Boy Pilot of the Lakes; Or, Nat Morton's Perils

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XIV

  A BLOW AND A RESCUE

  That Captain Marshall was surprised is putting it mildly when a littlelater Mr. Weatherby informed the commander that he was going to leaveto be a pilot on a big passenger steamer.

  "If it is a question of more money, I think you can get it on thissteamer," said Mr. Marshall.

  "No, it isn't altogether that. The freight runs are too long to suitme. I am getting along in years, and I like to spend a little time onshore. By taking this position on a passenger vessel I will haveconsiderable time between trips. Then, again, conditions are not aspleasant here of late as I'd like to have them. Nat and I will leaveyou as soon as you reach Detroit."

  "Nat! Is he going with you?"

  "Yes. After what has occurred I should think you would be glad of it."

  "I don't know that I am," replied the captain. "At first I believedhim guilty of having those cigarettes, but since then I have beeninformed by one of the crew that Sam Shaw smokes in secret, thoughnot in forbidden places. No, I can't say that I am altogether pleasedthat Nat is going. He is a good boy, and though he is a trifle slow insome things I think I will prefer him to Sam."

  "Then Sam is going to have his place?"

  "If Nat leaves. I have promised Mr. Bumstead that I will give hisnephew the position."

  "I hope you don't repent of it. I am sorry this little trouble hasoccurred, but I'll stick to Nat every time."

  "I wish I was sure that Sam and not Nat was at fault," went on thecaptain. "I confess I do not altogether like Sam, but I am underobligations to his uncle."

  "Well, Nat and I will soon be leaving you," continued the pilot. "Ofcourse, until I go, I will do all I can to help you, and so will Nat."

  Though Captain Marshall was a little sorry to lose Nat, yet, on thewhole, he was not ill-pleased that the boy to whom, in a measure, hehad had to admit himself in the wrong was going to leave. He wouldhave been better pleased to get some one else besides Sam in hisplace, but he could do nothing, as he had given the mate a promise.

  As for Nat, he was delighted at the prospect of a change. He hadalways wanted a place on a passenger steamer, for though he might bekept busier, the work was of a pleasanter character. The wages, too,were higher, and there was a better chance for advancement.

  Several days went by, and the freighter made a number of stops ofsmall importance.

  "Well, Nat," said Mr. Weatherby in the evening, after the boy hadspent nearly all day in the pilot-house perfecting himself along thelines of his chosen calling, "we'll be at Detroit to-morrow morning,and then we'll bid farewell to the _Jessie Drew_. I suppose you'll beglad of it?"

  "Partly, yes, though it was very nice before Sam showed up."

  "I, too, will be a little sorry to go," added the pilot. "I have beenon her a number of years now, and it seems like home to me. But Ithink a change will be best."

  "Is the passenger steamer at Detroit?"

  "No, but it is expected there in a few days. We'll lay off on shoreuntil she arrives. I have been in communication with the owners, andthe boat is to pick you and me up at that port. You'll have a chanceto make a few excursions on shore."

  "Oh, I'm not tired of work so soon."

  "No, I should hope not. But I have a little business to attend to inDetroit. I may say it affects you."

  "Affects me? How is that?"

  "You remember I told you I was going to write to a man who was on thelumber barge with your father?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, I did so, and I have an answer from him."

  "Who is he? What does he say?"

  "His name is George Clayton."

  "Why, I have often heard my father speak of him."

  "Yes; well, I had a letter from him the other day. It was forwarded tome from Chicago."

  "What does he say? Does he recall anything out of the ordinaryconcerning my father?"

  "That's what I can't tell. He doesn't say anything, except that hewill meet me in Detroit. So he may know something, and, again, he maynot. I suppose you haven't learned anything more from Mr. Bumstead?"

  "No. He hasn't said much to me since the trouble over the cigarettes."

  "Did you ask him any more about the pocketbook?"

  "I started to speak to him about it, intending to inquire if hecouldn't possibly be mistaken, but he refused to talk about it andturned away, saying the wallet was his, and had been for a long time."

  "A good deal depends on what he calls a long time," murmured Mr.Weatherby as he went to his cabin.

  "I wonder what Mr. Clayton can tell me?" thought Nat. "I don't believethere was anything suspicious about father's death, or it would havebeen brought out at the time. The captain of the barge said he hadfallen overboard while at work during a storm, and that they had ahard time recovering his body. Poor father! If he was only alive nowhe and I could be on some vessel and both earning a good living."

  Nat was a little sad at the thoughts of his dead parent, but he didnot dwell long on this gloomy side. He had his work to do, and work isone of the best things in the world to make us forget our griefs.

  The _Jessie Drew_ tied up at the wharf in Detroit early the nextmorning. Mr. Weatherby had his baggage all packed, and Nat at hissuggestion had done the same. Nat had been paid off by CaptainMarshall the night before, but the pilot received his money in theform of a check every month.

  "I hope you do well in your new place," said Captain Marshall as hebade Nat good-by.

  "Thank you. I hope to be able to prove some day that those cigaretteswere not mine," replied Nat.

  "If you do I will always be ready to beg your pardon," was thecommander's reply, somewhat stiffly made.

  "Well, Nat, are you all ready?" called the pilot as he stood at thehead of the companionway.

  "All ready," replied the boy, coming up on deck. Near the gangplank,over which he had to pass to leave the vessel, stood Sam Shaw. ThoughSam had said little to his uncle about it, he was quite envious overNat's rise in life. To be a helper to a pilot on a passenger steamerwas much better than to be an assistant to the purser of a freighter.Sam had hinted to his uncle the advisability of Mr. Bumstead seeking aberth on a passenger boat, but the latter had replied he did not carefor that sort of a place. The truth was the mate was not competent totake such a position, as he was not a first-class officer.

  "Good-by, Nat," called Mr. Dunn to the lad who had been such a help tohim. "I'll miss you."

  "Oh, I guess I can do as well as he did," spoke Sam quickly. "I'll notmake any mistake checking up the cargo lists, and I'll not go to sleepin the hold and say a bale fell on me." For his uncle had told Sam ofthese two circumstances, giving his own version of them.

  "That'll do you!" exclaimed Nat. "Don't you get too fresh!"

  "And I'm not going to have any cigarettes, either," went on Sam,determined to do all he could to blacken Nat's character.

  This last taunt was too much for Nat. Dropping his valise he sprangfor Sam.

  "You take that back!" he demanded.

  "I'll do nothing of the kind!" was Sam's retort.

  "Then I'll punch your head!"

  "You don't dare! I'm not afraid of you. Get away from me, or I'll landyou one on the nose!"

  The two boys stood glaring at each other. Nat was thoroughly angry,something that was rare with him, and Sam felt a desire to strike thelad who had managed to get ahead of him.

  "Are you going to get away from me?" demanded Sam.

  "Not until I get ready."

  "Come, Nat, don't have anything to do with him," advised Mr.Weatherby, for he did not want to see a fight.

  At the sound of his friend's voice Nat involuntarily turned his head.Sam meanly took advantage of this, and drew back his arm for a blow.His fist shot out, but Nat turned aside in time so that he onlyreceived a light blow on the shoulder. He had been hit, however, andhe was not the lad to stand that without taking some action.

  "There! If you want to fight!" he cried, and his left shot out,straight for S
am's face. Sam tried to dodge, but he was too late. Theblow caught him full on the chin, and so powerful was it that hereeled backward, vainly clutching the air for support.

  He had been standing with his back to the little space between theship's rail and the rail of the gangplank. Nat's blow sent him reelingbackward, and a moment later Sam fell into the water between thevessel and the dock.

  "Man overboard!" sang out a sailor who had witnessed the fight and itsoutcome. "Man overboard!"

  He ran to the rail, and threw a life-preserver down into the narrowspace. But with the realization of what he had done Nat was in action.

  He threw off his coat and vest with a quick motion, and with his knifecut the laces of his shoes, kicking them off in a trice. Then, runningto the rail, he peered down to where a swirl in the water indicatedSam's position. Over the rail leaped Nat, to rescue the boy whom hehad knocked into the water.

  At the sailor's cry Captain Marshall and the mate came running out ondeck. They were told by the pilot what had happened.

  "I'll have him arrested for this!" cried the mate. "He tried to murdermy nephew."

  "Your nephew hit him first," replied Mr. Weatherby.

  "Yes, and now he's trying to drown him!"

  "Not a bit of it. Sam had no business to be standing where he was.Let Nat alone and he'll get him out. He rescued me from a worse placethan that."

  The three men rushed to the rail, and peered down. Neither boy was insight.

  "Sam's drowned! Oh, Sam's drowned!" cried the mate, helplessly.

  "Nonsense!" replied the pilot. "He hasn't been in half a minute.There! Nat's got him!"

  Nat had reappeared on the surface, with one arm about his enemy.

  "Throw me a rope!" he cried. "He's unconscious! Must have hit hishead!"

  "Can you hold him?" asked the pilot.

  "Yes. I've got hold of the dock."

  The rope was hastily lowered, and Nat placed the loop of it about theshoulders of the unconscious Sam. Then those on deck hauled him up.

  A few seconds later, with the aid of the same rope, Nat was pulled ondeck.

  "Is he--is he all right?" he asked anxiously.

  "Yes," answered the pilot. "That was a plucky rescue."

  "Well, I couldn't do any less, seeing I knocked him overboard. I wasafraid I couldn't get him. He's quite heavy."

  "This is a dramatic farewell," commented Mr. Weatherby. "I suppose youcan't go now, until you have changed your clothes."

  "I don't want to go until I know whether he is all right. I'm sorry Istruck him so hard."

  "He deserved it, for he took an unfair advantage of you."

  "Yes, that's so; but I didn't think it would end this way."

  "Better go to the engine-room, and change your clothes," suggested Mr.Weatherby. "I'll wait for you."