About half a mile above the landing at Port Rock there was a dangerous ledge4, called the Goblins, some of whose sharp points were within a foot of the surface of the water when the lake was low. They were some distance from the usual track of steamers, and there was no buoy5, or other mark, on them. The Woodville was headed toward the rocks, as the ferryman had said, and it was impossible for Lawry to get within hailing distance of her before she reached them. He pulled with all his strength, and had hoped to overhaul6 her in season to avert7 a catastrophe8.
Occasionally, as he rowed, he looked behind him to observe the course of the steamer. She was almost up to the Goblins, while he was too far off to make himself heard in her wheel-house. He was appalled9 at her danger, and the cold sweat stood on his brow, as he saw her hastening to certain destruction. He could no longer hope to reach her, and he ceased rowing.
Standing10 up in his boat, he waved his hat, and made other signs to warn the imprudent pilot of his danger. With one of the oars11 he tried to signify to him that he must keep off; but no notice was taken of his warning. On the forward deck of the little craft stood three ladies, who, taking the boatman's energetic gestures for friendly salutations, were waving their handkerchiefs to him.
"Hard aport your helm!" shouted Lawry.
Mr. Sherwood sounded the whistle, evidently taking the shout as a cheer of congratulation at his safe arrival.
"Keep off!" roared Lawry.
Again the whistle sounded, and the ladies waved their handkerchiefs more vigorously than before. The young pilot was in despair. The Woodville was going at full speed directly upon the rocks, whose sharp points would grind her to powder if she struck upon them.
"Hard aport!" repeated Lawry desperately13.
Once more the supposed cheer was answered by the whistle and the waving of the ladies' handkerchiefs, and still the fairy craft dashed on toward the rocks.
"By gracious! she's on them, as sure as the world!" exclaimed Lawry to himself, hardly able to breathe.
He had hardly uttered the words before he heard the crash which announced the doom14 of the Woodville. Her sharp bow slid upon the ledge, and she suddenly stopped in her mad flight.
Lawry bent15 on his oars again, horrified16 by the accident. He pulled as he had never pulled before. A moment or two after the steamer struck, he was startled by a succession of shrill17 shrieks18 from the ladies, and he turned to see what had happened. The Woodville had filled, rolled off the rock, and sank in deep water, leaving her passengers floating helplessly on the lake. The upper half of her smokestack was all that remained in sight of the beautiful craft which three minutes before had been a thing of beauty.
The young pilot did not pause an instant to contemplate19 the scene of destruction. He saw only the helpless persons struggling for life in the water, and he renewed his labors20 with a vigor12 and skill which soon brought him to the sufferers. Mr. Sherwood was supporting his wife; but both of them were nearly exhausted21. Lawry helped Bertha into the boat, and told her husband to hold on at the rail.
Ethan French, with his arm around the waist of Fanny Jane, was holding on at the smokestack, where also the fireman of the boat was supporting himself.
"I'm afraid she has gone down," replied Ethan French. "I saw her just there a moment since."
"I see her!" said Lawry, as he dived into the lake.
Fanny, exhausted by her struggles, had sunk, and Lawry, with a strong arm, bore her to the surface again; but she was too large and heavy for him, and he could not support her.
Before the arrival of the boat, Ethan was in the act of transferring his helpless burden to the arms of the fireman, that he might go to the assistance of Miss Fanny; and, as soon as Lawry appeared, he swam out to help him. With the aid of the young engineer, the exhausted lady was lifted into the boat. Fanny Jane was next taken in, but there was no room for any more.
Though Miss Fanny was in a worse condition than the other ladies, she still had her senses; and none of the party was in danger. Mr. Sherwood, Ethan, and the fireman were still in the water, holding on at the rail of the boat. Lawry took the oars and pulled toward the ferry-landing.
"Thank God, we are all safe!" said Mr. Sherwood.
"Some of us must have been drowned if Lawry had not come to our assistance," added Miss Fanny. "I had given up, and was sinking to the bottom. My senses were leaving me, when I felt his grasp on my arm."
"You have done bravely, Lawry," added Bertha.
But the party did not feel much like talking. They were all grateful to God, who had, through the agency of the young pilot, saved them from their perilous23 situation. When the boat reached the landing-place, the ladies were conducted to the cottage of John Wilford, where everything was done by Mrs. Wilford to promote their comfort. Lawry hastened up to Mr. Sherwood's house to procure24 the carriage, which had fortunately just returned from Port Henry, and the party were soon conveyed to their home.
Dry clothing and a little rest soon restored Mr. Sherwood and the ladies to their wonted spirits, and all of them wished to see their brave deliverer. He was sent for, and presented himself to the ladies in the drawing-room. Lawry, anxious to learn the condition of the ladies after their cold bath, and their terrible fright, had followed the carriage up to the house, and was telling the coachman the particulars of the catastrophe when he was summoned to the presence of the family.
Never was a young man more earnestly and sincerely thanked for a brave and noble deed; and Mr. Sherwood hinted that something more substantial than thanks would be bestowed25 upon him.
"Thank you, sir; I don't need anything more," replied Lawry, blushing. "What will be done with the steamer, now?" he asked.
"I have got enough of her," said Mr. Sherwood. "She has given me a shock I shall never forget."
"I don't think it was the fault of the boat, sir," suggested Lawry.
"I did all I could to have you keep off the rocks."
"We all thought you were crazy, you shook so in your boat."
"I was trying to warn you of your danger."
"Was that what you meant? We thought you were cheering the Woodville."
"I saw you were going on the rocks, and I shouted and made signs for you to keep off."
"You certainly did all you could for us, both before and after the accident," added Mr. Sherwood. "When did you get home, Lawry?"
"To-day noon, just after you went to the house for me. I came right up to see you; but I found you had gone."
"Yes; I was so impatient to get that little steamer up here, that I couldn't wait any longer."
"And what a waste your haste has made!" laughed Mrs. Sherwood.
"There is our fine little steamer at the bottom of the lake."
"She may lie there, for all me," added Mr. Sherwood.
"I should not dare to put my foot on board of her again," said Miss
Fanny.
"Nor I," chimed in Fanny Jane.
"She isn't to blame, Mr. Sherwood," interposed Ethan French. "She worked as though she had been alive."
"I don't blame the boat, of course," replied Mr. Sherwood; "but this adventure has cured me of my love for steamboating. I don't want to see another one."
"Shall you let the Woodville lie there?" asked Lawry.
"But she can be raised and repaired, and be as good as ever, or nearly so," continued Lawry.
"She is good for nothing to me now. I will give her to any one who wants her."
"There are plenty who will want her," said Lawry.
"It will cost them a fortune to raise and repair her—almost as much as she is worth, if she is to be used as a plaything. But I have come to the conclusion that she is a dangerous machine for me, and I don't want anything more to do with her. I came very near drowning my wife and my friends with her; and this fills me with disgust for the boat and for myself."
"Just now you spoke28 of a reward for what I had the good luck to do for you, Mr. Sherwood," continued Lawry.
"I did; and you may be assured I shall never forget your noble conduct," replied Mr. Sherwood warmly.
"If you are going to give the Woodville away, sir—"
"Well, what?" asked Mr. Sherwood, as the young pilot paused.
"I don't know as I ought to say what I was going to say."
"You said you would give the steamer to any one who wanted her," continued Lawry, hesitating.
"And you want her?" laughed the wealthy gentleman.
"Yes, sir; that is what I was going to say."
"Then she is yours, Lawry; but I might as well give you the fee simple of a farm in Ethiopia. I don't feel as though I had given you anything, my boy."
"Indeed you have, sir! I feel as though you had made my fortune for me; and I am very much obliged to you, sir."
"I don't believe you have anything to thank me for, Lawry. As I understand it, the Woodville lies on the bottom of the lake, with her bow stove in, and her hull30 as useless as though the parts had never been put together. The engine and the iron and brass31 work are worth a good deal of money, I know; but it will cost all they will bring to raise them."
"I don't think the steamer is ruined, sir. I hope you are not giving her away believing that she is not worth anything," said Lawry.
"I don't think she is worth much."
"I think she stove a great hole in her bow, and that is all that ails32 her. If we can get her on the ways, she can be made as good as ever she was in a week."
"Whatever her condition, Lawry, she is yours. I will give you a bill of sale of her at once."
Mr. Sherwood executed the paper in due form, affixed33 the stamp, and gave the document to the young pilot.
"I can hardly help weeping when I think of the beautiful little steamer," said Mrs. Sherwood. "She was a perfect little fairy. How elated we were as we moved up the lake in her! What fine times we were promising34 ourselves on board of her! Now the dear little craft lies on the bottom of the lake, broken and spoiled!"
"I shouldn't dare to put my foot in her again," added Miss Fanny. "I shudder35 when I think of her."
"I shudder when I think of you, Fanny. You were sinking when Lawry dived down after you," said Mr. Sherwood.
"We ought all to be grateful to God for His mercy in saving us," added Fanny Jane.
"I trust we are grateful to Him; and I am sure we shall never forget what Lawry has done to-day," responded the gentleman.
"Never!" exclaimed Fanny warmly.
"It was all my fault," continued Mr. Sherwood. "I am ashamed of myself, and disgusted with the boat."
"The boat is not to blame, sir," said Ethan French. "She behaved like a lady."
"I know she is not to blame. It was my silly impatience36. I was in such a hurry to try the steamer that I could not wait for a pilot. Bertha, do you know what your father used to say to me when I was in a hurry?"
"I don't know; but I have heard him say that you were too impatient for your own good."
"'Haste and Waste' was his maxim37, when I was not disposed to wait the natural development of events. By neglecting this precept38, I have nearly sacrificed the lives of my best friends. Lawry, if you are going to be a steamboat man, let me give you this maxim for your government—'Haste and Waste.'"
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1
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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buoy
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| n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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7
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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8
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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10
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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13
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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14
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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15
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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29
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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30
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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31
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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32
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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34
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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35
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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36
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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37
maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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precept
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| n.戒律；格言 | |
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