CHAPTER VI.

A ROW ON BOARD THE GOLDWING.

"I don't care who is captain of the boat," said Tom Topover, after his companions had talked him into something. "Come on board again, Ash Burton, and you shall be captain."

"That's so; come back, we want you to be captain," added Kidd Digfield, who knew more than his companions about a boat, though that was saying very little.

"What do you say, Sam?" added Ash, turning to his crony.

"I don't believe in it," replied the other decidedly. "You can't depend upon Tom Topover. If you are the skipper, he will insist upon your obeying his orders as he did a little while ago."

"I will give it all up to Ash Burton," interposed Tom, who had heard a part of Sam's remarks.

Ash was strongly tempted; for if there was any one thing in the world that he liked better than any thing else, it was boating. At Westport he had sometimes sailed in the Silver Moon, and had learned a little about the management of such a craft, though he was very far from being a skilful boatman.

"Tom will get the helm, and then the boat will go to the bottom if they go out on the lake," argued Sam.

"I don't believe in using the boat, myself," replied Ash faintly; for he was sighing for the delight of holding the wheel of the Goldwing while she dashed at her lively pace over the water. He could hardly refuse the invitation of the Topovers.

"Tom don't know any thing at all about the boat, and that fact makes him reckless. In my opinion, he will sink the boat, and there will be an awful row in Genverres about this evening when the Sylph returns," continued Sam, seeing that his friend was inclined to yield.

"Ash Burton shall have the full command, and I won't interfere with him," said Tom; but the two boys on the wharf did not see the wink he gave to Nim Splugger when he uttered the gracious words.

"Some of them will be drowned," reasoned Sam.

"Then I think I ought to go with them!" exclaimed Ash, suddenly crushing his scruples. "I don't know much about a boat, but I know more than any of the rest of the fellows; and I can keep the Goldwing on the top of the water, if nothing more."

"We had better keep out of the scrape," added Sam, but more weakly than before, for he was almost as fond of sailing as his friend.

"The rest of the fellows are on the other side of the water, and we shall have to take them in. If things don't work right when we get across the lake, we can jump out of the boat again; and we shall be nearer home there than we are here," said Ash, almost vanquished by his own logic.

He wanted to go so much, that it was easy for him to persuade himself that it was his duty to do so in order to prevent Tom from drowning himself and his companions. The conflict in his mind ended by his going on board of the sloop, followed, more reluctantly, by his crony.

"I want this thing understood before I go," said Ash, as he walked aft to the standing-room. "The wind has breezed up a good deal while we have been talking about it, and it would be as easy as putting your fingers in the fire to tip the sloop over."

"We understand it well enough: you are to be captain, and all the rest of us will obey your orders—as long as we like," replied Tom impatiently, and uttering the last words so that they were heard only by Nim Splugger.

"But I want it made as clear as day that I am to handle the boat. I know enough about a sailboat to keep her right side up, and I don't want to be spilled into the lake by any fellow that don't know as much about the business as I do."

"We all agree to it," interposed Kidd Digfield. "It's no use to talk all day about it."

The last speaker knew the halyards from the boat-hook; and he proceeded to hoist the sail, assisted by Pell Sankland. Ash considered it understood that he was to be skipper till the end of the cruise, which he did not intend should last for more than an hour or two. He took his place at the wheel, and gave the necessary orders for getting the sloop under way. The fresh breeze took the sail, and in a couple of minutes she was across the lake. With the wind off the shore, he had no difficulty in making a landing at the little stage which served as a landing-place for boats from the other side.

"Where is the Thunderer, Tom?" asked Chick Penny, as he stepped on board.

"She came to grief," replied Tom. "She dropped to pieces, and tipped us all into the lake."

"That's just what I supposed she would do," replied Chick. "I wouldn't trust my old boots in her, to say nothing of my precious carcass."

Hop Cabright wanted to know how they had got hold of the Goldwing, and the story of the morning's adventures had to be told. But Ash did not wait for it to be finished. He got under way again, and stood towards the outlet. More than half of the recruits, making the whole party a dozen, were fellows like Sam and himself; and he felt more at home in the Goldwing than he had before. But five of them were original Topovers; which meant that they did not scruple to steal a boat when they got a chance, or to rob an orchard, or to break all the windows in the side of a building for simple fun.

The other seven of the party were very fond of fun, and could be easily led into mischief, though they had a better idea of the rights of property. In the dozen who filled the standing-room of the sloop were all shades of moral obliquity, from Tom Topover, who respected no person's rights except his own, up to Sam Spottwood, whose greatest failing was the weakness which did not always induce him to do what he knew was right.

The narrow limits of Beechwater did not satisfy the desire of the skipper for a sail, and he stood boldly into the outlet. Possibly, if the sloop had not been aground a little before at the first sharp turn in the stream, he would have sailed her into the mud which the current deposited there. But he was forewarned by the former accident, and he tacked before the keel touched bottom.

More by good chance than by the possession of any skill in navigating this difficult stream, Ash got the boat through the bend, and it was then plain sailing to the river. It was wide enough here to beat, and in half an hour more the Goldwing was in the great lake. Ash enjoyed his occupation more than ever before, and he was in a state of exuberant delight.

"I guess I'll take that wheel now, Ash Burton," said Tom Topover, with a broad grin on his ugly face, when the boat was fairly out of the river.

"That wasn't the trade," replied Ash.

"I don't care whether it was the trade or not: I am going to steer now," added Tom very decidedly.

"Didn't you agree that I should be captain on this cruise?" demanded Ash, keeping down his indignation as well as he could.

"That was only to get you to come along," replied Tom, with the most barefaced effrontery. "I had a point to carry, and I carried it. Get out of my way, Ash Burton, and I will take the thing."

"You don't know how to handle the boat, and I object," interposed Sam Spottwood.

"Shut up, Sam!" said Tom, turning a savage glance at the last speaker.

"I shall not shut up! You made a fair agreement that Ash should be captain, or I would not have come," retorted Sam boldly.

"I should not either," added Ash.

"It's no use of jawing about it. I am going to steer this boat the rest of the cruise, and"—

"No, you are not! You have tried to cheat us, and we will stick to the trade we made fairly!" insisted Sam.

"Shut up, Sam Spottwood, or I'll bat you over the head!" said Tom fiercely, and he turned towards Sam with his fists in fighting condition.

"You don't know how to handle a boat, and I for one won't submit to have the bargain broken," protested Sam, his blood heated up to fever temperature.

"Don't hit him, Tom!" interposed Kidd Digfield.

"Ash is captain, and he ought to steer," shouted Chick Penny from the forecastle.

"Ash must keep the wheel," added Hop Cabright; and so said several of the others.

Tom Topover looked at them, and then he was mad in good earnest. He declared that he was going to take the wheel, and he wanted any fellow that objected to step out into the standing-room, and he would "polish him off" in the twinkling of an eye.

"I object, and I shall stick to it. A trade's a trade, and I don't think any fellow has a right to back out of it," Sam responded.

Tom was furious at this remark; and he made a pass at Sam, who was seated by the side of the skipper, with his fist.

"None of that, Tom!" interposed Ash, stepping between the bully and his intended victim.

"What are you going to do about it, Ash Burton?" yelled Tom, and he aimed a blow at the skipper, which was intended to annihilate him.

Ash warded off the blow; but when another was aimed at him, he struck back. The original Topovers attempted to interfere, but the fury of Tom could brook no opposition from friend or foe. The result was a general row. The recruits to the gang took sides with Ash and Sam, and they did their best to support him; but before the affair could be decided either way, about a hogs-head of water rolled into the standing-room over the washboard.

The cooling effects of this inundation were immediately perceptible. Tom had been thrown down by the skipper, and the wave had nearly drowned him. All the others were wet through, and the sloop was rolling as though she intended to do the same thing again. Ash was boatman enough to understand the situation. He had put the helm up when he was attacked, for the boat had a tendency to broach to; and she had fallen off till she presented the broad side of her mainsail to the stiff breeze.

The boat had come up headed the other way. With the water splashing about in the standing-room, the skipper came about again, and headed the sloop on her former course. The cold water had cooled off Tom, and just now he was wringing out his coat. He appeared to submit to the situation for the present. Sam desired to return, but Ash wanted to fight the battle out if it was renewed again.

The Goldwing had dipped up the water when she was off the mouth of Porter's Bay. Ash set his companions to baling out the standing-room, and with all the vessels on board, the work was soon finished. Before she was up with the point beyond the bay, the sun had dried the floor and seats, and she was the cleaner for her bath.

"Boat ahoy!" shouted some one from the point, which was covered with trees.

A glance in the direction from which the hail came informed the boys that there was a picnic on the point.