stop to talk about this now. There comes Ethan with the cask."
"You might as well stop this foolish work first as last," sneered the would-be captain of the Woodville. "I was going to tell you how to raise her."
"Go on; we'll hear you, and work at the same time," said Ethan. ”

“ I'll go to New York and change off the money this very night."
"But only think of it, father. You will be a thief. You never will have a moment's peace as long as you live."
"I never did have, and I shall not be any worse off," said Mr. Wilford coldly. "There comes your steamer. She hasn't got any pilot on board; I know by the way she steers. You had better go and see to her, for she is running right for the Goblins."
Lawry glanced at the Woodville, as she appeared rounding a point, two miles distant.
"If you will go and find Mr. Randall, I will give you the pocketbook, father," replied Lawry. ”

“ You cannot place much confidence in a young man who is in the habit of getting drunk. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Lawry, but I must be frank with you."
Ben ground his teeth with rage, as he listened to this plain description of himself, and, in accordance with his usual practice in such cases, vowed to be revenged upon the man who had traduced him, which was his interpretation of Mr. Sherwood's candid statement of the truth.
"I think you are right, sir," replied Lawry, realizing that Ben was not fit for the command of the Woodville, even if he was disposed to give it to him. ”

“ What for?" exclaimed John Wilford. "You can't prove anything."
"Yes, we can," replied the sheriff.
"What can you prove?"
"I think it would be better for you not to talk so much," added the sheriff, in a low tone. "Come with me, and I will do my duty as quietly as possible."
"Come with you! What for?" said Mr. Wilford, in a loud tone. "I didn't steal the money."
"It's a plain case. It's no use for you to deny it any longer."
"But I didn't."
"We have found the money, just where you put it."
"Found—what!" stammered the guilty man.
"Oh, husband!" groaned Mrs. Wilford.
"Oh, father!" sobbed Lawry. ”