mr. wilford, in spite of his faults and peculiarities, was a kind father, and never before had been heard to utter such terrible words as those which had just passed his lips. it was a consolation to lawry and his mother to believe that the words were only a threat which was never intended to be executed, and only made to awe the youth into silence. it was needless; for, right or wrong, the son would have died rather than betray his father.
john wilford's operations in hiding the money were as transparent as his efforts to quiet the suspicions of his family. the constable followed his tracks in the soft ground of the corn-field till he came to a stump in one corner of the lot. it was decayed and hollow, and in one of the cavities the pocketbook was discovered. mr. randall laughed for joy when it was handed up to him. its contents were undisturbed, and not a dollar of the money was missing. the party walked back to the house, having been absent less than half an hour. the ferryman was just coming out as they entered the gate.
"i hope you are satisfied," said he, confident that the officers would never think of crossing the corn-field in search of the lost treasure.
"i'm satisfied, mr. wilford," said the sheriff.
"don't you think it is a mean thing to come here and accuse me of robbing one of my passengers?" continued the ferryman.
"i don't think so."
"in my opinion, mr. randall hasn't lost any money. i don't believe a man would throw his coat down anywhere if there was six thousand dollars in the pocket."
"but the money was lost, whether you believe it or not," interposed the bank director, irritated by this charge.
"i've heard of such a thing as men losing money to cheat their creditors, or something of that sort," added the ferryman.
"don't talk so, husband," said mrs. wilford, who, with lawry, had come out of the house when they heard the voice of the sheriff, anxious to learn the result of the search.
"don't you think that's mean, to accuse a man of cheating his creditors, after you have stolen his money?" retorted mr. randall.
"what right have you to say i stole your money?" demanded mr.
wilford, with a show of intense indignation.
"because you did."
"can you prove it?"
"i think i can."
"no, you can't. i don't believe you lost any money. it's only a trick to cheat the bank or your creditors."
"we shall see."
"don't talk so, husband," repeated mrs. wilford.
"keep still, wife. when a man hasn't done anything, it's hard to be charged with stealing six thousand dollars. they can't prove anything."
"yes, we can, mr. wilford," interposed the sheriff. "it becomes my duty to arrest you, though i would rather have done it when your family were not present."
"arrest me! what for?" exclaimed john wilford. "you can't prove anything."
"yes, we can," replied the sheriff.
"what can you prove?"
"i think it would be better for you not to talk so much," added the sheriff, in a low tone. "come with me, and i will do my duty as quietly as possible."
"come with you! what for?" said mr. wilford, in a loud tone. "i didn't steal the money."
"it's a plain case. it's no use for you to deny it any longer."
"but i didn't."
"we have found the money, just where you put it."
"found—what!" stammered the guilty man.
"oh, husband!" groaned mrs. wilford.
"oh, father!" sobbed lawry.
"i'm sorry, mrs. wilford," said the kind-hearted officer; "but it's all as plain as daylight. he took the money and hid it in a stump in the corn-field, where we found it."
"what shall we do?" cried mrs. wilford.
"it's a bad business, marm, but i can't help it. i must do my duty."
mr. wilford leaned on the garden-fence, with his gaze fixed upon the ground. he could not look the loved ones in the face, after the crime he had committed. the smaller children, who had been at play around the house, were now gathered about the group, unable fully to comprehend the terrible misfortune which had befallen them; though, as they gazed on lawry and their mother, they could not help realizing that something very sad had happened.
"i'm ready to go with you," said john wilford to the sheriff, for the scene was too affecting and humiliating.
"oh, husband, why did you do it?" exclaimed mrs. wilford, as she grasped one of his arms, clinging to him like a true woman, in spite of his shame and infamy.
"i don't know why i did it. i was crazy. i wanted to be rich," replied the unhappy man.
"i wish you had given back the money, as you said you did."
"i wish i had now."
"can nothing be done?" continued mrs. wilford, appealing to the sheriff. "must he go with you?"
"he must; my duty is as plain as it can be."
the poor woman suggested various expedients to avoid the fearful consequences; she appealed to the bank director, and begged him not to prosecute her husband. mr. randall, though he had been greatly irritated by the cruel insinuations of the culprit, was not a malignant man; and he was disposed to grant the petition of the disconsolate wife. he had recovered his money, and had no malice against the ferryman. but the sheriff declared that no such arrangement could be tolerated. the matter had been placed in his hands, and, as a sworn officer of the law, he should be obliged to arrest the offender.
in vain mrs. wilford pleaded for her husband; in vain lawry pleaded for his father; the sheriff, kind and considerate as he had shown himself to be, was inexorable in the discharge of his duty. there was no alternative; and john wilford must go to jail. the poor wife, when she found that her tears and her pleadings were unavailing, submitted to the stern necessity. she insisted that her husband should be allowed to change his dress, which the sheriff readily granted; and in a short time the culprit appeared in his best clothes. it was a sad parting between him and his family, and even the ferryman wept as he passed out from beneath his humble roof, not again to come beneath its friendly shelter for many, many weary months.
mrs. wilford and lawry were stunned by the heavy blow. the light of earthly joys seemed suddenly to have gone out, and left them in the gloom and woe of disgrace. there was nothing to be said at such a time, and they sobbed in silence, until the sound of the ferry-horn roused lawry from his lethargy of grief. some one wished to cross the lake, and had given the usual signal with the tin horn, placed on a post for the purpose, at the side of the road.
"there is no ferryman here now," said mrs. wilford gloomily.
"i will go, mother," replied lawry.
"it may be many a day before your father comes back," added mrs. wilford, as she wiped away her tears. "it is a great deal worse than a funeral."
"we can't help it, mother, and i suppose we must make the best of it."
"i suppose we must; but i don't know what we are going to do."
"we shall do well enough, mother. i will attend to the ferry; but poor father—"
lawry, finding he could not speak without a fresh flow of tears, hastened out of the house. there were two wagons waiting for him; and when they were embarked in the boat, he pushed off, and trimmed the sail for the gentle breeze that was blowing up the lake. the passengers asked for his father; but lawry could only tell them that he had gone away: the truth was too painful for him to reveal. he returned to his desolate home when he had ferried the wagons over the lake. there was nothing but misery in that humble abode, and but little sleep for those who were old enough to comprehend the sadness and shame of their situation.
before morning the news of john wilford's crime had been circulated through the village of port rock and its vicinity. some knew that the ferryman was lazy and thriftless, and wondered he had not robbed somebody before. others had always regarded him as a person of no sagacity or forethought, but did not think he would steal. many pitied his family, and some said that lawry was "as smart as two of his father," and that his mother and the children would be well provided for.
the intelligence went to the mansion of mr. sherwood, and there it touched the hearts of true friends. though none of them knew much about the ferryman and his family, yet for lawry's sake they were deeply interested in them.
after breakfast mr. sherwood went down to the ferry-house; and the young pilot, with many tears and sobs, told him the whole of the sad story of his father's crime. the rich man was full of sympathy, but nothing could be done. he volunteered to be the culprit's bail, and to provide him with the best counsel in the state. but john wilford was guilty, and nothing could wipe out this terrible truth.
mr. sherwood did all he had promised to do; but the ferryman, after he had been examined and fully committed for trial, declined to furnish bail, declaring that he did not wish to be seen at port rock again. at the next session of the court, two months after his committal, he pleaded guilty of the robbery and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the penitentiary at sing sing.
after the sentence the prisoner was permitted to see his family for the last time for many months. it was a sad and touching interview; but from it lawry and his mother derived much consolation. john wilford was penitent; he was truly sorry for what he had done, and declared that, when he had served out his time, he would be a better man than he had ever been before. it was comforting to the mother and son to know that the wanderer was not hardened and debased by his crime and the exposure; and they returned to their home submissive to their lot, sad and dreary as it was.
from the day his father had been arrested, lawry felt that the care of the family devolved upon him. his older brother was away from home, and was indolent and dissipated. the ferry and the little farm must be cared for, as from them came the entire support of his mother and his brothers and sisters. though he was oppressed by the burden of sorrow which his father's crime cast upon him, he did not yield to despair.
half a mile below the ferry-landing he could see the smokestack of the woodville projecting above the water. she was his property; and if she had seemed to be a prize to him before the calamity had fallen upon his father's household, she was doubly so now. as he crossed the ferry, he gazed up at the goblins, with less of exultation, but more of hope, than before. in his opinion, as he expressed it to his mother, there was "money in her." mrs. wilford was in great tribulation lest the man who now held the mortgage upon the little farm should insist upon being paid, as there was now no hope that, the debtor, in prison, would be able to do anything. lawry told her that the steamboat would enable them to pay all claims upon his father.
mrs. wilford had but little confidence in her son's schemes, but she did not discourage them; and lawry racked his brain for expedients to accomplish the task he had imposed upon himself. he had no money, and he was too proud to ask mr. sherwood for the assistance which that gentleman would so gladly have rendered. ethan french came down to see him every day, and the prairie boy was so kind and considerate that they soon became fast friends.
"when are you going to work on the steamer, lawry?" asked ethan. "i suppose you don't feel much like meddling with her yet."
"i don't; but she ought to be raised as soon as possible," replied lawry. "i am going to work upon her right off. i went down to see how she lies this morning, and i have got my plans all laid."
"have you?"
"i have."
"do you think you can get her up?"
"i know i can."
"well, how are you going to do it?" inquired ethan.
"do you know mr. nelson, over at pointville? i suppose you don't. well, he is a great oil man; he has got some oil-wells down on the st. johns river. he is getting together all the barrels and hogsheads he can find, to send down to his works. he has as many as a hundred at his place in pointville. i'm going to borrow a lot of these casks, if i can, and raise the woodville with them."
"how are you going to manage with them?" asked ethan, deeply interested in the plan.
"sink them round the boat, and fasten them to her hull, till there is enough to float her."
"but how are you going to sink them?"
"there's some one to go over the ferry," replied lawry, as a blast of the tin horn was heard. "if you will go over with me, i will tell you all about it, and we will call and see mr. nelson while we are at pointville."
ethan embarked with his friend, and when the boat started the subject was resumed.
