a survey of the position of the woodville showed that she was slightly aground at the stern; but ethan was confident that a few turns of the wheels would bring her off. the boys then tried the pumps; but after less than a hundred strokes they refused to yield any more water. they then carefully examined every part of the interior below the decks.
"she's all right," said lawry. "what shall we do now?"
"get up steam," replied ethan. "i have a couple of hours' work to do on the engine; but we will start the furnaces at once."
"can't i make the fire?" asked lawry.
"yes, if you know how."
"you can show me. i don't know much about steam-boilers and engines."
"we will get our dry wood out of the wherry, and i will help you start the fire. while i am at work on the engine, you will have to overhaul your steering-gear, and see that it is all right. the chains and pulleys will need to be oiled."
lawry got into the wherry, and threw the dry wood on deck. ethan had not expected to kindle the fires till night, when he hoped the water would be below the furnaces. it was a grateful surprise to be able at once to go to work on the engine. he was enthusiastic in his fondness for machinery, and that of the woodville was his particular pet.
after he had tried the valves on the boiler, and assured himself that it contained the proper supply of water, the fires were started in the furnaces. there was plenty of wood and coal on board, though the former was so wet that it would not burn without some assistance, which was furnished by the dry fuel brought off in the wherry. in a little while the furnaces were roaring with the blaze from the wood, and the coal was shoveled in. ethan, having dried a quantity of the wet packing, commenced rubbing down and oiling the machinery. he was in his element now, and never was a young man in a higher state of keen enjoyment.
while he was thus engaged, lawry overhauled the steering apparatus, rubbed down the wheel, oiled the pulleys, and satisfied himself that everything was in working order. the situation and the work were in the highest degree exhilarating. it was not labor to clean and adjust the gear; it was a pleasure such as he had never realized from the most exciting sports. he could hardly repress the rapture he felt when he saw the black smoke from the pine wood pouring out of the smokestack.
"this is my steamer," said he to himself. "i am the owner of her."
the thought made him laugh with joy. he stood up at the wheel, and though he could not turn it, because the rudder was fast in the sand, he knew exactly how he should feel when he stood in this position with the woodville gliding swiftly over the bright waters of the lake.
the steering-gear was in perfect order, so far as he could judge without using it, and ethan was still busy at the engine. lawry could not deny himself the pleasure of a survey of the steamer, for the purpose of admiring her comforts and conveniences. he walked up and down the main-deck, entered the saloon and the cabin, visited the forehold, and opened the doors of the various apartments forward of the paddle-boxes. it is true, everything was in a state of "confusion worse confounded." carpets were soaked with water, curtains were drabbled and stained, sofas and chairs upset in the cabin and saloon; while in the kitchen and storerooms, shelves and lockers had been emptied, and their contents strewed in wild disorder about the apartments.
but lawry knew how order could be brought out of chaos, and the derangement of furniture and utensils did not disturb him. it would be a delightful occupation to restore harmony to these shelves and lockers, to bring order and neatness out of the confusion which reigned in every part of the steamer. when he had completed his survey, he went to the engine-room, and offered his services to ethan for duty in his department. as the engineer had nothing for him to do, he returned to the kitchen, and busied himself in putting things to rights there, foreseeing that this apartment would soon be needed. he made a fire in the galley, in order to dry the room more speedily, and then occupied his time in picking up the tins and the kettles, and putting them in their places.
while he was examining the lockers and shelves, he found part of a leg of bacon, and some potatoes, which had been left from the stores used by the crew on the passage from new york up to the lake. there were coffee and tea in the canisters, sugar in the buckets, butter and salt in the boxes; though all these articles had been more or less soaked in the water, depending upon the tightness of the vessels that held them. there was a good fire in the stove, and a bright thought entered lawry's excited brain; he and his companion would breakfast on fried ham and potatoes, flanked with hot coffee!
lawry was a cook of no mean accomplishments, and he immediately went to work in carrying out his brilliant idea. somehow, it is a singular fact that boys have a special delight in "getting up something to eat" in the woods, on the water, and generally in all out-of-the-way places. a dinner at parker's or delmonico's is not to be compared with baked potatoes and roasted ears of corn in the woods, or with fried fish and potatoes in a boat or on an island. the young pilot was no exception to the common rule, and in a state of rapture known only to the amateur cook of tender years, he put on the teakettle, pared and sliced the potatoes, and put a quantity of the brown mud from the canister into the coffeepot.
things were hissing and sizzling on the stove in the most satisfactory manner, and lawry presided over the frying-pan with a grace and dignity which would have been edifying in a professional cook. while the ham was cooking, he wiped the dishes with a cloth he had dried at the fire, and set the table on the broad bench at the end of the kitchen. the meat and the potatoes were "done to a turn," but the coffee had a suspicious look, owing to the absence of the fish-skin, or other ingredient, for settling it. the contents of the basket brought from home were tastily disposed in dishes on the table, and breakfast was ready. we will venture to say that, in spite of the disadvantages under which this meal was prepared, many steamboat men have sat down to a less satisfactory banquet.
lawry, chuckling with delight at what he had done, rang the hand-bell he found in the kitchen, at the door. if ethan had smelled the savory viands in the course of preparation for him, he had made no sign; but he was probably too busy to heed anything but the darling engine he was so affectionately caressing with handfuls of packing and spurts of oil.
"what's that bell for, lawry?" shouted he.
"breakfast's ready," replied lawry.
"i wouldn't stop to eat now—would you?"
"things will be cold if you don't."
"cold?" laughed ethan.
"yes—cold. what's the use of having a kitchen if you don't use it?"
"you're a good one!" shouted ethan. "why didn't you tell me what you were about?"
"i didn't want to spoil your appetite."
"you are a first-rate fellow, lawry. your breakfast looks tip-top, and i shall do full justice to it; but i must go and look at the boiler and the fires before i eat."
they sat down to breakfast when ethan had returned and washed the smut from his face and hands. lawry poured out the coffee, and helped his companion to ham and potatoes. the engineer ate with good relish.
"your ham and potatoes are first-rate, lawry; but i've seen better coffee than this," said he.
"i had nothing to settle it, and there is no milk on board."
"we had some fish-skin, and there is plenty of condensed milk on board," replied ethan.
the coffee was subjected to a new process, and the condensed milk prepared for use. by the time the substantials of the feast had been discussed, some pretty good coffee was ready for them. the boys ate their breakfast with a zest they had never known before.
"ethan!" exclaimed lawry.
"what, lawry?"
"hold me down!" shouted the proprietor of the woodville.
"what's the matter?"
"hold me down! i shall go up if you don't. i can't hold in any longer. i'm so tickled, i feel as though i should fly away."
"don't do it," laughed ethan. "but i must go and look after the engine, or we may both go up, in a way that won't suit us;" and ethan hurried down into the fire-room.
after taking a turn up and down the deck, lawry curbed down his superfluous enthusiasm, and returned to the kitchen, where he extinguished the fire in the galley, and put away the dishes and kettles which had been used in getting breakfast. by this time ethan had finished his work on the engine, and the steam gage indicated a sufficient pressure to work the machinery.
"all ready, lawry!" shouted he.
"is everything all right?"
"yes, as good as new. now, if you will go into the wheel-house, we will see what she will do."
"hurrah!" shouted lawry.
he pulled the bell for starting her, and with a thrill of delight he heard the wheels splashing in the water; and the great splurges began to roll up on the shore.
"does she move?" asked ethan, through the speaking-tube which communicated with the engine-room.
"no, she sticks fast," replied lawry. "give her a little more of it."
the wheels of the steamer turned rapidly for a moment, and the woodville slid off the ground into deep water.
"hurrah!" shouted lawry, as he rang the bell to stop her. "she's all right now," he added, through the tube.
"go ahead, then," replied the engineer.
"as soon as i make fast the wherry astern."
before he went to the wheel-house he sounded the pumps again, and visited the forehold to examine the oilcloth over the aperture in the bow. there was but little water in the well, and the canvas carpet was faithful to its duty. there was nothing to fear, though lawry couldn't help fearing.
"are you all ready, ethan?" called the pilot through the tube.
"all ready; but don't you think we had better hoist the flags, and go over in good style?" responded the engineer.
"aye, aye."
the small american flag and the union jack, which had been taken from the poles the night before, and deposited in the locker of the wherry, were displayed, and lawry returned to his post.
the pilot rang his bell to start, and the wheels turned slowly as ethan opened the valve. the woodville moved off from the shore, and lawry's heart bounded as though it had been part of the engine. he grasped the spokes, and heaved the wheel over; the beautiful craft obeyed her helm.
"hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" shouted lawry, at the mouth of the speaking-tube.
"hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" echoed back from the engine-room.
lawry stood at the wheel, looking through the open window in front of him. it was his hour of triumph. as he gazed at the shore, he saw the ferry-boat start out from the landing. there was no vehicle in her, and as the steamer approached nearer to her, he saw that mr. sherwood and the ladies were on board of her. they were coming out to welcome and congratulate ethan and himself upon the triumphant success of the enterprise. mrs. wilford was with them, and ben held the steering oar.
lawry informed his friend, through the tube, of the approach of the party. the ladies in the ferry-boat were waving their handkerchiefs, and mr. sherwood was swinging his hat.
"whistle, lawry!" shouted the engineer, as the pilot informed him what was taking place.
"hurrah!" shouted the pilot, as he pulled the string.
as the woodville came up to the bateau, lawry rang to stop, and, swinging his hat out the window, gave three cheers all alone, while the ladies waved their handkerchiefs in reply.
