Oliver Optic

“ I am no boatman, and I never tried to handle the Magnolia, for the colonel was the only person on the place who ever learned the trick of doing that; but I often sailed in her up and down the river, and I used to think I could do it if I tried," replied the manager, as the other four negroes came upon the pier.
"Oh, well, if you can handle her with a sail, that's another thing," answered Deck, yielding the point.
"Here, Rosebud, unlock the boathouse, and bring out six oars, the biggest ones, and all the boathooks you can find," said Levi, as he looked the boat over. ”

“ OLIVER OPTIC'S
BOAT CLUB SERIES.
Six Vols., Illust. Per vol., $1.25.
The Boat Club;
Or, The Bunkers of Rippleton.
All Aboard;
Or, Life on the Lake.
Now or Never;
Or, the Adventures of Bobby Bright.
Try Again;
Or, The Trials and Triumphs of Harry West.
Poor and Proud;
Or, The Fortunes of Katy Redburn.
Little by Little;
Or The Cruise of the Flyaway.
Boys and girls have no taste for dry and tame things; they want something that will stir the blood and warm the heart. Optic always does this, while at the same time he improves the taste and elevates the moral nature. ”

“ The Yazoo was shaking in every fibre of her steel body, and it was plain that Captain Carboneer was straining her to the utmost to effect his escape.
"It is beginning to warm up a little," said Beeks, as he tried to look out at one of the round ports of the wardroom.
"It will be hotter than this before we see the end of it," replied Christy. "Can you see anything?"
"Not a thing; of course the Bellevite is astern of us," added Beeks. "But the Yazoo is not using her guns."
"How can she? She has not fired a shot for some time, and she cannot without coming to. ”

“ We were all too young and inexperienced to behold a human being apparently at the gates of death without a tremendous sensation of horror.
"Hookie!" gasped Sim, after he had gazed an instant at the object, his breath collapsing as he uttered the favorite expression.
"Can't you save her?" cried Flora, in trembling tones.
"I will if I can." [216]
"O, do save her. It's terrible."
"She is clinging to a piece of wood, and has her head quite out of water," I added, as I turned the raft.
The unfortunate person was still some distance farther up the stream than the raft. ”

“ If he had seen the boat that was made fast to the stern of the steamer, it had no significance to him. He had never been a boatman; and the little craft was not suggestive to him as it was to Deck, who had spent much of his time on the waters of Bar Creek and Green River since his father moved from New Hampshire to Kentucky. He had not spoken of his plan to his associate, partly from the force of habit as an officer, and partly from the fear of being overheard by some one on the shore above. ”

“ I am not to be trifled with!"
"Neither am I," added the prisoner, as he drew out his weapon, and aimed it at the head of the mate. "You can take your choice between the rock and a ball from my revolver, Mr. Dawbin."
"Do you mean to murder me?" demanded the mate.
"I hope you will not compel me to do so harsh a thing as that. But no fooling! I have no time to spare. Jump on the rock, or I will fire before 276 you are ten seconds older!" said Christy resolutely.
"Come back into the boat, men!" shouted the officer.
"The first one that comes any nearer the boat is a dead man!" ”

“ Down the River; or, Buck Bradford and the Tyrants. "Mr. Adams, the celebrated and popular writer, familiarly known as Oliver Optic, seems to have inexhaustible funds for weaving together the virtues of life; and, notwithstanding he has written scores of books, the same freshness and novelty run through them all. Some people think the sensational element predominates. Perhaps it does. But a book for young people needs this, and so long as good sentiments are inculcated such books ought to be read." ”

“ I was thinking of the boat."
"If it is dashed to pieces in a good cause, let it be so."
"Good!" ejaculated Fred Harper. "That's the talk for me!"
"The water in the lake is very high, and I know exactly where the rocks lie. Keep steady; I will put you through in safety."
"Where is the Butterfly now, Frank?" asked William Bright.
"Wait a minute.—There she goes! Hurrah! she has passed the reefs safely. They pull like heroes. There! Up go her oars—they are in-board. There are a man and a woman in the water, struggling for life. The man is trying to save the woman. ”

“ I needed no help myself, and was on the raft almost as soon as the girl. She was utterly exhausted, and unable to hold up her head. Sim and I carried her into the house. We laid her in Sim's bunk, and Flora was as tender with her as though she had been a baby.
"Hookie!" exclaimed Sim, staring at the sufferer, [225] with his mouth open wide enough to take in a canal boat. "Is she dead?"
"No—not dead!" replied Flora, as she lifted the wet locks from her face, and gently rubbed her temples. "What shall we do for her, Buckland?"
"She is chilled with the cold, and worn out with fear and exertion." ”

“ Taking his place in the pilot-house with Beeks, he rang the bell to go ahead. The Teaser started on quite a different voyage from what she had been intended for. Christy had studied up his courses and distances, and had imprinted the chart of the lower part of the bay on his brain. For the first part of the run, there was no obstacle, and no difficulty in regard to the course.
The fog and the darkness were so dense that not a thing could be seen in any direction; but he rang for full speed as soon as the Teaser was under way. ”

“ My overseer is not a Union man, and I am afraid he will not do his duty. My place is not so well situated for a defence as yours, Major."
"I believe we have force enough to drive the ruffians again, for they don't like the smell of gun-powder any better than other bullies," replied the Riverlawn planter.
"My son Tom is at home, and my nephew, Major Gadbury, is visiting at Lyndhall. But all of them, including my two daughters, have gone to a party at Rock Lodge. I suppose you know the place, Major?" ”

“ The tug-boat went off on its course, but it was nearly half an hour before it got near enough to the fort to allow the Bellevite to start her screw. As there was nowhere less than three fathoms of water, and Captain Breaker knew every inch of bottom, he directed Mr. Vapoor to hurry the engine, so that no one should have time to change his mind. The steamer shot by the fort as though she did not like the looks of 144 it, and in another half an hour she was out of the reach of its guns. ”

“ There was work enough on the raft to keep us both employed, and he was in no danger of dying from inaction.
"Are you going to keep her a-going all night, Buck?" asked he, in a tone so loud that it seemed to reverberate over the broad prairies which bounded the river. [198]
"Hush, Sim! Don't talk so loud," I replied, in a whisper. "You will keep Flora awake if you do."
"Hookie! I didn't think of her," said he, slapping his great fist over his mouth, in token of his intention to do better.
"We shall keep moving, night and day, Sim."
"Are you always going to set up all night?" he whispered. ”

“ He is a fire-eater of the most pronounced stamp; but the rascal is a coward, I believe, though he has the reputation of being a brave man; yet he is nothing but a bully. You would think, to hear him talk, that he was going to burn up the Cumberland River."
"Is he the long-haired fellow I saw at the head of the stairs, dressed better than the rest of the gang?" asked Deck.
"That is the man. He is well educated, and is a lawyer in Columbia; but the influential and conservative men, who are nearly all Unionists, will have nothing to do with him, and have always looked upon him as a scallawag. ”

“ Good!” shouted the crowd, when I came to the point where I aimed the revolver at Christy in the cab. “Why didn’t you shoot him?”
“When I drew a bead upon him he stopped the engine, and gave up the pocket-book,” I continued, with boyish exhilaration.
“Wolf, you have saved me,” gasped my delighted father; “but I am rather sorry you did not shoot the villain.”
“We are wasting the whole day here,” said the captain of the boat, nervously. “We have no engineer now. Ralph, will you run us up the lake?” ”

“ Flora boards here, and isn't anybody's servant," I replied. [39]
"I should like to know! Is that girl to sit there before the fire and let whatever's on the stove burn up before she'll raise her hand to save it?"
"It's no use of talking," said I. "You know all about it as well as I do. All I have to say is, that Flora shall not be abused by anybody, I don't care who it is."
"Nobody's going to abuse her," snapped the shrew.
"I've got another account to settle with you, Buck Bradford," continued Captain Fishley. "Did Ham tell you to black his boots?" ”

“ You are by far too much of a friend to be touched."
"But I must be knocked out, or my record won't bear investigation, Major Lyon. Are you ready to gallop away on this horse?"
"Yes," answered Deck, promptly.
"All right, and don't forget to take those animals with you—at least for a ways." The Confederate hesitated. "If I give you the password, will you promise to use it only to get away on?"
"I will, and do."
The countersign was then given, and Derwiddie [Pg 397] looked again toward the house. Not a soul was in sight.
"Give me a small crack on the forehead with that pistol!" he cried. ”

“ Olaf looked at the three stout men before him, and prudence triumphed over his angry passions.
“I will have the boy yet,” said he, as he walked to the stairs, closely attended by the three forward officers.
He went down into his boat, declaring that he would seize upon Ole the first time he caught him on shore.
“Where is Clyde?” asked Mr. Lowington, as soon as the savage skipper had gone.
“He is forward, sir; he behaves like a new man, and says he will not run away,” replied Peaks. ”

“ Artie, up in the tree, had kept his eyes wide open, but there was nothing more to be seen. Deck returned to him, and took his place near him. The enemy was still halted at the cross roads. The wagon-train had come up with the main body, and stopped in the road at the side of the creek. Whoever directed the movements of the column had evidently blundered, for the assailants did not appear to know what to do next.
"There is only one boat on each wagon, which is drawn by two mules," said Artie in the tree. ”

“ He had nothing to do but amuse himself, and he had completely exhausted his slender ingenuity in devising new amusements.
"Stop her," said he, languidly, after the boat had gone about two miles.
Dandy obeyed the order without a question, and the Edith soon floated listlessly on the water, waiting the pleasure of her magnificent owner.
"Back to the pier," added Archy; and under the orders of her skilful coxswain, she was put about, and darted up the river on her return.
The shining ebony face of the great Athenian [Pg 25] philosopher's namesake looked glum and discontented. ”

“ I am going back now to my place on the other side of the enemy," said Deck. "You can come when you get ready, Life."
As he spoke he wheeled his trusty steed, and intimated to him that he was ready; whereupon Ceph made a spring, and darted off at a breakneck speed.
"Hold on, Baby!" shouted the sergeant, calling him by a name he had used before, to which Deck did not object as long as the Kentuckian did not treat him like an infant. "We uns kim over to escort you back!"
"Obey your orders, Life," returned the furious young rider, without even looking behind him. ”

“ Alick was duly installed as his nurse, though Captain de Banyan performed the greater part of his duty. But the consciousness that he was again beneath the old flag did more for the patient than even the assiduous care of his devoted friends.
After leaving Petersburg the fugitives had pursued a nearly easterly course till they arrived at the bridge over Chipoak Creek, where they had abandoned their horses, and taken the boat. Alick had chosen this direction to avoid the pickets which were on the lookout for them in the vicinity of the City Point Railroad. ”

“ About three miles farther on, as they were descending a hill, they were not a little astonished to see half a dozen men stretch themselves suddenly across the narrow road, blocking their passage.
Like the others they had encountered at Newberry, they were plainly deserters; and two of them had muskets which they pointed at the scouts. Three to one was a large odds. Even Life believed it was more prudent to run than to fight; and wheeling his horse, he bade Deck follow him. The forest was open enough to permit the passage of horses, and a couple of rods back the leader turned into the woods. ”

“ The big branch of a tree came down, and all the men on the raft and near them ran into the woods. The road is all clear of them, and they are not going home by the Rapids Bridge."
"No, the villains!" exclaimed the commander. "They have other business on their hands. I am afraid we have been too tender with them."
"One thing more, Colonel, and I have done," continued Deck. "When the ruffians retreated before your fire, those who had guns stationed themselves behind the trees and began to fire at you. Then we three opened upon them with the rifles, and when Levi fired a man dropped. ”

“ Take you hands off of me!" shouted a voice that sounded rather familiar to Christy, as he and his father were still talking 81 on the deck. "Let me alone! I am a Southern gentleman!"
"I know you are," replied Mr. Dashington, as he appeared on deck, coming up from the companionway that led to the cabin and ward-room, holding by the collar a young man who was struggling to escape from his strong grasp. "Don't make a fuss, my hearty: I want to introduce you to the captain."
"What have you got there, Mr. Dashington?" asked Captain Breaker, who was standing near the owner. ”