Fighting for fortune or, Making a place for himself
“I am glad to see you, Dean. There is an important matter of which I
wish to speak, and besides, I wish to introduce you to the captain
of the _Spray_, who is just now in the dining room doing justice to
the viands spread before him. You have notified Mr. Montague of your
intentions?”
“I have, Mr. Oglesby, and I shall go down to Springfield on the
_Warrior_, which will start in a short time.”
“Good. When you have anything to do you attend to it at once. That is a
trait I like. I wonder what the colonel would say if he knew that two
of his passengers were about to become his rivals for traffic on the
lake?”
“But you have a perfect right to enter into this undertaking, Judge
Oglesby. The people are clamoring for it. It is needed. Millville has
been owned body and soul too long by two men, neither of whom has shown
any disposition to do the right thing.”
“Brave for you, Dean Mercer!” cried the rich man, clasping the hand of
his youthful visitor with a hearty grip. “That’s the kind of spirit I
want to see. It is the kind that hews its way through the most dense
obstruction. Only there is one thing I want you never to say again.
Don’t say ‘you,’ but say ‘we.’ It is true I am furnishing the money,
but there are fools that might do that. You are furnishing the power to
develop this work. So we make a partnership, and it is _we_ that are
doing this.”
If Dean had made a bold assertion when he had said that Millville was
owned body and soul by two men, there were not many in the town who
would have denied its truth.
With all its natural features of advantage, its beautiful scenery, its
fortunate location, the dream of its founders that it might become a
prosperous and powerful centre of population and business had not been
realized.
This was due mainly to two men. One of these was Squire David
Littleton, who owned and operated the line of stages running between
Millville and Springfield, the metropolis of that section of country.
The other man was Colonel Ebenezer Darringford, who owned and operated
the line of packets that plied up and down the lake, getting a share of
the public patronage.
These lines were, in a way, rivals, and each operator hated and did
all he could against his competitor. Still this rivalry did not, as is
sometimes the case, improve the situation. If the squire’s coaches were
miserable affairs, unfit to carry passengers, the colonel’s boats were
no better. Both had grown rich out of their business, and the town had
grown poor and helpless.
Mr. Montague had spoken of this to Dean before the latter had left him:
“The people may grumble at the old shaky coaches and the leaky,
slow-moving packets, but they gain nothing by their clamor, simply
because this couple of old-timers have got them by the throat.
“They have talked of railroads and better steamers upon the lake, and
now that Judge Oglesby has moved here with his money and political
influence this talk is revived. I do not see that the town is likely to
profit by it. He has only complicated the fight; given the community
another leech to suck its very life blood, without the inclination or
ability to improve its condition.
“I can remember when Millville dreamed of being a great centre for the
trade of the surrounding country, and her future looked bright. Now she
sits in sackcloth and ashes, an old, hopeless, frayed-out community,
looking with dimming sight upon the prosperity of her sister towns.”
Judge Oglesby showed that he had been thinking of Mr. Montague when he
next spoke, saying:
“Mr. Montague has become a bit old-fashioned in his ideas, Dean. I
remember he told me, with a good deal of vinegar in his tone, when I
mentioned that you were to come with me: ‘Yes; you have filled his
mind with visions. This is called the age of the young man. It is
wrong--it is wrong. Does not the wisdom of years count for more than
the illusions of youth?’ Now all you have got to do is to show him that
you are equal to your opportunity.”
“I will, Judge Oglesby,” replied Dean firmly.
“If I did not think you would, I should not have selected you to carry
out my plans. But there is no need for me to review the situation. We
have other matters to talk of in the few minutes given us. I would
not have you miss your passage on the _Warrior_ for considerable. The
_Spray_ must be brought up in the morning. There are important reasons
for this.”
“I await your directions, sir.”
“Please be seated while I write a letter for you to take along. Then we
will talk over our business.”
Judge Oglesby was a bright-faced man, whose kindly countenance showed
not only good nature, but the results of correct habits. His desk was
piled high with letters and documents, proving that he had a busy day
before him. In fact, all days were busy ones with Judge Oglesby.
While he was waiting for his friend to write the letter, Dean amused
himself by looking through an album, which he knew from the name on the
flyleaf belonged to Evaline Oglesby.
He recognized but few of the portraits, and among this limited number
were the pictures of two that he had strong reasons for disliking
intensely. These were the photographs of Rodney Darringford and Abner
Littleton, sons of the two men of whom he had spoken to Judge Oglesby
with so much decisiveness.
While this couple were not friendly to each other, he knew both
fairly hated him. He realized, too, that this hatred was likely to be
increased within a few days if the plans of Judge Oglesby and himself
did not meet with failure.
Somehow, Dean, as unmanly as he knew it was, could not help feeling
somewhat piqued to find their pictures in Evaline Oglesby’s album.
But he was, fortunately, interrupted in the midst of these unpleasant
reflections by the words of her father:
“There you are, Dean, at last,” he said, folding carefully the letter
he had written, and placing, not only that, but a check, in the
envelope, which he handed, unsealed, to him. The superscription read,
written in a bold hand:
BROWN, SEWALL & CO.,
Shipbuilders,
Springfield.
By Dean Mercer.
“Be careful of it, Dean,” admonished the judge. “The check is for eight
thousand dollars, and is to pay the balance on the boat. You will
attend to this part of your business immediately upon reaching the city
and take possession of the boat.”
“I understand, sir. But I did not know I was to go alone.”
“Well, not exactly. While I cannot go, as I had planned, I have a man
to accompany you. You see, it was necessary to find a man to captain
our boat, so I sent to my lawyers to find me a man. He found us a full
set, crew and officers. One of them, at least, is a study for the
character reader. His name is Jack Carboy, and he is to be the man at
the wheel. Ha! here he comes! Note how he speaks of our lake as a mud
puddle, and----”
Before Judge Oglesby had finished his sentence, the object of his
remarks, a typical tar of sailing days on the sea, entered the room
with the peculiar rolling gait of one used to a life upon shipboard.
“Shiver my toplights, admiral, ’tain’t every watch-eend ol’ Jack sets
by sich a feast. Ahoy! what strange craft is this?” The last words
spoken in an interrogative tone as the speaker caught sight of Dean.
“Your new commander, who is to manage our enterprise,” said the judge.
“Mr. Mercer, allow me to introduce to you Mr. Jack Carboy, who----”
“Avast there! who dubs this ol’ salt a ‘mister’? Reef yer flying jib
and give ol’ Jack Carboy his due. Pardin’, sir,” he quickly added,
executing an admirable naval salute, “I didn’t know it was the high
admiral.”
“Your pardon, Jack,” said the judge good naturedly. “If your new
captain is young, he is quick to learn.”
“So he’s the skipper, is he?”
“Yes, Jack.”
Carboy tugged at a stray lock at his brow and scraped his foot backward
in grotesque politeness.
“Captain, sir!” he said half inquiringly.
“No, no!” laughed Dean.
“Yes, yes!” replied the judge spiritedly. “He’ll need a little
posting, Jack, but you and he must combine efforts and help each other
along.”
“We’ll do that, sir!” cried Carboy. “His eye tells me that I shall like
him. As to bossing the boat, that’s mere jaw work. It’s the man at the
wheel that is the real genius of the boat. That’s me, ho! ho!”
Judge Oglesby talked with the twain for about five minutes.
“Now, then,” he said, “we understand just what is to be done, don’t we?”
“I think so, sir,” replied Dean. “The men to man the new steamer are
waiting for us at Springfield.”
“Exactly. You will find the _Spray_ all ready for you.”
“What’s that--what’s that, sir?” cried Carboy, with a start of dismay.
“The _Spray_.”
“Is that the name of the steamer?”
“It is.”
“Sorry!” and Jack shook his head lugubriously.
“Why, Jack?” exclaimed the amazed judge.
“It’s a bad name.”
“Bad name?”
“Yes.”
“How so, Jack?”
“Because I’ve sailed on two _Sprays_--one to Australia, one to China,
and both were wrecked at sea.”
Judge Oglesby smiled at Carboy’s superstitious fears.
“This is a lake, Jack,” he said reassuringly.
But Carboy looked glum.
“You’ve got the check safe, Dean?” asked the judge.
“Yes, sir.”
“Then, good-by. I shall expect to see you back here by to-morrow night.”
“Surely, sir,” replied Jack Carboy. “Come, captain, we’re started on
the voyage at last!”
Seeing no reason for further delay in starting for the pier, Dean
suggested that they go aboard the _Warrior_ at once. Accordingly, he
and his quaint companion bade the judge adieu and started toward the
lake shore at a rapid pace.
They had barely got in sight of the pier when Dean stopped with a low
exclamation of surprise.
“Look! See! We are too late!” he cried. “The _Warrior_ has left her
moorings and is headed down the lake!”
“Ship ahoy!” bellowed Jack Carboy at the top of his stentorian lungs,
while he dashed madly toward the shore, closely followed by Dean Mercer.
A crowd of boys witnessed their hasty advance, and shouted after them
in derision and mirth.
“Hie, there, or your feet will run away with your heads!”
“See old brine roll along!”
CHAPTER III.
THE SLY HAND OF THE ENEMY.
After what we have said of Tim Downey, it is to be expected that he
would act promptly in doing what he could to baffle Dean Mercer in
his purpose. Unexpectedly he had come into possession of the other’s
secret. He had followed Dean Mercer to Judge Oglesby’s house, and
by means of an open window in the library he had overheard the
conversation about the new steamer.
If this had been no fault of Dean’s, it was Tim’s good fortune, and
he resolved to improve his advantage to the utmost. Fired with the
spirit of this discovery, he started toward the pier, his crafty eyes
lighting with satisfaction as he murmured the words which indicated his
intentions:
“I’ll see Rodney Darringford!” he chuckled. “Won’t he be surprised?
Won’t the old colonel be kerflummixed? A new steamer! that cooks their
dough sure.”
Tim reached the pier. It was always a scene of bustle and activity
at leaving time. Juvenile Millville loved to haunt the shadow of the
steamer, and, besides, the _Warrior_ carried considerable freight and
many passengers on its afternoon trip to Springfield.
“Hey, boy! come here!”
Tim had addressed a keen-eyed, ragged urchin.
“What is it?” demanded the latter, eying Tim with no great favor.
“Want to earn a nickel?”
“Yes, I do, but you haven’t got one!”
“Haven’t I? See here!” and Tim produced the designated coin. “Come with
me.”
He led the way to where a pile of lumber shut out a view of the boat.
“Now, then,” he said, “you go aboard the steamer.”
“What for?”
“And find Rodney Darringford.”