it was useless for me to remain any longer in the wheel-house, and i descended by the forward ladder to the deck. i was indignant, but i was determined to "face the music." the best of friends are liable to "fall out" at times, and no better than vallington and myself had ever existed. he was burdened by the responsibility of the position he had assumed, and perhaps did not feel just right about the course he had taken. these things may have made him irritable. though i had never before known him to be unkind or uncourteous, he had certainly "pitched into me," on the present occasion, in a manner which my self-respect would not permit me to endure.
i had been acting, in charge of the wheel, to the[256] best of my ability; and i was perfectly confident that nothing would have gone wrong with the steamer if the engineer had not stopped the wheels. however i felt on the general question of duty, i was quite satisfied that i had been faithful to the interests of the expedition upon which we had embarked; and i could not bear to be "snapped up," and treated like an inferior in knowledge and skill, even by my chosen leader. i was "chief of navigation," at least; and i felt that the general had interfered with my part of the work. he accused me of causing the mischief, when he had been the author of it himself; and this was so plain to me that i could not help resenting it.
very likely my face was flushed with anger and excitement when i confronted vallington on the forward deck. if it was, his was not less so, and there was a lively prospect of a "family quarrel." with my strong consciousness that i had done right, or, at least, intended to do right, so far as our expedition was concerned, i could have afforded to refrain from heated expressions; and it would have been better if i had done so. it is no reason, because[257] one person gets mad, that another should. it is more dignified, manly, and christian for one always to control his temper. let the truth be spoken forcibly, if need be, but kindly.
"we are in for a pretty scrape now," said vallington, sternly and angrily, as i walked up to him.
"it isn't my fault if we are," i answered, sharply.
"why do you say it isn't your fault, thornton? didn't you pilot the steamer into this hole?"
"i didn't pilot her aground. when you stopped her there were two or three feet of water under her keel."
"what did you bring her in here for? if i hadn't stopped her when i did, you would have smashed her up."
"perhaps i should," i answered with a sneer, when i found it was impossible to make any headway against the general's unreasonable speech.
"you were going at full speed; and it is lucky i happened to see the shore and stop her when i did."
"i have nothing more to say," i replied, seating myself on the rail of the steamer.[258]
"i don't think there is much more to be said. here we are, hard aground; and anybody that has a mind to come after us can take us."
i made no reply. vallington went to the gangway and looked over into the shallow water. then he walked over to the other side, and i had no doubt our situation looked hopeless to him. after he had walked about a while, his anger abated; and perhaps he was conscious that he had been too fast in expressing himself.
"what's to be done? that's the next question," said he.
"i suppose nothing can be done," replied tom rush, who was more disappointed than any other fellow on board. "they say the champion will be down after us this afternoon. perhaps she will drag us off, and then our tyrants will treat us as they think proper."
"you needn't disturb yourselves about the champion," i interposed. "she can't come within half a mile of us at least."
"is that so?"
"that is so."[259]
"it doesn't make much difference whether she can or not. we must stay here till some one helps us out of the scrape," added vallington. "it was stupid to come in here."
"i don't think so," said bob hale, decidedly.
"here we are aground, anyhow."
"harry," continued bob, gently and kindly, "i think ernest was right in what he said. if you hadn't stopped the engine, we should have gone through well enough."
vallington bit his lips, and he and bob walked aft together. they were absent a few moments; and when he returned, the general's face wore a different expression.
"thornton, i acknowledge that i was wrong," said he, extending his hand to me.
the boys standing around us immediately began to clap their hands in token of their satisfaction. in matters of navigation they were more willing to believe in me than in vallington; and probably most of them were satisfied that i had been in the right.
"don't say another word," i replied, jumping down from my seat, and grasping his offered hand.[260]
"you will excuse my hasty language," he continued.
"certainly; and i ask the same favor of you," i replied.
"i irritated you, commodore, by my unreasonable words, and i am willing to bear all the blame."
"you don't deserve it all."
if vallington had been less noble and manly, we might have had a bad quarrel; as it was, our differences were promptly healed.
"now, what's to be done, commodore?" the general proceeded. "i have got you into the scrape; but i hope you will be able to get out of it."
"i think i shall," i replied, confidently.
"they say we are to be chased by the champion this afternoon; but just now we don't seem to be in condition to be chased even by a scow."
"we are not very hard aground; we only drifted on the shoal bottom; and if i mistake not, we can work her off. so far as the champion is concerned, i am satisfied she will be after us as soon as she has landed her passengers at parkville; but that will not be for a couple of hours yet."[261]
"then you really expect her."
"i certainly do; and when we float again, i don't care how soon she comes. i came into this place, which you call a hole, general, simply to get ready for the champion; for she draws too much water to pass through this channel."
"well, that's a double proof that i have wronged you, and i am all the more sorry for my unkindness."
"don't mention that again, vallington," i replied, touched by his magnanimity.
"fellows," said vallington, turning to the boys, "i resign my commission as general-in-chief of this expedition."
"no, no!" shouted the students.
"we are on the water now, and it is more proper that the commodore should have the entire command. when we are on shore again, i will resume my office. i will obey all the commodore's orders now, and the rest of you will do the same."
i protested, but the general insisted. we finally agreed to the proposition, and for the time i became the commander of the expedition. our first business was to float the steamer. vallington went back to[262] the engine-room, and i resumed my place at the wheel. i rang to back her, and the paddles slapped the water furiously for a time, but without producing any effect. the steamer had taken the ground harder than i supposed. she had run her bow upon the gradual slope of the bottom till the wheels were powerless to move her.
the boys looked at one another in blank dismay, and seemed to feel just as though the enemy were to "bag" them, as a sportsman does the game he has brought down. i did not despair yet. from the wheel-house i had surveyed the surroundings, and a plan had occurred to me by which i hoped to work the adieno out of her uncomfortable position.
"no go," said vallington, as we met together on the main deck.
"not yet; but we won't give it up. the bow had dug into the bottom more than i supposed. we must carry a line ashore, and make fast to one of those trees; then i think we can pull her off."
bob hale, with two others, was sent ashore on the north sister in the splash, carrying the end of a long rope. when he had secured it to a large[263] tree on the shore, i took the other end, the line passing through a round hawse-hole forward, and conveyed it aft to the shaft. after winding it four or five times round the shaft, i told the boys to haul it taut; and about twenty of them laid hold of the rope to "take in the slack," if we were fortunate enough to obtain any.
"bully for you," said vallington, as he comprehended my arrangement.
"if the rope don't break, something will come," i replied.
i had been obliged to join several ropes, in order to form one long enough; but having carefully avoided "granny knots," i hoped it would hold. the bearing of the line was at the hawse-hole, near the bow of the boat; and as the power was applied to the rope by turning the wheel and shaft, the tendency was to haul the forward end of the boat off the ground into the deeper water.
"all ready now, vallington," i continued, when the preparations were completed. "back her slowly."
he started the engine, as i directed.
"haul taut on that rope!" i shouted to the boys at the line.[264]
the wheels turned, and the shaft revolved. the rope groaned and strained.
"stop her!" i added to the engineer, afraid to risk the strain. "run aft the chain-box."
my orders were obeyed; and as the boat floated at her stern, the weight of the chain-box was sensibly felt.
"back her slowly again," i continued.
again the rope groaned and strained as though too much was expected of it.
"she starts!" cried the boys forward. "she is coming off!"
i heard the keel scraping upon the bottom; and as the rope wound up, the adieno slid off into the deep water.
"hurrah!" shouted the boys.
"let go the rope!" i called to the boys aft. "stop her, vallington."
i hastened up to the wheel-house, the better to work her. i found she lay in good position to go ahead, and i shouted to bob hale to cast off the rope from the tree, directing the boys on the forward deck to haul it on board. i rang one bell,[265] and the boat moved ahead slowly towards the wood pier. the boys cheered lustily, and were overjoyed at our good fortune in getting out of the scrape. in a few moments i ran the bow of the steamer up to the pier, and she was made fast to the ring.
"now we are all hunky-dory," said tom rush, who was rather given to "expressions," and who was overjoyed to find there was still a chance for an excitement.
"not quite," i added.
"what's the matter now?"
"we want some dinner."
"you shall have it in half an hour."
and while tom was superintending the cooking, vallington, bob hale, and myself had a consultation in the wheel-house.
