Oliver Optic

“ Hardly had the yacht brought up at her cable, when the Juno, in which Laud Cavendish had been laying off and on where he could see the launch, ran alongside of her.
"Keep off!" shouted Donald; "you will scrape her sides."
"No; hold on, Don John; I have a cork fender," replied Laud, as he threw his painter on board of the Maud. "Catch a turn—will you?"
"Don't let him come on board, if you can help [183] it," whispered Nellie Patterdale. "He is a terrible bore."
"I can help it," replied Donald, as, with a boat-hook he shoved off the bow of the Juno. ”

“ If you let off the main-sheet or spill the sail every time a puff comes, you lose time," replied Donald. "I believe in keeping on the safe side; but a fellow may lose the race by dodging every capful of wind that comes. There goes the first gun."
"Let us get into line," added Rodman, as he cast off the moorings and hoisted the jib. "Let her drive."
Donald took the helm, and the Maud shot away like an arrow in the fresh breeze.
"Her sails set beautifully," said the skipper for the occasion; though Rodman was nominally the captain of the yacht, and was so recorded in the books of the club. ”

“ It proved to be a bill of sale of the Juno, in due form, and for the consideration of three hundred dollars.
"Surely you cannot mean this, Captain Shivernock?" exclaimed the amazed young man.
"Can't I? Do you think I'm a lunatic?" stormed the captain.
Donald did think so, but he was not so imprudent as to say it.
"I can't pay you three hundred dollars for the boat," pleaded he.
"Nobody asked you to pay a red cent. The boat is yours. If you don't want her, sell her to the first man who is fool enough to buy her. That's all." ”

“ He produced his wallet again, and took a ten-dollar bill from the roll it contained, which he tendered to Donald.
"What's that for?" asked the skipper.
"Put it in your pocket, or I'll mash your empty skull!"
Donald placed it with the other bills in his wallet, more than ever amazed at the conduct of his singular passenger.
"I never allow anyone to get ahead of me without paying for my own stupidity. Do you go to Sunday School, and church, and missionary meetings?" asked the captain, with a sneer.
"I do, sir."
"I thought so. You are a sick monkey. You don't let your tongue tell a lie." ”

“ It would be a great favor, and I shall never forget it."
"Why do you want her to go with you?" demanded Donald, rather petulantly. "A yacht in a race is no place for ladies. I can find some fellows on board here who will be glad to go with you."
"But I want her to go with me. The fact of it is, Don John, I rather like Nellie, and I want to be better acquainted with her."
"If you do, you must paddle your own canoe," replied Donald, indignantly, as he ascended the steps, and joined the other two judges on deck.
"We are waiting for you, Don John," said Sam Rodman, who was one of them. ”

“ He may yet turn out to be a worthless fellow, dissolute and dishonest," continued the captain.
"Don John!" exclaimed Nellie, utterly unwilling to accept such a supposition.
"Even Don John. I can recall more than one young man, who promised as well as he does, that turned out very badly; and men fully developed in character, sustaining the highest reputations in the community, have been detected in the grossest frauds. I trust Don John will realize the hopes of his friends; but we must not be too positive."
"I can't believe that Don John will ever become a bad man," protested Nellie. ”

“ Of course the good lady was delighted with the success of her son, and Barbara laughed till she shook her curls into a fearful snarl.
"You have done well, Donald," said Mrs. Ramsay. "I thank God that you have been so successful."
"I have paid nearly all my bills, and I shall make about two hundred and fifty dollars on the job," added the young boat-builder. "I think I can build the next one for less money."
"You may not get another one to build, my son."
"That depends upon the race to-morrow. If I beat the Skylark, I'm sure of one." ”

“ Donald put the helm down; the jib and mainsail were trimmed as flat as it was judicious to have them; and the Maud was close-hauled, standing up to the northward. The skipper was careful not to cramp her by laying too close to the wind. He was an experienced boatman, and he governed himself more by the feeling of the craft under him than by his sight. He could shut his eyes, and tell by the pressure of the tiller in his hand whether she was cramped, or was going along through the water.
"Did you get the time when the Skylark passed the Head, Mr. Norwood?" asked Donald. ”

“ He swindled me out of a thousand dollars, and I ought to know him. If the man that flogged him hasn't finished him, I'll pound him myself when I catch him in the right place," replied the strange man, violently. "Who did the job, Don John?"
"I don't know, sir. He hasn't been discovered yet."
"If he is discovered, I'll give him five hundred dollars, and pay the lawyers for keeping him out of jail. I wish I had done it myself; it would make me feel good."
Donald was entirely satisfied that Captain Shivernock had not done it. ”

“ The praise of Captain Patterdale was particularly agreeable to him; but the best news he heard was that Major Norwood intended to have a yacht built for his son, and would probably give the job to Ramsay & Son.
"Well, Don John, you are a real lion," laughed Nellie Patterdale, when, at last, the young boat-builder obtained a place at her side, which had been the objective point with him since he entered the grounds.
"Better be a lion than a bear," replied Donald. ”

“ I hope, when you get the Maud done, you will not be so busy, Don John, for you don't attend many of our club meetings."
"I hope to be busier than ever. You see, Sam, I can't afford to run with you rich fellows. I don't wear kid gloves," laughed Donald.
"No matter if you don't; you are just as good a fellow as any of them."
"Everybody uses me first rate; as well as though my father had been a nabob."
"Well, they ought to; for it is brains, not money, that makes the man. We want to see more of you in the club. You must go with us on our long cruise." ”

“ Norwood.
"None whatever, sir," replied Donald. "The day is ours by as fair a race as ever was sailed. The Maud proved what she could do before we got to Turtle Head; and all the conditions were exactly equal up to that time. If I made anything by manœuvring, it was only when we tacked a mile north of the Head. We have beaten her squarely in a heavy wind; but how she would do compared with the Skylark in a light breeze, is yet to be proved."
"I am satisfied, Don John; and I give you the job to build the Alice, for that is to be the name of Frank's yacht." ”

“ The Skylark's mast will go by the board first, and then it will be time enough to look out for ours."
"You have beaten her, Don John," added Ned.
"Not yet. 'There's many a slip between the cup and the lip.'"
"But you are a quarter of a mile ahead of her, at least. It's blowing a gale, and we can't carry all this sail much longer."
"She can carry it as long as the Skylark. When she reefs, we will do the same. I want to show you what the Sea Foam's made of. She is as stiff as a line-of-battle ship."
"But look over to windward, Don John," exclaimed Ned, with evident alarm. "Isn't that a squall?" ”

“ I advise you not to wake a sleeping lion."
"A sleeping jackass!"
"I claim to be a gentleman, and my honor is my capital stock in life."
"You have a very small capital to work on, then."
"I warn you to be cautious, Don John. My honor is all I have to rest upon in this world."
"It's a broken reed. I wouldn't give a cent's worth of molasses candy for the honor of a fellow who would destroy the property of another, because he got mad with him."
In spite of his repeated warnings, Laud Cavendish was very forbearing, though Donald kept the boat-hook where it would be serviceable in an emergency. ”

“ She has to reef when there's a capful of wind. In a calm she will beat us, but when it blows we shall wax her all to pieces."
"Hallo!" shouted Mr. Laud Cavendish, whose small sail-boat was overhauled about half way over to Turtle Head. "Is that you, Don John?"
"I believe so," replied Donald.
"Where you going?"
"Over to Turtle Head. Want us to give you a tow?"
"No; you needn't brag about your old tub. She don't belong to you; and I'm going to have a boat that will beat that one all to splinters," replied Laud. ”

“ Nothing could have been more fairly done." [157]
"It was all perfectly fair, Ned; but you know that winning a race does not depend entirely upon the boat," suggested Donald, hinting mildly at his own theory of the defeat.
"Then you think I didn't sail her well?" said Ned.
"I think you sailed her very well; but it could not be expected that you would do as well with her as Bob Montague with the Skylark, for he has sailed his yacht for months, while you have only had yours a few weeks. This is a matter of business with me, Ned. If our boats are beaten, we lose our work. ”

“ Samuel Rodman left the shop and walked down the beach to the sail-boat in which he had come. Donald was almost inspired by the idea which had taken possession of him. If he could only carry on his father's business, he could make money enough to support the family; and knowing every stick in the hull of a vessel, he felt competent to do so. ”

“ I'm out of a job."
"I thought you were at Miller's store."
"I was there; but I'm not now. Miller shoved me out. Do you know of any fellow that has a good boat to sell?"
"What kind of a boat?"
"Well, one like the Skylark and the Sea Foam."
"No; I don't know of any one around here. Do you want to buy one?"
"Yes; I thought I would buy one, if I could get her about right. She must be cheap."
"How cheap do you expect to buy a boat like the Sea Foam?" asked Donald, wondering what a young man out of business could be thinking about when he talked of buying a yacht.
"Four or five hundred dollars." ”

“ We may be beaten yet—badly beaten, too. There are a dozen things that may use us up. The tide is not up, so that I can't play off the dodge I did in the Sea Foam; and if I could, Bob Montague is up to it."
"There is no need of any dodge of any sort," replied Mr. Norwood. "We are beating the Skylark without manœuvring; and that is the fairest way in the world to do it."
"This is plain sailing, sir; and the Skylark's best point is on the wind. For aught I know, the Maud may do the best with a free wind," said Donald ”

“ Mr. Laud Cavendish knew very well that Donald would not spend Sunday in boating and fishing; and he did not ask because he wanted him. Besides, for more reasons than one, he did not desire his company. The Sea Foam ran out of talking distance of the sail-boat in a moment. Robert Montague was doing his best to keep up the reputation of the Skylark; but when the fleet came up to Turtle Head, she was more than a length behind. The jib was hauled down, the yachts came up into the wind, and the anchors were let go.
"Beat you," shouted Gus Barker. ”

“ Again the Skylark forged ahead, and was a length in advance of the Sea Foam, when the yachts came up with Turtle Head.
"You are losing it, Don John," said Ned, apparently not much displeased at the result.
"Not yet," replied Donald. "A pull on the main sheet, Dick," added the skipper, as he put the helm down. "Give her six inches more centre-board, Ned."
"You will be on the rocks, Don John!" shouted the owner of the yacht, as the Sea Foam [167] dashed under the stern of the Skylark, and ran in close to the shore.
"Don't be alarmed, Ned. Haul down the jib-sheet a little more! Steady! Belay!" ”

“ Donald was determined not to do anything wrong, and if the captain had committed any evil deed, he fully intended to expose him; but he meant to keep still until he learned that the evil deed had been done. The money in his pocket, and that for which the Juno could be sold, would be capital enough to enable him to carry on the business of boat-building. But he was determined to see Captain Shivernock that very day in regard to the boat. Perhaps the strange man would give him a job to build a centre-board yacht, for he wanted one. ”

“ A man of your size ought not to haggle for fifty dollars on a boat."
"I can't afford to give more than three hundred for the Juno," protested Laud, very decidedly.
"Can you afford to give that?" asked Donald, with a smile.
Laud looked at him sharply, and seemed to be somewhat embarrassed.
"I suppose I can't really afford it; but what's life for? We can't live it over again, and we ought to make the best of it. Don't you think so?" ”

“ Donald was entirely satisfied, and went into the house to dress for the occasion. He was soon [142] ready, and walked down the beach towards the skiff he used to go off to the sail-boat. The sky was overcast, and the wind blew a smashing breeze, promising a lively race. The Juno had been entered for the regatta, but she was still at her moorings off the shop, and Donald wondered where Laud was, for he had been very enthusiastic over the event. ”

“ The prize will belong to the boat."
"If you win the race in the Maud, I shall be satisfied with the glory, without any of the spoils."
"Well, we won't quarrel about it now, for she may not win the first prize."
"Well, the same gentlemen will give a second [267] prize of fifty dollars," continued Rodman. "But don't you expect to get the first prize, Don John?"
"I do; but to expect is not always to win, you know."
"You have always talked as though you felt pretty sure of coming in first," said Rodman, who did not like to see any abatement of confidence on the part of the boat-builder. ”