donald did not sleep very well in the cabin of the maud, not only because his bed was very hard and uncomfortable, but because he was troubled; and before morning he fully realized the truth of the saying, in regard to certain persons, that "they choose darkness, because their deeds are evil." he wished he had not consented to keep the secret of either captain shivernock or laud cavendish, and was afraid he had compromised himself by his silence. when he turned out in the morning, he believed he had hardly slept a wink all night, though he had actually slumbered over six hours; but a person who lies awake in the darkness, especially if his thoughts are troublesome, lengthens minutes into hours. but donald welcomed the morning light when he awoke, and the bright sun which streamed through the[265] trunk ports. he went to the shop, and for two hours before his men arrived worked on the tender of the maud.
the mast of the yacht was stepped during the forenoon, and after dinner the rigger came to do his part of the work. samuel rodman was now so much interested in the progress of the labor on the new yacht, that he spent nearly all his time on board of her. the top mast, gaff, and boom were all ready to go into their places, and the maud looked as though she was nearly completed. all the members of the yacht club were impatient for her to be finished, for the next regatta had been postponed a week, so that the maud could take part in the affair; and the club were to go on a cruise for ten days, after the race.
there was no little excitement in the club in relation to the maud. donald had confidently asserted his belief, weeks before, that she would outsail the skylark, not as a mere boast, but as a matter of business. his father had made an improvement upon the model of the sea foam, which he was reasonably certain would give her the advantage. the young boat-builder had also remedied a slight defect in the arrangement of the[266] centre-board in the maud, had added a little to the size of the jib and mainsail, and he hoped these alterations would tell in favor of the new craft, while they would not take anything from her stiffness in heavy weather.
"i believe the old folks are as much interested in the next race as the members of the club, don john," said rodman, one day, as he came upon the wharf.
"i am glad they are," replied donald, laughing. "it will make business good for ramsay & son."
"half a dozen of them are going to make up a first prize of one hundred dollars for the regatta; so that the winner of the race will make a good thing by it," added rodman.
"that will be a handsome prize."
"if the maud takes it, don john, the money shall be yours, as you are to sail her."
"o, no!" exclaimed donald. "i don't believe in that. the prize will belong to the boat."
"if you win the race in the maud, i shall be satisfied with the glory, without any of the spoils."
"well, we won't quarrel about it now, for she may not win the first prize."
"well, the same gentlemen will give a second[267] prize of fifty dollars," continued rodman. "but don't you expect to get the first prize, don john?"
"i do; but to expect is not always to win, you know."
"you have always talked as though you felt pretty sure of coming in first," said rodman, who did not like to see any abatement of confidence on the part of the boat-builder.
"it is the easiest thing in the world to be mistaken, sam. if the maud loses the first prize, i may as well shut up shop, and take a situation in a grocery store, for my business would be ruined."
"not quite so bad as that, i hope," added rodman.
"mr. norwood is waiting to see how she sails, before he orders a yacht for frank. can't you invite frank and his father to sail with us in the race?"
"certainly, if you desire it, don john," replied rodman. "mr. norwood is a big man, and he will be a capital live weight for us, if it happens to blow fresh."
"i hope it will blow; if it don't, the christabel is sure of the first prize. i want just such a day as we had when the sea foam cleaned out the skylark."[268]
"that was a little too much of a good thing. you came pretty near taking the mast out of the sea foam that day."
"not at all; our masts don't come out so easily as that, though i think the mast of the sea foam would snap before she would capsize."
"i like that in a boat; it is a good thing to have a craft that will stay right side up. the fellows have got another idea, don john."
"well, ideas are good things to have. what is it now?" asked donald.
"they are going to build a club-house over on turtle head."
"on turtle head! why don't they have it down on manhegan?" which is an island ten miles from the coast of maine.
"it will be only a shanty, where the fellows can have a good time, and get up chowders. they talk of hiring a hall in the city, and having meetings for mutual improvement during the fall and winter."
"that will be a capital idea."
"we can have a library of books on nautical and other subjects, take the newspapers and magazines, and hang up pictures of yachts and other[269] vessels on the walls. i hope, when you get the maud done, you will not be so busy, don john, for you don't attend many of our club meetings."
"i hope to be busier than ever. you see, sam, i can't afford to run with you rich fellows. i don't wear kid gloves," laughed donald.
"no matter if you don't; you are just as good a fellow as any of them."
"everybody uses me first rate; as well as though my father had been a nabob."
"well, they ought to; for it is brains, not money, that makes the man. we want to see more of you in the club. you must go with us on our long cruise."
"i am afraid i can't spare the time. ten days is a good while; but it will depend upon whether i get the job to build mr. norwood's yacht."
donald would gladly have spent more time with the club, but his conscience would not permit him to neglect his business. he felt that his success depended entirely upon his own industry and diligence; and he never left his work, except when the occasion fully justified him in doing so. he attended all the regattas as a matter of business, as well as of pleasure; and he had seen the sea[270] foam beaten twice by the skylark since he won the memorable race in the former. edward patterdale was fully satisfied, now, that a skilful boatman was as necessary as a fast boat, in order to win the honors of the club, and he wished donald to "coach" him, until he obtained the skill to compete with the commodore. donald had promised to do it, as soon as he had time, and the owner of the sea foam hoped the opportunity would be afforded during the long cruise.
the work on the maud was hurried forward as rapidly as was consistent with thoroughness, and in a few days she was ready for the last coats of paint. the boat-builder was favored with good, dry weather, and on the day before the great regatta, she was ready to receive her furniture and stores. the paint was dry and hard; but when the stove-dealer came with the little galley for the cook-room, the deck was carefully covered with old cloths, the cushions were placed on the transoms, the oil-cloth carpet was laid on the floor by kennedy, who was experienced in this kind of work, and samuel rodman was as busy as a bee arranging the crockery ware and stores which he had purchased. it only remained to bend on the[271] sails, which was accomplished early in the afternoon.
with mr. rodman, samuel, and the two workmen on board, donald made a trial trip in the new craft. the party went down the bay as far as seal harbor; but the wind was rather light for her, and she had no opportunity to show her sailing qualities, though with her gaff-topsail and the balloon-jib, she walked by everything afloat that day.
"i am entirely satisfied with her, don john," said mr. rodman, as the maud approached the city on her return. "i think she will sail well."
"i hope she will, sir," replied donald. "to-morrow will prove what there is in her."
"she is well built and handsomely finished, and whether she wins the race or not i shall be satisfied. i never looked upon a handsomer yacht in my life. you have done your work admirably, don john."
"mr. kennedy did the joiner work," said donald, willing to have his foreman, as he called him, share the honors of the day.
"he did it well."
"i only did just what my boss ordered me to[272] do," laughed kennedy; "and i want to say, that i didn't do the first thing towards planning any part of her. don john hasn't often asked for any advice from me. he is entitled to all the credit."
"i have no doubt you did all you could to make the job a success," added mr. rodman.
"i did; and so did walker," said kennedy, indicating the other ship carpenter. "both of us did our very best, never idling a moment, or making a bad joint; and i can say, there isn't a better built craft in the united states than this yacht. not a knot or a speck of rot has been put into her. everything has been done upon honor, and she will be stiff enough to cross the atlantic in mid-winter. i'd rather be in her than in many a ship i've worked on."
"i'm glad to know all this," replied mr. rodman. "now, don john, if the firm of ramsay & son is ready to deliver the maud, i will give you a check for the balance due on her."
donald was all ready, and after the yacht had been moored off the wharf where she had been completed, the business was transacted in the shop. a bill of sale was given, and the boat-builder received a check for four hundred dollars,[273] which he carried into the house and showed to his mother. of course the good lady was delighted with the success of her son, and barbara laughed till she shook her curls into a fearful snarl.
"you have done well, donald," said mrs. ramsay. "i thank god that you have been so successful."
"i have paid nearly all my bills, and i shall make about two hundred and fifty dollars on the job," added the young boat-builder. "i think i can build the next one for less money."
"you may not get another one to build, my son."
"that depends upon the race to-morrow. if i beat the skylark, i'm sure of one."
"don't be too confident."
"i am to sail the maud to-morrow, and if there is any speed in her, as i think there is, i shall get it out of her. to-morrow will be a big day for me; but if i lose the race, the firm of ramsay & son is used up."
donald put the check in his wallet, and went out to the shop again, where he found samuel rodman looking for him. the owner of the maud was so delighted with the craft, that he could not[274] keep away from her, and he wanted to go on board again.
"bob montague is going to give you a hard pull to-morrow, don john," said rodman, as they got into the tender.
"i hope he will do his best; and the harder the pull, the better," replied donald.
"if we only beat him," suggested rodman.
"i expect to beat him; but i may be mistaken."
"bob hauled up the skylark on the beach this afternoon, and rubbed her bottom with black lead."
"i am glad to hear it."
"glad? why?"
"it proves that he means business."
"of course he means business."
"i wonder if he knows i am to build a yacht for mr. norwood, in case i win this race."
"i don't believe he does. i never heard of it till you told me."
"he is such a splendid fellow, that i was afraid he would let me beat him, if he knew i was to make anything by it."
"i think it very likely he would."
"but i want to beat the skylark fairly, or not at all."[275]
"there comes laud cavendish," said rodman, as the juno came up the bay, and bore down upon the maud. "he was blackballed in the club the other day, and he don't feel good. let's go ashore again, and wait till he sheers off, for i don't want to see him. he will be sure to go on board of the yacht if we are there, for he is always poking his nose in where he is not wanted."
donald, who was at the oars, pulled back to the shore. the juno ran close up to the maud, tacked, and stood up the bay.
"he is gone," said rodman. "i don't want him asking me why he was blackballed. he is an intolerable spoony."
"don john!" called some one, as he was shoving off the tender.
donald looked up, and saw mr. beardsley, the deputy sheriff, who had been working up the tin box case with captain patterdale.
"i want to see you," added the officer.
donald wondered if mr. beardsley wanted to see him officially; but he was thankful that he was able to look even a deputy sheriff square in the face.
he jumped out of the tender, and rodman went off to the yacht alone. we are somewhat better[276] informed than the young boat-builder in regard to the visit of the sheriff, and we happen to know that he did come officially; and in order to explain why it was so, it is necessary to go back to the point where we left mr. laud cavendish. he slept in the cabin of the juno after he left the house of captain shivernock. he did not sleep any better than donald ramsay that night; and the long surges rolled in by the paddle-wheels of the steamer richmond, as she came into the harbor early the next morning, awoke him.
the first thing he thought of was his visit to the house of the strange man; the next was his breakfast, and he decided to go on shore, and get the meal at a restaurant. the juno was moored near the steamboat wharf, where the portland boat made her landings. this was a convenient place for him to disembark, and he pulled in his tender to the pier. as he approached the landing steps, he saw captain shivernock hastening down the wharf with a valise in his hand. it was evident that he was going up the river, perhaps to bangor. laud did not like the idea of the captain's going away just at that time. donald had told captain patterdale that the mended bill came from him, and of[277] course the owner of the tin box would immediately come to him for further information.
"then, if i tell him captain shivernock gave it to me, he will want to see him; and he won't be here to be seen," reasoned laud. "i can't explain why the captain gave me the money, and in his absence i shall be in a bad fix. i must take care of myself."
laud went to the restaurant, and ate his breakfast; after which he returned to the juno. he took care of himself by getting under way, and standing over towards castine, where he dined that day. then he continued his voyage down the bay, through edgemoggin reach to mount desert, where he staid several days, living upon "the fat of the land" and the fish of the sea, which go well together. when he was confident that captain shivernock had returned, he sailed for belfast, and arrived after a two days' voyage. the strange man had not come back, and laud thought it very singular that he had not. then he began to wonder why the captain had laughed so unreasonably long and loud when he told him to say that he had given him the mended bill. laud could not see the joke at the time; but now he concluded that[278] the laugh came in because he was going away on a long journey, and would not be in town to answer any questions which captain patterdale might propose.
mr. cavendish was disturbed, and felt that he was a victim of a practical joke, and he determined to get out of the way again. unfortunately for him, he had shown himself in the city, and before he could leave he was interviewed by captain patterdale and mr. beardsley. the white cross of denmark was pleasantly alluded to again by the former, and exhibited to laud. did he know that bill? had he ever seen it before?
he did not know it; had never seen it.
it was no use to say, in the absence of that gentleman, that captain shivernock had given him the bill. it would be equally foolish to tell the haddock ledge story in the absence of the generous stranger, who had declined to give his name, though he was kind enough to say that he had spent a few days in belfast. since neither of these fictions was available in the present emergency, laud "went back" on donald ramsay. he did not love the boat-builder, and so it was not a sacrifice of personal feeling for him to do it. on[279] the contrary, he would rather like to get his "rival," as he chose to regard him, out of the way.
"but you paid him a considerable sum of money some two months ago," suggested captain patterdale.
"not a red!" protested laud. "i never paid him any money in my life."
"you bought the juno of him."
"no, sir; nor of any one else. she don't belong to me."
"but you are using her all the time."
"captain shivernock got tired of her, and lets me have the use of her for taking care of her."
"didn't you say you owned her, and that you were going to change her name from juno to nellie?" demanded the captain, sternly.
"i did; but that was all gas," replied laud, with a sickly grin.
"if you would lie about one thing, perhaps you would about another," said the captain.
"i was only joking when i said i owned the juno. if you will go up to captain shivernock's house, he will tell you all about it."
that was a plain way to solve the problem, and[280] they went to the strange man's house. laud knew the captain was not at home; but his persecutors gave him the credit of suggesting this step. sykes and his wife were at home. they did not know whether or not captain shivernock had given laud the use of the juno, but presumed he had, for the young man was in the house with him half the night, about ten days before. thus far everything looked well for laud; and the sykeses partially confirmed his statements.
"now, captain patterdale, i have answered all your questions, and i wish you would answer mine. what's the matter?" said laud, putting on his boldest face.
"never mind what the matter is."
"well, i know as well as you do. i used to think don john was a good fellow, and liked him first rate. i didn't think he would be mean, enough to shove his own guilt upon me," replied laud.
"what do you mean by that?" demanded captain patterdale.
"though i knew about it all the time, i didn't mean to say a word."
"about what?"
the papers from the tin box. page 281. the papers from the tin box. 281.
[281]
"about your tin trunk. we didn't keep any such in our store! i knew what you meant all the time; but i didn't let on that don john had done it."
"done what?"
"stolen it. that day i was in the library with don john and hasbrook, i was discharged from miller's, because i wanted to go away to stay over sunday. i had a boat down by ramsay's shop, and i went there to get off. well, captain, i saw don john have the same tin trunk i saw in your library."
"are you telling the truth?"
"of course i am. i wouldn't go back on don john if he hadn't tried to lay it to me. if you search his house and shop, i'll bet you'll find the tin trunk, or some of the money and papers."
captain patterdale was intensely grieved, even to believe laud's statement was possibly true; but he decided to have the boat-builder's premises searched before he proceeded any further against laud. mr. beardsley was to do this unpleasant duty, and for this purpose he called on donald the night before the great race.
the deputy sheriff did his work thoroughly, in[282] spite of the confidence of donald and the distress of his mother and sister. perhaps he would not have discovered the four fifty-dollar bills concealed in the bureau if donald had not assisted him; but he had no help in finding a lot of notes and other papers hidden under a sill in the shop. the boat-builder protested that he knew nothing about these papers, and had never seen them before in his life.
mrs. ramsay and barbara wept as though their hearts would break; but donald was led away by the sheriff.
that night captain shivernock returned by the train from portland.
