THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 

 
 Ell Eboatb 
 
 %ife on the %ake 
 
 to "bc Scat Ib" 
 
 f 
 
 liver Optic 
 
 L A. DONOHUE & CO. 
 
 4O7-429 DEARBORN STBEET. 
 CHICAGO.
 
 HARKAWAY 
 SERIES OF BOOKS 
 
 BY BRACEBRIDGE HEMING. 
 
 Price, 75 Cents per Volume. 
 
 NO. TITLE. 
 
 1 Jack Harkaway's School Days. 
 
 2 Jack Harkaway After School Days. 
 
 3 Jack Harkaway Afloat and Ashore. 
 
 4 Jack Harkaway at Oxford, Part 1. 
 
 5 Jack Harkaway at Oxford, Part 2. 
 
 6 Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands, Part 1. 
 
 7 Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands, Part 2 
 
 8 Jack Harkaway's Adventures Around the 
 
 World. 
 
 9 Jack Harkaway in America and Cuba. 
 
 10 Jack Harkaway's Adventures in China. 
 
 1 1 Jack Harkaway's Adventures in Greece, 
 
 Part 1. 
 
 12 Jack Harkaway's Adventures in Greece, 
 
 Part 2. 
 
 13 Jack Harkaway's Adventures in Australia. 
 
 14 Jack Harkaway and His Boy Tinker, Part 1. 
 
 15 Jack Harkaway and His Boy Tinker, Part 2. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers 
 
 or DONOHUE BROTHERS. 4oj-429 Dearborn St., 
 CHICAGO.
 
 PS 
 
 MY NEPHEW, 
 CHARLES HENRY POP1, 
 
 THIS OOK 
 It AFFECTIONATELY 
 
 1643558
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 ALL ABOARD " was written to gratify the reason 
 able curiosity f the readers of " THE BOAT CLUB " to 
 know what occurred at Wood Lake during the second 
 season ; and, though it is a sequel, it has no direct 
 connection with its predecessor. The Introduction, in 
 the first chapter, contains a brief synopsis of the prin 
 cipal events of the first season ; so that those who have 
 not read " The Boat Club," will lalv^ under no disad 
 vantage on that account. 
 
 The story of each book is entirely distinct from that 
 of the other. As the interest of the first centers in 
 Tony Weston, so that of the second does in Charles 
 Hardy. I have tried to make the boys believe that the 
 path of truth and rectitude is not only the safest, but 
 the pleasantest path ; and the experience of Charles 
 with the " Rovers " illustrates and supports the position. 
 
 Perhaps some of the older readers of these books will 
 think that, in providing the boys at Wood Lake with 
 a whole fleet of boats, with bands of music, with club 
 rooms, libraries, and apparatus, I have furnished them 
 with very magnificent recreations ; and that I might 
 as well have told a " fairy tale " while I was about it. 
 The only excuse I can offer for this extravagance is, that 
 it would have been a pity to spoil a splendid ideal, 
 when it could be actualized by a single stroke of the 
 pen ; besides, I believe that nothing is too good for 
 good boys, especially when it is *>aid for out of the 
 pocket of a millionaire. 
 
 The author, grateful to his young friends for the kind 
 reception given to "The Boat Club," hopes that "All 
 Aboard " will not only please them, but make them 
 wiser and better. 
 
 WILLIAM T. ADAMS. 
 
 25, 1855.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PACK 
 
 L Introduction 9 
 
 II. The New Member 14 
 
 III. AllAboard! 25 
 
 IV. The Fraternal Hug 35 
 
 V. Up the River , . 44 
 
 VI. Hurrah for Tonyl 53 
 
 VII. Commodore Frank Sedley 62 
 
 VIII. The Race 70 
 
 IX. Little Paul 79 
 
 X. A Unanimous Vote 88 
 
 XI. Better to Give than Receive 97 
 
 XII. First of May 104 
 
 XIII. The Lighthouse 114 
 
 XIV. The Conspiracy I2C 
 
 XV. The "Rovers" 131 
 
 XVI. The Camp on the Island 139 
 
 XVII. The Escape 149 
 
 XVIII. Wreck of the Butterfly 158 
 
 XIX. The Cruise of the Fleet 166 
 
 XX. The Hospitalities of Oaklawn 175 
 
 XXL Conclusion i8c
 
 CHAPTER t 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 IT can hardly be supposed that all the boys who 
 take up this book have read the Boat Club ; there 
 fore it becomes necessary, before the old friends 
 of the club are permitted to reunite with them, 
 to introduce whatever new friends may be wait 
 ing to join them in the sports of the second season 
 at Wood Lake. However wearisome such a pres 
 entation may be to those who are already ac 
 quainted, my young friends will all allow that it 
 is nothing- more than civility and good manners. 
 
 Frank Sedley is the only son of Captain Sedley, 
 a retired shipmaster, of lofty and liberal views, 
 and of the most estimable character. He is not 
 what some people would call an ' ' old fogy," and 
 likes to have the boys enjoy themselves in every 
 thing that is reasonable and proper ; but not to 
 the detriment of their manners or morals, or to 
 the neglect of their usual duties. 
 
 Having been a sailor all his life, he has none 
 of that fear of boats and deep water which often 
 haunts the minds of fond parents, and has pur 
 chased a beautiful club boat for the use of his soa 
 and other boys who live in the vicinity of Wood 
 Lake. 
 
 Some fathers and mothers may think this was 
 
 9
 
 10 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 a very foolish act on the part of Captain Sedley ; 
 that the amusement he had chosen for his son 
 was too dangerous in itself, and too likely to 
 create in him a taste for aquatic pursuits that may 
 one day lead him to be a sailor, which some 
 tender mothers regard as " a dreadful thing," as, 
 indeed, it is, under some circumstances. 
 
 But it must be remembered that Captain Sedley 
 had been a sailor himself ; that he had followed 
 the seas from early youth ; and that he had made 
 his fortune and earned his reputation as a wise, 
 good, and respectable man, on the sea. So, of 
 course, he could not sympathize with the general 
 opinion that a ship must necessarily be a " sink 
 of iniquity," a school of vice, and that nothing 
 good can be expected of a boy who is sent to 
 sea. He believes that the man will grow out of 
 the boy ; and to his parental duty he applies the 
 apostolic maxim, "Whatsoever a man soweth, 
 that shall he also reap." 
 
 The club boat and the boat club, as means of 
 instruction and discipline, as well as of amuse 
 ment, were suggested by an accidental occur 
 rence. The " Bunkers of Rippleton," a set of 
 idle and dissolute boys, had constructed a rude 
 raft, upon which they paddled about on the lake, 
 and appeared to enjoy themselves very much. 
 Captain Sedley, who had forbidden his son to 
 venture upon the lake on the raft, or even in a 
 boat, without permission, overheard Charles 
 Hardy, the intimate friend of Frank, remark that 
 the "Bunkers " had a much better time than they 
 had, and that boys who did not obey their 
 parents often enjoyed themselves more than those 
 who did.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. XI 
 
 A few days after, the boys discovered the club 
 boat, the light and graceful Zephyr, resting like 
 a fairy shell upon the lake, and in its use the 
 argument of Charles was effectually refuted. A 
 club was formed of the boys in the neighbor 
 hood, and under the instruction of Uncle Ben, an 
 old sailor who lived with Captain Sedtey, soon 
 became very expert in the management of the 
 boat. A building was erected for the use of the 
 association, in which, besides the boat-house, 
 was a club room containing a library, and fur 
 nished with conveniences for holding meetings 
 for mutual instruction and recreation. A con 
 stitution for the government of the club was 
 adopted, in which the object of the association 
 was declared to be "the instruction and amuse 
 ment of the members, and the acquiring of good 
 morals, good manners, and good habits in 
 general." It defined and prohibited a great many 
 vices and bad habits common among boys, so 
 that the tendency of the organization was to 
 make them better, wiser, and happier. 
 
 Their experience upon the lake, while the in 
 fluence of the association stimulated them to the 
 strict performance of their ordinary duties, was 
 both varied and useful. Inasmuch as it reduced 
 their recreation to a system, the laws of the club 
 acting as a salutary check upon the waywarojness 
 of youth, it afforded an excellent discipline for 
 the mind and heart, as well as for the muscles. 
 
 Among the members of the club was an honest, 
 noble-hearted youth, the son of a poor widow, by 
 the name of Tony Weston. In an affray upon 
 Center Island, Tony had taken the part of Frank 
 Sedley against Tim Bunker, and had thus obtained
 
 12 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 the ill will of the leader of the " Bunkers," and it 
 accused of stealing a wallet, which is afterwards 
 proved to have been taken by the "Bunker" 
 himself. The theft is proved upon the graceless 
 scamp, and he is sent to the house of correction, 
 while Tony is borne in triumph by the club to 
 his home. 
 
 Near the close of the story, Tony's brother, who 
 has long been mourned as dead, returns home 
 from California, with a large fortune in his pos 
 session. The brother, George Weston, builds a 
 fine house for his mother, and, impelled by a 
 warm admiration for Tony's noble character, 
 purchases a splendid club boat for him, of (he 
 size and model of the Zephyr, which is named 
 the Butterfly. 
 
 Tny is a boy whom all my readers will lik^ 
 and though he is really no better boy than Frank 
 Sedley, the humble circumstances of his mother 
 before George returned required a great deal of 
 sacrifice on his part, and called into action a 
 great many noble traits of character. His life 
 was a struggle, and his character a triumph over 
 the perils to which poverty exposed him. 
 
 His experience seemed to exemplify the truths 
 ov Christianity. He could forgive his enemy, as 
 when, at the risk of his own life, he plunged into 
 the lake and rescued Tim Bunker from a watery- 
 grave, though Tim was even then laboring to 
 ruin him. He loved to sacrifice his own comfort 
 to that of others and found his greatest pleasure 
 in making others happy. He and Frank are the 
 unconscious exemplars of the boat club the 
 " men of character and influence " in their embryo 
 worki.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. Bg 
 
 Charles Hardy is a boy of another stamp one 
 who does things "to be seen of men." He is 
 sometimes selfish and ambitious ; though the 
 beneficent influence of the organization is work 
 ing- miracles in the transformation of his char 
 acter. 
 
 The Butterfly was launched in the month of 
 April. The liberality of George Weston had pro 
 vided for her a boat-house, similar to that of the 
 Zephyr, and, like that, furnished with a club room 
 and library, and all the means for promoting the 
 objects of the organization. 
 
 And now, with my old friends refreshed in 
 memory by this review of the first season, and 
 my new ones put in possession of all that is 
 necessary to a proper understanding of the situa 
 tion of the boat club, we are ready to proceed 
 with our story.
 
 U ALL ABOARD, OK 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE NEW MEMBER. 
 
 " ORDER ! " said Frank Sedley, as he seated 
 himself in the arm-chair, at the head of the table 
 in the club room. 
 
 At a meeting the preceding week, Frank had 
 again been chosen coxswain of the club for the 
 first official term. This had been done, not only 
 in compliment to the noble boy to whose father 
 the members were indebted for the privileges 
 they enjoyed, but in anticipation of an exciting 
 time on the lake, in a proposed race with the 
 Butterfly. Frank was acknowledged to be the 
 most skilful boatman among them, and under his 
 direction they expected to accomplish all that 
 they and the Zephyr could possibly attain. They 
 had already learned that mere muscle was not all 
 that was required to insure their success. Skill, 
 forethought, and the ability to take advantage of 
 favoring circumstances, were discovered to be 
 even more desirable than great power. 
 
 "Order !" repeated Frank, rapping smartly on 
 the table. 
 
 The members suspended their conversation, 
 and all eyes were fixed upon the president. The 
 affairs of the club, in connection with the Butter 
 fly, had been freely discussed for several weeks, 
 and everything had been arranged tor tiie opeu-
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 15 
 
 ing of the " summer campaign," as Charles Hardy 
 rather facetiously called it. 
 
 " There are two questions to be submitted for 
 the action of the club at this meeting." continued 
 Frank, with more than his usual gravity. "They 
 are questions of momentous consequence, and I 
 have felt the need of counsel from our director ; 
 but my father declines giving me any advice, and 
 says he prefers that we should discuss the ques 
 tions independently ; though, as you all know, if 
 
 our final action is wrong, he will he will " 
 
 "Veto it," added Fred Harper. 
 "Yes. he will not permit us to do a wrong, 
 though he wants us to think for ourselves, and 
 do the best we can." 
 
 " Precisely so ; he wants " Charles Hardy 
 
 begun. 
 
 "Order!" said Frank, with gentle firmness. 
 "The first question is this : Tim Bunker, who has 
 recently been discharged from the house of cor 
 rection, has applied to be admitted as a member 
 of the club, in place of Tony Weston, resigned. 
 Shall he be admitted ? " 
 
 "Mr. President, I move that he be not ad 
 mitted," said Charles. 
 
 " Is the motion seconded ? " 
 There was no response. The members all felt 
 that it was a very delicate matter, and that it re 
 quired careful deliberation. 
 
 "The motion is not seconded, and, of course, 
 cannot be entertained," continued the president. 
 
 "I move that he be admitted," said Fred Har 
 per. 
 
 "Second the motion," added William Bright. 
 Charles Hardy felt a little nettled, and his first
 
 l6 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 impulse was, to rise and express his astonishment, 
 as Squire Flutter had done in the " March meet 
 ing," at the motion of his friend on the other side 
 of the table : but the impulsive youth had learned 
 quite recently that a second thought is oftentimes 
 much better than a first, and he reserved the ex 
 pression of his surprise till a later stage of the de 
 bate. 
 
 As no one seemed disposed to open the dis 
 cussion, Frank requested Fred Harper to take the 
 chair, while he temporarily assumed the position 
 of one of the disputants. 
 
 "Mr. Chairman," said he, "I rise to offer a 
 few remarks in favor of the motion which is now 
 before the club. Perhaps I cannot better intro 
 duce my own views upon the subject than by re 
 lating the substance of the conversation that oc 
 curred when Tim applied to me for admission to 
 the club. He said that he had had a hard time 
 of it in the house of correction ; but he hoped his 
 long confinement had done him good. He had 
 firmly resolved to be a good boy. ' But,' said he, 
 ' what can I do ? If I go with the fellows I used 
 to associate with, how can I keep my resolution ? 
 I know I have been a very bad boy, and I want 
 to do what is right.' I told him that our 
 were very strict ; that no fellow was allowe-1 to 
 swear or to use bad language of any kind : and 
 that every member was required to keen straight 
 himself, and help keep the others straight. He 
 would agree to all this, would sign the constitu 
 tion, and my father and the club would soon see 
 that he meant all he said. I confess that 1 felt 
 for him. What he said about keeping company 
 With the ' Bunkers ' I suppose we must drop that
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 17 
 
 name now was true. He could not be a good 
 fellow with such as they are. Now it won't do 
 any harm to try him, and he may be saved from 
 the error of his ways. As it is, he has got a hard 
 name, and people will shun him : and, being dis 
 couraged, he may plunge deeper into vice than 
 ever. This is about all I have to say." 
 
 Frank resumed the chair, and several of the 
 members, perceiving the force of the president's 
 reasoning, expressed themselves in favor of ad 
 mitting Tim ; when Charles Hardy ros^ and 
 "plumed himself for a speech." 
 
 " Mr. President : I confess my surprise at the 
 direction this debate has taken. There's a des 
 tiny that shapes our ends " 
 
 "A what? " asked Fred Harper, with a roguish 
 smile. 
 
 " I beg the member on the other side will not 
 interrupt me," replied Charles, with offended dig 
 nity. " I quote the line as John Adams used it, 
 in his celebrated speech, ' Sink or swim. ' " 
 
 "Who?" 
 
 "John Adams." 
 
 " I beg the member's pardon, but John Adams 
 never made any such speech," answered Free 
 who, it must be confessed, was rather too fom, 
 of tantalizing the ambitious youth. 
 
 " Really, Mr. President, I am surprised that 
 the member should deny what we all know. 
 Why, the piece is in our reading book." 
 
 " Daniel Webster put the speech into the mouth 
 of Adams," added Frank; "and the patriot is 
 only supposed to have made it." 
 
 "It amounts to the same thing," continued 
 Qiarles, with a slight blush. 
 I
 
 l8 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "But your quotation was not correct," said 
 Fred. 
 
 " Perhaps the member will give me the correct 
 reading- of the passage. " 
 
 "With pleasure; the lines are from Shaks- 
 peare : 
 
 ' There's a Divinity that shapes our ends, 
 Roughhew them as we will.' 
 
 I fancy the lines will not suit the member now," 
 continued Fred, as he cast a mischievous glance 
 at the discomfited speech-maker. 
 
 " Go on, if you please," said Frank to Charles. 
 
 " As I was saying, Mr. President, 'There's a 
 Divinity that shapes our ends' " 
 
 "You were not saying so," interposed Fred. 
 
 " Order ! " said the chairman. " Proceed." 
 
 But Charles Hardy could not proceed. Un 
 doubtedly, when he rose to speak, he had an idea 
 in his head ; but it had fled, and he could not at 
 once recall it. In vain he scratched his head, 
 in vain he thrust his hands into his pockets, as if 
 in search of the lost idea ; it would not come. 
 
 "You were speaking of Tim Bunker," said 
 Frank, suggestively. 
 
 "I was; and I was about to say that 
 that " 
 
 Some of the boys could no longer suppress 
 their mirth, and, in spite of the vigorous pound 
 ing which the chairman bestowed upon the in 
 nocent table, in his attempts to preserve order, 
 they had their laugh out. But the pleasantry of 
 the members, and a sense of the awkwardness of 
 his position, roused Charles to a more vigorous 
 effort, and as he was about to speak of another
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. I 
 
 topic, the lost idea came like a flood of sun 
 shine. 
 
 " 'There's a Divinity that shapes our ends/ 
 Tim Bunker has chosen the path he will tread, 
 and does anybody suppose he will ever abandon 
 it ? He will certainly die in the State Prison or 
 on the gallows my father says so. We all know 
 what his habits are, and it is as easy for an 
 Ethiopian to change his spots " 
 
 "Skin," said Fred. 
 
 "To change his skin, as for such a fellow to 
 be like us. He will lie, swear, " 
 
 " The chair thinks the member's remarks are 
 not strictly in order," interposed Frank, who was 
 much pained to hear his friend use such violent 
 language. 
 
 He saw that Charles was smarting under the 
 effect* of the ridicule which his companions had 
 cast upon him, and that, in his struggle to make 
 a speech, and thus redeem himself from the 
 obloquy of a failure, he had permitted his im 
 pulses to override his judgment. 
 
 "I forbear, then," continued the spe-aker. 
 "But I beg the club to consider the probable con 
 sequences of admitting such a fellow into the 
 association. We have thus far enjoyed a good 
 reputation, and we ought to be very careful how 
 we tamper with our respectability." 
 
 " Ahem ! " said Fred. 
 
 "Order!" 
 
 ' ' A good name is rather to be chosen than 
 than purple and fine linen. " 
 
 " Than what ! " exclaimed Fred. 
 
 -ureat riches, ' added Frank, with a smile, 
 and even he was forced to admit " that the mem-
 
 20 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 ber was singularly unfortunate in his quota* 
 
 tions. " 
 
 " You have my opinion, gentlemen," said 
 Charles," "and I don't know that I have any 
 thing more to say at present ; " and, much dis 
 concerted, he sat down. 
 
 But though cast down, he was not destroyed ; 
 and in justice to his companions, it must be re- 
 d that he had frequently annoyed the club 
 by his attempts to make speeches more learned 
 and ornate than his capacity would allow. Frank 
 had reasoned with him on his propensity to 
 \v off," but without effect, so that he did 
 not feel so much sympathy for him at the present 
 time as he would have felt under other circum 
 stances. 
 
 The question is still open for discussion, "said 
 the chairman. 
 
 No one, however, seemed disposed to speak. 
 
 "Question !" called Fred Harper. 
 
 " Question ! " repeated several others. 
 
 ' Are you ready for the question ? " continued 
 the chairman. 
 
 " Question ! " 
 
 "All those in favor of admitting Tim Bunker 
 as a member of the club will signify it in the 
 nsual way." 
 
 Ten hands were raised. 
 
 "Contrary minded." 
 
 Charles, feeling that he was on the wrong side, 
 did not vote against the measure, and it was 
 declared to be a unanimous vote. 
 
 "The other matter, requiring the action of the 
 club, relates to the proposed race between the 
 Butterfly and the Zephyr. Several gentlemen of
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 21 
 
 Rippleton feel a deep interest in the two boat 
 clubs, and have proposed to put up a prize to be 
 awarded to the successful club. I understand 
 that fifty dollars have been subscribed for this 
 purpose. The question is, Shall we pull for this 
 prize ? " 
 
 " When ?" asked Fred. 
 
 "The clubs may choose their own time." 
 
 " It wouldn't be fair till the Butterfly has had 
 a chance to practise a while." 
 
 " Of course not ; the Butterfly may accept the 
 proposition or not, and the club can select their 
 own time." 
 
 " I move you that the offer be accepted," said 
 William Bright. 
 
 " Second the motion," added James Vincent. 
 
 " I make the motion, Mr. President, for the 
 purpose of bringing the question properly before 
 the club. I have not thought enough about the 
 matter yet to decide whether I am in favor of it 
 or not," continued William Bright. 
 
 "It is generally supposed that the one who 
 makes a motion is in favor of it ; but we won't 
 mind that now," said Frank, with a smile. 
 
 " Mr. President, I must say, I think the propo 
 sition looks a little like gambling," suggested 
 Charles Hardy. 
 
 "So I was thinking," added a little fellow, 
 near the foot of the table. 
 
 " Suppose we take an informal vote, " proposed 
 Charles, who was determined to get on the right 
 side this time, if possible. 
 
 So an informal vote was taken, and erery 
 member voted against the proposition. 
 
 Frank Sedley was surprised at this result.
 
 > ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 Probably he was the only one who had given any 
 earnest thought to the subject, though the offer 
 was known to all the boys. 
 
 Captain Sedley, who watched over the welfare 
 of the club with paternal interest, had endeavored, 
 during the winter that was now past, to render it 
 effectual in developing the moral and mental 
 capacities of the members. He had given such 
 a direction to the exercises in Zephyr Hall as he 
 thought would best attain this end. One of the 
 greatest difficulties with which he had been 
 obliged to contend was the want of individuality 
 in the boys. Each was disposed to "pin his 
 faith "upon others. They would not think for 
 themselves, and exercise an independent judg 
 ment. Like thousands in the great world, they 
 "went with the crowd; " thought, acted, voted, 
 with the majority. 
 
 Frank saw the operation of this motive in the 
 "informal vote " which had just been taken ; and 
 he was tolerably certain that he could bring them 
 all over to the other side, by indicating his own 
 preference. 
 
 Calling Fred Harper to the chair again, he 
 opened the discussion by offering a simile, which, 
 being a parallel case, certainly gave the question 
 an entirely new aspect 
 
 "At the Rippleton Academy three gold medals 
 and three silver medals are awarded, every year, 
 for the best scholarship and deportment Is that 
 gambling?" 
 
 " No," replied half a dozen voices. 
 
 " Well, we are to row, in like manner for a 
 prize. We don't put up money as a stake ; the* 
 party that gets beaten does not lose anything."
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. fj 
 
 "That makes a difference," added Charles. 
 
 " But the prizes in the Academy are given to 
 make the scholars get their lessons well to 
 stimulate them in doing their duty," said William 
 Bright. 
 
 "Very true; " and Frank saw, in the faces of 
 the members, that the current had again set in 
 another direction. " But we only want to prove 
 that rowing for the prize is not gambling. 
 
 "That's all," said Charles. 
 
 "The Agricultural Society offers premiums for 
 the best horses, cows, oxen." 
 
 "That's to improve stock," answered William. 
 " Boat racing can only be for amusement." 
 
 "The Horticultural Society gives premiums 
 for the prettiest flowers," added Frank; "and 
 my father got one of them last summer." 
 
 The boys were staggered again. 
 
 "Flowers are cultivated for amusement; at 
 any rate, we don't eat them, or drink them, or 
 sleep on them," continued Frank. 
 
 " Your bed shall be roses, besprinkled with dew." 
 
 added Fred, who never missed his joke. "Be 
 sides, we sleep on poppies. They are a sleepy 
 plant, you know." 
 
 "But the real question," said Frank, "is, 
 whether racing for a prize will not excite hard 
 and envious feelings in the members of the two 
 clubs. I hope we shall think well of it before we 
 vote ; and for that purpose, Mr. Chairman, I 
 move a recess of half an hour." 
 
 The motion was carried, and the boys talked 
 the matter over till the meeting was called to 
 order again.
 
 24 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " Question ! " called several voices. 
 
 The vote was immediately taken, and it stood 
 nine in favor and two opposed to the proposition. 
 And so, on the part of the Zephyr, the offer ws 
 accepted. 
 
 The club then adjourned for an excursion on 
 the lake.
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ALL ABOARD ! 
 
 THE club had taken their seats in the boat, 
 and were waiting- the orders of the coxswain to 
 haul her out of her berth, when Captain Sedlej 
 made his appearance. 
 
 " You are short-handed, Frank," said he, as he 
 observed Tony's vacant seat. 
 
 "Yes, sir; but we have elected a member to 
 fill that place," replied Frank, as he jumped out 
 of the boat, and hastened to inform his father of 
 what the club had done. 
 
 The "members all felt a deep interest in the 
 result of this conference ; and though this was 
 the first excursion of the season, they forgot for 
 the time the pleasure before them in their desire 
 to know whether the "director" would approve 
 their action in relation to the new member and 
 the prize. 
 
 Frank and his father entered the club-room 
 together. 
 
 " Now, my son, what have you done? " asked 
 Captain Sedley. 
 
 "We have discussed both questions to the 
 best of our ability," replied Frank, with some 
 hesitation. 
 
 *' Well, what was the result ? " 
 
 " We have elected Tim to fill Tony's place."
 
 tO ALL ABOARD, OK 
 
 " Indeed ! " 
 
 "We have; and we await your sanction to 
 our doings." 
 
 " Did you think I would sanction such a choice 
 as that?" 
 
 "I didn't know. We have fairly considered 
 the matter ; have faithfully examined both sides 
 of the question. If we have done wrong, you 
 know, father, that you have a veto upon our 
 doings. " 
 
 Captain Sedley smiled at the matter-of-fact, 
 business-like earnestness of his son. He felt 
 quite as much interest in the action of the boys 
 as they did to learn his opinion of it. 
 
 " Tim is a very bad boy," said he. 
 
 " He was ; but he has solemnly promised to 
 amend, and become a good boy/' answered 
 Frank, warmly. 
 
 "Not much dependence can be placed upon 
 the promises of such boys as Tim." 
 
 "But if no one encourages him to become 
 better, he will not be likely to improve much, 
 especially when everybody despises and shuns 
 him." 
 
 "There is danger that he may corrupt the rest 
 of the club." 
 
 " He must obey the requirements of the con 
 stitution, or he cannot long continue to be a 
 member." 
 
 "You are right, Frank : I approve your action 
 in this matter, but I should like to know the 
 grounds upon which you admitted him." 
 
 Frank gave him a brief synopsis of the debate, 
 and the anxious father expressed himself well 
 pleased with the liberal views of the club.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 27 
 
 " Men might be oftener reformed in the great 
 world, if people would only give them a chance 
 to be respectable, as you have done with Tim," 
 said Captain Sedley. " But what have you done 
 about the prize? " 
 
 ' ' We have voted to accept the offer of the 
 gentlemen," answered Frank, rather doubtfully, 
 as he looked earnestly into the face of his father, 
 to discover the effect of his intelligence. 
 
 "I hope you looked on both sides of this ques 
 tion, as well as the other." 
 
 "We did, father." 
 
 Frank stated the different opinions that had 
 been expressed by the members during the de 
 bate, and the fact that they had informally given 
 a unanimous vote against it. Captain Sedley 
 was much amused by the narration, in spite of 
 the disappointment he felt at the ill success of his 
 efforts to make the boys reason for themselves. 
 
 " I think your view is correct, Frank ; though 
 I am aware that many mature minds would arrive 
 at a different conclusion. As you say, the envy 
 and ill will which the contest may excite are the 
 evils most to be dreaded." 
 
 "Then you approve our decision ? " 
 
 "I do." 
 
 Frank felt as happy at that moment as though 
 he had been a general of division, and had won a 
 great victory. The consciousness of having ar 
 rived, unaided by mature minds, at a correct con 
 clusion, was a triumph in itself. He had exercised 
 his thought, and it had borne him to a right judg 
 ment. He was proud of his achievement, and 
 hastened back to the boat with the intelligence of 
 the approval
 
 28 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "What does he say?" asked half a dozen of 
 the members. 
 
 " Let us get off first, and then we will talk 
 about it," replied Frank. " Bowman, let go the 
 painter ; cast off the stern lines, there. Now, 
 back her steady." 
 
 "Tell us about it, Frank," said Charles Hardy, 
 as the Zephyr glided clear of the boat-house, out 
 upon the deep waters of the lake. 
 
 "Ready up!" continued Frank, and the 
 eleven oars were poised perpendicularly in the air. 
 
 "Down ! " 
 
 The members had already begun to feel the in 
 spiration of their favorite amusement, and there 
 appeared to have been nothing lost by the season 
 of inactivity which had passed away. They were 
 as prompt and as perfect in the drill as though 
 they had practised it every day during the winter. 
 Although it was a moment of excitement, there 
 was no undue haste ; every member seemed to 
 be perfectly cool. 
 
 " Ready pull !" 
 
 And the broad blades dipped in the water, and 
 bent before the vigorous arms of the youthful 
 oarsmen. 
 
 "Starboard oars, cease rowing back!" con- 
 
 . tinued the coxswain, with admirable dignity and 
 
 self-possession ; and the Zephyr, acted upon by 
 
 this maneuver, came about as though upon a 
 
 pivot, without going either backward or forward. 
 
 "Starboard oars, steady pull!" and the 
 rowers indicated by this command caught the 
 stroke, and the light bark shot ahead, with her 
 wonted speed, in the direction of Rippleton vil 
 lage,
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. *9 
 
 "Zephyr, ahoy ! " shouted som one from the 
 shore. 
 
 " Tim Bunker ain't it?" asked Charles. 
 
 " Yes. " 
 
 4 ' Humph ! he needn't hail us like that. I was 
 sure your father would never permit him to join 
 the club," continued Charles, who fancied that he 
 read in Frank's expression the disapproval of his 
 father. 
 
 "You are in the wrong, Charley." 
 
 "Am I?" 
 
 "You are ; my father cordially approved our 
 action. Now, Zephyrs, I am going up to Flat 
 Rock to take him aboard ; and I hope every 
 fellow will treat him well just as though he had 
 never done anything out of the way. What do 
 you say ? " 
 
 "We will," they replied, with one voice. 
 
 "And then, if he does not walk straight, it 
 will not be our fault. Treat him as though he 
 was the best fellow among us. Let nothing 
 tempt us to forget it." 
 
 Frank headed the boat towards the rock in the 
 grove, and in a moment the bow touched it. 
 
 Without waiting for an invitation, Tim jumped 
 into the boat, and took the vacant seat. Frank 
 did not much like this forwardness : it was a 
 little too "brazen " to comport with his ideas of 
 true penitence. But he did not care to humble 
 the ' ' Bunker ; " so he said nothing that would 
 wound his feelings. 
 
 "We are glad to see you, Tim ; the club has 
 this day elected you a member, and our director 
 has approved the vote," said Frank. 
 
 " Has he ? " replied Tim, with a broad grin.
 
 30 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " And, if you like, \ve will go up to the boat- 
 he use, where you may sign the constitution." 
 
 "Yes, I'll sign it," answered Tim, more as 
 though it would be conferring a favor on the club 
 than as a duty he owed to his new friends. 
 
 Frank gave the necessary orders to get the 
 boat under way again. Tim handled his oar 
 with considerable skill, and before they reached 
 the boat-house, he had learned to time his stroke 
 with that of his companions. 
 
 When they landed, Captain Sedley took Tim 
 apart with him, and very kindly told him what 
 would be expected of him in his new relation, 
 urging him to be true to his good resolution, and 
 assuring him that he should never want for sub 
 stantial encouragement so long as he persevered 
 in well doing. Tim hung his head down while 
 he listened to this kind advice ; his answers were 
 short, but they were all satisfactory, so far as 
 words could be taken as the index of his intentions. 
 
 Frank then read the constitution, and the new 
 member listened to it with attention. The strin 
 gent provisions of the sixth article, which forbade 
 swearing, indecent language, and other boyish 
 vices, brought a scarcely visible smile to his lips, 
 and excited a doubt as to the success of the ex 
 periment in the mind of the director. 
 
 "Now, Tim, you can sign it," said Frank. 
 
 " It's pretty strict ain't it ? " added Tim, with 
 one of his peculiar grins, as he took the pen that 
 was handed to him. "You know I ain't used to 
 being quite so strained up as you fellers, and I 
 may kinder break through afore I know it." 
 
 "If you do, you shall be judged kindly and 
 charitably," said Captain Sedley.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. l' 
 
 "Well, 111 sign it." 
 
 But it was not quite so easy a thing for Tim to 
 sign ; at least, to perform the mechanical part of 
 the act, for he had been to school but little, and 
 good penmanship was not one of his accomplish 
 ments. However, he succeeded in getting over 
 the form, though it would have puzzled the 
 secretary to read it, if he had not known what it 
 was. 
 
 " Now, Zephyrs, Tim is one of us," said Frank. 
 
 "He hasn't got any uniform," suggested 
 Charles. 
 
 " He shall have one," replied Captain Sedley, 
 as he wrote an order on Mr. Burlap, the tailor, 
 to supply him with a uniform. 
 
 ' ' All aboard ! " shouted Frank. ' ' We will pull 
 up the lake, and see how the Butterfly gets along. 
 They have been practising for a fortnight, and 
 they ought to be able to row pretty well by this 
 time." . 
 
 " With Uncle Ben to show them how," added 
 Fred Harper. 
 
 Again the Zephyrs were in their seats, and the 
 boat was backed out into the lake. The flags 
 were unrolled, and put in their places. The 
 graceful barge was nicely trimmed, so as to rest 
 exactly square in the water, and everything was 
 ready for a sharp pull. The weather was cool, 
 and the boys required some pretty vigorous ex 
 ercise to keep them warm. 
 
 The various commands were given and ex 
 ecuted with the usual precision, only that Tim, 
 who was not thoroughly " broken in," made 
 some blunders, though, considering his short 
 aervice, his proficiency was decidedly creditable.
 
 J2 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 The Zephyr darted away like an arrow, and 
 the slow, measured, musical stroke of the oars 
 was pleasant and exciting to the rowers. 
 
 " You haven't told us about the other matter yet, 
 Frank," said Charles, as the boat skimmed along 
 Over the little waves of the lake. 
 
 " Let us know about it." added Fred. 
 
 " About what ? " asked Tim Bunker, whose mod 
 esty in his new position did not seem to cause him 
 much trouble. 
 
 " We are to have a race with the Butterfly, when 
 Tony gets things to his mind," replied Frank. 
 
 " That'll be fun ! Are ye going to put up any 
 thing ? " 
 
 " Put up anything ? " 
 
 " Yes ; what's going to be the stakes ? " 
 
 " I don't know what you mean, Tim." 
 
 " When they race horses, each man bets on his 
 own." 
 
 ' We are not going to bet ; that would be contrary 
 to the constitution." 
 
 ' Would it ? I didn't hear nothing about bet 
 ting." 
 
 " Article second says that one of the objects of 
 the association shall be the acquiring of good habits 
 in general ; and I am sure betting is a very bad 
 habit." 
 
 " Well, I s'pose it is." 
 
 " But several gentlemen of Rippleton have sub 
 scribed fifty dollars as a prize to the winner cf the 
 race," added Frank ; " just as they give medals in 
 school, you know." 
 
 " Well, of course you will win." 
 
 I don't know."
 
 LITIt ON THE LAKE. 33 
 
 "You are used to your boat, and them fellers 
 ain't." 
 
 " We can't tell yet ; perhaps the Butterfly will 
 prove to be a faster boat than the Zephyr, and some 
 of Tony's members are a good deal larger and 
 stouter than ours. I think the chances are about 
 equal." 
 
 " I think likely. What are you going to do with 
 the money if you win ? " 
 
 " I don't know ; we haven't thought of that yet," 
 replied Frank, not particularly pleased with the 
 question. 
 
 ' Divide it among the fellers, I s'pose." 
 
 " I think not ; we had better apply it to some 
 useful purpose, that is, if we win it, such as en 
 larging our library, buying some philosophical instru 
 ments 
 
 " What's them ? " 
 
 " An air pump, and other apparatus of the kind." 
 
 Tim did not comprehend the nature of the mys 
 tical implements any better than before ; but as his 
 mind was fixed upon something else, he did not de 
 mand further explanation. 
 
 " Fifty dollars," said he ; " how much will that 
 be apiece. Thirteen into fifty ; can any of you 
 fellers cipher that up in your heads ? " 
 
 ' : Three and eleven thirteenths dollars each," said 
 William Bright, who pulled the next oar forward of 
 Tim. " Three dollars and eighty-five cents isn't 
 it?" 
 
 " Eighty-four and a fraction," replied Fred, with 
 schoolboy accuracy. 
 
 " A feller could have a good time on that, I'll 
 bet," ejaculated Tim.
 
 34 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " And many a poor man would like it to buy 
 bread for his family," added Frank. " But there is 
 the Butterfly ! " 
 
 Tim Bunker dropped his oar at this announcement, 
 and was on the point of rising to get a better view 
 of the Zephyr's rival, when the handle of William 
 Bright's oar gave him a smart rap in the back. 
 
 " Mind out ! " said Tim. " Don't you know any 
 better than to hit a feller in that way ? " 
 
 " Cease rowing ! " called Frank, as he saw 
 Tim's first involuntarily double up, and his eye flash 
 with anger. 
 
 " It was your fault, Tim, and you must not blame 
 him," added the coxswain, mildly, but firmly. 
 
 " My fault ! " and Tim added an expression which 
 I cannot put upon my page. 
 
 " Such language as that is contrary to the consti 
 tution," continued Frank. " You stopped rowing 
 without orders." 
 
 " What if I did ! " 
 
 " You should not have done so. No member can 
 do, or cease to do, without orders ; that's our disci 
 pline." 
 
 Tim cooled off in a moment, made a surly apology 
 for his rudeness, and the Zephyr continued on her 
 course.
 
 lira ON THE LAKB. 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE FRATERNAL HUG. 
 
 THE incident which had just occurred gave 
 Frank considerable uneasiness. Tim was natu 
 rally quarrelsome, and his former mode of life had 
 done nothing \o improve his disposition. He 
 had never been taught that self-restraint is neces 
 sary to preserve social harmony. If anything 
 did not suit him, he was not disposed to argue 
 the matter in a conciliatory manner, but to right 
 his, wrongs, whether real or imaginary, by phys 
 ical force. In this manner he had obtained his 
 reputation as a "good fighter." 
 
 Frank began to fear that Tim had come into 
 the club without a proper understanding of its 
 duties and requirements. Though he had, with 
 an ill grace, apologized for his conduct, he seemed 
 .to feel no compunction on account of it ; but, on 
 the contrary, he every moment grew more over 
 bearing and insolent. He could not speak to his 
 companions in a gentlemanly manner, as they 
 had been accustomed to be addressed. He was 
 coarse, rude, and vulgar; and the members, who 
 had received him among them in the best spirit 
 possible, began to feel some repugnance towards 
 him. 
 
 But what could be expected of him in so short 
 ft time ? They had no reason to believe that a
 
 <5 ALL ABOARD, 0* 
 
 boy who had always been a desperado would 
 suddenly become a gentle and kind-hearted per 
 son. His nature wanted refining, and such a 
 work could not be done in a moment. These 
 reflections came to Frank's relief, when he had 
 become well-nigh discouraged at the idea of re 
 forming Tim discouraged more by thinking of 
 the vast chasm that yawned between what he 
 was and what he ought to be. Like the pendu 
 lum in the story, he was crowding the work of 
 months and years into a single instant. A little 
 sober thought in the proper direction set him right 
 
 The Butterfly was darting out of "Weston 
 Bay" as they approached. 
 
 "Cease rowing!" said Frank. "Now, my 
 lads, let us give them three rousing cheers. All 
 up ! One ! " 
 
 " Hurrah ! " 
 
 "Two." 
 
 Hurrah ! " 
 
 "Three." 
 
 "Hurrah!" 
 
 And then the Zephyrs clapped their hands, long 
 and loudly, and this was the greeting which the 
 old club gave to the new one. The compliment 
 was heartily returned by the Butterfly, and then 
 the cheers were repeated again and again. 
 Every member seemed to glow with kindly feel 
 ing towards the others. Even Tim Bunker for 
 the time laid aside his morose look, and joined 
 in the expression of good will with as much zeal 
 as his companions. 
 
 "Now man your oars, Zephyrs,'' said Frank. 
 
 "What ye going to do now? " asked Tim, as 
 he grasped his oar with the others.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 37 
 
 "You shall know in due time, "replied the cox 
 swain. 
 
 Here was another thing- which Tim had yet to 
 learn not to ask questions of the commander. 
 It was a part of the discipline of the club to obey 
 without stopping to argue the point. Captain 
 Sedley himself had suggested this idea, and it had 
 been thoroughly carried out on board the Zephyr. 
 It was an established principle that " the cox 
 swain knew what he was about," and that he 
 alone was responsible for the guidance and the 
 safety of the boat. 
 
 Tim did not seem to fancy this kind of disci 
 pline. He evidently felt that he had been born 
 to command, and not to obey. But the consci 
 ousness that he was in the minority induced him 
 to yield whatever convictions he might have had 
 of his own superiority to the will of the "powers 
 that be,'' and he followed the example of the others. 
 
 "Ready -pull ! " continued Frank. 
 
 He and Tony had arranged a little system of 
 "fleet maneuvers," to be carried out when the 
 two boats met. 
 
 To the surprise of all on board, for they were 
 not "posted up" in regard to these tactics, 
 Frank put the Zephyr about. 
 
 " Cease rowing ! " said he, when the boat was 
 headed in the opposite direction. 
 
 To the further surprise of the Zephyrs, they dis 
 covered that the Butterfly had executed a similar 
 maneuver, and that the two boats lay at the dis 
 tance of nearly a quarter of a mile apart, the bow 
 of one pointing directly east, and the other 
 directly west. 
 
 "Ready to back her!" said Frank, and the
 
 38 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 boys all pulled their oar handles close to their 
 breasts, ready at the word to take the reverse 
 stroke. 
 
 " Back her ! " 
 
 The Butterfly did the same thing exactly, and 
 the two boats rapidly approached each other, 
 stern first. Tony had certainly made the most 
 of the time which had been allotted to him for 
 drilling his crew, and they worked together almost 
 as well as the Zephyrs, who were a little embar 
 rassed at each new movement by the awkward 
 ness of Tim Bunker. 
 
 "Steady slow," continued Frank, as the two 
 boats came nearer together. "That will do; 
 cease rowing. Ready up ! " and the twelve 
 oars gleamed in the sunshine. 
 
 The sterns of the two boats came together, and 
 Frank threw Tony a line, which the latter made 
 fast. 
 
 "Ready down !" said Tony and Frank, al 
 most in the same breath : and the oars were de 
 posited in their places on the thwarts, 
 
 The two clubs were facing each other as they 
 sat in their seats, with the respective coxswains 
 standing in the stern sheets. 
 
 ' ' Mr. Coxswain of the Butterfly," said Frank, 
 as he removed his hat, and gracefully bowed to 
 Tony, " in behalf of the members of the Zephyr 
 Boat Club, of which you were so long a cherished 
 member, I welcome you and your club, and the 
 beautiful craft in which you sail, to these waters. 
 May the Zephyr and the Butterfly cruise together 
 in entire harmony ; may no hard words or hard 
 thoughts be called forth by either, but may all be 
 peace and good-will."
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKB. 39 
 
 This little speech was received with a burst of 
 applause by Tony's club, and the boats inter 
 changed volleys of cheers. 
 
 "Mr. Coxswain of the Zephyr," Tony began, 
 in reply to his friend's speech, "I am much 
 obliged to you and your companions for the kind 
 words you have spoken for yourself and for them. 
 I am sure there will never be any hard feelings 
 between us, and I assure you if any fellow in our 
 club attempts to make a row, we will turn him 
 out. Won't we, fellows?" 
 
 "Ay, ay! That we will," replied the club, 
 with one voice. 
 
 "If we get beaten in a race, we will bear our 
 defeat like men. Won't we, boys ? " 
 
 "That we will." 
 
 Tony wound up by saying he was not much at 
 making speeches, but he was ready to do every 
 thing he could to make things go off right and 
 pleasantly. 
 
 Three cheers more were given on each side, 
 and the crews were ordered into their seats. 
 
 " Starboard oars, ready up ! " said Frank. 
 
 "Larboard oars, ready up ! " said Tony. 
 
 " Ready' down ! "was then given by one, and 
 repeated by the other. And then, " Ready 
 pull ! " followed, in like manner. 
 
 My reader will readily perceive that the effect 
 of this maneuver was to turn the boats round in 
 opposite directions, so that they came alongside 
 of each other, after a few strokes of the oars. 
 
 The painter of the Butterfly was thrown on 
 board the Zephyr, and made fast to the bow ring. 
 The boys were now all brought together, and the 
 discipline of the clubs was relaxed so as to per-
 
 40 ALL ABOARD, OH 
 
 mit the members to enjoy a few moments of 
 social recreation. 
 
 The Butterfly, as we have said in the introduc- 
 t^on, was of the same size and model as the 
 Zephyr, and, except that the former was painted 
 in gayer colors, to represent the gaudy tints of 
 the butterfly, the two boats were exact counter 
 parts of each other. 
 
 Her crew had already procured their uniform, 
 and wore it on the present occasion. It was a 
 pair of white pants, made " sailor fashion," with 
 a short red frock, and a patent-leather belt. These 
 garments, owing to the coldness of the weather, 
 were worn over their usual clothes. The hat was 
 a tarpaulin, with the name of the club in gilt let 
 ters on the front, and upon the left breast of the 
 frock was a butterfly, worked in colors. 
 
 The Butterfly, like her rival, carried an Ameri 
 can flag at the stern, and a blue silk fly, with th( 
 letter " B " on it, at the bow. 
 
 "This is glorious, isn't it, Frank ?" said Tony, 
 as he took his friend's hand and warmly pressed 
 it. 
 
 "First rate ! There is fun before us this season ; 
 and if nothing happens to mar the harmony which 
 now prevails, we shall enjoy ourselves even more 
 than we did last summer." 
 
 "Nothing can happen can there?" replied 
 Tony, glancing involuntarily at Tim Bunker, who 
 seemed to be so amazed at the good will that 
 prevailed around him as to be incapable of say 
 ing anything. 
 
 "I hope not ; but, Tony, what about the race; 
 Has your club voted on the question of the prize ? " 
 
 "Yes."
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 41 
 
 "That did you do?" 
 
 "What have you done, Frank ?" asked Tony. 
 
 There was not the slightest doubt as to his 
 Yankee paternity. 
 
 " We voted to accept the offer." 
 
 " So did we, though our members were so afraid 
 c.' doing something wrong, that George had to 
 come into the meeting and argue the question 
 with them. We accepted the offer on condition 
 that you did so." 
 
 "Then it is all arranged." 
 
 "Yes, except the time." 
 
 "We shall leave that all to you." 
 
 "We are ready now," replied Tony, with a 
 smile. 
 
 'Name the day, then." 
 
 " Next Wednesday afternoon." 
 
 "Very well." 
 
 ' ' Who shall be the judges ? We have chosen 
 your father for one." 
 . "And we shall choose Uncle Ben for another." 
 
 " Let us choose the other together." 
 
 " Agreed." 
 
 The two clubs were then called to order, and 
 Frank, at Tony's request, stated the business to 
 them. 
 
 " Please to nominate," said he. 
 
 "Mr. Hyde, the schoolmaster," exclaimed a 
 dozen voices. 
 
 It was a unanimous vote, and the judges were 
 all elected. 
 
 " Now, Tony, let us have some fun." 
 
 " We will try our leet tactics a little more, if 
 you like." 
 
 "Solaay."
 
 4* ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "We will go down the lake with the 'fraternal 
 hug.'" 
 
 "The what ! " exclaimed Charles Hardy. 
 
 " We call our present position the 'fraternal 
 hug." 
 
 "Hurrah for the fraternal hug!" shouted 
 Charles, and all the boys laughed heartily. 
 
 "Nothing bearish about it, I hope," added 
 Fred Harper. 
 
 "We have no bears," replied Frank, as he 
 ordered out his starboard oars. 
 
 Tony in like manner got out his larboard 
 oars. 
 
 "Now, Frank," said he, "as you are a vet 
 eran in the service, you shall be commodore, and 
 command the allied squadron." 
 
 A burst of laughter greeted this sally ; but Frank 
 was too modest to accept this double command, 
 and would only do so when a vote had been 
 passed, making him "commodore." 
 
 Fenders a couple of cushions, which Frank, 
 in anticipation of this maneuver, had provided 
 were placed between the two boats to keep them 
 from injuring each other, and the order was given 
 to pull. As but six oars were pulled in each boat, 
 their progress was not very rapid. No one, how 
 ever, seemed to care for that. The joining of 
 the two boats in the "fraternal hug" was em 
 blematic of the union that subsisted in the hearts 
 of their crews, and all the members of each club 
 seemed better satisfied with this symbolical ex 
 pression of their feelings than though they had 
 won a victory over the other. 
 
 When they came abreast of the Zephyr's boat- 
 house, they discovered that Uncle Ben was on
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 43 
 
 board the Sylph, which lay moored at a short 
 distance from the shore. 
 
 Bang ! went the cannon which the veteran had 
 again rigged on the bow of the sail-boat. 
 
 And as they passed down the lake, Uncle Ben 
 blazed away in honor of the fraternal hug between 
 the two clubs.
 
 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 UP THE RIVER. 
 
 AT the end of the lake the boats separated, after 
 giving each other three hearty cheers. 
 
 "Where are you going now?" asked Tim 
 Bunker. 
 
 " We will go up the lake again." 
 
 "Suppose we try a race?" suggested Fred 
 Harper. 
 
 "There will be no harm in it, I suppose," re 
 plied Frank, glancing at the Butterfly. 
 
 "Zephyr, ahoy!" shouted Tony. "We will 
 pull up together, if you like." 
 
 " Agreed." 
 
 The two boats were then drawn up alongside 
 of each other, ready to start when the word 
 should be given. 
 
 "Say when you are ready," shouted Tony. 
 
 The rowers in each boat were all ready to take 
 the first stroke. 
 
 ' ' Ready pull ! " said Frank ; and the crews 
 bent to the work. 
 
 " Now give it to 'em ! " shouted Tim Bunker, 
 as he struck out with his oar. 
 
 "Steady, Tim," said Frank. "Be very care 
 ful, or you will lose the stroke." 
 
 " No, I won't. Put 'em through by daylight ! " 
 And Tim, without paying much attention to the
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE, 4 
 
 swaying of the coxswain's body, by which his 
 stroke should have been regulated, redoubled his 
 exertions. He was very much excited, and the 
 next moment the handle of his oar hit the boy in 
 front of him in the back. Then the boy behind 
 hit him, and a scene of confusion immediately 
 ensued. Of course no boy could pull his stroke 
 except in unison with the others ; so the whole 
 were compelled to cease rowing-. 
 
 " We have lost it," said Frank, good-naturedly. 
 
 The boys, seeing how useless it was to attempt 
 to row in the midst of such confusion, were 
 obliged to wait till order had been restored. 
 
 "No, we hain't ; pull away !" replied Tim, as 
 he seized his oar, and began to row with all his 
 might. 
 
 "Cease rowing ! " said Frank. 
 
 "Catch your oars, you sleepies, or they will 
 get in first ! " exclaimed Tim, who continued to 
 struggle with his oar in defiance of the order. 
 
 He had already pulled the boat half round. 
 
 '"I guess the fifty dollars won't come to this 
 crew," added Tim, contemptuously. 
 
 " It certainly will not, if you don't obey orders 
 better than that," replied Frank. 
 
 " I don't want to have the club beat so easy as 
 that." 
 
 "But it is all your fault, Tim." 
 
 "You lie!" 
 
 ' ' What ! what ! " exclaimed Frank. ' ' We can 
 not have such language as that. If you don't 
 conform to the constitution you have signed, you 
 shall be put on shore at the nearest land." 
 
 "Well, I ain't a going to have it laid to me, 
 when I hain't done nothing. Didn't I pull with
 
 46 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 all my might and main ? and if the other fellers 
 had done so too, we should have been ahead of 
 'em afore this time," answered Tim, somewhat 
 tamed by the threat of the coxswain. 
 
 "We will not talk about that until you say 
 whether you intend to conform to the rules of 
 the club, or not," added Frank, firmly. 
 
 "Of course I do." 
 
 Tim was still gruff in his tones ; but it was evi 
 dent that he wanted to conform to the rules, and 
 that his obstinacy was still struggling for ex 
 pression. 
 
 "You must not tell the coxswain, or any other 
 member, that he lies, Tim," continued Frank. 
 
 "That was a slip of the tongue." 
 
 The Bunker tried to laugh it off, and declared 
 that he was so used to that form of expression he 
 could not leave it off at once. This was regarded 
 as a great concession by all. 
 
 "Very well ; if you will promise to do your 
 best to obey the rules, we will say no more 
 about it." 
 
 " Of course I will," replied Tim, with a laugh, 
 which was equivalent to saying, "If any of you 
 think I am yielding too much, why, I am only 
 joking." 
 
 "Now, Tim, that point being settled, I repeat 
 that our mishap was caused by you, though we 
 don't blame you for it. You meant to do your 
 best, but you didn't go to work in the right way." 
 
 "What's the reason I didn't? " 
 
 "You broke up the stroke." 
 
 " The fellers ought to have pulled faster, then, 
 so as to keep up with me ; if they had, we should 
 have done well enough."
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 47 
 
 "That is not the way. The coxswain is to 
 judge how fast you may pull with safety." 
 
 "Just as you like. All I wanted was to win 
 the race." 
 
 " I understand you ; but we can do nothing if 
 the discipline of the club is not observed." 
 
 "I didn't know about that." 
 
 " Let us understand one another for the future. 
 You must regulate your stroke by the motion of 
 my body. You are to see nothing but me ; and 
 whatever happens, you must obey orders." 
 
 " Let's try it again. I will do as you say," re 
 plied Tim, with a great deal more gentleness 
 than he had before shown. 
 
 "Ready pull!" said Frank. And away 
 darted the Zephyr up the lake. 
 
 Tim pulled very steadily now, and showed a 
 disposition to do as the others did, and to obey 
 orders. Frank was pleased with the result of the 
 conference, and began to entertain strong hopes 
 of the ultimate reformation of the Bunker. 
 
 But the race was lost ; the Butterfly was almost 
 at the head of the lake. 
 
 "There's a chance for the Butterflies to crow 
 over us," said Tim, after a silence of several 
 moments. 
 
 "There is to be no crowing. If we had beaten 
 them, I should not have permitted a word to be 
 spoken that would create a hard feeling in the 
 minds of any of them," replied Frank. "And I 
 know that Tony is exactly of my mind." 
 
 "It is no great credit to them to have beaten 
 us under these circumstances," added Fred. 
 
 " Each club must be responsible for its own 
 discipline. No excuses are to be pleaded. Good
 
 48 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 order and good regulations will prevent such 
 accidents as just befell us." 
 
 " That is what discipline is for," said William 
 Bright. 
 
 " Exactly so. Don't you remember what Mr. 
 Hyde told me when I tried to excuse myself for 
 not having my sums done with the plea that I 
 had no pencil?" asked Charles Hardy. " He 
 said it was as much a part of our duty to be ready 
 for our work as it was to do it after we were 
 ready. " 
 
 "That's good logic," put in Fred. " If the en 
 gine companies did not keep their machines in 
 good working order, of course they would render 
 no service at the fire. You remember Smith's 
 factory was burnt because ' No. 2's ' suction hose 
 leaked, and the ' tub' couldn't be worked." 
 
 "That's it ; in time of peace prepare for war." 
 
 "Where's the Butterfly now ? " asked Tim, who 
 did not feel much interest in this exposition of 
 duty. 
 
 " She is headed up to Rippleton River," replied 
 Frank. "I hope she does not mean to venture 
 among the rocks." 
 
 Rippleton River was a stream which emptied 
 into the lake at its eastern extremity. Properly 
 speaking, Wood Lake was only a widening of 
 this river, though the stream was very narrow, 
 and discharged itself into the lake amid immense 
 masses of rock. 
 
 The mouth of this river was so obstructed by 
 these rocks, that Captain Sedley had forbidden 
 the boys ever to venture upon its waters ; though, 
 with occasional difficulties in the navigation, it 
 was deep enough and wide enough to admit the
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 49 
 
 passage of the boat for several miles. A wooden 
 bridge crossed the stream a little way above the 
 lake an old, decayed affair which had frequently- 
 been complained of as unsafe. 
 
 "Tony knows the place very well," said 
 Charles. "He will not be rash." 
 
 "But there he goes right in amongst the rocks, 
 and the Butterflies are pulling with all their might. 
 He is crazy," add^d Frank, his countenance 
 exhibiting the depth of his anxiety. 
 
 "Let Tony alone; he knows what he is 
 about." responded Fred. 
 
 " Heavens ! " exclaimed Frank, suddenly, as he 
 rose in his place. "There has been an accident 
 at the bridge ! I see a horse and chaise in the 
 river." 
 
 Tim dropped his oar, and was turning round to 
 get a view of the object, when Frank checked 
 him. So strict was the discipline of the club, 
 that, notwithstanding the excitement which the 
 coxswain's announcement tended to create, not 
 another boy ceased rowing, or even missed his 
 stroke. 
 
 " Keep your seat," said Frank to Tim. "Take 
 your oar." 
 
 "I want to see what's going on," replied 
 Tim. 
 
 "Keep your seat," repeated Frank, authorita 
 tively. 
 
 Tim concluded to obey ; and without a word 
 resumed his place, and commenced pulling- again. 
 
 "Tony is after them ; if you obey orders we 
 may get there in season to render some assist 
 ance," continued Frank. " Don't balk us now. 
 Tim."
 
 50 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 "I won't, Frank; I will obey all your orders. 
 
 I didn't think when I got up," replied Tim, with 
 earnestness, and withal in such a tone that 
 Frank's hopes ran high. 
 
 "Will you cross the rocks, Frank?" asked 
 Charles Hardy. 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 " But you know your father told usneverto go 
 into the river." 
 
 " Circumstances alter cases." 
 
 "But it will be disobedience under any circum 
 stances. " 
 
 "We won't argue the point now," answered the 
 bold coxswain, quickening the movements of his 
 body, till the crew pulled with their utmost 
 strength and speed, and the Zephyr flew like a 
 rocket over the water. 
 
 "I don't like to go, Frank, and though I will 
 obey orders, I now protest against this act of 
 disobedience," replied Charles, who was sure this 
 time that Captain Sedley would commend and 
 approve his inflexible love of obedience. 
 
 "Pull steady, and mind your stroke," added 
 Frank, whose eye was fixed upon the chaise in 
 the water. 
 
 "We may strike upon the rocks and be dashed 
 to pieces," suggested Charles. 
 
 " If you are afraid " 
 
 " O, no ! I'm not afraid ; 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
 
 UTS ON THE LAKE. 5! 
 
 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. The chaise seems to hang 
 upon a rock, and the horse is kicking and plung 
 ing to cJear himself. Steady pull steady." 
 
 "Tony will save them all," said Fred. 
 
 "Hurrah! there he goes overboard, with half 
 a dozen of his fellows after him ! There are six 
 left in the boat, and they are working her along 
 towards the man and woman. They have them 
 they are safe. Now they pull the lady in hah 
 all right ! I was afraid they would upset the 
 boat. They have got her in, and the man is 
 holding on at the stern. Tony has got a rope 
 round the horse's neck, and the fellows are clear 
 ing him from the chaise." 
 
 The Zephyr was now approaching the dangerous 
 rocks, and Frank was obliged to turn his atten 
 tion to the steering of the boat through the peril 
 ous passage. 
 
 "Steady," said he, "and pull strong. All 
 right ; we are through. We are too late to do 
 anything. They have landed the man and 
 woman, and now they are towing the horse 
 ashore. Tony's a glorious fellow ! He is worth 
 his weight in solid gold ! " 
 
 " Can't we save the chaise?" asked Tim Buiv 
 
 Me.
 
 S ALL ABOARD, OB 
 
 "We can try." 
 
 " Hurrah for the chaise then ! * 
 
 "Bowman, get the long painter ahead,* con 
 tinued Frank. 
 
 "Ay, ay." 
 
 The coxswain of the Zephyr steered her towards 
 the vehicle, which still hung to the rock, and, by 
 a skilful maneuver, contrived to make fast the line 
 to one of the shafts of the chaise. 
 
 ' ' Ready pull ! " said Frank, as he passed the 
 line over one of the thwarts. 
 
 The crew pulled with a will, and the jerk disen 
 gaged the chaise, and they succeeded in hauling 1 
 it safely to the shore, and placing it high and dr 
 upon the rock*.
 
 LiFE ON THE LAKE. 55 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 HURRAH FOR TONY! 
 
 TOUT and his six companions, who had been 
 with him in the river, stood on the rocks shiver 
 ing with cold, when the Zephyr's crew landed. 
 The rest of her boys had been sent to conduct 
 the lady and gentleman to the nearest house, and 
 render them such assistance as they might require. 
 
 " You are a brave fellow, Tony ! " said Frank, 
 warmly, as he grasped the wet hand of his friend. 
 
 " I am very wet and cold, whatever else I may 
 be, "replied Tony, trying to laugh, while his teeth 
 chattered so that he could hardly speak. 
 
 "You had better go home; you will catch 
 cold," continued Frank. 
 
 " We must wait for the fellows." 
 
 "No, you shall take six of the Zephyr's crew, 
 and pull home as fast as you can, and we will 
 wait for the rest." 
 
 "We can do no more good here ; so we may 
 as well go. Thank you for your offer, Frank, 
 and I will accept it. If you like I will take Fred 
 Harper to steer down, for I should like to pull an 
 oar myself to warm up with." 
 
 "Certainly;" and Frank detailed six of his 
 club, including Fred, who seated themselves in 
 the Butterfly.
 
 54 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "I don't know about those rocks, Tony," said 
 Fred, as he grasped the tiller ropes. 
 
 "The water is so high, that there is no danger. 
 I will have an eye to the passage when we get 
 to it," replied Tony, as he took his old place at 
 the bow oar. 
 
 The Butterfly pushed off, and in a few moments 
 after passed the dangerous rocks in safety. Her 
 crew pulled with energy, and it is quite likely 
 that they got warm before they reached the boat- 
 house. 
 
 It was some time before the rest of the Butter 
 fly's crew returned to the rocks where they had 
 landed. 
 
 " Where's Tony ? " asked one of them, a boy of 
 fourteen, but so small in stature that his com 
 panions had nicknamed him "Little Paul," of 
 whom we shall have more to say by and by. 
 
 "They have gone home; we sent six of our 
 fellows with them. They were too wet and cold 
 to stay here," replied Frank. "You can return 
 in our boat." 
 
 "The gentleman wants to see Tony very 
 much." 
 
 "Who is he?" 
 
 " His name is Walker ; it would do your heart 
 good to hear him speak of Tony." 
 
 "I daresay; but Tony is worthy of all the 
 praise that can be bestowed upon him. How is 
 the lady ? " 
 
 " She is nicely, and she thinks Tony is an 
 angel. She declares that a dozen strong men 
 could have done no more for them." 
 
 "She is right ; you did all that could have beei 
 done by any persons. The Butterfly's first laurel
 
 Lira ON THE LAKE. 55 
 
 is a glorious one, and I can congratulate you on 
 the honors you have won." 
 
 "Thank you, Frank," said Little Paul, mod 
 estly. "I am sorry you were not with us to 
 share the honors." 
 
 " We should have been, if it hadn't been for 
 Tim Bunker," said Charles Hardy, a little sourly. 
 
 Tim had gone with the Butterfly, or Charles 
 would not have dared to make such a remark. 
 
 "And if you had had your way, we shouldn't 
 have come when we did," added William Bright, 
 smartly. 
 
 " What do you mean, Bill ? " 
 
 " Didn't you protest against passing the rocks." 
 
 "I did, because it was directly in opposition 
 to Captain Sedley's orders." 
 
 " Never mind, fellows, interposed Frank ; " for 
 my part, I am glad the Butterfly had it all to her 
 self. She has just come out, and it will be a 
 feather in her cap. " 
 
 " But we saved the chaise," said Charles. 
 
 "We pulled it ashore; it was safe enough 
 where it was. The Butterfly saved the lives of 
 the man and woman, and of the horse. They 
 would have drowned, and all the glory consisted 
 in saving them. Tony and his crew deserve all 
 the credit, and I, for one, am happy to accord it 
 to them." 
 
 "That's just like you, Frank!" exclaimed 
 Little Paul. "I believe, if the two boats had 
 changed places, you would have given us all the 
 credit. " 
 
 " You behaved nobly." 
 
 ' ' Just as you would have done if you had been 
 ia Tony's place."
 
 56 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "We will talk that over some other time. We 
 are ready to return when you are. " 
 
 "I suppose there is nothing more to be done." 
 
 They were about to embark, when they dis 
 covered a party of men approaching the place, 
 several of them carrying ropes and poles. 
 
 " Hold on ; " shouted Farmer Leeds, to whose 
 house the boys had conducted the lady and 
 gentleman. "We want your boat to get the 
 chaise out of the river with. " 
 
 " It is out now," replied Little Paul. 
 
 The boys waited till the party reached the river. 
 A clump of trees had prevented them from seeing 
 the chaise till they had got almost to the shore ; 
 and, as Little Paul expressed it afterwards, "they 
 looked surprised enough, to see it high and dry 
 upon the rocks." 
 
 " I must say one thing, Mr Leeds," began Mr. 
 Walker ; " and that is, you have smart boys in 
 this vicinity." 
 
 "Toler'ble," replied the farmer, with a smile. 
 
 "They are men in noble deeds." 
 
 "This boating business turns the boys into 
 men ; and though, in my opinion, it would be 
 just as well to set 'em to work in the cornfields, 
 there is no denying that it brings 'em out, and 
 makes 'em smart." 
 
 " My wife would certainly have been drowned 
 without their help." 
 
 "I dare say." 
 
 " But where is the little fellow that commanded 
 the boat ? " asked Mr. Walker, scrutinizing the 
 faces of the boys. 
 
 "He has gone home, sir ; he was wet and cold." 
 
 "That is right; I am glad he has ; I shall g*
 
 UP1 ON THE LAKE. 57 
 
 and see him by and by. And these are the boys 
 
 that brought the chaise ashore ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Little Paul." This is Frank 
 Sedley, the coxswain of the Zephyr. 
 
 "Well, Master Sedley, I am under great obliga 
 tions to you." 
 
 "Not at all to me, sir. Tony Weston saved 
 you. We only pulled the chaise ashore." 
 
 " But you shall not be forgotten. The other 
 boat is gone, you say ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir. Tony Weston is the coxswain of 
 the Butterfly." 
 
 " And a noble fellow he is, 100. He will be a 
 great man one of these days. It did my heart 
 good to see how cool and collected he was ; how 
 skilfully he managed the boat, when it came 
 down upon us like a race horse. He gave off his 
 orders like a hero, and they were obeyed with a 
 promptness and precision that would have been 
 creditable to the crew of a man-of-war, after a 
 three years' cruise. And then, when he ordered 
 six of the boys to stay in the boat, and the rest 
 to follow him into the water, it was really heroic. 
 Over he went, with his crew after him, as though 
 they had been so many ducks. And in the 
 water, they worked with as much coolness and 
 courage as though it had been their native ele 
 ment. I would give half my fortune to be the 
 father of such a son." 
 
 "I would give all of mine," added Farmer 
 Leeds. "You don't know half his worth yet. 
 Bnt there is nothing for us to do here ; the men 
 shall haul your chaise up to the house, and as we 
 walk along I will tell you about Tony." 
 
 "Master Sedley, I shall see you again to-day
 
 58 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 or to-morrow. Tell Tony how highly I value his 
 noble service, and tell him I shall call upon him 
 this evening," said Mr. Walker, as he went away 
 with Farmer Leeds. 
 
 "My father would be very happy to have you 
 stop at his house while you remain in Rippleton." 
 continued Frank, who was not sure that the farm 
 house would accommodate him. 
 
 "As to that," interposed Farmer Leeds, "I 
 can't offer you so grand a house as Captain Sed- 
 ley's, but such as it is, you are welcome to it" 
 
 "Thank you, Master Sedley, for your hospi 
 table invitation ; but I think I will remain with 
 my good friend here." And he departed with the 
 farmer. 
 
 "All aboard!" said Frank, and the boys 
 tumbled into the boat, and grasped their oars. 
 
 The Zephyr pushed off, and her. cheerful crew 
 pulled merrily down the river. Frank was con 
 scious that the organization of the boat clubs had 
 been the means of accomplishing the good work 
 which the crew of the Butterfly had just achieved. 
 He was aware that some of the people in the 
 vicinity had cherished strong objections to the 
 clubs, and that Tony had had considerable diffi 
 culty in persuading the parents of his crew to 
 allow their sons to join. The adventure at fhe 
 bridge, he thought, would have a tendency to 
 reconcile them, and to elevate and dignify boat 
 ing. At any rate a good deed had been done, 
 and the parents of those who had taken part in it 
 could not but be proud of the laurels their sons 
 had earned. 
 
 The Zephyr, under Frank's skilful pilotage, 
 passed the rocks in safety, though, as they darted
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 59 
 
 through the narrow channel, he could see their 
 sharp edges only a little way below the surface 
 of the clear water. 
 
 They had scarcely entered the open lake before 
 they perceived the Sylph, under full sail with a 
 smashing breeze, close aboard of them. 
 
 " Frank 1" shouted Captain Sedley, who was 
 at the helm, while Uncle Ben was gazing at them 
 with a very sorrowful face from the half deck. 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir!" replied Frank, as he laid the 
 Zephyr's course towards the sailboat. 
 
 Though his father had only spoken his name, 
 there was something in the tone which could not 
 be misapprehended ; but it did not occur to him, 
 he was so engaged in thinking of the incidents 
 at the bridge, that he had disobeyed his father's 
 command in passing into the river. 
 
 As the Zephyr approached, the Sylph luffed, 
 and came up into the wind, to wait for her. Frank 
 brought his boat round under the stern of the sail 
 boat, and " lay to " an oar's length from her. 
 
 " Frank," said his father, sternly, "I am sur 
 prised that you should venture among those 
 rocks, when I have expressly forbidden you ever 
 to go into the river." 
 
 "But, father, there was " 
 
 "How could you do such a thing, after I had 
 so carefully warned you so positively inter 
 dicted it ? Suppose your boat had been dashed 
 in pieces, "continued Captain Sedley, who, though 
 deeply grieved at his son's apparent disobedience, 
 was too indignant to hear an excuse ; for such 
 he supposed Frank was about to offer one of 
 those silly, frivolous excuses which boys some 
 times seize upon to palliate their misconduct
 
 6O ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " I protested against it ! "said Charles Hardy, 
 
 rising from his seat. 
 
 " Shut up ! " exclaimed Little Paul, his cheek 
 glowing with indignation, as he pulled Charles 
 back into his seat. 
 
 " I went to save life, father," replied Frank, 
 almost choked by his emotions, a flood of tears 
 springing in his eyes and well-nigh blinding 
 him. 
 
 " To save life ! " said Captain Sedley, touched 
 by the reply, and far more by Frank's emotion. 
 
 He saw that he had spoken too quick that his 
 son had not passed the rocks without a good and 
 sufficient reason. 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Frank, struggling to master 
 his feelings ; and then he related all that had oc 
 curred at the bridge ; how Tony had saved the 
 lady and gentleman, and the horse ; and how his 
 crew had pulled the chaise ashore. 
 
 " You did right, Frank ; forgive my hasty 
 words," said Captain Sedley, with deep feeling. 
 
 "Good, my hearty!" exclaimed Uncle Ben, 
 clapping his hands. 
 
 A heavy load had been removed from f ' e mind 
 of the veteran, who had almost come to believe 
 that Frank could do no wrong. 
 
 " Tony's a hero ; and shiver my timbers, if he 
 oughtn't to be president of the United States, 
 when he's old enough," exclaimed Uncle Ben. 
 
 " He is a brave fellow. You have done well, 
 both of you. However strict our orders are, no 
 person should be a machine. Orders should be 
 obeyed with judgment," continued Captain 
 Sedley. 
 
 '* That'* a feet. I could tell a yarn about
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. t 
 
 that,** added Uncle Ben. "When I was in the 
 old Varsayles, bound round the Horn " 
 
 "Another time we will hear your yarn, Ben," 
 interposed Captain Sedley. "We will go over 
 and see Tony now, and congratulate him on the 
 honors the Butterfly has won. Haul in the gib 
 sheet, Ben." 
 
 " Ready pull ! " said Frank. 
 
 " Who protested now, Master Charles Hardy 1 ?" 
 asked Little Paul, as he good-naturedly punched 
 the forward youth in the ribs. 
 
 " Circumstances alter cases," replied Charles, 
 sagely, as he bent on his oar. 
 
 " Fact ! but they altered them when the deed 
 was done, not now, when you have found out 
 that it was all right."
 
 6* ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 COMMODORE FRANK SEDLEY. 
 
 FOR a few days all Rippleton rang with the 
 praises of Tony and his companions. All the 
 particulars of the affair at the bridge had been 
 given in the Rippleton Mercury, and the editor 
 was profuse in his commendations of the skill 
 and courage of the Butterfly Boat Club; and he 
 did not withhold from the Zephyr the credit which 
 was justly due. Tony was a hero, and his fame 
 extended for many miles around. 
 
 Mr. Walker and his lady, who had been rescued 
 from the river, visited Captain Sedley and the 
 Weston family the next day. I need not tell my 
 young readers how earnest he was in the expres 
 sion of his admiration and gratitude. He was a 
 wealthy merchant, and resided in a neighboring 
 town. Being as warm-hearted and generous as 
 he was just and discriminating, it was quite 
 natural that he should give his feelings expression 
 in some substantial token of his gratitude. 
 
 Before he left Rippleton, a check for five 
 hundred dollars was placed in the hands of 
 George Weston, with directions to give four 
 hundred of it to the Butterfly, and one hundred 
 to the Zephyr. In the division of the Butterfly's 
 share, Mr. Walker desired that one hundred dol 
 lars should be given to Tony, and twenty-five
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 63 
 
 dollars apiece to the crew ; consenting, however, 
 to let the whole sum be common property if the 
 club desired. 
 
 This liberality was certainly munificent, prince 
 ly ; but Mr. Walker's wealth was quite suffi 
 cient to enable him to gratify his generous im 
 pulses. Tony said he felt a little "ticklish" 
 abou* taking it, at first ; but George assured him 
 that Mr. Walker would feel hurt if he did not, and 
 he concluded to accept it. 
 
 " But what shall we do with it, George ? " asked 
 the young hero, who was not a little embar 
 rassed by the possession of so much money. 
 
 "That is for you to decide." 
 
 " What can we do with it ? " 
 
 "It will buy heaps of candy," suggested 
 George, with a smile. 
 
 "Candy ! " said Tony, contemptuously. 
 
 " Yoju can make a fund of it if you like." 
 
 ' ' What for ? " 
 
 "For any purpose you may wish. By and by 
 you may want money for something." 
 
 " What shall we do with it? " 
 
 " Put it in the Savings Bank." 
 
 "But the next thing is, shall we divide it? or 
 let it remain as the property of the club ? I sup 
 pose the fellows will all do just as I do." 
 
 " Perhaps the money would do the parents of 
 some of them a great deal of good." 
 
 " I think very likely ; we will let them vote 
 upon it. Here comes Frank. I wonder w r hat 
 they are going to do with theirs." 
 
 "How do you do, Tony? I have come over 
 to talk with you about the race. Next Wednes 
 day is the day, you_knov%"
 
 64 ALL ABOAJU), OR 
 
 "I had forgotten all about the race in th ex 
 citement of the bridge affair." 
 
 " I don't wonder." 
 
 "What are you going to do with your money, 
 Frank?" asked Tony. "Your club met last 
 evening, I believe." 
 
 "We voted to buy some philosophical appa 
 ratus with it." 
 
 " Good ! Did Tim Bunker vote for that ? " 
 
 " He didn't vote at all. He wanted the money 
 divided ; but the vote was unanimous for spend 
 ing it as I said. By the way, Mr. Walker was 
 liberal wasn't he? " 
 
 " Princely. He ought to have given you more 
 and us less, though." 
 
 "No; he did perfectly right. We did not de 
 serve even what we got." 
 
 "Just like you ! But come into the club room 
 Butterfly Hall and we will fix things for the 
 race." 
 
 Frank and Tony discussed the details of the 
 race, and at the end of an hour everything was 
 arranged to the satisfaction of both. There was 
 no difference of opinion except as to the length 
 of the race. Tony, thought that twice up and 
 down the lake, making an eight-mile race, would 
 be best ; but Frank felt sure that it was too long, 
 and that it would tire the boys too much. So it 
 was finally agreed that they should pull only 
 once up and down, making about four miles. 
 
 As the Butterfly club were to meet that evening, 
 Frank departed earlier than he otherwise would 
 have done, so as not to be considered an intruder. 
 
 Tony's club were in high spirits that evening. 
 The praise bestowed upon them had created a
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 6$ 
 
 strong feeling of self-reliance in their minds. 
 Their discipline had passed through a severe 
 ordeal, and it was pronounced perfectly satis 
 factory by all concerned. They had clone hard 
 work, and done it well. Their success was the 
 result of their excellent discipline. It would 
 have been in vain that they had as good a com 
 mander as Tony, if promptness and obedience 
 had been wanting. 
 
 " Xow, boys," said Tony, when he had called 
 the meeting to order, " we have arranged all the 
 details of the race, and if you like, I will tell 
 you about it." 
 
 'Tell us," said several. 
 
 The chairman proceeded to give them the sub 
 stance of his conversation with the coxswain of 
 the Zephyr ; and the rules they had adopted were 
 ol' course agreed to by all present. 
 
 The Butterfly boys, elated with the results of 
 the bridge affair, were confident that they should 
 win the race. Tony, however, was not so san 
 guine. He knew, better than they, how skilful 
 Frank was ; and, if the Zephyr had not labored 
 under the disadvantage of having a new member, 
 he would have been sure of being beaten. 
 
 "There is another subject which comes up for 
 consideration to-night I mean the gift of Mr. 
 Walker. He has left it so that it may be divided 
 among us, or held and used as common prop 
 erty," continued Tony. 
 
 The boys looked at each other, as if to pry into 
 the thoughts of their neighbors. There was a 
 long silence, and it was in vain that Tony called 
 for the opinions of the members ; they did not 
 seem to have any opinions on the subject 
 1
 
 66 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "We will do just as you say, Mr. Chairman," 
 said Little Paul. 
 
 "So we will," added Henry Brown. 
 
 "I shall not say," replied Tony. "It is a 
 matter for you to decide. George says we can 
 put it in the Savings Bank, if we don't divide it, 
 and keep it till we find a use for it. Perhaps, 
 though, some of your parents may want it. If 
 they do, we had better give each his share." 
 
 " Let us put it in the Savings Bank," said Dick 
 Chester. 
 
 But Henry Brown looked at Little Paul, whose 
 father was a very poor man, and had not been 
 able to work for several months. 
 
 "Perhaps we had better divide it," suggested 
 he. 
 
 "If you agree to divide it, each member shall 
 have a thirteenth part of the whole four hundred 
 dollars," added Tony. 
 
 "That wouldn't be right," replied Little Paul. 
 "He gave a hundred to you ; and certainly you 
 are better entitled to a hundred than we are to a 
 penny apiece." 
 
 " I will not take more than my share." 
 
 ' ' We will only take what Mr. Walker awarded 
 us," said Henry. 
 
 "That we won't," added several members. 
 
 "No ! " shouted the whole club. 
 
 " But you shall, my lads," said Tony, stoutly. 
 "George and I have agreed to that." 
 
 " But the commander of the ship ought to have 
 a bigger share than the crew ; besides, what 
 could we have done without you ? " argued Little 
 Paul. 
 
 "And what could I have done without you?"
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 67 
 
 "It was your skill and courage, as the Mercury 
 says, which did the business." 
 
 " It was your prompt obedience that crowned 
 our labors with success. I tell you, boys, it is 
 just as broad as it is long. The money shall be 
 equally divided/' 
 
 "Then we won't divide it,'' said Henry Brown. 
 
 " Very well ; I will agree to that. We shall be 
 equal owners then," replied Tony, with a smile 
 of triumph ; for in either case his point was 
 gained. 
 
 "But what shall we do with it ? Four hun 
 dred dollars is a heap of money. What's the use 
 of saving it up' without having some idea of what 
 we mean to do with it? '* 
 
 " We can put it to a dozen uses." 
 
 " What, tor instance ? " 
 
 "Why, enlarging our library; buying- an ap 
 paratus, as the Zephyrs are going to clo ; giving 
 it to the poor," replied Tony. "But I was think 
 ing of something before the meeting.'' 
 
 .The -boys all looked at the chairman with in 
 quiring glances. 
 
 "Out with it," said several of them. 
 
 "There are lots of fellows round here who 
 would like to get into a boat club." 
 
 "More than twenty," added Little Paul. 
 
 "We have money enough to buy another 
 boat." 
 
 " Hurrah ! " exclaimed several of the members, 
 jumping out of their chairs in the excitement of 
 the moment. " Let us buy another boat ! " 
 
 "What shall we call her?" added Dick Ches 
 ter. 
 
 Several of the boys began to exercise their
 
 68 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 minds on this important question, without devot 
 ing any more attention to the propriety or the 
 practicability of procuring another boat That 
 question was regarded as already settled. 
 
 " Ay, what shall we call her ? " repeated Joseph 
 Hooper. 
 
 " What do you say to the ' Lily ? ' ** 
 
 "The 'Water Sprite?'" 
 
 "The 'Go-ahead?'" 
 
 "Name her after Mr. Walker." 
 
 "No ; after Tony W'eston." 
 
 ' ' You are counting the chickens before they are 
 hatched," added Tony, laughing heartily. 
 
 "The the the 'Red Rover/" said Joseph 
 Hooper. 
 
 " That's too piratical," replied Little Paul. 
 
 "I wouldn't say anything about the name at 
 present," suggested Tony. 
 
 " Wouldn't it be fine, though, to have three 
 boats on the lake?" exclaimed Henry. 
 
 ''Glorious ! A race with three boats ! " 
 
 "Who would be coxswain of the new boat?" 
 
 " Fred Harper," said little Paul. ' ' The fellows 
 say he is almost as good as Frank Sedley." 
 
 "If we had another boat we should want a 
 commodore," continued Tony. "And I was 
 thinking, if we got another, that Frank would be 
 the commodore, and command the fleet. Then 
 there would be a coxswain to each boat besides." 
 
 "That would be first rate." 
 
 " Let us have the other boat." 
 
 "Hurrah ! so I say." 
 
 " I suppose we could buy two six-oar boats for 
 Our money," added Tony. 
 
 "And have four in the fleet? '*
 
 IfPfc OK THE LAKE. 69 
 
 "Perhaps three four-oar boats." 
 
 "Five boats in the fleet! That would be a 
 
 glorious squadron ! " 
 
 The boys could hardly repress the delight 
 which these air castles excited, and several of 
 them kept jumping up and down, they were so 
 nervous and so elated. 
 
 "Come, Tony, let us settle the business, and 
 order the boats at once," said Dick Chester. 
 
 " We had better think a while of it. Something 
 else may turn up which will suit us even better 
 than the fleet. Of course we must consult Cap 
 tain Sedley and George before we do anything," 
 replied Tony. 
 
 'They will be willing." 
 
 "Perhaps they will, and perhaps they won't." 
 
 "I know they will," said Dick. 
 
 " We will consult them, at any rate. It is nec 
 essary to take a vote concerning the division of 
 the money/ 1 
 
 Of course the club voted not to divide ; and it 
 was decided that the money should remain in the 
 hands of George Weston until the fleet question 
 should be settled. 
 
 "Now, boys," said Tony, "next Monday is 
 town meeting day, and school don't keep. We 
 will meet at nine o'clock and practise for the race, 
 which comes off on Wednesday afternoon, at 
 three o'clock. Let every fellow be on hand in 
 season. 
 
 The club adjourned, and the boys went off in 
 little parties, discussing the exciting topic of a 
 fleet of five boats, under the command of Com 
 modore Frank Sedley.
 
 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 THE RACE. 
 
 THE day appointed for the race between the 
 Zephyr and the Butterfly had arrived, and the 
 large number of people congregated on the shores 
 of Wood Lake testified to the interest which was 
 felt in the event. Probably the exciting incident 
 at the bridge, which had been published in the 
 newspaper, imparted a greater degree of interest 
 to the race than it would otherwise have pos 
 sessed. It was a beautiful afternoon, mild and 
 pleasant for the season, which favored the at 
 tendance of the ladies, and the lake was lined 
 with a row of cheerful faces. 
 
 "All aboard!" said Frank, as he dissolved a 
 meeting of the Zephyrs, which he had called in 
 order to impart whatever hints he had been able 
 to obtain from his father and others in regard to 
 their conduct. 
 
 Above all, he had counseled them, in case they 
 were beaten, to cherish no hard feelings towards 
 their rivals. Not a shadow of envy or ill-will 
 was to obscure the harmony of the occasion. 
 And if they were so fortunate as to win the race 
 they were to wear their honors with humility ; 
 and most especially, they were not to utter a 
 word which could create a hard feeling in the 
 minds of their competitors. Whatever the result, 
 there was to be the same kindness in the heart,
 
 JSFE ON THE LAKE. 7! 
 
 and the same gentlemanly deportment in the 
 manners, which had thus far characterized the 
 intercourse of the two clubs. 
 
 "All aboard I" 
 
 The Zephyrs were more quiet and dignified in 
 their deportment than usual. There was no loud 
 talk, no jesting ; even Fred Harper looked thought 
 ful and serious. Each member seemed to feel the 
 responsibilty of winning the race resting like a 
 heavy burden upon his shoulders. 
 
 The boat was hauled out into the lake, and 
 once more Frank cautioned them to keep cool 
 and obey orders. 
 
 "Don't look at the Butterfly after we get 
 started," said he. "You must permit me to keep 
 watch of her. Keep both eyes on me, and think 
 only of having your stroke perfectly accurate, 
 perfectly in time with the others. Now, remem 
 ber, don't look at the Butterfly ; if you do, we 
 shall lose the race. It would distract your atten 
 tion and add to your excitement. If she gets two 
 or three lengths ahead of us, as I think she will 
 on the first mile, don't mind it. Pull your best, 
 and leave the rest with me." 
 
 "Ay, ay ! " replied several, quietly. 
 
 "Do you think we shall win, Frank? " asked 
 Charles, who had put the same question a 
 dozen times before. 
 
 "We must think that we shall," replied Frank, 
 with a smile. "Here comes the Butterfly. 
 Now, give her three cheers. One I " 
 
 " Hurrah 1 " 
 
 "Two!" 
 
 "Hurrah!"
 
 73 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 " Hurrah ! " 
 
 This compliment was promptly returned by the 
 Butterfly, as she came alongside the Zephyr. 
 
 "Quarter of three, Frank," said Tony. 
 
 " Time we were moving then," replied Frank, as 
 he ordered the oars out, and the boats started for 
 ot \vhere the Sylph, the judges' boat, had 
 taken position. 
 
 They pulled with a very slow stroke, and not 
 only did the respective crews keep the most exact 
 time, but each timed its stroke with the other. 
 It was exhibition day with them, and they were 
 not only to run the race, but to show off their 
 skill to the best advantage. Hundreds of people, 
 their fathers and their mothers, their sisters and 
 their brothers, were observing them from the 
 shor*", and this fact inspired them to work with 
 unusual care. 
 
 It was a very beautiful sight, those richly 
 ornamented boats, their gay colors flashing in the 
 bright sunshine, with their neatly uniformed 
 crews, their silken flags floating to the breeze, 
 and their light, graceful oars dipping with me 
 chanical precision in the limpid waters. As they 
 glided gently over the rippling waves, like 
 phantoms, to the middle of the lake, a long 
 and deafening shout from the shore saluted their 
 ears. The white handkerchiefs of the ladies 
 waved them a cheerful greeting, and the Ripple- 
 ton Brass Band, which had volunteered for the 
 occasion, struck up Hail Columbia. 
 
 "Cease rowing! "said Frank, as he rose hi 
 his seat 
 
 Tony followed his example, though this move 
 ment had not ben laid down in the program.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 73 
 
 FranK then took the American flag which 
 floated at the stern, and Tony did the same. 
 
 " All up ! " said he. "Let us give them three 
 cheers." 
 
 " Mind the coxswain of the Zephyr," added 
 Tony, "and let them be all together and with a 
 will." 
 
 "Hats off, and swing them as you cheer." 
 
 The cheers were given with all the vigor which 
 stout lungs could impart, and the flags waved 
 and the hats swung. 
 
 The salute was reiterated from the shore, and 
 above the martial strains of the band rose the 
 deafening hurrahs. 
 
 "Ready pull ! " and the boats resumed their 
 slow and measured stroke, and the band changed 
 the tune to the Canadian Boat Song. 
 
 When they reached the judges' boat, the two 
 coxswains drew lots for the choice of " position," 
 and the Butterfly obtained this advantage. The 
 two boats then took their places, side by side, 
 about two rods apart, ready to commence the race. 
 
 ''Tony/' said Frank, rising, "before we start 
 I have a word to say. Whatever may be the re 
 sult of the race, for myself and my crew, I pledge 
 you there shall be no hard feeling among the 
 Zephyrs. " 
 
 "No, no, no ! " added the club, earnestly. 
 
 "If you beat, it shall not impair our friend 
 ship ; there shall be no envy, no ill-will. Do you 
 all say so, Zephyrs ? " 
 
 '-Ay, ay ! " 
 
 The Butterflies clapped their hands vigorously, 
 in token of their approbation of the pledge, aad 
 Tony promised the same thing for his club.
 
 74^ ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "Now we are ready," added Frank. "Keep 
 perfectly cool, and mind all I have said. Ready ! " 
 
 Uncle Ben stood in the bow of the Sylph, with 
 a burning slow match in his hand, ready to dis 
 charge the cannon which was to be the signal for 
 starting. It was a moment of intense excite 
 ment, not only to the crews of the boats, but to 
 hundreds of spectators on the shore. 
 
 It was undeniably true that the Zephyrs, in 
 spite of the warnings which Frank had given 
 them, were very much excited, and various were 
 the expedients which the boys used to calm their 
 agitation, or at least to conceal it. But it was 
 also true that the Butterflies were much more ex 
 cited. Discipline and experience had not schooled 
 them in the art of " being mere machines," and 
 they found it much more difficult than the Zephyrs 
 to subdue their troublesome emotions. 
 
 The eventful moment had come. The oarsmen 
 were bent forward ready to strike the first stroke, 
 and the coxswains were leaning back ready to 
 time the movement. Captain Sedley was gazing 
 intently at the dial of his "second indicator/' 
 prepared to give Un^le Ben the word to fire. 
 
 "Ready, Ben fire ! " 
 
 Bang ! went the cannon. 
 
 "Pull ! " shouted Frank and Tony in the same 
 breath. 
 
 Fortunately every oarsman in both boats hit 
 the stroke exactly, and away leaped the gallant 
 barks. 
 
 As Frank had deemed it probable, the Butterfly 
 shot a length ahead of her rival after pulling a 
 few strokes ; but though the noise of the oars in 
 formed his crew of their relative positions, not an
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 75 
 
 eye was turned from him, not a muscle yielded 
 in the face of the dispiriting fact, and not a mem 
 ber quickened his stroke in order to retrieve the 
 lost ground. Even Tim Bunker, who was sup 
 posed to have more feeling in regard to the race 
 than the others, maintained an admirable self- 
 possession. However much the hearts of the 
 crcvv beat with agitation, they were outwardly 
 as cool as though the Butterfly had been a mile 
 behind them. 
 
 It is true, some of the Zephyrs, as they con 
 tinued to gaze at Frank's calm and immovable 
 features, wondered that he did not quicken the 
 stroke ; but no one for an instant lost confidence 
 in him. "Fnmk knew what he was about." 
 This was the suitiment that prevailed, and each 
 member looked out for himself, leaving all the 
 rest to him. 
 
 The- Butterflies were quickening their stroke 
 every moment, and consequently were continu 
 ing to increase the distance between the two 
 boats. Every muscle was strained to its utmost 
 tension. Every particle of strength was laid out, 
 until Tony, fearful that some of the weaker ones 
 might "make a slip," dared require no more of 
 them. But they were already more than two 
 boats' lengths ahead of their rival, and he had 
 everything to hope. 
 
 Still the Zephyr pulled that same steady stroke. 
 As yet she had made no extraordinary exertion. 
 Her crew were still fresh and vigorous, while 
 those of her rival, though she was every moment 
 gaining upon her, were taxing their strength to 
 the utmost. 
 
 They rounded the stake boat, which had been
 
 76 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 placed nearly opposite the mouth of the Ripple- 
 ton River, and the Butterfly was still three 
 lengths ahead. They had begun upon the last 
 two miles of the race. Though the Zephyr still 
 pursued her former tactics, her rival was no 
 longer able to gain upon her. The latter had 
 thus far done her best, and for the next half mile 
 the boats maintained the same relative posi 
 tions. 
 
 Frank was still unmoved, ..nd there was some 
 inward grumbling among his crew. An expres 
 sion of deep anxiety had begun to supplant the 
 look of hope and confidence they had worn, and 
 some of them were provoked to a doubt whether 
 Frank, in the generosity of his nature, was not 
 intending to let Tony bear off the honors. 
 
 "Come, Frank, let her have, now ! " said Tim, 
 who could no longer restrain his impatience. 
 
 "Silence! Not a word!" said the self-pos 
 sessed coxswain. 
 
 It was in the "order of the day" that no 
 member should speak during the race ; and none 
 did, except Tim, and he could easily have been 
 pardoned under the circumstances. 
 
 Not yet did Frank quicken the stroke of the 
 Zephyr, though at the end of the next half mile 
 she was only two boats' lengths astern of her 
 competitor, which had lost this distance by the 
 exhaustion of her crew. They had pulled three 
 miles with the expenditure of all their strength. 
 They lacked the power of endurance, which 
 could only be obtained by long practice. " It is 
 the last pound that breaks the camel's back ; " 
 and it was so with them. With a little less exer 
 tion they might have preserved some portion of
 
 LIFB ON THE LAKE. ft 
 
 thefr vigor for the final struggle, which wa yt 
 
 to come. 
 
 They had begun upon the last mile. The crew 
 of the Butterfly were as confident of winning the 
 race as though the laurel of victory had already 
 been awarded to them ; r-.nd though their backs 
 ached and their arms were nearly numb, a smile 
 of triumph rested on their faces. 
 
 "Now for the tug of war," said Frank, in a 
 low, subdued tone, loud enough to be heard by 
 all his crew, but so gentle as not to create any of 
 that dangerous excitement which is sometimes 
 the ruin of the best laid plans. 
 
 As he spoke the motions of his body became a 
 little quicker, and gradually increased in rapidity 
 till the stroke was as quick as was consistent 
 with perfect precision. The result of this greater 
 expenditure of power was instantly observed, 
 and at the end of the next quarter of a mile the 
 boats were side by side again. 
 
 "They are beating us!" said Tony, in a 
 whisper. " Dip a little deeper pull strong! " 
 
 The exciting moment of the race had come. 
 The spectators on the shore gazed with breath 
 less interest upon the spectacle, unable, though 
 "Zephyr stock was up," to determine the result. 
 
 Not a muscle in Frank's face moved, and 
 steadily and anxiously his crew watched and 
 followed his movements. 
 
 "Steady!" said he, in his low. impressive 
 tone, as he quickened a trifle more the stroke of 
 the crew. 
 
 The Butterflies were "used up," incapable of 
 making that vigorous effort which might have 
 carried them in ahead of the Zephyr.
 
 78 ALL ABOARD, Ofc 
 
 "A little deeper," continued Frank. "Now 
 for it ! " 
 
 As he spoke, with a sudden flash of energy he 
 drove his oarsmen to their utmost speed ana 
 strength, and the Zephyr shot by the judges' 
 boat full a length and a half ahead of the But 
 terfly. 
 
 ' ' Cease rowing ! " said he. ' ' Ready up ! " 
 
 The Butterfly came in scarcely an instant be 
 hind, and her oars were poised in air, like those 
 of, her rival. 
 
 A long and animating shout rang along the 
 shore, when the result of the race was apparent, 
 and the band struck up "See the conquering hero 
 comes."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LITTLE PAUL. 
 
 "You have won the race, Frank, and I con 
 gratulate you," said Tony Weston, as the Butterfly 
 came alongside the Zephyr. 
 
 "Thank you, Tony; that is noble and gen 
 erous," replied Frank. 
 
 "But it is the feeling in our club isn't it, fel 
 lows ? " 
 
 ' ' Ay, ay, that it is ! " shouted Little Paul. < ' Let 
 us give them three cheers, to show the folks on 
 shore that there are no hard feelings." 
 
 The cheers were given lustily at least, as 
 lustily as the exhausted condition of the Butterflies 
 would permit. Each member of the defeated 
 club seemed to feel it his duty to banish even the 
 semblance of envy ; and it was pleasant to ob 
 serve how admirably they succeeded. 
 
 I do not wish my young readers to suppose 
 that Tony's crew felt no disappointment at the 
 result ; only that there were no hard feelings, no 
 petty jealousy. They had confidently expected 
 to win the race, even up to the last quarter of a 
 mile of the course ; and to have that hope sud 
 denly dashed down, to be beaten when they felt 
 sure of being the victors, was regarded as no triv 
 ial misfortune. But so thoroughly had Tony 
 schooled them in the necessity of keeping down
 
 8o ALL ABOARD, OK 
 
 any ill will, that I am sure there was not a hard 
 feeling in the club. Perhaps they displayed more 
 disinterestedness in their conduct after the race 
 than they really felt. If they did, it was no great 
 harm, for their motives were good, and they were 
 all struggling to feel what their words and their 
 actions expressed. 
 
 "Zephyr, ahoy!" hailed Mr. Hyde, from the 
 Sylph. 
 
 ' ' Ay, ay, sir I " 
 
 "The prize is ready for the winner/' 
 
 The oars were dropped into the water again, 
 and the Zephyr pulled up to the judges' boat. 
 
 "You have won the prize handsomely, Frank, 
 and it aifords me great pleasure to present it to 
 you," said Mr. Hyde, as he handed him a purse 
 containing the prize. " After the noble expres 
 sions of kindness on the part of your rival, I am 
 sure the award will awaken no feeling of exulta 
 tion in the minds of the Zephyrs, and none of 
 envy in the Butterflies. I congratulate you on 
 your victory." 
 
 Frank bowed, and thanked the schoolmaster 
 for his hopeful words ; and the Butterflies gave 
 three cheers again as he took the prize. The 
 Zepnyr was then brought alongside her late rival. 
 
 " Starboard oars up ! " said Frank. 
 
 " Larboard oars up ! " added Tony. 
 
 "What now, I wonder? " queried Fred Harper. 
 
 "Forward oarsman, step aboard the Butterfly," 
 continued Frank. 
 
 " Forward oarsman, step aboard the Zephyr," 
 said Tony. 
 
 Then the next member in each boat was passed 
 over to the other, and, so on, till the whole star-
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 8l 
 
 board side of -the Zephyr was manned by Butter 
 flies, and the larboard side of the Butterfly by 
 Zephyrs. 
 
 "Ready up!" said the coxswains, as they 
 
 proceeded to get under way again. 
 
 Thus, with the two clubs fraternally mingled, 
 they slowly pulled towards the nearest shore, 
 while the band played its sweetest strains. The 
 spectators still lingered ; and as the boats neared 
 the land, they were greeted with repeated cheers. 
 Then, side by side, they pulled slowly along the 
 shore, within a few rods of the lake's bank, till 
 they reach the Butterflies' house, where they all 
 landed. 
 
 And thus ended the famous boat race, over 
 which the boys had been thinking by day and 
 dreaming by night for several weeks. The occa 
 sion had passed ; and if it was productive of any 
 evil effects in the minds of those who engaged in 
 it, they were more than balanced by the excellent 
 discipline it afforded. They had learned to look 
 without envy upon those whom superior skill or 
 good fortune had favored, and to feel kindly to 
 wards those over whom they had won a victory. 
 It was a lesson which they would all need in the 
 great world, where many a race is run, and where 
 the conqueror is not always gentle towards the 
 conquered where defeat generates ill-will, envy, 
 and hatred. 
 
 "Anew commandment I give unto you, that 
 ye love one another," said Jesus not only love 
 one another when the sky is clear, and the waters 
 are smooth, but when the clouds threaten, and 
 the stormy sea lashes with its fury ; not only 
 wbe the arm of friendship and kindness holds us
 
 8t ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 up, but when all hearts seem cold, when all hands 
 are closed, and all faces frown upon us. It was 
 this divine command that the circumstances of 
 the boat race tended to exemplify ; and I am sure 
 that both the conquerors and the conquered were 
 better prepared for the duty of life than if they 
 had had no such experience. 
 
 I do not mean to say that every boat race is a 
 good thing, most especially when it is made to be 
 a gambling speculation by staking money on the 
 result only that this one was, because those who 
 conducted it made it subservient to the moral 
 progress of the boys. 
 
 "Well, Frank, 1 am glad you won the race," 
 said Tony, with a smile which testified to his 
 sincerity. ' ' Fortune favored us at the bridge, and 
 gave us the opportunity of winning the honors." 
 
 " And the profits too, Tony. Fifty dollars is 
 nothing to us now," added Fred, with a laugh. 
 
 "Thank you, Tony," replied Frank. "You 
 are so noble that you almost make me regret we 
 won. But, my dear fellow, you have won a 
 greater victory in your own heart. I can envy 
 you the possession of such noble feelings." 
 
 "Pooh, Frank!" 
 
 " I am sure I don't value the victory, because 
 it has been won over you." 
 
 " We trained ourselves to feel right about the 
 matter whichever way the race went." 
 
 "Your heart is so near right that you don't 
 need much training. But it is time for us to re 
 turn home." 
 
 " How about that picnic on the first of May ? " 
 
 "My father has consented to it." 
 
 "So have our folks; we will have a glorious
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 83 
 
 time of it. On Saturday afternoon, if you say so, 
 we will visit Center Island, and set the May 
 pole." 
 
 "Agreed." 
 
 " But, Frank, school keeps don't it ? " 
 
 "Whew ! does it?" 
 
 "It did last year; but the committee have 
 talked of giving- us the day. I hope they will. 
 Ask your father ; he is one of them." 
 
 "I will. We can get the point settled before 
 Saturday. " 
 
 " I guess so." 
 
 "All aboard!" 
 
 The Zephyrs hastened on board, and in a few 
 minutes were out of sight. The Butterfly was 
 hauled into her berth, everything was made 
 "snug" and tidy, and the boys hastened to their 
 several homes. Of course it was not easy for 
 them to drive out of their minds the exciting 
 events of the day, and while all of them, except 
 Tony, were sorry they had lost the race, they 
 had much to console them. They had won a vic 
 tory over themselves ; and the consciousness of 
 this triumph compensated for their disappoint 
 ment. Each of them, adopting the sentiment of 
 their heroic young leader, thought what a good 
 fellow Frank Sedley was, and tried to feel glad 
 that he had won. 
 
 There was one of them, however, who did not 
 think much about it after he separated from his 
 companions. Other considerations claimed his 
 attention ; and before he reached his humble 
 home, the race was banished from his mind. He 
 hf d a sick father, and the family had hard work 
 t get along. This was Little Paul.
 
 84 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 His mother insisted upon sending him to school 
 while there was anything left to procure the 
 necessaries of life ; and as there was little for him 
 to do at home, he was allowed to join the club, 
 because his parents knew how much he loved the 
 sports on the lake, and that nothing but good 
 influences would be exerted upon him in the 
 ciation. 
 
 Paul Munroe was a good boy, in every sense of 
 the word ; and though he had never been able to 
 do much for his parents, they regarded him none 
 the less as one of their choicest blessings. As 
 Tony expressed it, Little Paul's heart was in the 
 place ; and it was a big heart, full of warm 
 bio 
 
 II is father sat in an easy-chair by the kitchen 
 is he entered, and a smile played upon his 
 :>lue lips as his eyes met the glance of his 
 loving- son. 
 
 'A\, Paul, did you win the race ? " he asked, 
 in feeble tones. 
 
 ' ' No, father ; the Zephyrs beat. Frank Sed- 
 ley rather outgeneraled Tony, and his crew were 
 more used to pulling than \.*e. But Frank is a 
 first-rate fellow." 
 
 " Isn't Tony ? " 
 
 "That he is ! They are both first-rate fellows ; 
 I don't know where there are two other such 
 fellows in the world." 
 
 " You are right, Paul : they are good boys, and 
 we shall lie sorry to take you away from them." 
 
 Little P:iul looked inquiringly at his father. 
 He had more than once begged to be allowed to 
 work in the Rippleton factories, that he might 
 earn something towards supporting the family ;
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 85 
 
 but his parents would never consent to take him 
 away from school and confine him in the noisy, 
 dusty rooms of the mills. His father's words 
 suggested the idea that they had consented to his 
 request, and that he was to be allowed to work 
 for a living. 
 
 "'Squire Chase nas been Viere to-day," added 
 Mr. Munroe, sadly. 
 
 " Has he? What did he say?" asked Paul, a 
 shade of anxiety gathering upon his fine, manly 
 face. 
 
 "We must leave our house, my son," replied 
 the father, with a sigh. 
 
 "Won't he wait ?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "How did he act while he was here?" 
 
 "He was very harsh and unfeeling." 
 
 "The villain ! " exclaimed Paul, with emphasis, 
 as his cheek reddened with indignation. 
 
 " He is a hard man, Paul ; but reproaches are 
 of no use. The note is due on the first of May ; 
 I cannot pay it, so we must leave the house." 
 
 "Where are we to go, father?" 
 
 "Your grandfather, who has a large farm in 
 Maine, has written for me to come there ; and 
 your mother and I have decided to go." 
 
 Paul looked sad at the thought of leaving the 
 pleasant scenes of his early life, and bidding fare 
 well to his cherished friends ; but there was no 
 help for it, and he cheerfully yielded to the neces 
 sity. It was of no use to think of moving the 
 heart of 'Squire Chase it was cold, hard, and im 
 penetrable. He was a close-fisted lawyer, who 
 had made a handsome fortune in the city by tak 
 ing advantage of the distresses of others, and it
 
 86 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 was not likely that he, having thus conquered all 
 the nobler impulses of his nature, would have 
 any sympathy for Mr. Munroe in his unfortunate 
 condition. 
 
 The poor man had bought the little place he 
 occupied a few years before for seven hun 
 dred dollars paying two hundred down, and 
 giving his note, secured by a mortgage, for the 
 rest. The person of whom he had purchased 
 the place, whose lands joined it, had sold 
 his estate to 'Squire Chase, to whom, also, he had 
 transferred the mortgage. The retired lawyer 
 was not content to remain quiet in his new home, 
 and there repent of his many sins, but immedi 
 ately got up an immense land speculation, by 
 which he hoped to build a village on his grounds, 
 and thus make another fortune. 
 
 Mr. Munroe's little place was in his way. He 
 wanted to run a road over the spot where the 
 house was located, and had proposed to buy it 
 and the land upon which it stood. He offered 
 seven hundred and fifty dollars for it; but it was 
 now worth nine hundred, and Mr. Munroe re 
 fused the offer. The 'Squire was angry at tf>e 
 refusal, and from that time used all the means in 
 his power to persecute his poor neighbor. 
 
 Then sickness paralyzed the arm of Mr. Mun 
 roe, and he could no longer work. The money 
 he had saved to pay the note when it should be 
 come due was expended in supporting his family. 
 With utter ruin staring him full in the face, he 
 sent for 'Squire Chase, and consented to his offer ; 
 but the malicious wretch would not give even 
 that now ; and the land was so situated as to be 
 of but little value except to the owner of the
 
 11FE ON THE LAKft. 87 
 
 Chase estate. The 'Squire was a bad neighbor, 
 and no one wanted to get near him ; so that Mr. 
 Munroe could not sell to any other person. 
 
 The crafty lawyer knew that the poor man was 
 fully in his power, and he determined to punish 
 him, even to his ruin. He hated him because he 
 was an honest, good man ; because his life, 
 even in his humbler sphere, was a constant re 
 proach to him. The note would be due on the 
 the first of May, and he had determined to take 
 possession in virtue of the mortgage. 
 
 Poor Paul shed many bitter tears upon his pil 
 low that night ; and from the depths of his gentle 
 heart he prayed that God would be very near to 
 his father and mother in the trials and sorrows 
 that were before them.
 
 38 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A UNANIMOUS VOTE. 
 
 ON the following day Little Paul was missed at 
 school, and some anxiety was felt by his com 
 panions concerning him. It was feared that the 
 exertion of the race had proved too great for him, 
 and that he was too ill to ,;onie out All the 
 other boys appeared a.s usr-.J, and none of them 
 seemed to be the worse for the violent exercu w - 
 they had taken. 
 
 Before night, however, they learned that Litue 
 Paul was quite well, and had been detained at 
 home to assist his mother. This intelligence re 
 moved their anxiety, and their fears lest boat rac 
 ing should be deemed an improper recreation, 
 and dangerous to the health of the boys. Friday 
 and Saturday passed, and he did not appear at 
 school ; but it was said that his mother was very 
 busy, and nothing was thought of the circum 
 stance. 
 
 On Saturday afternoon the Butterfly club had 
 assembled in their hall, and were talking over 
 the affairs of the association until the time 
 appointed for the excursion to Center Island. 
 Little Paul had not come yet, and the boys began 
 to fear that they should be obliged to make the 
 excursion with only five oars on one side. 
 
 "What do you suppose is the reason ? " asked 
 Dick Chester. 
 
 \
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 89 
 
 " I have no idea ; I hope nothing has 
 happened, for Little Paul has not been absent 
 from school before this season," replied Tony. 
 
 "I hope not," added Henry Brown. "Suppose 
 we send a committee to inquire after him." 
 
 This was deemed an excellent suggestion, and 
 Henry and Dick were immediately appointed a 
 committee of two, by the "chair," to attend to 
 the matter. They departed upon their mission, 
 and after the boys had wondered a while longer 
 what kept Paul away, another topic was brought 
 up a matter which was of the deepest interest to 
 the young boatmen, and which had claimed their 
 attention during all their leisure moments for 
 several days. 
 
 I say their leisure moments ; for the affairs of 
 the club were not permitted to interfere with any 
 of the usual duties of the members. At home 
 and at school, it was required that everything 
 should be done well and done properly. As may 
 be supposed, this was not an easy matter for 
 boys whose heads were full of boats and boating ; 
 and about once a week the coxswains found it 
 advisable to read a lecture on the necessity of 
 banishing play during work hours. "Whatso 
 ever thy hands find to do, do it with all thy 
 might," was a text so often repeated that it had 
 virtually become one of the articles of the consti 
 tution. 
 
 The boys felt the necessity of following this 
 precept. They realized enough of the law of 
 cause and effect to be aware that, if their home 
 and school duties were neglected, or slovenly 
 done, boating would soon obtain a bad reputa 
 tion ; so both parents and teacher found that foe
 
 90 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 clubs were a great help rather than a hindrance 
 in the performance of their several functions. 
 
 So strongly were the Zephyrs impressed with 
 the necessity of not permitting the club to inter 
 fere with home and school duties, that, at the 
 latter part of their first season, they had estab 
 lished a rule by which any member who wilfully 
 neglected his duties should be, for a certain time, 
 excluded from the club. And this rule was not a 
 dead letter. One Wednesday forenoon Charles 
 Hardy had wasted his time in school, and failed 
 in his lessons. On his slate was found a drawing 
 of a club boat, manned by certain ill-looking 
 caricatures, which explained the cause of the de 
 fection. An excursion had been planned for that 
 afternoon, and when Charles presented himself at 
 the boat-house, he was politely informed that he 
 could not go. In vain he pleaded ; Fred Harper, 
 who was coxswain at the time, was very civil 
 and very gentle, but he was inflexible. And the 
 culprit had the satisfaction of sitting upon a rock 
 on shore, and seeing what a fine time the fellows 
 were having. 
 
 The effect was decidedly salutary, and another 
 case of such discipline did not again occur. The 
 boys, zealous to keep their favorite sport in good 
 repute, adopted the regulation for the present 
 year, in both clubs. Without such precautions 
 as these it was plain that boating would soon be 
 come a nuisance, which neither parents nor 
 teachers would tolerate. Therefore the members 
 of the clubs made it a point to keep their 
 " voyages," their plans and schemes, out of their 
 minds at times when their heads should be filled 
 with other matters. It was astonishing to what
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 91 
 
 an extent they succeeded ; and boys would often 
 he surprised to see how well they can do, if they 
 would only set about it earnestly and with a de 
 termination to succeed. 
 
 The notable scheme which just now engrossed 
 the attention of the Butterflies was no less than 
 the establishment of a "fleet of boats" upon the 
 lake. The dream of half a dozen boats, under 
 command of Commodore Frank Sedley, man 
 euvering on the water, performing beautiful evolu 
 tions, and doing a hundred things which they 
 could not then define, was so pleasant, so fasc 
 inating, that they could not easily give it up. 
 
 There would be the commodore in his "flag 
 boat," signalizing the fleet, now bidding them 
 pull in "close order," now ordering a boat out 
 on service, and now sending one to examine a 
 bay or a harbor. And then, if they could only 
 get leave to explore Rippleton River, how the 
 commander of the squadron would send out a 
 small craft to sound ahead of them, and to buoy 
 off the rocks and shoals, and how the people on 
 the banks of the stream would stare when they 
 saw them moving in sections against the sluggish 
 current ! Ah, a fleet of boats was such a brilliant 
 ideal, that I will venture to say .more than one of 
 the boys lay awake nights to think about it. 
 
 I will not attempt to tell my young friends all 
 the queer fancies concerning the squadron in 
 which they indulged. They were essentially air 
 castles, very beautiful structures, it is true, but as 
 yet they rested only on the clouds. But the means 
 of realizing this magnificent ideal was within their 
 grasp. They had the money to buy the boats, 
 and the oply question was, whether George
 
 Qf ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 Weston, the "director" of the club, would per 
 mit the purchase. 
 
 " What have you done about the fleet, Tony? " 
 asked Joseph Hooper. 
 
 " I have spoken to my brother about it," re 
 plied Tony, with a smile. 
 
 "What 'did ho say? " 
 
 " lie had no objection." 
 
 ' Hurrah ! We shall have the fleet then ! And 
 Tony, we shall go in for having you commodore 
 part rf trie ti" 
 
 " That we will ! " echoed half a dozen voices. 
 
 "You would make as good a commodore as 
 Frank," added Joseph. 
 
 I guess not," answered Tony, iv.oilestly. 
 ' Didn't you see how slick Frank beat us in the 
 race ? If I had followed his tactics, we might have 
 stood some chance, at least." 
 
 " Some chance ! Didn't we keep ahead of him 
 till we had got almos-t home? '' 
 
 "Yes; but that was a part of Frank's tactics. 
 He let us get tired out, and then beat us. But we 
 haven't got the fleet yet, fellows, and we are a 
 pack of fools to count the chickens I efore they 
 are hatched." 
 
 " You said George has no objections," replied 
 Joseph, glancing anxiously at Tony. 
 
 "Hi has not, but he wants to consult Captain 
 Sedley before he consents." 
 
 The boys looked a little disconcerted at this 
 igence, and a momentary silence ensued. 
 
 "Do you think, he will object, Tony 
 one. 
 
 '' I am pretty sure he will not." 
 
 " Have you said anything to Frank about it? *
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 93 
 
 " Yes ; and he says the Zephyrs will put thr 
 money with ours, if we get the fleet" 
 
 " Hurrah ! I know his father will consent!" 
 
 " I have even got a hint from him that he should 
 not object," added Tony, very quietly. 
 
 " That is glorious ! We shall certainly have 
 the fleet then ! " shouted Joseph Hooper. 
 
 "I am pretty sure there will be no trouble 
 about it. Almost everybody is willing to 
 now that the clubs are a good thing ; that they 
 keep the fellows out of mischief, and stimulate 
 them to do their duty at home and at school. So 
 much for our strict regulations. If we can get 
 more boats, and form more clubs, everybody 
 concerned will be the better for it" 
 
 "That's the idea." 
 
 " We can get four small boats for our money 
 can't we ? " asked one of the boys. 
 
 "Frank thought we had better get different 
 sized boats," replied Tony. 
 
 "For different kinds of service," added Joseph, 
 demurely. 
 
 "Say, one eight-oar boat, one six-oar, and two 
 four-oar," said Tony. 
 
 "That would be first rate! Then we could 
 take in twenty-two fellows." 
 
 "Twenty-three ; the commodore would not be 
 the coxswain of any boat, but command the 
 whole." 
 
 The boys grew so nervous and excited during 
 this fine discussion, that they could hardly keep 
 their seats. In imagination the fleet was already 
 afloat, and the broad pennant of Commodore 
 Sedley was flying on board the Zephyr. 
 
 "How long before we can get the boats,
 
 ^4 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 Tony? "asked a little fellow, his eyes snapping 
 with delight at the glorious anticipation. 
 
 " Perhaps they can be bought ready made. 
 We need not \vait for new ones. In a few weeks, 
 
 at least before vacation Hallo, Paul 1 I am 
 
 glad you have come." 
 
 Little Paul looked very sad as he entered But 
 terfly Hall. With a faint smile he received the 
 greetings of his friends. 
 
 'All aboard !" shouted Tony, as he rose from 
 his chair. "You haven't got your uniform on, 
 Paul." 
 
 "I can't go with you, Tony," replied Little Paul, 
 in a gloomy tone. 
 
 " Not go with us ! Why not ? What is the 
 matter ? " 
 
 "I must leave the club too," he added, in a 
 husky voice. 
 
 "Leave the club 1 " 
 
 " We are going to move Down East." 
 
 "That's too bad!" 
 
 All the boys gathered round Little Paul, and 
 there was a troubled look upon their countenances. 
 
 " We cannot stay here any longer," continued 
 the poor boy, as he dashed a tear from his eye. 
 
 It was evident to all that some misfortune had 
 overtaken the Munroe family, and Little Paul's 
 sorrows excited the deepest interest and sympathy. 
 
 Without any solicitation on the part of his com 
 panions, the little fellow told them the story of 
 his father's trials, and the reason why he was 
 compelled to leave Rippleton. 
 
 " When is the money due, Paul ?" asked Tony. 
 
 '.' On the first of May. My father has no money 
 and he cannot pay the note."
 
 itint ON THE tiitiL" f' 
 
 11 Mow much did you say it was ? " 
 
 " Five hundred dollars. It is a great sum for 
 us." 
 
 "My father says 'Squire Chase is not any bet 
 ter than he ought to be," added Dick Chester, who 
 had returned with Little Paul. 
 
 " He is a very har man," replied Paul. "But 
 I must go home again. I shall see you before I 
 leave town ; " and the poor fellow turned away to 
 hide his tears. 
 
 "Poor Little Paul! " said Tony, when he had 
 gone. 
 
 " How I pity him ! " added Henry Brown. 
 
 "So do I," reiterated Joseph Hooper. 
 
 " How much do you pity him, fellows ?" asked 
 Tony, seating himself in his arm-chair. 
 
 "So much that we would help him if we could," 
 answered Henry. 
 
 "You can help him." 
 
 A deep silence ensued. 
 
 " Have you the nerve to make a great sacrifice, 
 Butterflies ? " exclaimed Tony with energy. 
 
 " We have." 
 
 "I move you, Mr. Chairman, that our four 
 hundred dollars be applied to the relief of Little 
 Paul's father," said Henry Brown, catching Tony's 
 idea. 
 
 "Second the motion," added Dick Chester, 
 promptly. 
 
 "Bravo!" shouted Tony, slapping the table 
 with his fist. "That's what I call noble ! But 
 before we do it, just think what a fine thing the 
 fleet would be. It is a great sacrifice." 
 
 " Question ! " called Joseph Hooper. 
 
 "Think well, fellows," said Tony. "Any re-
 
 96 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 marks upon the subject will be in order. It Is a 
 great question, and ought not to be hastily de 
 cided. 
 
 "Question ! " shouted the whole club, wildly. 
 
 '-Those in favor of applying the four hundred 
 dollars to the relief of Mr. Munroe will signify it," 
 said Tony. 
 
 " All up ! " 
 
 " It is a unanimous
 
 OH THJt LA&S. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 MTTER TO GIVE THAN RECEITB. 
 
 aboard ! " shouted Tony, as soon as he 
 had declared the vote : and the boys hurried into 
 the boat to be in readiness to join the Zephyr, 
 which was already upon the lake. 
 
 Tony's spirits were unusually buoyant. The 
 sympathy and co-operation of the club in regard 
 to'Littte Paul's father was in the highest degree 
 grateful to his feelings. Perhaps his companions 
 did not so cheerfully resign the project of the 
 fleet'; perhaps they had acted upon the impulse 
 of the moment; but they were all to experience 
 the benefit of doing a good deed, and sacrificing 
 their own gratification for the happiness of others. 
 Tony felt better' for the sacrifice they had made, 
 and probably the rest of them shared his feelings. 
 He was satisfied that they did not fully realize 
 what they had done, and with the determination 
 to take a fit opportunity to talk over the matter 
 with them, he took his place in the boat. 
 
 The Zephyrs were laying on their oars, waiting 
 for the Butterfly when she backed out of the 
 boat house. 
 
 "You are late, Tony, which is rather odd for 
 you," said Frank. 
 
 "We had a little business to attend to, which 
 detained us," repj^d Tony ; " and while we are 
 7
 
 98 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 here we may as well tell you about it. We have 
 voted our money away." 
 
 " For the fleet? " 
 
 " No ; we have given that up." 
 
 " Indeed ! Given it up ? " exclaimed Frank, 
 not a little surprised at this declaration. 
 
 " Fact, Frank ! " 
 
 "Something new has turned up, then ?" 
 
 "Let us lash boats to keep us from drifting 
 apart, and I will tell you all about it.." 
 
 The two boats were fastened together fore and 
 aft, and Tony proceeded to tell the story of Little 
 Paul's father. He spoke loud enough for all the 
 Zephyrs to hear him, and as his heart warmed 
 towards Mr. Munroe in his misfortunes, his eyes 
 dilated, and his gestures were as apt and ener 
 getic as though he had been an orator all his 
 lifetime. 
 
 " I see what you have done with your money," 
 said Frank, as the speaker paused at the close of 
 the narrative. "It was like you, Tony noble 
 and generous ! " 
 
 "We gave^all our money for the relief of Mr. 
 Munroe ; but I didn't even suggest the thing to 
 the fellows. Henry Brown made the motion, 
 and it was a unanimous vote." 
 
 " Bravo, Butterflies ! " 
 
 "Have you given up the fleet?" asked Tim 
 Bunker, whose face was the only one which did 
 not glow with satisfaction. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " There is more fun in helping a poor man out 
 of trouble than in working a fleet," added Henry 
 Brown. 
 
 "So I say," put in Dick Chester.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 99 
 
 " Humph ! " grunted Tim. 
 
 "But, Tony, you said the note was five hun 
 dred dollars didn't you? " asked Frank. 
 
 "I did." 
 
 "And you have only four hundred?" 
 
 "That's all ;" and Tony's eyes rekindled with 
 delight at the anticipation of what the Zephyrs 
 would do. 
 
 "You hear that, fellows." 
 
 "Would a motion be in order now?" asked 
 Charies Hardy. 
 
 "Hold your tongue, you fool!" said Tim 
 Bunker, in a low tone. "We can get another 
 boat with our money, and you shall be coxswain 
 of it." 
 
 chailes looked ^i him. 
 
 "A motion would be in order ; at least we can 
 make it in r .er " icplied Frank. 
 
 B t Chrrles hesit ted. The tempting offer of 
 Tim, the z-bsu.cuy of which he did not stop to 
 consider, conqaered ' 's first impulse. 
 
 ' I move you we appropriate one hundred 
 dollars to put with the Butterfly's .money for Mr~ 
 Munr e, ' said William Bright, and Charles had 
 lost the honor of making the motion. 
 
 "Second the motion," added Fred Harper. 
 
 Those in favor of giving our money to Mr. 
 Munroe will signity it." 
 
 "Vote against it," said Tim, and Charles ac 
 cepted the suggestion. 
 
 "Ten; it is a vote, though not unanimous," 
 continued Frank, as he cast a reproachful glance 
 at his friend who had voted against the proposi 
 tion. 
 
 He was not surprised to see Tim Bunker vote
 
 ioO ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 against it ; but that Charles should receive the 
 advice of such a counselor, and such advice, too, 
 was calculated to alarm him. His friend had but 
 little firmness, and was perhaps more likely to 
 be led away by bad influence than any other 
 member of the club. He was sorry to see Tim 
 exhibiting his dogged disposition, but more sorry 
 to see Charles so much under his control. 
 
 " Hurrah ! " shouted Tony, when the vote was 
 declared. " Let us send up to Mr. Munroe, and 
 tell him what we have done, and get little Paul. 
 They won't want him now." 
 
 "But, Tony, you forget that our doings must 
 be approved by our directors," said Frank. 
 
 " I'll risk them." 
 
 "It would be better to have everything right 
 before we promise Mr, Munroe. 
 
 " So it would. Is your father at home? " 
 
 " I believe so." 
 
 "George is, and it won't take five minutes to 
 obtain his consent. Let go the fasts forward," 
 said Tony, as he cast off the line astern. 
 
 " We will go ashore and try to find my father," 
 added Frank. " Ready pull ! " 
 
 Away dashed the Zephyr towards her boat- 
 house, while the Butterfly came about so that 
 Tony could leap on shore. 
 
 Of course both Captain Sedley and George 
 Weston were surprised at the sudden action of 
 the clubs ; but the deed was too noble, too hon 
 orable to their kind hearts to want their sanc 
 tion, and it was readily given. In less than half 
 an hour the boats were pulling towards a con 
 venient landing-place near Mr. Mun roe's house. 
 
 The poor man was confounded when the coin-
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. IOI 
 
 mittee of two from each club waited upon him 
 and stated their business. His eyes filled with 
 tears, and he and Little Paul wept together. 
 
 But Mr. Munroe could not think of taking the 
 money at first. He declared that he would suffer 
 anything rather than deprive the boys of the 
 gratification which their money would purchase. 
 
 "We are a little selfish about it, sir," said 
 Tony. " We want to keep Paul among us." 
 
 "That's the idea," added Henry Brown, who 
 was his colleague on the committee. 
 
 "I can't take your money, boys," replied Mr. 
 Munroe, firmly. 
 
 " You will oblige us very much by taking it. 
 My brother and Captain Sedley both know what 
 we are about. I am sure we shall feel happier 
 in letting you have this money than we should 
 be made by anything it will buy. It was at 
 unanimous vote in our club." > 
 
 "Noble little fellows !" exclaimed Mr. Munroe, 
 with a fresh burst of tears, as he grasped the 
 hand of Tony. 
 
 The matter was argued for some time longer, 
 and finally compromised by Mr. Munroe's agree 
 ing to accept the money as a loan. 
 
 The notes were drawn up and signed by the 
 poor man, whose heart was filled to overflowing 
 with gratitude at this unexpected relief. 
 
 " Now you will let Paul come with us won't 
 you, Mr. Munroe ? " asked Tony. 
 
 "Certainly; and I shall never cease to thank 
 God that he has found such noble and true 
 friends," replied the poor man ; and as they took 
 their leave, he warmly pressed the hands of each 
 member of the committee.
 
 JO2 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "Cheer up, Paul ; don't be downhearted. It 
 
 is all right now," said Tony. 
 
 "I can't be lively," replied Little Paul, whose 
 sadness cast a shade upon the enjoyment of the 
 others. 
 
 "Why not, Paul?" 
 
 "I feel so sad; and your goodness to my poor 
 father overcomes me." 
 
 " Never mind that, Paul ; cheer up, and we will 
 have a glorious time." 
 
 But Little Paul's feelings were too strong and 
 deep to be easily subdued. His pride seemed to 
 be wounded by the events of the day, and when 
 they reached Center Island, he told Tony how 
 badly he felt about his father being the recipient 
 of their charity, as he called it. 
 
 "Charity, Paul!" exclaimed the noble little 
 fellow. " Look here ; " and he pulled the note he 
 had received from Mr. Munroe out of his pocket. 
 "Do you call this charity ? " 
 
 "Perhaps he can never pay you ; at least it will 
 be a long time." 
 
 " No matter ; it is a fair trade. We lent him the 
 money." 
 
 And Tony argued the point with as much skill 
 as a lawyer would have done, and finally so far 
 succeeded in convincing Paul, that his face bright 
 ened with a cheerful smile, and he joined with 
 hearty zest in the preparations for the May-day 
 picnic. 
 
 A long spruce pole, which had been prepared 
 for the occasion by Uncle Ben, was towed to the 
 island by the Zephyr, and erected in a convenient 
 place. The brushwood in the grove was cleared 
 from the ground, the large stones were rolled out
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 1 03 
 
 of the way, and were used in constructing a pier 
 for convenience in landing. When their labors 
 were concluded it was nearly dark, and the boats 
 pulled for home, each member of the clubs antic 
 ipating a glorious time on the approaching holi 
 day, for such the committee had decided the First 
 of May should be.
 
 134 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 FIRST OF MAY. 
 
 MAY day came warm, bright, and beautif J. 
 At six o'clock in the morning the Zephyr and the 
 Butterfly were manned, and the boys went over 
 to the island to trim the May-pole with evergreen 
 and flowers. The Sylph was degraded for the 
 time into a "freighting vessel," and under com 
 mand of Uncle Ben conveyed to the island chairs 
 and settees for the use of the guests, tables for the 
 feast, music stands for the band, and other articles 
 required for the occasion. 
 
 About nine o'clock the guests began to arrive, 
 and were conveyed to the island by the two club 
 boats the Sylph having gone down to Rippleton 
 after the band. The Sedleys, the Westons, Mr. 
 Hyde, the parents of all the members of the clubs 
 who could attend, all the boys and girls of the 
 school, and a few gentlemen and ladies from the 
 village who had manifested a warm interest in the 
 welfare of the two associations, composed the 
 party ; and before ten they were all conveyed to 
 the scene of the festival. 
 
 "Have you got them all, Frank?" asked Cap 
 tain Sedley, as the coxswain was ordering his crew 
 ashore. 
 
 "All but the Munroes, and the Butterflies are 
 going for them by and by. " 
 
 "Tom is hoisting the signal," added Captain
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 10$ 
 
 Sedley, pointing to a blue flag on *he shore, which 
 the gardener had been directed to hoist when any 
 one wished to go to the island. 
 
 "We will go, Frank," said Tony ; and away 
 dashed the boat towards the main shore. 
 
 "Ah, my Butterflies," said a voice, as they 
 approached the landing. 
 
 "Mr. Walker!" exclaimed Tony. "Ready 
 up ! Now let us give him three cheers. I was 
 afraid he would not come." 
 
 The salute was given, and acknowledged by 
 Mr. Walker. 
 
 "I am glad to see you again, my brave boy," 
 said the gentleman, as he grasped Tony's hand. 
 
 "I was afraid you would not deem our invita 
 tion worth accepting." 
 
 "I would not have missed of coming for the 
 world, my young friend. Here is Mrs. Walker; 
 you know her." 
 
 Tony shook hands with the lady, and she said 
 a great many very pretty things to him, which 
 made the gallant little hero blush like a rose in 
 June, and stammer so that he could hardly make 
 them understand him. 
 
 " Shall I help you into the boat, Mrs. Walker?" 
 said Tony. 
 
 " You shall, my little gallant ; though I shall not 
 be so glad to get into it as I was the other day." 
 
 The boat put off again, and Mr. and Mrs. 
 Walker were filled with admiration of the excel 
 lent discipline of the rowers. They were warmly 
 greeted by the party at the island, and lustily 
 cheered by the crew of the Zephyr, which was 
 again manned for the purpose of giving their 
 liberal friend this complimentary salute.
 
 I 
 I06 ALL ABOARD, Ofc 
 
 "Off again, my lads?" asked Mr. Walker, as 
 the Butterflies prepared to go for the Munroe 
 family. 
 
 Captain Sedley explained to him the nature of 
 their present errand ; and, of course, the warm 
 hearted gentleman found renewed occasion to 
 applaud the nobleness of Tony and his com 
 panions. He could hardly find terms sufficiently 
 strong to express his sense of admiration, es 
 pecially when he learned the sacrifice which they 
 had made. 
 
 "A fleet of boats!" exclaimed he. "If it 
 would raise up such boys as these, it ought to be 
 procured at the public expense. Thank God ! I 
 am rich." 
 
 " I understand you, Mr. Walker," replied Cap 
 tain Sedley; "but I beg you will not let your 
 generosity do anything more for the boys." 
 
 "Captain Sedley, I love those boys! They 
 are good boys, and good boys are a scarcity 
 nowadays. There is nothing too good for them." 
 
 " You are enthusiastic." 
 
 "But I tell you, sir, there are no such boys as 
 those in the world ! " exclaimed Mr. Walker, with 
 a gesture of earnestness. 
 
 "O, yes, sir; I presume, under the same dis 
 cipline, other boys would be the same." 
 
 "Then let them have the same discipline." 
 
 "It would cost a fortune. It is a very extrav 
 agant recreation, this boating." 
 
 "But it makes men of them. I read the con 
 stitution of the clubs, and Tony tells me it is 
 carried out to the fullest extent. " 
 
 " No doubt of it. There are boys among them, 
 who, under other circumstances, would be bad
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 107 
 
 boys. I am satisfied the club keeps mem true to 
 themselves and their duty." 
 
 "That's just my idea; and . these noble- 
 hearted little fellows have bestowed the money I 
 gave them in such a commendable manner, I 
 mean to give them as much more.'' 
 
 " That was my own feeling about the matter ; 
 but I do not think it is a good plan to make good 
 all they sacrifice. This fleet scheme was a cher 
 ished project, and it was noble in them to give it 
 up that they might do a good deed." 
 
 "Noble ! It was heroic I was just going to 
 use a stronger word." 
 
 "It is good for them to practise self-denial. 
 That is all that makes the deed a worthy one." 
 
 "Exactly so." 
 
 "Therefore, my friend, we will not say any 
 thing more about the fleet at present." 
 
 "But if they bear it well, if they don't repent 
 what they have done, why, I should not value 
 one or two thousand dollars. Besides, it might 
 be the means of bringing a large number of boys 
 within the pale of good influences." 
 
 "That is my own view ; and by and by we 
 will talk more of the matter." 
 
 Captain Sedley then introduced Mr. Walker to 
 the company, and the benevolent gentleman 
 took a great deal of pains to inform himself in 
 relation to the influence of the boat clubs upon 
 the boys. He asked a great many questions of 
 their parents, and of Mr. Hyde, the teacher. 
 They all agreed that the young men were the 
 better for the associations ; that the discipline 
 was very useful, and the physical exercise very- 
 healthy ; but some of them were afraid their sons
 
 108 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 would acquire such a taste for the water as to 
 create a desire to follow the seas. But fe\v of 
 them considered boating, under the discipline of 
 the clubs, a dangerous recreation ; so that the 
 only real objection was the tendency to produce 
 longings for 
 
 " A life on the ocean wave, 
 A home on the rolling deep." 
 
 Mr. Walker tried to make the sceptical ones be 
 lieve that Wood Lake was so entirely different 
 from the "rolling deep" as scarcely to suggest 
 the idea of a ship, or of the ocean. But the dis 
 advantages were trivial compared with the bene 
 fits which all acknowledged to have derived from 
 the associations, even independently of the libra 
 ries, the lectures, and the debating societies at 
 the halls. 
 
 Tony and his companions soon returned with 
 the Munroe family, who were cordially received 
 by the guests. Captain Sedley expressed his 
 sympathy for the poor man, regretting that he 
 had not known his situation before. 
 
 "I would have bought your place myself 
 rather than have had you sacrifice your property 
 to the cupidity of such a man," said he. 
 
 "You are very good, sir," replied Mr. Munroe; 
 "but I had not the courage to state my circum 
 stances to anybody. 'Squire Chase :s a very 
 hard man ; even when I paid him the money, 
 which the kindness of the boys enabled me to do, 
 he was so angry that he could scarcely contain 
 himself. He swore at me, and vowed he would 
 have vengeance." 
 
 " He must be a very disagreeable neighbor."
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 109 
 
 "He is, indeed." 
 
 "On with the dance ! " shouted Frank, in the 
 most exuberant spirits ; and the rich and the poor 
 man dropped the subject. 
 
 The boys and girls had formed a line round 
 the May-pole, and the band commenced playing 
 a very lively air. As the inspiring notes struck 
 their ears, they began to jump and caper about, 
 taking all sorts of fantastic steps, which it would 
 have puzzled a French dancing master to define 
 and classify. Most of the boys and girls knew 
 nothing of dancing, as an art ; but I venture to 
 say they enjoyed themselves quite as much as 
 though they had been perfectly proficient in all 
 the fashionable waltzes, polkas, and redowas, 
 Their hearts danced with gladness, and their steps 
 were altogether impromptu. 
 
 Then came the ceremony of crowning the 
 Queen of May, in the person of Mary Weston, 
 which was performed in the most gallant style by 
 Frank Sedley. Another dance succeeded, and 
 then came the feast. A great many good things 
 were eaten, a great many fine things said, and a 
 great many patriotic and complimentary toasts 
 weredrank. The bandplayed " Hail Columbia," 
 "Yankee Doodle," and many other spirited 
 tunes, and Mr. Walker was very much astonished, 
 as well as amused, to hear some of the boys make 
 speeches, flowery and fine, which had evidently 
 been prepared for the occasion, when they were 
 " called up " by the toasts. 
 
 After the feast was over, the party divided it 
 self into little knots for social recreation. Frank 
 and Mary Weston took a walk on the beach, and 
 the rest of the boys and girls climbed over the
 
 If> Alt ABOARD," OK 
 
 rocks, amused themselves in the swing which 
 Uncle Ben had put up, or wandered in the grove. 
 Boys and girls always enjoy themselves at such 
 seasons, and my young readers need not be told 
 that they all had a " first-rate time." 
 
 I do not mean all ; for two members of the 
 Zephyr Club had wandered away from the rest 
 of the party to the north side of the island. They 
 were concealed from view by a large rock ; but 
 if any one had observed them, he could not have 
 failed to see that they were exceptions to the 
 general rule that they were not happy. The 
 two boys were Charles Hardy and Tim Bunker. 
 Frank had been pained to notice that an unnatu 
 ral intimacy had been growing up between them 
 for several days ; and he had already begun to 
 fear that it was in the heart of Tim to lead his 
 weak-minded associate astray. 
 
 " Now, let's see how much there is in it," said 
 Tim. 
 
 " I am afraid to open it," replied Charles, as he 
 glanced nervously over the rocks. 
 
 " Git out ! " 
 
 "I am doing wrong, Tim; I feel it here." 
 And Charles placed his hand upon his heart. 
 
 "Humph!" sneered Tim. "Give it to me, 
 and I will open it." 
 
 "We ought not to open it," replied Charles, 
 putting his hand into his pocket, and again glanc 
 ing over the top of the rocks. "Besides, Tim, 
 you promised to be a good boy when we let you 
 into the club." 
 
 ' ' I mean to have a good time. We might hare 
 had if you fellows hadn't given away all that 
 money, **
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. til 
 
 "I didn't do it." 
 
 "I know you didn't, but the rest on 'em did; 
 so it's all the same. They are a set of canting 
 pups, and for my part I'm tired on 'em. Frank 
 Sedley don't lord it over me much longer, you 
 better believe ! And you are a fool if you let him 
 snub you as he does every day." 
 
 "I don't mean to," answered Charles. " I be 
 lieve the fellows all hate me, or they would have 
 made me coxswain before this time." 
 
 "Of course they would. They hate you, 
 Charley : I heard Frank Sedley say as much as 
 that the other day." 
 
 " He did ? " 
 
 " Of course he did." 
 
 "I wouldn't have thought that of him," said 
 Charles, his eye kindling with anger. 
 
 "Let's have the purse, Charley." 
 
 Charles hesitated ; but the struggle was soon 
 over in his bosom, and he took from his pocket 
 a silken purse and handed it to Tim. 
 
 "We are doing wrong, Tim," said he, as a 
 twinge of conscience brought to his mind a 
 realizing sense of his position. " Give me back 
 the purse, and I will try to find the owner." 
 
 ' ' No, you don't ! " replied Tim, as he opened 
 one end of the purse and took therefrom a roll of 
 bank bills, which he proceeded to count. 
 
 "Do give it back to me ! I am sure the owner 
 has missed it by this time." 
 
 " No matter if he has ; he won't get it again in 
 a hurry," answered the Bunker, coolly. "Sixty 
 dollars in bills ! Good ! " 
 
 "Give it to me, or I will go to Captain Sedlejr 
 and tell him you have it"
 
 1*8 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 "Will you?" 
 
 "I will." 
 
 " If you do, I'll smash your head," said Tim, 
 looking fiercely at him. ' ' Don't be a fool ! With 
 this money we can have a first-rate time, and 
 oobody will be any the wiser for it." 
 
 "I am afraid we shall be found out." 
 
 Probably Charles was more afraid of that than 
 of the wicked act which he had permitted himself 
 to think of doing. He had found the purse on 
 the beach a little while before. When he had 
 told Tim of it, the reckless fellow, still the same 
 person as before, notwithstanding his promises 
 and his altered demeanor, had led him over to this 
 retired spot in order to get possession of the purse. 
 
 "Nonsense! Nobody will suspect you," re 
 plied Tim, as he poured out the silver and gold 
 in the other end of the purse. 
 
 "I never did such a thing in my life." 
 
 "No matter; there must be a beginning to 
 everything." 
 
 " What would my mother say ? " 
 
 "She will say you are a clever fellow if you 
 don't get found out. Eleven dollars and a quarter 
 in specie ! That makes seventy-one twenty-five 
 don't it?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "All right ! We will just dig a little hole here, 
 and put the purse into it," continued Tim, as he 
 scooped out a hole in the sand, and dropped the 
 ill-gotten treasure into it. 
 
 Filling up the hole, he placed a large flat i 
 upon the spot, which further secured the purse, 
 and concealed the fact that the sand had been 
 disturbed.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKft. ilj 
 
 "I am sure we shall get found out," said 
 
 Charles, trembling with apprehension. 
 
 "Nonsense! Keep a stiff upper lip ; don't stop 
 to think, and all will go well. But, my hearty, 
 if you peach on me, I give you my word, I will 
 take your life before you are one month older 
 do you hear ? " And Tim's fierce looks gave force 
 to his words. "Now, we will go back to the 
 rest on 'em before they miss us. Mind you don't 
 say anything, nor look anything." 
 
 Charles followed Tim back to the other side of 
 the island, and both of them joined the sports of 
 the day. The afternoon passed away, and noth 
 ing was said of the purse. The owner had not 
 missed it, and Tim congratulated himself on the 
 circumstance. Charles tried to be joyous, and 
 though he did not feel so, he acted it so well that 
 no one suspected him of harboring so vile a sin 
 within his bosom. 
 
 "All aboard ! " said Frank, and the band com 
 menced playing "Home, Sweet Home." 
 
 In due time the party were all transported to 
 the shore, and everybody went home highly de 
 lighted with the day's amusements. The Zephyr 
 was housed, and the crew dismissed, but not a 
 word Was said about the purse. 
 8
 
 114 ALL ABOARD, 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 THE LIGHTHOUSE. 
 
 DURING the month of May, the members of the 
 two clubs continued to spend many of their lei 
 sure hours on the lake ; but my young friends 
 must not suppose that life was to them a con 
 tinuous holiday ; and, because these books are 
 devoted chiefly to their doings on the water, that 
 boating was the only, or the principal business 
 that occupied them. They had their school duties 
 to perform, their errands to do, wood to split, 
 yards to sweep ; in short, they had to do just Ifke 
 other boys. A portion of Wednesday and Satur 
 day afternoon, and of their other holidays, was 
 given to these aquatic sports ; so that they were 
 really on the lake but a small part of the time. 
 Probably, if they had spent all their leisure in the 
 boats, the exercise would have lost its attractions, 
 besides interfering very much with their home 
 and school affairs. Pleasures, to be enjoyed, 
 should be partaken of in moderation. Boys get 
 sick of most sports in a short time, because they 
 indulge in them too freely. 
 
 Nothing specially worthy of note occurred in 
 either club till near the end of the month of May. 
 The intimacy between Charles Hardy and Tim 
 Bunker was observed to increase, though no one 
 had any suspicion of the secret which had 
 cemented the bond of then union.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. . Ilg 
 
 The lost purse was the property of Mr. Walker 
 At a subsequent visit to Rippleton, he had men 
 tioned his loss, but he had no idea where he had 
 dropped it. Tim congratulated his still unwilling 
 confederate on the success of his villainy. Mr. 
 Walker did not even know whether he had lost 
 his money in the town or not; so, of course, he 
 had no suspicion of them. 
 
 "You are a first-rate fellow, Charley, but you 
 are too chickenish by half," said Tim Bunker. 
 
 " I don't feel right about it, and I wish I had 
 given up the purse when I found it." 
 
 "Pooh!" 
 
 " I meant to do so." 
 
 " I know you did. You were just fool enough 
 to do such a thing. If it hadn't been for me, you 
 would have done it." 
 
 "O, I wish I had!" 
 
 " Don't be a fool, Charley." 
 
 "I would give the world to feel as I felt before 
 I did this thing." 
 
 " Don't think any more about it." 
 
 " I can't help thinking. It worries me nights." 
 
 "Go to sleep then." 
 
 "I can't. What would Frank say if he knew 
 it?" 
 
 "Humph! Frank again !" 
 
 "They would turn me out of the club." 
 
 "You are no worse than any of the rest of 
 them. " 
 
 "They wouldn't steal," replied Charles, 
 warmly. 
 
 "Don't you believe it. If I should tell all I 
 know about some of them, they wouldn't be safe 
 where they are, let me tell you."
 
 Il6 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " What do you know, Tim ? " 
 
 " I don't choose to tell." 
 
 Charles found some satisfaction in this indefi 
 nite accusation ; but it was not enough to quiet 
 his troubled conscience. Life seemed different to 
 him since he had stolen the purse he had not 
 got far enough in wickedness yet to believe that 
 it was not stolen. He felt guilty, and his sense 
 of guilt followed him wherever he went. He 
 could not shake it off. Everybody seemed to 
 look reproachfully at him. He avoided his com 
 panions in the club when not on duty with them. 
 He began to hate Frank Sedley, though he could 
 not tell the reason. William Bright, who was 
 now the coxswain, Frank's term having expired, 
 was a very strict disciplinarian, and the guilty 
 boy had grown very impatient of restraint. He 
 was surly and ill-natured when the coxswain 
 rebuked him, even in the kindest tones. Every 
 thing went wrong with him, for the worm was 
 gnawing at his heart. 
 
 " Won't you tell me, Tim? " asked he, in reply 
 to Tim's remark. 
 
 "Not now, Charley; one of these days you 
 shall know all about it." 
 
 "I am afraid we shall both get turned out of 
 the club." 
 
 "No we shan't ; if we do But no matter.' 
 
 " What would you do, Tim ? " 
 
 "Never mind now, Charley. I have a plan in 
 my head. Captain Sedley told me the other day 
 if I didn't behave better I should be turned out." 
 
 "Then you will be." 
 
 "I don't care if I am. If they turn me out, 
 will make a mistake ; that's all, "
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. ttf 
 
 There was something mysterious in the "words 
 of the Bunker which excited the curiosity of 
 Charles. He could not help wondering- what he 
 would do. Tim had so much resolution he was 
 sure it was not an idle boast. 
 
 "I know what I am about," continued Tim, 
 with a wise look. 
 
 "Captain Sedley says you still associate with 
 your old companions," ad'ded Charles. 
 
 "What if I do?" 
 
 "That would be ground enough for turning 
 you out." 
 
 "Would it? They are better fellows than you 
 long faces, and you will say so when you know 
 them," replied Tim, speaking as though it were a 
 settled fact that he would know them by and 
 by. 
 
 This conversation occurred one Wednesday 
 afternoon, as the two boys were on their way to 
 the boat-house. On their arrival, Tim was in 
 formed by Captain Sedley, who was apparently 
 there for that purpose, that he was expelled from 
 the dub. It was sudden and unexpected, and 
 had been done by the director without any action 
 on the part of the club. 
 
 " What for ? " asked Tim, in surly tones. 
 
 " I find that you still associate with your old 
 companions, which is sufficient proof that you 
 don't mean to reform," answered the director. 
 
 " I don't care," growled Tim, as he turned on 
 his heel and walked out of the hall. 
 
 Charles Hardy was then called aside by Cap 
 tain Sedley, who kindly pointed out to him the 
 danger he incurred in associating with such a 
 boy as Tim.
 
 IlS ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " I would not have kept company with him if 
 he had no* been a member of the club," replied 
 Charles. 
 
 " He was admitted to the club on the supposi 
 tion that he intended to be a better boy." 
 
 " I was opposed to admitting him," answered 
 Charles, rather sulkily. 
 
 "I was very willing the boy should have a 
 fair chance to reform ; but when it became ap 
 parent that he did not mean to do better, I could 
 no longer permit him to endanger the moral wel 
 fare of the club. We have been satisfied for some 
 time; and most of the boys, after giving him a 
 fair trial, avoided him as much as possible when 
 they saw what he meant. But you have been 
 growing more and more intimate with him every 
 day. Why, ii was only last night that he was 
 seen with some twenty or thirty of his old com 
 panions. They seemed to be in consultation 
 about something. Perhaps you were with them." 
 
 "No, sir; I was not." 
 
 "I am glad you were not. I caution you to 
 avoid them.'' 
 
 " I will, sir," replied Charles, meekly ; and he 
 meant what he said. 
 
 " I am glad to hear you say so : 1 was afraid 
 you had known too much of Tim Bunker," said 
 the director, as he walked towards his house. 
 
 Charles entered the hall, and took his seat. 
 
 "Those in favor of admitting Samuel Preston 
 to the club will signify it," said William, as soon 
 as he was in his place. 
 
 Eleven hands were raised, and the new mem 
 ber, who stood by the window waiting the result, 
 was declared to be admitted. The constitution
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 
 
 was tnen read to him, and he signed it ; after 
 which the club embarked for an excursion up to 
 the strait, where they had agreed to meet the But 
 terfly. 
 
 The particular object of this visit was to erect 
 a lighthouse on Curtis Island, a small, rocky 
 place, separated from the main shore by ' ' Cai 
 ro w Strait," which the readers of "The Boat 
 Club " will remember. The navigation of this 
 portion of the lake was considered very difficult, 
 especially through the narrow passage, and it 
 was thought to be absolutely necessary to have 
 a lighthouse, mauger the fact that the boats 
 always sailed by day. But as neither craft w.'s 
 insured, it was necessary *o use extraordinary 
 precautions ! 
 
 A working party of half a dozen was detailed 
 from each boat, consisting "*f the stoutest boys, 
 who were landed upon tht, island. Materials 
 were immediately gathered and the foundation 
 laid. The structure was to be a simple round 
 tower, as high as the patience of the workmen 
 would permit them to build it. 
 
 In a short time all the rocks on the island had 
 been used up, and the lighthouse was only two 
 feet high ; but this contingency had been antici 
 pated, and provisions made for supplying more 
 stone. A large rock was attached to the long 
 painter of the Butterfly, and she was moored at a 
 safe distance from the island, while her remain 
 ing crew were transferred to the Zephyr. 
 
 A rude raft, which had been provided by Tony, 
 was towed to the shore, where an abundance of 
 rocks were to be had. It was their intention to 
 load it with "lighthouse material, "and tow it to
 
 120 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 the islancu it required all their skill to accom 
 plish this object, for the raft was a most ungainly 
 thing to manage. The Zephyr was so long that 
 they could not row round so as to bring the raft 
 alongside the bank, and when they attempted to 
 push it in, the paint, and even the planks of the 
 boat, were endangered. 
 
 "Can't get it in can we?" said Charles 
 Hardy, after several unsuccessful attempts. 
 
 ' ' There is no such word as fail, " replied William. 
 " Bring me the long painter." 
 
 The coxswain unfastened the tow line of the 
 raft, and tied the painter to it. 
 
 " Bowman, stand by with the boat-hook, ready 
 to land." 
 
 " Ay, ay ! " 
 
 "Now, pull steady; be careful she does not 
 grind on the rocks ; easy, there. Four of you 
 jump ashore." 
 
 The four forward rowers obeyed the command. 
 
 " Now pass this line ashore, and let them pull 
 in on the raft," continued William. 
 
 "Hurrah! there she is!" shouted Frank. 
 " That was done handsomely ! " 
 
 "We could have done it before, if we had only 
 thought of it, " replied William, laughing. ' ' Now- 
 put out the fenders, and haul the boat alongside 
 the raft." 
 
 Four more of the boys were sent on shore to 
 help roll down the rocks, and two were ordered 
 upon the raft to place them. A great deal of 
 hard work was done in a very short time ; but, 
 as it was play, no one minded it, as probably 
 some of them would if the labor had been for any 
 useful purpose. In due time the raft was loaded
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 121 
 
 with all It would carry, and the boys were ordered 
 into the boat again. 
 
 The raft proved to be a very obstinate sailer. 
 After a deal of hard tugging at the oars, they suc 
 ceeded in getting it under a tolerable headway ; 
 but the tow line was not properly attached, and 
 it "heeled over "so as to be in danger of "spill 
 ing" its load into the lake. Prudence and good 
 management, however, on the part of the cox 
 swain, conveyed it in safety to the island, and its 
 freight soon became "part and parcel " of the 
 lighthouse. 
 
 Two or three loads more were brought, after 
 the lesson of experience obtained in getting the 
 first, with but comparatively little difficulty ; and 
 at six o'clock the tower received its capstone at a 
 height of six feet from the ground, and twelve 
 from the water. 
 
 The lighthouse was then inaugurated by. a 
 volley of cheers. A hollow pumpkin of last 
 year's growth, containing a lighted candle, was 
 placed upon the apex ; and then the boats de 
 parted for home. At eight o'clock, when the 
 darkness had gathered upon the lake, they saw 
 the light from their homes, and had the satisfac 
 tion of knowing that the light-keeper was watch 
 ful of the safety of vessels in those waters. 
 
 As Charles Hardy passed through the grove on 
 his way home, after the club separated, he met 
 Tim Bunker, who was apparently awaiting his 
 coming.
 
 114 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE CONSPIRACY. 
 
 "WELL, Charley, my pipe is out," said Tim 
 Bunker, as he joined his late associate in the 
 club. 
 
 "It was rather sudden," replied Charles, dis 
 concerted by the meeting, for he had actually 
 made up his mind to keep out of Tim's way. " I 
 didn't expect any such thing." 
 
 "I did ; I knew old Sedley meant to get rid of 
 me." 
 
 Tim always knew everything after it was done. 
 He was a very profound prophet, but he had 
 sense enough to keep his predictions to himself. 
 
 "You did not say so," added Charles, who 
 gave the Bunker credit for all the sagacity he 
 claimed. 
 
 " It was no use ; it would only have frightened 
 you, and you are chickenish enough without any 
 help. But no matter, Charley ; for my part, I 
 am glad he turned me out. He only saved me 
 the trouble of getting out myself." 
 
 " Did you really mean to leave? " 
 
 "To be sure I did." 
 
 "What for?" 
 
 "Because I didn't like the company, to say 
 nothing of being nosed round by Frank Sedley, 
 Bill Bright, or wljoever happened to be coxswain,
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. I$ 
 
 If you had been coxswain, Charley, I wouldn't 
 minded it," replied Tim, adroitly. 
 
 " But I wouldn't nose the fellows round," re 
 plied Charles, tickled with Tim's compliment. 
 
 " I know you wouldn't ; but they wouldn't 
 make you the coxswain. They hate you too 
 much for that." 
 
 "It is strange they haven't elected me," said 
 Charles, musing-. 
 
 ' ' That's a fact ! You know more about a boat 
 than three quarters of them." 
 
 "I ought to." 
 
 "And you do." 
 
 Charles had by this time forgotten the promise 
 he had made to Captain Sedley forgotten the 
 good resolution he had made to himself. Tim's 
 flattery had produced its desired effect, and all 
 the ground which the Bunker had lost was now 
 regained. 
 
 "I am sorry they turned you out, Tim," said 
 he, 
 
 "I am glad of it. They will turn you out 
 next, Charley." 
 'Me!" 
 'Yes." 
 ' Why should they ? " 
 
 Because they don't like you." 
 'They wouldn't do that." 
 'Don't you believe it," replied Tim, shaking 
 his head, ana putting on a very wise look. " I'll 
 bet they'll turn you out in less than a month." 
 
 "Do you know anything about it? " 
 
 "Not much." 
 
 They had now reached the end of the grove, 
 and Tim suggested that they should take seats
 
 184 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 and "talk over matters." Charles readily 
 assented, and they seated themselves by the 
 margin of the lake. 
 
 "What do you know, Tim?" asked Charles, 
 his curiosity very much excited. 
 
 " I only know that they don't like you, and 
 they mean to turn you out." 
 
 " I don't believe it." 
 
 " Do you mean to tell me I lie ? " 
 
 "No, no; only I can't think they would turn 
 me out." 
 
 " I heard Frank say as much," replied Tim, in 
 differently. 
 
 " Did you." 
 
 "To be sure I did." 
 
 Charles stopped to think how mean it was of 
 Frank to try to get him out of the club ; how 
 hypocritical he was, to treat him as a friend when 
 he meant to injure him. It did not occur to him 
 that Tim had told a falsehood, though it was 
 generally believed that he had as lief tell a lie as 
 the truth. 
 
 " You are a fool if you let them kick you out, 
 as they did me," continued Tim. 
 
 " What can I do ? " 
 
 "Leave yourself." 
 
 "Next week is vacation ; and we have laid out 
 some first-rate fun. " 
 
 "There will be no fun, let me tell you." 
 
 "What do you mean, Tim?" 
 
 " If you want to be the coxswain of a boat as 
 good as the Zephyr next week, only say the 
 word," replied Tim, slapping him on the back. 
 
 ' ' How can that be ? " asked Charles, looking 
 with surprise at his companion.
 
 IIFE ON THE LAKE. 12$ 
 
 "And you shall have as good a crew as the 
 Zephyr ; better fellers than they are, too." 
 
 " I don't understand you." 
 
 " You shall in due time." 
 
 "Tell me what you mean, Tim." 
 
 " Will you join us ? " 
 
 "Tell me about it, first." 
 
 "And let you blow the whole thing?" 
 
 " I won't say a word." 
 
 "Will you promise not to say anything?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Will you swear it ? " 
 
 Tim had read a great many "yellow-covered" 
 books in his time, in which tall buccaneers with 
 long- beards and bloodshot eyes required their 
 victims to "swear," and he seemed to attach 
 some importance to the ceremony. Charles 
 " swore, " though with considerable reluctance, 
 not to reveal the secret, when it should be im 
 parted to him. 
 
 "You must join our society, now." 
 
 "Society ? " 
 
 "Yes; we meet to-night at eight o'clock, in 
 the woods back of my house." 
 
 ' ' What sort of a society is it, Tim ? " asked 
 Charles, with a great many misgivings. 
 
 "That you shall learn when we meet. Will 
 you come ? " 
 
 "My father won't let me go out in the even 
 ing. " 
 
 "Run out, then." 
 
 Tim suggested various expedients for deceiving 
 his parents, and finally Charles promised to attend 
 the meeting. 
 
 " You haven't told me the secret yet."
 
 126 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "The society is going to camp on Center Isl 
 and next week, and we are going to take the 
 Zephyr and the Butterfly along with us." 
 
 "Take them? How are you going to get 
 them ? " 
 
 " Why, take them, you fool ! " 
 
 " Do you mean to steal them? " 
 
 " Humph ! We mean to take them." 
 
 "But do you suppose Captain Sedley and 
 George Weston will let you keep them ? " 
 
 " They can't help themselves. We shall take 
 the Sylph, and every other boat on the lake, with 
 us, so that no one can reach us. Do you under 
 stand it? " 
 
 "I do ; but how long do you mean to stay 
 there ? " 
 
 "All the week." 
 
 " And sleep on the ground ? * 
 
 " We can have a tent.'' 
 
 '' How will you live? " 
 
 " We shall carry off enough to eat beforehand." 
 Then you see, we can sail as much as we please, 
 and have a first-rate time on the island. I shall 
 be coxswain of one boat, and you shall of the 
 other if you like. " 
 
 " But we shall have to come home some time." 
 
 " In about a week," 
 
 " What would my father do to me then ? " 
 
 "Nothing, if you manage right. If he offers 
 to, just tell him you will run away and go to 
 sea. He won't do nothing then." 
 
 " I don't know about that." 
 
 "He won't kill you, anyhow. And you will 
 have a week's fun, such as you never had before 
 in your life. "
 
 MFE ON THE LAKE. 127 
 
 "The Zephyrs won't have anything to do with 
 nae after that." 
 
 "They hate you, Charley, and all they want is 
 to get you out of the club. You are a fool if you 
 don't leave yourself ! " 
 
 Charles paused to consider the precious scheme 
 which had thus been revealed to him. To spend 
 a week on the island, and not only to be his own 
 master for that time, but command one of the 
 boats, pleased him very much. It was so roman 
 tic, and so grateful to his vanity, that he was 
 tempted to comply with the offer. But then the 
 scheme was full of peril. He would ' ' lose caste " 
 with the Zephyrs ; though, if Tim's statement was 
 true, he was already sacrificed. His father would 
 punish him severely ; but perhaps Tim's sugges 
 tion would be available, and he knew his mother 
 would be so glad to see him when he returned, 
 that she would save him from the effects of his 
 father's anger. His conscience assured him, too, 
 that it would be wrong for him to engage in such 
 a piece of treachery towards his friends ; but 
 Tim declared they were not his friends that 
 they meant to ruin him. 
 
 Thus he reasoned over the matter, and thus he 
 got rid of the objections as fast as they occurred 
 to him. While he was thinking- about it, Tim 
 continued to describe in glowing colors the fun 
 they could have ; occasionally relating some ad 
 venture of "Mike Martin," "Dick Turpin." 01 
 other villain, whose lives and exploits were the 
 only literature he ever read. 
 
 But Charles could not fall at once. There were 
 some difficulties which he could not get over. It 
 wreag to do as Tim proposed ; it was so
 
 I8 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 written on his soul. The "still small voice" 
 could not be silenced. As fast as he reconciled 
 one objection, another came up, and something 
 in his bosom kept saying, "You must not do it.' 
 
 The more he thought, the more imperative was 
 the command. " Run away as fast as you can ! " 
 said the voice within him. " You are tempted ; 
 flee from the temptation. " 
 
 " I guess I won't join you, Tim," said he. 
 
 "You won't, eh?" replied Tim, with a sneer. 
 
 " I think not ; I don't believe it is right. But I 
 won't say anything about it." 
 
 " I rather guess you won't. It wouldn't be 
 safe for you to do so." 
 
 " I won't, upon my honor, Tim," replied Charles, 
 rising from his seat, and edging away from his 
 dangerous companion. 
 
 ' ' Look here, Charley Hardy ; in one word, 
 you've got to join the Rovers." 
 
 "The what?" 
 
 "That's the name of a society," answered 
 Tim, who had mentioned it without intending to 
 do so. 
 
 It was certainly a piratical appellation, and 
 Charles was not prepossessed by it in favor of the 
 society. It had a ring of bold and daring deeds, 
 and his studies had not prepared him to entertain 
 a very high opinion of Tim's heroes, Dick Turpin 
 and Captain Kidd, 
 
 "You can't back out now, Maater Hardy," 
 continued Tim. 
 
 " I don't want to join you, but Inen't say a 
 word." 
 
 "Very well, my in fellow 1 " and Tim roe 
 and walked away toward* home.
 
 THE LAKE. 129 
 
 Charles did not like this. He was afraid of 
 Tim ; afraid that some terrible thing would hap 
 pen to him if he did not keep on the right side of 
 him. 
 
 Like thousands of others, he had not the 
 courage to do his duty, and leave the conse 
 quences to take care of themselves. He was more 
 afraid of the Bunker than of the frowns of an ac 
 cusing conscience. 
 
 " I say, Tim ! " he called. 
 
 "Vv'ell, what you want now ?" replied Tim, 
 stopping. 
 
 pnose I don't join ? " 
 
 lv Then you will be in Rippleton jail before to 
 morrow ni<rht : that's all." 
 
 "What for?" 
 
 "No matter; if you come to the meeting to 
 night, all right; if you don't Rippleton jail;" 
 and Tim hastened away, heedless of Charles's 
 calls: 
 
 Rippleton jail ! What could he mean by 
 that? He felt guilty, and his heart beat so vio 
 lently that he could hardly breathe. The stolen 
 purse, which still lay buried on Center Island, 
 seemed to haunt him, and with that he immedia 
 tely connected Tim's dreadful threat. His con 
 federate meant to charge him with stealing it. 
 It was all very plain, and his conscience told him 
 how justly he would be accused. He could not 
 go to jail innocent, as Tony had. and be borne 
 home in triumph from the court by the boat club. 
 
 His frame trembled with emotion ; and he knew 
 not what to do. There was a right way and a 
 wrong way for him to proceed the path of duty 
 and the path of error. 
 
 9
 
 130 ALL ABOARD, OK 
 
 "I will go to Captain Sedley and tell him ah 
 about it," said he to himself, " and tell him that 
 they mean to steal the boats." 
 
 This was the path of duty ; but he had not the 
 courage to walk in it. He would be despised 
 even then, and Tim Bunker would certainly be 
 revenged if he did. 
 
 " I will go ; " and he actually walked a short 
 distance towards Captain Sedley's house ; but 
 lis courage failed him ; he dared not do right, 
 And that evening he joined the " Rovers." 
 
 Poor Charles 1
 
 UR ON THE LAKE. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE "ROVERS." 
 
 AFTER Charles Han y had joined the " Rovers n 
 band, which was composed of the original Bunk 
 ers, with others whom Tim had collected to 
 gether, his conscience proved less troublesome. 
 The first wrong step taken, the second follows 
 with less compunction, and so on, till the moral 
 sense is completely blunted. 
 
 At the meeting he was informed by Tim that 
 he had been admitted to the society on account 
 of his knowledge of boats. They could not get 
 along without such a fellow ; and he was accord 
 ingly appointed "master of marine," and second 
 in command to Tim himself. These honors and 
 compliments reconciled him to the society of the 
 Rovers, and he began to exhibit his energy of 
 purpose in directing the details of the next week's 
 operations. 
 
 Saturday was appointed as the day for stocking 
 the island with provisions and other necessaries, 
 ready for the reception of the entire party on Sun 
 day night. Tim and Charles were to attend to 
 this duty in person. 
 
 " Meet me at'eight o'clock in the morning over 
 by Joe Braman's landing, Charley, and ' 
 
 " But school keeps ; I can't go till afternoon." 
 
 "And then the Zephyrs will see what we are 
 about"
 
 I^S ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "I can't help it." 
 
 "Yes you can; can't you ' hook Jack '?" 
 
 "I dare not." 
 
 " Humph ! You are an idiot ! Tell the fellows 
 to-morrow that you are going over to your uncle's, 
 and they will tell the master." 
 
 Charles consented, after some argument. 
 
 " I will get Joe's boat, and we can pull off to 
 the island and get the money." 
 
 "Where will you buy the things?" 
 
 "We must go down to Rippleton. You must 
 get some, and I will get some. We will buy 
 them at different stores, so no one will know but 
 what they are for the folks. " 
 
 "And the tent?" 
 
 "We will get a piece of cotton cloth for that, 
 and some needles and thread. Leave all that to 
 me. Now, be on hand in season." 
 
 " One thing, Tim : I may be seen in Rippleton. " 
 
 "No matter if you are. Bluff 'em off if they 
 say anything." 
 
 The Rovers were to "rendezvous" Tim had 
 found this word in the "Adventures of the Bold 
 Buccaneer " at nine o'clock on Sunday evening 
 at the wood. The arrangements were all com 
 pleted, and the band dispersed. 
 
 On Saturday Charles was true to his appoint 
 ment, and met Tim on the north side of the lake. 
 The money was procured, and the provisions were 
 safely deposited in the boat. It is true, Charles 
 was so much embarrassed that he well-nigh be 
 trayed the existence of the plot to the shopkeep 
 ers ; and he was very glad when this part of the 
 business was done. 
 
 Then a new difficulty presented itself. Sup-
 
 ON THE LAKE. 133 
 
 pose the Zephyrs should visit Center Island that 
 afternoon and discover the stores ! They had not 
 thought of this before, and the risk was too great 
 to be incurred. They decided to conceal their 
 stores on the main shore till night, and then carry 
 them off. A convenient place was found for this 
 purpose, and the articles were landed. 
 
 They then repaired to the island to mature their 
 plans. 
 
 " Now, where shall we pitch the tent?" asked 
 Charles, when they landed. 
 
 " On the high ground near the beach." 
 
 "We have no poles. Here is the May-pole; 
 that will do for one." 
 
 " We can't pitch the tent, soldier fashion. We 
 must drive down four forked stakes ; then put 
 poles on the forks, and cover the whole with 
 cloth." 
 
 " But where are the stakes and the poles ? " 
 
 "We can cut them in the woods. We will get 
 Joe Braman's ax, and do it this forenoon." 
 
 "Suppose they should make a raft, and come 
 off to us ? " suggested Charles. 
 
 "We have two fast boats, and can easily keep 
 v/ut of their way," replied Tim. " If they want 
 to fight we can beat them off." 
 
 Charles did not approve of fighting, and thought 
 it would be bad policy. Tim was tolerably tract 
 able now that he was having his own way, and 
 was not very strenuous in support of his own 
 pugnacious views. When their plans were fully 
 digested they left the island to prepare the stakes. 
 Before noon they separated, and the truant re 
 turned home about the usual time. 
 
 That afternoon he joined the Zephyrs in an ex-
 
 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 cursion up the lake, and another lighthouse was 
 erected in the vicinity of a dangerous reef. 
 
 " What shall we do next week ? "asked Charles, 
 as they were returning home. 
 
 "We are going up the river," replied Frank. 
 " My father has consented to it." 
 
 ' Has he ? That will be first rate." 
 
 " And so has George Weston." 
 
 Charles relapsed into deep thought. He was 
 thinking how much better he could enjoy himself 
 with good boys than with such fellows as the 
 Rovers ; for, though he was "master of marine" 
 among them, he could not help acknowledging to 
 himself that they were not pleasant companions. 
 They used profane and vulgar language ; were 
 always disposed to quarrel. Disputes which were 
 settled peaceably in the clubs were decided by a 
 fight among the Rovers ; and the ambitious 
 " master " had many misgivings as to his ability 
 to control them. Tim could manage them very 
 well ; for, if one was turbulent, he struck him and 
 knocked him down ; and Charles had not the brute 
 courage to do this. 
 
 " Vv hat are you thinking about, Charley?" 
 asked Frank, pleasantly. 
 
 "Nothing," replied Charles, promptly, as he 
 tried to laugh. 
 
 " You- act rather queerly this afternoon ; just***, 
 though you had something on your mind." 
 
 ' ' O, no ; nothing of the kind. " 
 
 "I hope you don't regret the expulsion of Tim 
 Bunker. " 
 
 "Certainly not." 
 
 Charles tried to be gay after that : but he could 
 aot. Thwtt was a weight upon his soul which
 
 1TPE ON THE LAKR 135 
 
 bore him down, and he felt like a criminal in the 
 presence of his companions. He was glad when 
 the club landed, and the members separated 
 glad to get away from them, for their happy, in 
 nocent faces were a constant reproach to him. 
 
 Sunday was a day of rest ; but every moment 
 of it was burdened with a sin against God and 
 against himself. Every moment that he delayed 
 to repent was plunging him deeper and deeper in 
 error and crime. Strangely enough, the minister 
 preached a sermon about the Prodigal Son ; and 
 the vivid picture he drew of the return of the err 
 ing wanderer so deeply affected the youthful de 
 linquent that he fully resolved to do his duty, and 
 expose the Rovers' scheme. 
 
 The money had been spent in part ; but, if they 
 sent him to jail, it would be better than to con 
 tinue in wickedness. Then he thought what Cap 
 tain Sedley would say to him ; that the club would 
 despise him ; and that he would not be permitted 
 to join the sports of the coming week to say 
 nothing of being put in prison. 
 
 But his duty was plain, and he had resolved to 
 do it. He had decided to suffer the penalty of 
 his transgression, whatever it might be, and get 
 back again into the right path as soon as he could. 
 
 Happy would it have been for him had he done 
 so. On his way home from church he unfortu 
 nately met Tim Bunker, who had evidently placed 
 himself in his way to confirm his fidelity to the 
 Rovers. 
 
 Tim saw that he was meditating something 1 
 dangerous to the success of his scheme. Charles 
 was cold and distant He appeared to have lost 
 his enthusiasm.
 
 136 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "If you play us false, it will be all up with 
 you," said Tim, in a low, determined tone. " I 
 can prove that you stole the purse. That's all." 
 
 It was enough to overthrow all Charles's good 
 resolution. His fickle mind, his shallow principle, 
 gave way. Stifling his convictions of duty, and 
 silencing the "still small voice/' he went home : 
 and there was no joy in heaven over the return 
 ing prodigal. 
 
 "Charles," said his father, sternly, as he en 
 tered the house, " you were not at school yester 
 day ! " 
 
 ' ' I got late, and did not like to go, " whined he. 
 
 " Where were you ? " 
 
 "Down at the village." 
 
 "Go to your room, and don't leave it without 
 permission." 
 
 Charles obeyed. The consequences of his 
 error were already beginning to overtake him. 
 His father joined him soon after, and talked to 
 him very severely. He was really alarmed, for 
 Captain Sedley had given him a hint concerning 
 his son's intimacy with Tim Bunker. 
 
 Charles was not permitted to leave his room 
 that afternoon, and his supper was sent up to 
 him ; but his mother brought it, and consoled 
 him in his troubles promising to prevent his 
 father from punishing him any more. 
 
 " Now, go to bed, Charley ; never do so again, 
 and it will be all right to-morrow, " said the weak 
 mother, as she took her leave. 
 
 But Charles did not go to bed. The family re 
 tired early ; and, taking his great-coat on his arm, 
 he stole noiselessly out of the house. At nine 
 o'clock he was at the rendezvous of the Rovers.
 
 UM ON THE LA$E. 137 
 
 It was not deemed prudent to put their plans 
 in execution till a later hour ; and the band dis 
 persed, with instructions to meet again in an 
 hour at Flat Rock, where the boats would be in 
 readiness to take them off to the island. 
 
 Tim and Charles, with four others, immediately 
 repaired to the place where Joe Braman's boat, 
 which had been hired for the enterprise, was con 
 cealed. Seating themselves in it, they waited 
 till the hour had expired, and then, with muffled 
 oars, pulled up to the Butterfly's house. 
 
 The doors which opened out upon the lake 
 were not fastened, and an entrance was readily 
 effected. The boat was loosed, pushed out into 
 the lake without noise, and towed down to the 
 Zephyr's house. But here the doors were found 
 to be fastened ; and one of the boys had to enter 
 by a window, and draw the bolt. The boat was 
 then secured without difficulty. 
 
 " Now, Charley, you get into the Zephyr with 
 two fellows, and tow the Sylph off," said Tim, in 
 a whisper. 
 
 " Shan't I get my crew first ?" 
 
 "Just as you like." 
 
 Charles and his two companions got into the 
 Zephyr and worked her down to the rock, where 
 he received his crew. It was found then that 
 some of the Rovers had not yet made their 
 appearance, so that there were only ten boys te 
 each boat 
 
 Although the success of the criminal under 
 taking required the utmost caution, Charles found 
 his command were disposed to be very boisterous, 
 and all his efforts would hardly keep them quiet. 
 After some trouble he got away from the shore ;
 
 138 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 but his crew, from the want of discipline, were 
 utterly incapable of pulling in concert. They 
 had not taken three strokes before they were all 
 in confusion tumbling off the thwarts, knocking 
 each other in the back, and each swearing at and 
 abusing his companions. 
 
 " Hold your jaw, there ! " called Tim Bunker, 
 in a low tone, from the Butterfly. 
 
 "Cease rowing ! " said Charles. 
 
 But they would not "cease rowing," and the 
 prospect was that a general 'fight would soon en 
 sue in spite of all the coxswain's efforts to restore 
 order. At last Tim came alongside, and rapping 
 two or three of the turbulent Rovers over the 
 head with a boathook, he succeeded in quieting 
 them. 
 
 After several attempts Charles got them so they 
 could pull without knocking each other out of the 
 boat ; but he was heartily disgusted with his 
 crew, and would gladly have escaped from them, 
 even if Rippleton Jail had yawned to receive him. 
 After half a dozen trials he placed the Zephyr 
 alongside the Sylph, let go her moorings, and 
 took her in tow. The Rovers then pulled for the 
 island ; but the passage thither was long and 
 difficult
 
 CHAPTER XVL 
 
 THE CAMP ON THE ISLANIX 
 
 As the crew of the Zephyr tugged at their oars, 
 their imperfect discipline imposing double labor 
 upon them, Charles had an opportunity to con 
 sider 'his position. The bright color of romance 
 which his fancy had given to the enterprise was 
 gone. The night air was cold and damp, and 
 his companions in error were repulsive to him. 
 There was no pleasure in commanding such a 
 motley crew of ill-natured and quarrelsome 
 bullies, and. if it had been possible, he wotild 
 have fled from them. Who plunges into vice 
 may find himself in a snare from which he can 
 not escape though he would. 
 
 At last they reached the island, and the Sylph 
 was anchored near the shore. There was a great 
 deal of hard work to be done ; but each of the 
 Rovers seemed to expect the others would do it. 
 
 "Now, Charley, everything is right so far," 
 said Tim Bunker, whose party had just drawn 
 Joe Braman's boat upon the beach. 
 
 "Everything is wrong," Charles wanted to 
 say ; but Tim was too powerful to be lightly 
 offended. 
 
 " I can do nothing with such a crew as that," 
 whined he. "They won't mind, and every fellow 
 wants his own way."
 
 I4O ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " Hit 'em if they don't mind," replied Tim. 
 
 "I think we had better spend an hour in drill 
 ing- them. We can't handle the boat as it is." 
 
 " We must get the tents up before we do any 
 thing 1 else. You go after the stakes and poles 
 and I will get the provisions." 
 
 Before the crews returned to the boats, Tim 
 made a little speech to them upon the necessity 
 of order ; promising, if any boy did not obey, he 
 would thrash him " within an inch of his life." 
 
 " Now tumble into the boats, and, Charley, if 
 any feller don't do what you tell him, let me 
 know it, and I will lick him for you.'' 
 
 ' All aboard ! " said Charles. 
 
 " Where are we going now ? " asked one of his 
 crew. 
 
 " No matter ; all you have got to do is to obey 
 orders," replied Charles, sharply. 
 
 "Say that again!" said the fellow, with an 
 oath, as he doubled up his fist, and menaced the 
 unfortunate coxswain with a thrashing. 
 
 "Hallo, Tim!" shouted Charles, who dared 
 not venture to carry out the Bunker's summary 
 policy. 
 
 "What's the row?" said Tim, as he hastened 
 to the spot. 
 
 "I can't do anything with this crew ; here is 
 fellow shaking his fist in my face." 
 
 "Let him be civil then," added the refractory 
 Rover. 
 
 " It was you, was it, Barney ? " said Tim, as he 
 stepped into the boat. 
 
 "I'll bet it was, " replied the fellow, standing 
 upon the defensive. 
 
 "Take that, then," continued the "chief," as
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 24$ 
 
 he brought his fist down upon the rebel with such 
 force that he tumbled over the side of the boat 
 into the water. "You want to get up a mutiny 
 don't you ? " 
 
 The fellow scrambled ashore, wet through and 
 shivering- with cold. 
 
 "You'll catch it for that, Tim Bunker ! " growled 
 Barney. 
 
 "Ill teach you to mind. Now, Charley, put 
 off, and don't be so stiff with them yet. They 
 are not such chicken-hearted pups as the Zephyrs, 
 I can tell you ; " and Tim stepped ashore. 
 
 "Take your oars ; if you only do as I tell you, 
 we shall get along very well," said Charles. 
 "We can't do anything unless you mind." 
 
 He then showed them how to get their oars 
 out, and how to start together ; but they did not 
 feel interest enough in the process to pay much 
 attention to what he said, and several ineffectual 
 attempts were made before they got a fair 
 start. 
 
 ' ' Hallo ! Ain't you going to take me ? " shouted 
 Barney, from the shore, as they were leaving. 
 
 " Will you obey orders? " 
 
 "Yes ; but I won't be kicked." 
 
 "Nobody wants to kick you," replied Charles, 
 who, deeming that the rebel had made a satis 
 factory concession, put back after him. 
 
 " This ducking will be the death of me," said 
 Barney, as he got into the boat. 
 
 "A little hard pulling will warm you, and 
 when we get back, we shall make a fire on the 
 island," answered Charles, in a conciliatory tone. 
 " Now, ready pull ! " 
 
 The Rovers worked better now, and the Zephyr
 
 143 ALL ABOARD, OK 
 
 moved with tolerable rabidity towards the shore ; 
 but it was very dark under the shadow of the 
 trees, and Charles could not readily find the place 
 where the materials <br the tent had been con 
 cealed. Each of the crew thought he knew more 
 about the business than the coxswain ; and in 
 the scrape the Zephyr was run aground, heeled 
 over on one side, and filled half full of water. 
 
 It required some time to bail her out ; but it 
 was accomplished at last, the stakes and poles 
 put on board, and they rowed off to the island 
 again. Tim had arrived before him, and had 
 landed the stores. 
 
 " Where are the matches, Tim ? " asked Charles. 
 
 " What are you going to do ? " 
 
 "Make a fire." 
 
 "What for?" 
 
 "Some of us are wet, and we can't see to put 
 up the tents without it. " 
 
 "But a tire will betray us." 
 
 " What matter? We are safe from pursuit." 
 
 "Go it, then," replied Tim, as he handed 
 Charles a bunch of matches. 
 
 The fire was kindled, and it cast a cheerful 
 light over the scene of their operations. 
 
 ' ' Now, Rovers, form a ring- round the fire, " said 
 Tim, "and we will fix things for the future." 
 
 The boys obeyed this order, though Barney, in 
 consideration of his uncomfortable condition, was 
 permitted to lie down before the fire and dry his 
 clothes. 
 
 " I am the chief of the band ; I suppose that is 
 understood," continued Tim. 
 
 "Yes," they all replied. 
 
 "And that Charley Hardy is second in
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 143 
 
 mand. He can handle a boat, and the rest of you 
 can't." 
 
 "I don't know about that," interposed one of 
 them. " He upset the boat on the beach." 
 
 " That was because the crew did not obey 
 orders," replied Charles. 
 
 "He is second in command," replied Tim. 
 " Do you agree to that ? " 
 
 "Yes," answered several, who were willing to 
 follow the lead of the chief. 
 
 "Very well; shall command one party and 
 Charley the other ; each in his own boat and on 
 the island. Now we will divide each party into 
 two squads, or watches." 
 
 "What for? " asked Barney. 
 
 "To keep watch, and do any duty that may 
 be wanted of them." 
 
 Tim had got this idea of an organization from 
 his piratical literature. Indeed, the plan of en 
 camping upon the island was an humble imita- 
 .tion of a party of buccaneers who had fortified 
 one of the smallest of the islands in the West 
 Indies. The whole scheme was one of the 
 natural consequences of reading bad books, in 
 which the most dissolute, depraved, and wicked 
 men are made to appear as heroes, whose lives 
 and characters are worthy of emulation. 
 
 Such books fill boys' heads with absurd, not to 
 say wicked ideas. I have observed their influ 
 ence in the course of ten years' experience with 
 boys ; and when I see one who has named his 
 sled " Blackboard, " "Black Cruiser," " Red Ro 
 ver. " or any such names, I am sure he has been 
 reading about the pirates, and has got a taste for 
 their wild and daring exploits for their deeds of
 
 144 ALL ABOARD, O* 
 
 blood and rapine. One of the truant officers of 
 Boston, whose duty it is to hunt up runaway 
 boys, related to me a remarkable instance of the 
 influence of improper books. A few years ago, 
 two truant boys were missed by their parents. 
 They did not return to their homes at night, and 
 it was discovered that one of them had stolen a 
 large sum of money from his father. A careful 
 search was instituted, and the young reprobates 
 were traced to a town about ten miles from the 
 city, where they were found encamped in the 
 woods. They had purchased several pistols with 
 their money, and confessed their intention of be 
 coming highwaymen ! It was ascertained that 
 they had been reading the adventures of Dick 
 Turpin, and other noted highwaymen, which had 
 given them this singular and dangerous taste for 
 a life in violation of the laws of God and man. 
 My young readers will see where Tim got his 
 ideas, and I hope they will shun books which 
 narrate the exploits of pirates and robbers. 
 
 Two officers were chosen in each band to com 
 mand the squads. Tim was shrewd enough to 
 know that the more offices he created, the more 
 friends he would insure members who would 
 stand by him in trial and difficulty. In Charles's 
 band, one of these offices was given to the turbu 
 lent Barney ; his fidelity was thus secured, and 
 past differences reconciled. 
 
 "Now, Charley, my crew shall put p one 
 tent, and yours the other." 
 
 "Very well," replied Charles, who derived a 
 certain feeling of security from the organization 
 which had just been completed, and he began to 
 feel more at home.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 145 
 
 The stakes were driven down, and the poles 
 placed upon the forks ; but sewing the cloth to 
 gether for the covering was found to be so tedious 
 a job that it was abandoned. The strips were 
 drawn over the frame of the tent, and fastened by 
 driving pins through it into the ground. Then it 
 was found that there was only cloth enough to 
 cover one tent. Tim's calculations had been 
 defective. 
 
 "Here's a pretty fix," said Tim. 
 
 ' ' I have it, " replied Charles. ' ' Come with me, 
 Barney, and we will have the best tent of the 
 two."" 
 
 Charles led the way to the Sylph, and getting 
 on board of her by the aid of one of the boats, 
 they proceeded to unbend her sails. 
 
 "Bravo! Charley," said Barney. "That's a 
 good idea ; but why can't some of us sleep in this 
 bit of a cuddy house ? " 
 
 "So we can. Here is Uncle Ben's boat cloak, 
 which will make a first-rate bed. Don't say a 
 word about it, though, and you and I can have 
 it all to ourselves." 
 
 The sails were carried ashore, and were ample 
 covering for the tent. Dry leaves, which covered 
 the ground, were then gathered up and put inside 
 for their bed. 
 
 " Now, Tim, they are finished, and for one, I 
 begin to feel sleepy, "said Charles. 
 
 "We can't all sleep, you know," added the 
 prudent chief. 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 "We must set a watch." 
 
 "I am too sleepy to watch," said Charles, with 
 a long gape. "The clock has just struck one." 
 10
 
 146 ALL ABOARD, Oft 
 
 "You needn't watch, you are the second in 
 
 command." 
 
 "I see," replied Charles, standing upon his 
 dignity. 
 
 "There are four watches, and each must do 
 duty two hours a night. Who shall keep the first 
 watch ? ". 
 
 ' 1 will/' said Barney. 
 
 "Good! You must keep the fire going, and 
 have an eye to both sides of the island." 
 
 " Ay, ay." 
 
 " And you must go down to the boats 
 every time the clock strikes, to see if they are all 
 right. If they should get adrift, you know, our 
 game would be up." 
 
 " I'll see to it." 
 
 "At three o'clock, you must call the watch 
 that is to relieve you." 
 
 "Who will that be?" 
 
 "I," volunteered the three other officers of the 
 watches, in concert. 
 
 "Ben, you shall relieve him. If anything 
 happens, call me." 
 
 Tim and his followers then retired to their tent, 
 and buried themselves in the leaves. Charles 
 ordered those of his band who were not on duty 
 to "turn in ;" saying that he wanted to warm 
 his feet. The Rovers were so fatigued by their 
 unusual labors that they soon fell asleep, and 
 Charles then repaired to the little cabin of the 
 Sylph. Arranging the cloak for his bed, he 
 wrapped himself up in his great-coat and lay 
 down. 
 
 Fatigued as he was, he could not go to sleep. 
 The novelty of his situation, and the guilt, BOW
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 147 
 
 that the excitement was over, which oppressed 
 his conscience, banished that rest his exhausted 
 frame required. He heard the village clock strike 
 two and three ; and then he rose, unable to 
 endure the reproaches of his own heart. 
 
 "What a fool I am ! " he exclaimed to himself ; 
 and a flood of tears came to his relief. "To 
 desert my warm bed, my happy home, the friend 
 ship of my club, for such a set of fellows as this ! 
 O, how I wish I had not come ! " 
 
 Leaving the cabin, he seated himself in the 
 stern sheets of the boat. The bright stars had 
 disappeared, and the sky was veiled in deep black 
 clouds. The wind blew very fresh from the 
 north-east, and he was certain that a severe storm 
 was approaching. He wept bitterly when he 
 thought of the gloomy prospect. 
 
 He had repented his folly, and would have 
 given the world to get away from the island, Ah, 
 a lucky thought ! He could escape ! The Rovers 
 were all asleep ; the fresh breeze would soon 
 drive the Sylph to the land, and he could return 
 home, and perhaps not be missed. It was an 
 easy thing ; and without further reflection, he 
 unfastened the cable, and dropped it overboard. 
 
 The Sylph immediately commenced drifting 
 away from the island. Taking the helm, he put 
 her before the wind, and was gratified to observe 
 that she made very good headway. 
 
 The clock struck four, and he heard the footsteps 
 of the watch upon the shore. 
 
 "Boat adrift!" shouted Ben, who was the 
 officer of the watch. 
 
 The words were repeated several times, and in a 
 few moments he heard Tim's voice summoning
 
 148 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 his crew. Then the Butterfly dashed down upon 
 him, and his hopes died within him. But he had 
 the presence of mind to crawl back again to the 
 cabin ; and when Tim came on board, he had the 
 appearance of being sound asleep, so that the 
 chief did not suspect his treachery.
 
 UfB ON THE LAKfc. 149 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 MONDAY was a cold, dreary, disagreeable day. 
 The wind continued northeast ; a fine, drizzly 
 rain was falling, and a thick fog had settled over 
 the lake, which effectually concealed the camp 
 of the Rovers from the main shore. 
 
 An excursion had been planned for the day by 
 the two boat clubs ; but the weather was so 
 unpropitious that it was abandoned. About nine 
 o'clock, however, the members of the clubs 
 began, to assemble at their halls in search of 
 such recreation as could be found indoors. 
 
 Frank ooened the Zephyr's boat-house as usual, 
 and great was his dismay when he discovered 
 that the boat was not in its berth. Calling Uncle 
 Ben from the stable, he announced to him the 
 astounding intelligence that the Zephyr had been 
 stolen ! 
 
 "What does it mean, Uncle Ben ?" he asked, 
 in deep anxiety. 
 
 "I can't tell you, Frank; only, as you say, 
 it has been stolen. It couldn't have broken 
 adrift." 
 
 "Of course not; and one of the windows is 
 open." 
 
 "That accounts for it," replied Uncle Ben, as 
 he walked down the boat-house and looked out
 
 10 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 upon the lake. "I will take the Sylph and hunt 
 it up. " 
 
 " Let me go with you, Uncle Ben." 
 
 "My eyes! but the Sylph is gone too!" ex 
 claimed the veteran, as he perceived tl. " moor 
 ings afloat where she usually lay. 
 
 "Strange, isn't it?" 
 
 Uncle Ben scratched his head, and did not 
 know what to make of it. 
 
 " Here comes Tony, running with all his 
 might," continued Frank. " What's the matter, 
 Tony?" 
 
 "Somebody has stolen the Butterfly I" gasped 
 Tony, out of breath. " 
 
 "And the Zephyr and the Sylph !" 
 
 Several of the members of the club now arrived, 
 and the matter was thoroughly discussed. 
 
 "Who do you suppose stole them!" said 
 Frank. 
 
 "Who? why, Tim Bunker of course," replied 
 Fred. 
 
 " But he must have had some help." 
 
 " Perhaps not ; he has done it to be revenged, 
 because your father turned him out of the club." 
 
 "Very likely." 
 
 "May be he'll smash them up," suggested 
 William Bright. 
 
 " Have you seen anything of Charles this 
 morning?" asked Mr. Hardy, entering the boat- 
 house at this moment. 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 "He did not sleep at home last night." 
 
 The Zephyrs looked at each other with astcn*- 
 iihment, and most of them, probably, connected 
 with the disappearance of the boats. His
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. I5T 
 
 intimacy with Tim Bunker created a great many 
 painful misgivings, especially when Mr. Hardy 
 told them that his son had pla) r ed truant on Sat 
 urday ; and one of the boys had heard of his 
 being seen with Tim on that day. Various other 
 facts were elicited, which threw additional light 
 upon the loss of the boats. Mr. Hardy was in 
 great distress. It was clear that his son had 
 wandered farther from the path of truth than he 
 had ever suspected. 
 
 Frank had gone up to the house to inform his 
 father of the loss of the boats, and Captain Sed- 
 ley soon joined the party. He sympathized 
 deeply with Mr. Hardy, and was satisfied that 
 his son could not be far off. It was impossible 
 to search the lake, as there were no boats for the 
 purpose. 
 
 As nothing could be done at present on the 
 lake, Captain Sedley ordered his horse, with the 
 intention of driving round it in search of the 
 fugitive and of the boats. Mi. Hardy was 
 invited to go with him. 
 
 On their arrival at Rippleton they found that 
 Tim Bunker was missing, as well as a great 
 many other boys. They continued to examine 
 the shores of the lake till they reached Joe 
 Braman's house, on the north side. 
 
 Captain Sedley inquired for his boat ; and Joe, 
 after trying to evade the truth, confessed that he 
 had let it to Tim for a week, but did not know 
 where he had gone with it. They were sure then 
 that the boys were engaged in some mad enter 
 prise : and at about eleven o'clock the two gentle 
 men reached home, without having obtained y 
 intelligence of Charles.
 
 152 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " Have you discovered anything, Ben? 1 * asked 
 Captain Sedley. 
 
 "Yes, sir; I heard voices in the direction of 
 Center Island." 
 
 "They are there, then," replied Captain Sed 
 ley, as he repaired to the boat-house. 
 
 About one o'clock the fog lifted, and revealed 
 to the astonished party the camp of the Rovers. 
 A large fire burned near the two tents, around 
 which the boys were gathered, for the weather 
 was so inclement as to render Tim's enterprise 
 anything but romantic. 
 
 The Sylph, the two club boats, and Joe Bra- 
 man's "gondola" lay near the shore, apparently 
 uninjured. 
 
 "This is a mad frolic," said Captain Sedley; 
 "but we may be thankful it is no worse." 
 
 "My boy in company with such young scoun 
 drels ! " added Mr. Hardy, bitterly. 
 
 "He is sick of them and the adventure I will 
 warrant." 
 
 " I hope so." 
 
 "Charles never did like Tim Bunker," sug 
 gested Frank. 
 
 " What is to be done ? " asked Mr. Hardy. 
 
 "We can do nothing ; they have all the boats. 
 They have managed well, and we are helpless." 
 
 "Can't we build a raft, father? " added Frank. 
 
 "If we did, they would take to the boats and 
 keep out of our way. Go to the house, Frank, 
 and bring me the spy-glass. We will examine 
 them a little more closely." 
 
 "They'll get enough on't afore to-morrow,"* 
 said Uncle Ben. 
 
 "It will cure them of camping out"
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 153 
 
 "Tim said, the last time he was with us, that 
 we ought to camp out," added William. 
 
 "The best way is to let them have it out tiH 
 they are sick on't," continued Uncle Ben. "It 
 won't hurt 'em ; they won't get the scurvy." 
 
 Captain Sedley took the glass on Frank's re 
 turn, and examined the camp. By its aid he 
 obtained a very correct idea of their encamp 
 ment. The Rovers were at dinner, and he recog 
 nized Charles Hardy and several of his com 
 panions. The glass was taken by several of the 
 party ; and, after this examination, even Mr. 
 Hardy concluded that it was best to make a 
 merit of necessity, and let the foolish boys have 
 out their frolic. 
 
 Soon after, the Rovers took to the boats, and 
 pulled up the lake. Then, the anxious party on 
 shore discovered that Charles was in command 
 of the Zephyr. With the help of the spy-glass, 
 they were able to form a very correct idea of the 
 state of feeling on board the boats. There was 9. 
 great deal of quarreling in both ; and, after they 
 had been .out half an hour, a regular fight oc 
 curred in the Zephyr. 
 
 About five o'clock they returned to the island, 
 and before dark it began to rain. All the evening 
 a great fire blazed on the island ; but the frail 
 tents of the Rovers must have been entirely inad^ 
 equate to protect them from the severity of the 
 weather. 
 
 At nine o'clock the Zephyrs, who had spent 
 the evening in the hall, went home, leaving 
 Uncle Ben, who had been deputed by Captain 
 Sedley to watch the Rovers, still gazing through 
 kit night-glass at the camp-fires on the island.
 
 1 54 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 Soon after, discordant cries were wafted over the 
 waters, and it was plain to the veteran that there 
 was "trouble in the camp." The sounds seemed 
 to indicate that a fight was in progress. After 
 a time, however, all was quiet again, and the old 
 sailor sought his bed. 
 
 During the night it cleared off, and Tuesday 
 was a bright, pleasant day. It was found in the 
 morning that one of the tents' had been moved 
 away from the other. About nine o'clock all the 
 Rovers gathered on the beach ; but they were 
 divided into two parties, and there seemed to be 
 a violent dispute between them. One of the par 
 ties, as they attempted to get into the Zephyr, 
 was assaulted by the other, and a fight ensued, 
 in which neither gained a victory. Then a par 
 ley, and each party took one of the boats and 
 pulled away from the island. It was observed 
 that Charles was no longer the coxswain. He 
 seemed to have lost the favor of his companions, 
 and several of them were seen to kick and strike 
 him. 
 
 The boats went in different directions the 
 Zephyr pulling towards Rippleton. When her 
 crew observed the party who were watching them 
 from the shore, they commenced cheering lustily, 
 and the coxswain, out of bravado, steered to 
 wards them. 
 
 " Who is he ? " asked Frank. 
 
 "It is Barney Ropes," replied Toay. "He is 
 as big a rascal as there is out of jail. " 
 
 " Here they come." 
 
 "Suppose we give them a volley of stones," 
 rested Fred Harper. 
 
 ' No ! " said Frank, firmly.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 155 
 
 The boat was pulling parallel with the shore, 
 and not more than ten rods from it. The Rov 
 ers yelled, and indulged freely in coarse and 
 abusive language, as they approached. Charles 
 Hardy, with averted face, was pulling the for 
 ward oar ; but not one of his former companions 
 hailed him. They pitied him ; they were sure, 
 when they saw his sad countenance, that he was 
 suffering intensely. 
 
 Suddenly Charles dropped his oar, and stood up. 
 
 "See! Tim Bunker !" shouted he, pointing to 
 the opposite side of the lake. 
 
 All the crew turned their eyes that way, and 
 Charles, seizing his opportunity, sprang with a 
 long leap into the water. 
 
 The act was so sudden that the crew could 
 not, for a moment, recover from their astonish 
 ment, and Charles struck out lustily for the shore. 
 
 "After him!" shouted Barney; and his com 
 panions "bent upon their oars. 
 
 But their excitement threw them into confusion, 
 they lost the stroke, and Barney was such a 
 bungler himself that he could not get the boat 
 about. 
 
 "Bravo, Charley ! " shouted the Zephyrs. 
 
 "Let him go," said Barney, when he realized 
 that the fugitive was beyond his reach ; and, 
 rallying his crew, he retreated towards the island. 
 
 " Hurrah, Charley ! You are safe," said Tony, 
 as he waded into the water to help him ashore. 
 
 Charles was so much exhausted when he 
 reached the land that he could not speak. 
 Captain Sedley, who had observed the occur 
 rence from his library window, hastened down 
 to the beach,
 
 156 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 The penitent Zephyr, in his agony, threw him 
 self on his knees before him, and in piteous, 
 broken accents besought his pardon. Captain 
 Sedley was deeply moved, and they all realized 
 that "the way of the transgressor is hard." 
 
 The sufferer was kindly conveyed to his home 
 by Captain Sedley, and his father and mother 
 were too glad at his return to reproach him for 
 his conduct. When he had changed his clothes, 
 and his emotion had in some degree subsided, he 
 confessed his errors, and solemnly promised 
 never to wander from the right path again. And 
 he was in earnest ; he felt all he said in the 
 depths of his Boul. He had suffered intensely 
 during his transgression ; and his friends were 
 satisfied that he had not sinned from the love of 
 sin. He had been led away by Tim Bunker, and 
 bitter had been the crnsequences of his error. 
 He had been punished enough, the sin had been 
 its own punishment, and his father and his club 
 freely forgave him. He was not a hardened boy, 
 and it was probable that his experience with the 
 Rovers would prove a more salutary correction 
 than any penalty that could be inflicted. 
 
 From Charles all the particulars of the " frolic" 
 were obtained. After his unsuccessful attempt 
 to escape in the Sylph, Tim had compelled him 
 to stay in his tent ; and, worn out with fatigue 
 and suffering, he had slept till nearly nine 
 o'clock. He had passed the day in a state bor 
 dering upon misery. At night a dispute had 
 occurred, ending in a fight, in which his lieuten 
 ant, Barney, had led on the Zephyr party. The 
 result was a separation, and Charles, deprived of 
 Tim's aid, could no longer sustain himself. Bar-
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 157 
 
 ney usurped his command, and treated him in a 
 most shameful manner. 
 
 Oh, how bitterly did he repent his folly and 
 wickedness ! When they were about to embark, 
 he attempted to go over to Tim's party. Barney 
 resented the attempt, and another fight ensued. 
 Then he was kicked into the boat, for his chief 
 could not spare so able an oarsman. 
 
 His mental anguish was so great that he could 
 no longer endure it ; and, in desperation, he had 
 made his escape, as we have narrated. His case 
 was a hopeful one, and his father cheerfully re 
 mitted to Mr. Walker the amount contained in 
 the lost purse, with the mortifying confession of 
 his son's guilt.
 
 158 AM. ABOA&A, OR 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 WRECK OF THE BUTTERFLY. 
 
 THE next day Mr. Walker arrived at Rippleton 
 himself. The noble-hearted gentleman seemed 
 to be in unusually good spirits, and the boys 
 noticed that he and Captain Sedley often ex 
 changed significant glances. They were all sat 
 isfied that something was about to happen, but 
 they could not imagine what. 
 
 Frank and Tony had been requested to invite 
 their friends to assemble at Zephyr Hall at nine 
 o'clock, on Wednesday morning; so that when 
 Mr. Walker entered the hall with Captain Sedley, 
 the whole school, to the number of over seventy, 
 were gathered there. 
 
 Charles Hardy was there with the rest ; but he 
 seemed to be a different boy. He had lost that 
 forwardness which had often rendered him a dis 
 agreeable companion. He had been forgiven ; 
 Mr. Walker had spoken to him very kindly, and 
 all his friends treated him as though nothing had 
 happened ; but for all this, he could not feel right 
 His sufferings were not yet ended ; repentance 
 will not banish at once the remembrance of former 
 sin and error. There was a deep feeling of com 
 miseration manifested towards him by his associ 
 ates. He was to them the returned prodigal,
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 159 
 
 tuey would fain have killed the fatted calf in 
 honor of his happy restoration. 
 
 The Zephyrs and the Butterflies wore their uni 
 forms, and Mr. Walker was so excited that all the 
 boys were sure a good time was before them ; 
 though, as the boats had not yet been recovered, 
 they were at a loss to determine the nature of the 
 sports to which they had been invited. 
 
 The Rovers still maintained themselves on the 
 island. The rupture between Tim and Barney 
 had evidently been healed ; for both parties seemed 
 to mingle as though nothing had occurred to mar 
 their harmonious action. 
 
 The boys at the boat-house were not kept long 
 in suspense in relation to their day's sport. Cap 
 tain Sedley formed them into a procession, when 
 all had arrived, and, after appointing Fred Harper 
 chief marshal, directed them to march down to 
 Rippleton, cross the river, and halt upon the 
 other side till he came. 
 
 When they reached the place they found Uncle 
 Ben there, and soon after were joined by Captain 
 Sedley and Mr. Walker. 
 
 " Follow us," said the former, as he led the way 
 down to a little inlet of the lake, whose waters 
 were nearly enclosed by the land. 
 
 "Hurrah !" shouted Fred Harper, suddenly, 
 when he obtained a view of the inlet, and the cry 
 was taken up by the whole party. 
 
 "The fleet! The fleet!" was passed from 
 mouth to mouth; and unable to control their ex 
 citement, they broke their ranks and ran with all 
 their might down to the water's side. 
 
 Resting gracefully, like so many swans, on the 
 bright waters of the inlet, lay five beautiful club
 
 l6o ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 boats. They were of different sizes, and fore and 
 aft floated their flags to the gentle breeze. 
 
 I will not attempt to describe the wild delight 
 of the boys when they beheld the splendid boats. 
 The bright vision of a fleet, which they had so 
 cheerfully abandoned to be enabled to do a good 
 and generous deed, was realized. Here was the 
 fleet, far surpassing in grandeur their most mag 
 nificent ideal. 
 
 Five boats ! And the Zephyr and the Butterfly 
 would make seven ! 
 
 "You have done this!" exclaimed Frank, as 
 Mr. Walker approached. 
 
 " Your father and I together did it. Now, boys, 
 if you will form a ring we will explain." 
 
 " Three cheers for Mr. Walker first, " suggested 
 Tony. 
 
 They were given, and three more for Captain 
 Sedley. 
 
 " My lads, I heard all about your giving up the 
 fleet to help Mr. Munroe out of trouble. It was 
 noble heroic, and I have since taken pains to 
 inform myself as to the manner in which you con 
 ducted yourself after the brave sacrifice. As far 
 as I can learn, not a regret has been expressed at 
 the mode in which your money was applied. 
 Here is your reward," and he pointed to the 
 boats. "They are the gift of Captain Sedley and 
 myself. I am sorry that these Rovers have taken 
 your other boats ; but it enables us to observe 
 the difference between good boys and bad boys. 
 Nay, Master Hardy, you need not blush ; for, 
 though you have erred, you have behaved hero 
 ically ; you risked your life to escape from them ; 
 y are forgiren,"
 
 LIFE ON THE LAK1. l6l 
 
 This speech was received with shouts of ap 
 plause, and Charles Hardy stepped forward with 
 tears in his eyes to thank the kind gentleman for 
 his generosity towards him. 
 
 "Now, boys," said Captain Sedley, "we are 
 going to recover the lost boats." 
 
 " Hurrah ! " shouted all the boys. 
 
 "Two of these boats, you perceive, carry 
 twelve oars each. The crew of the Zephyr will 
 man the Bluebird." 
 
 The Zephyrs obeyed the order. 
 
 "The crew of the Butterfly will man the Rain 
 bow," continued Captain Sedley. 
 
 The Butterflies seated themselves in the new 
 boat. 
 
 "This is merely a temporary arrangement, and 
 when we get the other boats, we shall organize 
 anew. We want practised oarsmen for our pres 
 ent service. While we are absent, Uncle Ben 
 will instruct the rest of the boys in rowing. 
 
 Captain Sedley and Mr. Walker then seated 
 themselves in the stern sheets of the Bluebird. 
 
 "Now pull for Center Island," said the former. 
 "Tony, you will follow us." 
 
 The two boats darted out of the inlet, leaving 
 Uncle Ben in charge of the "recruits." 
 
 The Lily and the Dart were eight-oar boats, 
 while the Dip carried only four, and was designed 
 as a " tender" for the fleet. Uncle Ben assigned 
 places to the boys, though there were about thirty 
 left after the oars were all manned. After an 
 hour's drilling, he got the crews so they could 
 work together, and the boats were then employed 
 in conveying the rest of the party over to the boat- 
 house. The others in their turn were instructed- 
 II
 
 l6 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 and before noon Uncle Ben had rendered them 
 tolerably proficient in the art of rowing. 
 
 When the Bluebird reached Center Island, Tim 
 had just embarked in the Butterfly, and Barney 
 was preparing to do the same in the Zephyr. The 
 Rovers were utterly confounded at this unex 
 pected invasion of their domain, and hastily re 
 treated from the beach. 
 
 William Bright, who was the coxswain of the 
 Bluebird, ran her alongside the Zephyr, and took 
 her in tow. In like manner they took possession 
 of the Sylph and the "gondola," leaving the 
 Rovers " alone in their glory," with no means of 
 escaping from the island. With the three boats 
 in tow, they pulled for the beach. 
 
 " Now for the Butterfly," said Captain Sedley, 
 as he placed the Sylph in charge of Uncle Ben, 
 and directed William Bright to steer up the lake. 
 
 Away dashed the Bluebird. The excited crew 
 had observed the Butterfly about a mile off, pull 
 ing towards the river. Tim Bunker, at this safe 
 distance, had paused to observe the movements 
 of the invaders. He was as much confounded as 
 Barney had been, and seemed to be at a loss 
 what to do ; but when he saw the Bluebird headed 
 towards him, he ordered his crew to pull for the 
 river. 
 
 "Steady, boys," said Captain Sedley, when 
 they had approached within a quarter of a mile of 
 the chase. "Probably they will run her ashore 
 and leave her." 
 
 But Tim did not mean to do anything of the 
 kind, and was running the Butterfly directly for 
 the river. 
 
 "They wiii dash her in pieces, I fear," con-
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 163 
 
 tinued the director, when he perceived Tim's in 
 tention. "Pull slowly put her about, and per 
 haps they will return." 
 
 The Bluebird came round ; but Tim dashed 
 madly on, heedless of the rocks. 
 
 "She strikes ! " exclaimed Mr. Walker. 
 
 " Round again quick ! " added Captain Sedley. 
 "They will all be drowned! She fills! There 
 they go ! " 
 
 The Butterfly had stove a hole in her bow ; in 
 an instant she was filled with water, 'and, careen 
 ing over, threw her crew into the lake, where 
 they were struggling for life. 
 
 "Your boat is stove, Tony," said Captain Sed 
 ley to the coxswain of the Butterfly, who had ex 
 changed places with Fred Harper, for the chase. 
 
 "Never mind the boat ; save the boys ! " re 
 plied Tony. 
 
 "Bravo! my little hero!" exclaimed Mr. 
 Walker. 
 
 In a few moments the Bluebird reached the 
 scene of the disaster. The Butterfly was so light 
 that she did not sink ; and most of the Rovers 
 were supporting themselves by holding on at her 
 gunwale. Tim and two or three more had swum 
 ashore, and one would have been drowned, if 
 assistance had not reached him when it did. 
 
 The discomfited Rovers were rescued from their 
 perilous situation, and after a severe reprimand, 
 were landed at the nearest shore. Tim made his 
 escape; but probably none of them have since 
 felt any inclination to imitate the freebooters. 
 
 The Butterfly was to wed down to her house, and 
 taken out of the water. It was found that two of 
 her planks had been stove, and that the damage
 
 164 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 could be easily repaired. Mr. Walker proposed 
 sending to Boston for a boat-builder ; but Captain 
 Sedley was sure that Uncle Ben, with the assist 
 ance of the wheelwright, could repair her quite as 
 well. 
 
 The Bluebird then returned to the beach, and 
 the boys were dismissed till three o'clock. The 
 situation of the Rovers on the island was next 
 discussed by Captain Sedley and Mr. Walker, and 
 it was decided that, as Tim had escaped, it was 
 not expedient to punish his companions, who 
 were less guilty. So Uncle Ben, with Frank and 
 Tony, was sent off to bring them ashore. Bar 
 ney and his band were glad enough to get off. 
 They freely acknowledged that they had had 
 enough of "camping out." It was not what 
 they anticipated. Nearly all of them had taken 
 severe colds, and since the rain on Monday night, 
 which had spoiled their provisions, they had been 
 nearly starved. Barney declared that they meant 
 to return the boats that night, and if Captain 
 Sedley would " let them off" this time, they would 
 never do such a thing again. Like Charles, they 
 had been punished enough, and with some good 
 advice they were permitted to depart. How 
 they made peace with their parents I cannot say ; 
 but probably many of them "had to take it." 
 As for Tim Bunker, he did not show his face in 
 Rippleton again, but made his way to Boston, 
 where he shipped in a vessel bound for the East 
 Indies ; and everybody in town was glad to get 
 rid of him. 
 
 Thus ended the famous " camping out" of the 
 Rovers. It was a very pleasant and romantic 
 thing to think about ; but the reality was sufficient
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. 165 
 
 t* effect a radical cure, and convince them that 
 ' yellow-covered books " did not tell the truth. 
 
 At three o'clock the boys reassembled, and the 
 crews were organized and officers selected. By 
 a unanimous vote, Frank Sedley was chosen 
 commodore of the fleet. The next morning the 
 Butterfly was repaired, and the squadron made 
 its first voyage round the lake. 
 
 But as the rest of the week was occupied in 
 drilling, and the maneuvers were necessarily 
 imperfect, I pass over the time till the August 
 vacation, when the fleet made a grand excursion 
 up Rippleton River.
 
 1 66 ALL ABOAKU, OR 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE CRUISE OF THE FLEET. 
 
 THE school year was ended ; and it was re 
 marked that the school had never been in a more 
 flourishing- condition. The boys, stimulated by 
 the boat organizations, had made remarkable 
 progress, and parents and committee sympathized 
 with them in the pleasant anticipations of the 
 coining vacation. 
 
 Since his defection in June, the conduct of 
 Charles Hardy had been in the highest degree 
 satisfactory. His character seemed to be radically 
 changed. He did not "put on ai^s," nor aspire 
 to high places. His pride had been lowered, and 
 he was modest and gentle ; therefore my young 
 friends will not be surprised to learn that his as 
 sociates had rewarded his endeavors to do well 
 by electing him coxswain of the Zephyr. 
 
 On the morning of the day appointed for the 
 grand excursion, the squadron, as it formed in 
 line opposite Captain Sedley's house, consisted of 
 the following boats, manned and commanded as 
 below : 
 
 Zephyr, 1 2 oars, (bearing the broad pennant of 
 Commodore Sedley.) . . Charles Hardy. 
 Butterfly, 12 oars, .... Paul Munroei 
 . Bluebird, 12 " . . ? t f Fred Harper.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKB. 167 
 
 Rainbow, 12 " William Bright 
 
 Lily, 8 " Henry Brown. 
 
 Dart, 8 " Dick Chester. 
 
 Dip, 4 "(tender,). . Tony Weston. 
 
 My young readers need not be indignant at 
 anding so brave and skilful an officer as Tony 
 Weston in command of the little Dip, deeming it 
 an insignificant position for him to occupy ; for 
 the tender was to be detailed on special duty, and 
 the appointment was a marked compliment to 
 his skill and judgment. 
 
 The system of signals established for the use 
 of the fleet was very simple, and consisted of 
 plain flags of red, white, blue, yellow, green, 
 orange, and purple, each color being a distinct 
 order. The discipline of the fleet was of a mon 
 grel character, composed of naval and military 
 tactics.. When the squadron sailed in compact 
 or< Ic-", verbal commands were given ; and when 
 >nts were too far apart for the word to be 
 heard, signals were used. But these details will 
 be better understood as the squadron proceeds on 
 its voyage. 
 
 The boats were ranged in line, side by side, 
 with the Zephyr on the right, the Butterfly on the 
 left, and the Dip in the middle, each \vith its gay 
 flags floating to the breeze. All the oars were 
 in-board, and the clubs were waiting for the 
 commodore's orders. 
 
 On board the Zephyr, a longer staff than she 
 had formerly used was erected, on which, half 
 way up, was placed her fly, and at the top the 
 broad pennant of blue, covered with silver 
 stars. On this pole the signals were hoisted,
 
 1 68 ALL ABOARD, OK 
 
 when the pennant had to be lowered for the 
 
 time. 
 
 All eyes were directed to the commodore, who 
 was standing up in the stern sheets of the flag boat. 
 
 " Ready ! '' said he, in a voice loud enough to 
 be heard the whole length of the line ; and every 
 boy grasped his oar. 
 
 "Up!" 
 
 It was a beautiful sight to observe the precision 
 with which the oars were erected. A company 
 of soldiers could not have handled their muskets 
 with more unanimity. 
 
 " Down ! " and in like manner the oars dropped 
 into the water. 
 
 Those who have observed the manner in which 
 a military officer gives his orders have discovered 
 the secret of this pleasing concord of action. 
 Commands consist, except in a series, of two 
 words; and dwelling for an instant on the first 
 keeps all in a state of readiness to act the instant 
 the second is given. Frank had studied the 
 matter while witnessing the evolutions of the 
 Rippleton Guards, and he had adopted the plan 
 in the club. When the captain said "shoulder," 
 the men knew what was coming ; and at the 
 word " arms," the evolution was performed. So 
 with " present arms ! " "file right ! " " left 
 wheel ! " etc. ; and to these observations he was 
 indebted for the proficiency of his club, and of 
 the fleet. 
 
 "Ready pull ! " he continued. 
 
 The stroke was very slow, and each coxswain 
 was obliged to keep his boat in line with the 
 others, the flag boat regulating their speed. 
 
 When the squadron had reached the upper part
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKK. l6$ 
 
 of the lake, the pennant was dropped, and up 
 went a red flag. 
 
 " Cease rowing ! " said all the coxswains, ex 
 cept the Zephyr's. 
 
 Then the red flag was lowered, and a blue one 
 was hoisted. 
 
 " In single line," the coxswain of the Bluebird, 
 which was next to the Zephyr, interpreted the 
 signal, and his boat followed the flag. 
 
 The others came into the line in proper order, 
 and the squadron passed entirely round the lake. 
 
 "Cease rowing!" exclaimed the coxswa^i,, 
 in concert, as the red flag again appeared. 
 
 Up went a green flag, and the line was formed ; 
 then a yellow, to form in sections of two. In 
 this order the squadron pulled down the lake 
 again, to the widest part, where various fanciful 
 evolutions were performed which it would be 
 impossible to describe on paper. One of them 
 was rowing in a circle round the Dip ; another 
 was two circles of three boats each, pulling in 
 opposite directions. Then the boats were sent 
 off in six different ways, forming a hexagon, with 
 the tender in the center ; after which they all 
 came together so that their stems touched each 
 other, in the shape of a star. 
 
 " Now, boys, we are ready for the voyage up 
 Rippleton River," said Commodore Sedley. "I 
 need not tell you that the utmost caution must 
 be used. Watch the flags closely, and every cox 
 swain be very prudent" 
 
 "Ay, ay!" 
 
 "Tony will lead in the Dip, and each boat will 
 place a man in the bow to look out for buoys, 
 which he will place over rocks and shoals."
 
 170 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "Ay, ay," answered the coxswains. 
 
 "Now, Tony, you may go up and mark off the 
 rocks at the mouth of the river." 
 
 The little Dip, which had a picked crew for the 
 occasion, darted away up the lake, leaving the 
 rest of the fleet to follow. 
 
 "Form a line ! " shouted Frank, and the boats 
 backed out from their positions, and in a mo 
 ment had obeyed the order. 
 
 "Ready pull;" and the fleet moved slowly 
 and grandly up the lake. 
 
 The boys were in high spirits. There was 
 romething inspiring in the operations of the 
 & uadron that would have moved a more steady 
 mind than that of a boy of twelve. Every mo 
 ment was a revelation of the power that dwelt in 
 them, of the beauty of order, of the grace of har 
 monious action. As in the great world, a single 
 intractable spirit might have produced a heap of 
 confusion, and it was the purpose of the organ 
 ization to bring each into harmony with the 
 whole. 
 
 The fleet reached the mouth of the river. 
 Tony had placed buoys on the dangerous rocka 
 each side of the channel, so that the boats, by 
 approaching it in the right direction, could easily 
 pass through in safety. 
 
 The Dip had been provided with a large num 
 ber of these buoys. They were pieces of board, 
 part of them painted red, and part blue, with a 
 line and weight attached to each. Near the 
 dangerous rock or shoal one of these buoys was 
 to be located, which would be kept in place by 
 the weight. The coxswains had written instruc 
 tions from the commodore to keep red ones oa
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. I%1 
 
 the starboard side, and blue on the port side, 
 going up the river, and vice versa coming down. 
 
 The Zephyr took position near the rocks to see 
 that every boat approached the channel in the 
 right direction, as, if they did not, they \vouldbe 
 sure to strike. By these extraordinary precau 
 tions, the fleet passed through in safety, and 
 three stunning cheers announced that the passage 
 had been effected. 
 
 "Here we are, Charley," said Frank, as the 
 Zephyr pulled ahead of the other boats. 
 
 "All safe, thanks to the skill and prudence of 
 our commodore," replied Charles ; and the reader 
 will be struck with the modesty of his language. 
 
 " Where is Tony ? I don't see him." 
 
 " Round the bend, I guess ; but here are his 
 buoys all along." 
 
 "Signal man, hoist the blue," continued the 
 commodore ; and the fleet followed in single line. 
 
 " Here's the bridge ; I fancy Tony knows the 
 soundings here," said Charles. 
 
 ''Ay, there is the rock on which Mr. Walker's 
 chaise hung. It is almost out of water, now." 
 
 "Did you hear what Mr. Walker said when 
 some one asked him why he did not sue the 
 town ? " 
 
 ' ' No ; what was it ? " 
 
 " He said it was the luckiest day of his life 
 when he pitched off the bridge." 
 
 " Indeed ! " 
 
 " He has thought so much better of humanity 
 since, and it introduced him to Tony Weston, 
 whom he calls a hero in embryo." 
 
 "Mr. Walker is a nice man a whole-souled 
 man."
 
 1^2 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "That he is ! How many men would have 
 done for us what he did? And I, in particular, 
 have reason to be grateful to him," said Charles, 
 with a sigh. " I shall never forget him and your 
 father, wherever my lot is cast. " 
 
 "That is manly of you, Charley. But I am 
 sure they have been abundantly rewarded by 
 your devotion to duty -since. " 
 
 "I have tried to do right." 
 
 "You have done well ; everybody says so." 
 
 "I cannot soon forget what a fool I was to 
 believe Tim's wicked lies. I suppose I wanted 
 to believe them, or I should not." 
 
 " It is a great pity we ever let Tim into the 
 club ; but we meant right ; we meant to reform 
 him, Where do you suppose he is now ? " 
 
 "Somewhere near the Cape of Good Hope." 
 
 ' My father thinks he has got enough of the sea 
 by this time." 
 
 " I dare say. Didn't you ever feel a desire to 
 go to sea, Frank ? " 
 
 "No ; not lately." 
 
 "Nor I; Tim Bunker lent me the Red Cor 
 sair of the Caribbean Sea, just before that scrape, 
 and I thought then that I should like to take a 
 voyage. " 
 
 "My father will not let me read such books ; 
 and since he has told me what they are, and 
 what their influence is, I don't want to read 
 them." 
 
 "There's Tony, with the red flag hoisted." 
 
 The red flag had been agreed upon as the 
 signal to stop the fleet, when the navigation was 
 very hazardous, or impracticable. 
 
 " Cease rowing ! " said Charles.
 
 LIFE ON THE LAK4. *?3 
 
 Frank ordered his signal man to hoist the red 
 
 in the flag boat. 
 
 "Can't we go any farther than this? "asked 
 Charles. 
 
 " I don't know ; we are not more than a mile 
 above the bridge." 
 
 " Here comes the Dip/' 
 
 "Well, Tony, what's the matter?" said the 
 commodore, as the tender approached. 
 
 "I haven't found a clear channel yet. The 
 bed of the river is covered with rocks," replied 
 Tony, as the Dip came alongside the Zephyr. 
 
 "Then we must call this the head of naviga 
 tion," added Frank, with a laugh, though he was 
 not a little disappointed to find the cruise up so 
 soon. 
 
 " Perhaps not ; there is water enough, but the 
 twelve-oar boats are so long they can hardly 
 dodge the rocks. The Lily and the Dart can get 
 through very well." 
 
 "Have you sounded clear across ? " 
 
 "I haven't had time to examine very thor 
 oughly yet. If you let the boats lay off I will 
 look farther." 
 
 "Very well ; I will go with you in the Dart," 
 replied the commodore, as he ordered up a white 
 and a blue flag, which was the signal for the 
 Dart to close up. 
 
 The signal was obeyed, and Frank followed 
 the Dip. After half an hour's search, a clear 
 channel was found close to the land ; so close 
 that the oars could not be used, and a party was 
 sent on shore to drag them through with ropes. 
 
 The line was formed again, and the squadron 
 slowly followed the Dip as she examined the
 
 1 74 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 river. For the next mile there were no obetrue- 
 tions. 
 
 "Twelve o'clock ! " shouted Fred Harper from 
 the Bluebird. 
 
 "Dinner time, then," replied Frank. "Here 
 is a beautiful grove, and we will land and dine. 
 Hoist the orange " the signal to laud.
 
 UF ON THE LAKfi. 175 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE HOSPITALITIES OF OAKLAWN. 
 
 THE boys all had remarkably good appetites, 
 and therefore dinner was no unimportant event 
 in the experience of the day. Somehow, boys 
 contrive to be hungry at almost all times of the 
 day, even without the stimulus of pulling three 
 hours at an oar. There was something, too, in 
 the circumstance of dining in a beautiful grove, 
 on the bank of the river, with their boats floating 
 near them, which rendered the occasion pecul 
 iarly pleasant which made their cold meat, 
 doughnuts, and apple pie taste much better than 
 usual. 
 
 But the adventure was not yet completed. 
 The head waters of navigation had not been 
 reached, and their love of exploring did not per 
 mit them to spend any unnecessary time over 
 the meal. Tony and his oarsmen had reported 
 themselves at the grove, and after " bolting'* 
 their dinner, had resumed their occupation ; and 
 the boys perceived the Dip half a mile up the 
 river before they were ready to start. 
 
 "All aboard!" said Frank; and the crews, 
 hastily gathering up their tin pails, and their 
 baskets, tumbled into the boats. 
 
 The Zephyr led off, followed by the other bouts 
 of the
 
 1/6 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "I see no buoys ahead," said Frank, after they 
 had advanced some distance. "The navigation 
 must be unobstructed." 
 
 "It looks like deep water," answered Charles. 
 
 "And Tony's crew are pulling very hard; 
 they are going faster than we do." 
 
 " He is trying to gain time against he reaches 
 a bad place. There he goes round the bend. 
 Were you ever up here before, Frank? " 
 
 "I have been to Oaklawn, which is about four 
 miles from Rippleton. Of course I never came 
 up the river." 
 
 ' Wouldn't it be fine if we could get up to Oak- 
 lawn ? " 
 
 " Perhaps we can." 
 
 "This is smooth work," continued Frank. 
 " Can't we give a little variety to the excursion ? " 
 
 " What ? " 
 
 " Hoist the yellow, signalman, " replied the com 
 modore. "We will pull a while in sections of two, 
 and sing some songs." 
 
 Obedient to the signal, the boats of the fleet 
 came into the order prescribed, and the boys 
 waked up the hills and the woods with the earn 
 estness of their song. It was a beautiful and 
 cheering sight to see them gliding over the clear 
 waters, while their voices mingled with those of 
 the songsters which nature had given to the hill 
 side and the forest. Their hearts were glad, 
 and in beautiful unison with the scene around 
 them. 
 
 " Rapids 1 " exclaimed Frank, when the boat 
 reached the bend. "Up with the blue 1 " 
 
 " Steady I " added Charles. ' ' Pull slowly. " 
 
 "Tony has been very busy," continued Frank,
 
 LIPfe ON THE LAKJL tft 
 
 pointing to the buoys, that speckled the waters. 
 I am afraid the cruise is about up." 
 
 " Tony has passed the rapids. You know 
 steamboats go down the rapids on the SL Law 
 rence River." 
 
 "Ah, there is Oaklawn," said Frank, pointing 
 to the spire of a church in the distance. "We 
 cannot go much farther, I know." 
 
 " We have made nearly four miles." 
 
 What the commodore had styled "rapids" 
 were not a very formidable difficulty. Near one 
 bank was a ledge of rocks, over which the waters 
 dashed with considerable energy ; but though 
 there was the same descent on the other side, no 
 obstruction appeared to check them from attempt 
 ing the passage. Tony had accomplished it, and 
 had left no warning to deter them. 
 
 "Shall we go through, Frank?" 
 
 "Ay; bend on sharp, and she will leap up 
 like a fawn. Now for it ! " 
 
 The Zephyrs applied all their strength to the 
 oars, and the boat darted up the rapids with no 
 other detriment than taking in two or three pail- 
 fuls of water. 
 
 The rest of the fleet followed, with the excep 
 tion of the Lily, without accident ; and she, not 
 having sufficient headway, was carried down 
 again. By the skill of her coxswain, however, 
 she was saved from damage, and her second 
 attempt was successful. 
 
 The navigation was again tolerably safe, and 
 for half a mile they proceeded on their way with 
 out interruption. 
 
 "There's a bridge," said Charles, pointing 
 ahead. 
 ia
 
 IJfS ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 "And there is the Dip, with the red hoisted 
 Tony seems to have given it up. He has made 
 fast to the bridge." 
 
 On the shore was a crowd of men and boys, 
 who were holding a parley with the pilot of the 
 expedition ; but when they saw the squadron ap 
 proaching they seemed petrified with astonish 
 ment. The boys thrust their hands deep in their 
 trousers' pockets, and with mouths wide open 
 stared in speechless wonder. The arrival of 
 Columbus on the shores of the new world could 
 not have been more astounding to the natives 
 than was the coming of the Wood Lake squadron 
 to the boys of Oaklawn. 
 
 ' ' Sheer off, Charley, to the port side of the river, 
 and we will come into line. The river is wide 
 enough here, I believe. Up with the green ! " 
 
 On dashed the boats in the rear till they came 
 into the line. The river widened into a kind of 
 pond ; but the line stretched clear across it 
 making a very imposing appearance. 
 
 "Slowly ; cease rowing ! " continued Frank. 
 "Ready up I " and the sixty-eight oars of the 
 fleet glittered in the sunshine before the aston, 
 ished Oaklawners, who were gathered in great 
 numbers on the shore and bridge. 
 
 "Well, Tony, the cruise is up," said Frank, 
 when the Dip came into line. 
 
 "Yes," replied the pilot, pointing under the 
 bridge, where the river dashed its foaming waters 
 down a long reach of half-exposed rocks. "We 
 can't get over those." 
 
 "No; and we may as well land and take a 
 look at Oaklawn. Hoist the orange. Ready- 
 down J * :
 
 N THE LAKB. 179 
 
 Each boat landed its crew at a convenient 
 place, and they were then marshaled into a pro 
 cession. They were formed in sections of four, 
 each crew preceded by its coxswain, with one of 
 the flags on each side of him. The commodore 
 marched at the head of the company, and in this 
 order they proceeded through the prncipal street 
 of the village. Of course their appearance excited 
 a great deal of wonder, and not a little admira 
 tion. Several of the principal citizens, unwilling 
 that their guests should depart unwelcomed, got 
 up an impromptu reception, and the clubs were 
 invited to the Town Hall, where some very 
 pretty speeches were made by the chairman of 
 the Selectmen, of the School Committee, the rep 
 resentative to the General Court, and other dis 
 tinguished individuals; to whom the commodore 
 replied with a great deal of dignity and self- 
 possession. 
 
 While the speeches were proceeding, the ladies 
 were not idle ; and the boys were next invited 
 to a collation on the green ; after which they 
 marched back to the river and re-embarked. 
 Three times three cheers were given for the people 
 of Oaklavvn, and the word was given to pull for 
 home. 
 
 The boys of the village were not so ready to 
 part with them, and some twenty of them followed 
 the boats, on the bank of the river. 
 
 "I say, Frank, these folks were very kind to 
 vis," Charles remarked. 
 
 "They were, indeed." 
 
 "And the boys seem to enjoy it." 
 
 " I suppose not many of them ever saw our 
 boats before,"
 
 180 ALL ABOARD, OR 
 
 " Suppose we take them in ; they will be very 
 willing to walk home, say from the grove where 
 we dined, for the sake of the sail." 
 
 "Good! I didn't think of that before. Up 
 with the orange ! " 
 
 The boats landed, and the astonished Oaklawn 
 boys were distributed among them. They seemed 
 to regard the favor as an unexpected condescen 
 sion, and their delight knew no bounds. As 
 Little Paul expressed it, " they were tickled half 
 to death " ; and when they reached the grove 
 it was a sad and bitter disappointment for them 
 to get out and go home. 
 
 "I was thinking of something," said Charles, 
 a little while after they had landed their passen 
 gers. 
 
 "What was it, Charley ? " replied the commo 
 dore. 
 
 "That we might invite the boys of Oaklawn 
 to spend a day with us on the lake." 
 
 "Capital!" 
 
 "We could give them a picnic on Center 
 Island. " 
 
 " We will do it ; and now that we know the 
 river we can easily come up as far as the grore 
 after them." 
 
 "Or up to the rapids ; there is no danger this 
 side of them." 
 
 This plan was discussed in all its details, and 
 everything was agreed upon by the time they 
 reached the lake. The passage down the river 
 had been much quicker than the upward trip, and 
 before sunset the boats were all housed, and th^ 
 clubs had separated. 
 
 Oa the following week the courtesies of the
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. l8l' 
 
 club were extended to the boys of Oaklawn, as 
 arranged by the commodore, and a very fine 
 time they had of it. Their guests, numbering 
 over forty, were entertained in every conceivable 
 manner the day's sports concluding with a 
 grand race, in which all the boats were entered, 
 and in which the Butterfly won the honors. 
 
 A new program was made up every week 
 during the vacation. Lighthouses were built, 
 channels surveyed, shores charted ; indeed, every 
 thing which the ingenuity of the boys could 
 devise was brought forward to add fresh interest 
 to the sports of the lake. 
 
 And thus the season passed away, and winter 
 came again. The fleet was laid up, and the use 
 ful and pleasant recreations of the club rooms 
 were substituted for the active excitement of 
 boating. Lectures were given, essays were read, 
 debates held, eve r week ; and the progress of 
 the boys out of s . ool, as well as within, was 
 highly satisfactory & all concerned.
 
 l8a ALL ABOAiD, Oft 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 I SUPPOSE, as the present volume completes the 
 history of the Boat Club, that my young readers 
 will wish to know something of the subsequent 
 fortunes of the prominent characters of the asso 
 ciation. It gives me pleasure to say that not one 
 of them has been recreant to his opportunities, or 
 abandoned his high standard of character ; that 
 the moral, mental, and physical discipline of the 
 organization has proved salutary in the highest 
 degree. The members of the boat clubs are now 
 active members of society. Each is pulling an 
 oar, or steering his bark, on the great ocean of 
 life. Some are in humble spheres, as in the 
 little Dip ; others are in more extended fields, as 
 in the majestic twelve-oar boats. 
 
 Frank Sedley is a lawyer. His father has gone 
 to enjoy his reward in the world beyond the 
 grave; and Frank, who was married a year ago 
 to Mary Weston, resides in the mansion by the 
 lake. His brilliant talents and unspotted integ 
 rity have elevated him to a respectable position, 
 for one so young, in the legal profession ; and 
 there is no doubt but that he will arrive at 
 eminence in due time. 
 
 Uncle Ben is still alive, and continues to dwell 
 at the mansion of the Sedleys, The boats are
 
 LIFE ON THE LAKE. I8J 
 
 still in being, and are manned by the boys be 
 longing to the school under the direction of the 
 veteran. 
 
 Tony Weston is a merchant. At the age of 
 seventeen he was taken into the counting-room 
 of Mr. Walker, and at twenty-one admitted as an 
 equal partner. The man is what the boy was 
 noble, generous, kind. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, only one boy of the 
 whole number" has become a sailor. Fred Harper 
 went to sea when he left school, and was recently 
 appointed master of a fine clipper ship, bound for 
 India. Little Paul is a journeyman carpenter. 
 He is in a humble sphere, but none the less 
 respected on that account. His father, who re 
 covered his health, paid the notes he had made 
 to the clubs. The money was applied to the 
 purchase of books and a philosophical apparatus, 
 which rendered the winter evenings of the clubs 
 still more attractive. 
 
 'Squire Chase " worked out nis destiny " in Rip- 
 pleton, and finally was so thoroughly despised 
 that he found it convenient to leave the place. 
 Perhaps my readers will be a little surprised 
 when I tell them that Charles Hardy is a minister 
 of the gospel. He was recently settled in a 
 small town in Connecticut. The boat club 
 changed his character, purged it of the evil and 
 confirmed the good, and he is now a humble 
 and devoted laborer in the vineyard of the Master. 
 
 Wood Lake is still beautiful, and the remem 
 brances of former days are still lovingly cherished 
 by Frank and Tony, who reside on its banks. 
 The Zephyr and Butterfly, though somewhat 
 battered and worm-eaten, are occasionally seen,
 
 ALL ABOARD, 
 
 near the close of the day, with a lady and g cntle- 
 man in the stern sheets of each. The youthful 
 crews are happier than usual, for one bears the 
 ex-commodore and lady, and the other the hero 
 of Rippleton Bridge and his lady. 
 
 THX END.
 
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