Category: Children & Young Adult Reading

On Time; or, Bound to Get There

“You don’t want that boat, Wolf, any more than the lake wants water,” said my father, after I had read an advertisement, in the Ruoara _Clarion_, of the effects of a bankrupt which were to be sold at auction the next day.

Chapters

26. CHAPTER XXVI. MAJOR TOPPLETON’S PROPOSITION.

The magnate of Centreport looked ugly, as though, in the moment of his great triumph, he feared a conspiracy to rob the steamboat company of the laurels it had won.

25. CHAPTER XXV. THE STEAMBOAT EXCURSION.

By this time Colonel Wimpleton was at my side with Waddie, both of them so indignant that I was afraid that a scene would transpire on the spot. My powerful patron desired to se...

24. CHAPTER XXIV. A TRICK OF THE ENEMY.

The next port was Priam, eight miles distant; and the _Ucayga_ dashed merrily on her way, seeming to feel and rejoice in the responsibility which was imposed upon her. Certainly...

17. CHAPTER XVII. TOMMY TOPPLETON THREATENS.

Tom Walton always had a pleasant way of doing an unpleasant thing. I suppose he thought Tommy Toppleton intended to ride over me, or at least intimidate me by the movements of h...

16. CHAPTER XVI. TOMMY TOPPLETON MOUNTED.

“I want to be reasonable, but I never felt so much like crowing as I do to-day. By the great horn spoon, I think we have all been asleep on this side of the lake since the _Ucay...

18. CHAPTER XVIII. THE TWO MAJORS.

Tom wanted to sail the _Belle_ a while, in order to ascertain her points; and though it was now dark, he unmoored her, and stood up the lake. After I had called upon the gentlem...

21. CHAPTER XXI. GRACE TOPPLETON’S STORY.

My mother had the reputation of being a skilful person in sickness, or in any emergency. She devoted herself earnestly to the restoration of Grace. I could not help looking at h...

3. CHAPTER III. ON BOARD THE “BELLE.

Somehow, when we resort to violence, we often do much more than we intend. I did not desire to do anything more than defend myself; but Waddie stood between me and the water, an...

4. CHAPTER IV. IN THE PICNIC GROVE.

Of course I thought of but little except my boat after she came into my possession, and before the day closed I had exhibited her to all who felt an interest in such matters. My...

2. CHAPTER II. THE AUCTION AT RUOARA.

It was not yet time for the auction, and I waited on the wharf to see the steamer start. She was still a novelty in Ruoara, and many people came down to the shore to observe her...

20. CHAPTER XX. GRACE TOPPLETON FAINTS.

It was certainly our next move, and after the _Ucayga_ left the wharf, I went into my stateroom, abaft the wheel-house, to make some figures relating to my plan. My apartment wa...

10. CHAPTER X. WADDIE IN A NEW CHARACTER.

Even as close-hauled as she could be under the double-reefed mainsail, the _Belle_ flew on her course; but under this short sail she did not labor so heavily as before, and I ha...

1. CHAPTER I. A NEW PROJECT.

“You don’t want that boat, Wolf, any more than the lake wants water,” said my father, after I had read an advertisement, in the Ruoara _Clarion_, of the effects of a bankrupt wh...

22. CHAPTER XXII. OUR NEXT MOVE.

I had written out a plan for the running of the _Ucayga_ an entire day. I had studied it out very carefully, and made all the allowances I deemed necessary. The basis of our ant...

6. CHAPTER VI. THE BATTLE WITH BLOWS.

The gruff-voiced conspirator rushed furiously toward me, and I retreated a few paces. The two in charge of the tar-kettle picked it up, and saved a portion of its contents. My h...

19. CHAPTER XIX. THE MAJOR’S NEXT MOVE.

On Monday morning, at quarter-past eight, the _Ucayga_ was in readiness to start as soon as the steamer should arrive from Hitaca. She was in sight, and our runners were on the...

13. CHAPTER XIII. IN THE WHEEL-HOUSE.

Colonel Wimpleton was evidently very anxious, as he had been from the beginning, for the success of the steamer. On the present occasion, when the _Ucayga_ was nearly ten minute...

23. CHAPTER XXIII. UP THE LAKE.

“That is precisely what my words mean,” I replied calmly. “You will remember that you made your last move this morning. The president of the steamboat company makes his last mov...

14. CHAPTER XIV. THE HORSE-SHOE CHANNEL.

Colonel Wimpleton, Waddie, and the mate all held their breath, as though they expected to see the magnificent _Ucayga_ knocked in splinters the next instant. She was going at fu...

7. CHAPTER VII. WADDIE AND I.

As nearly as I could judge in our place of concealment, the big fellow, who was the leading spirit of the conspirators, had been careful to keep the inside line of retreat from...

9. CHAPTER IX. BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON!

By this time the wind had increased to a tempest, and never before had I seen such waves and such spray on Lake Ucayga. I should not have been willing to believe that any sea th...

15. CHAPTER XV. A DECIDED VICTORY.

The up-lake boat had arrived at Centreport rather later than usual. Certainly the _Ucayga_ had left her wharf a full ten minutes behind her ordinary time. The steamer had had ev...

5. CHAPTER V. THE BATTLE WITH WORDS.

I was not quite willing to believe that the four stout fellows in the vicinity of the kettle really intended to “tar and feather” Waddie Wimpleton. In the first place, it was as...

12. CHAPTER XII. CAPTAIN WOLF PENNIMAN.

My impression now is that neither the captain nor the engineer really intended to throw up his situation. While I could not, and did not, blame them for refusing to submit to th...

8. CHAPTER VIII. THE WRECK OF THE “HIGHFLYER.

When I ran the _Belle_ out of the little inlet in which I had moored her I found that the wind had been increasing, and the waves were really quite savage. My first solicitude w...

11. CHAPTER XI. A STEAMBOAT STRIKE.

While I was walking with Waddie from the pier to his father’s house, I deemed it necessary to ask myself whether or not I was “toadying” to the son of the rich man of Centreport...