CHAPTER IX BEN WILFORD'S PLAN

 While Lawry was ferrying the team over the lake, Ethan occupied himself in making a long-handled boat-hook, which might be useful in the operation of raising the steamer. While he was thus engaged, a young man, about eighteen years of age, coarsely dressed, and with a very red face, came down the road and stopped at the place where he was at work.

 

"What you making?" asked the young man.

 

"A boat-hook," replied Ethan.

 

"Do you belong here?" continued the stranger nodding his head toward the ferry-house.

 

"No; I'm only helping¹ Lawry Wilford for a few days."

 

"The old man's got into hot water, they say."

 

"Yes."

 

"Well, he was always preaching to me about doing the right thing; and now he's fallen off the horse-block himself," added the young man, with a slight chuckle².

 

"It's bad for Mr. Wilford and his family."

 

"That's so. Where's Lawry now?"

 

"He has gone over with the ferry-boat."

 

"I reckon Lawry has to run the machine now."

 

"He has to run the ferry-boat."

 

"Well, he knows how. Lawry's smart—he is. I suppose you don't know me."

 

"I do not."

 

"I'm Lawry's brother; and that makes it that Lawry is my brother."

 

"Then you are Benjamin Wilford?"

 

"That's my name; but Ben Wilford sounds a good deal more natural to me. I heard the old man had got into trouble, and I came up to see about it, though I'm out of a job just now, and couldn't do anything better. I hear that Lawry owns a steamboat, and I didn't know but he'd want some help. Where is she?"

 

"She's on the bottom, out there by the Goblins," answered Ethan, pointing to the raft. "We are at work raising her."

 

"Can you get her up, do you think?"

 

"Yes; I have no doubt we shall have her at the top of the water by to-morrow night."

 

"I've come just in time, then," added the young man. "I think I know something about a steamboat."

 

Ethan did not like the looks of Lawry's brother. His bloated face was against him, and the young engineer, without knowing anything more about him than his swaggering manner and red face revealed, wished he had stayed away a few days longer.

 

"I'll go in and see the old woman, and get some breakfast; then I'll go up with you and see what you are doing," said Ben Wilford.

 

"We are going up as soon as Lawry comes back," answered Ethan, pointing to the ferry-boat.

 

The dissolute young man, who had just been discharged from his situation as a deck-hand on one of the steamers, for intemperance³ and neglect of duty, sauntered into the house; and the fresh breeze soon brought the impatient Lawry to the shore.

 

"Lawry, we have got some help," said Ethan.

 

"Who?"

 

"Your brother has just come."

 

"Ben?" asked the young lad, a troubled expression gathering⁴ on his face.

 

"Yes; he has gone into the house to get his breakfast."

 

"I'll go in and see him," added Lawry, who did not seem to be at all pleased with the news of his brother's arrival.

 

It is a sad thing for a brother to behave so badly that he cannot be welcome at his own home.

 

Mrs. Wilford shook hands with Benjamin as he entered. She was glad to see him, and her mother's heart went out toward him; but she was filled with doubts and fears. The young man only laughed while his mother wept at the story of the father's crime. He sat down to his breakfast, and declared that he had come home to take care of the family.

 

"I hope you are able to take care of yourself, Benjamin," replied his mother, as she glanced at his bloated face.

 

"I always did that, mother. The old man and I couldn't agree very well, but I reckon you and I can get along together. Lawry, how are you?" continued the returned wanderer, as his brother entered the room.

 

"Very well; how are you, Ben?" answered Lawry, as he shook hands with his brother.

 

"First-rate. How about the steamboat, Lawry?"

 

"She's all right; or, she will be, when we get her up."

 

"Do you think you can raise her?"

 

"I know we can."

 

"Well, I heard all about her up in the village, and I have come home to help you. I know all about steamboats, you know."

 

"What did you leave your place for?"

 

"The captain and I couldn't agree. I'm going to run an opposition⁵ line."

 

"Are you?"

 

"I am; bet your life I am."

 

"Where will you get your boats?"

 

"Don't want but one; and they say your boat is the finest little craft that ever floated on the lake."

 

"She is, without a doubt."

 

"Well, we can take some money out of the captain's pocket, at any rate. We'll make a fortune out of your boat, Lawry, if we get her up."

 

"I shall get her up by tomorrow night."

 

"I'll help you, Lawry."

 

"We don't need any help at present. I must go now, for Ethan is waiting for me."

 

"Who's Ethan?"

 

"Ethan French; he is the engineer of the steamer," answered the young pilot, moving toward the door.

 

"Hold on a minute, Lawry, and I'll be ready to go with you. I can show you how to do the business."

 

"I know now."

 

"You're smart, Lawry; but you're not so old as I am."

 

"I'm old enough to do this job."

 

"You haven't seen so much of steamboats as I have."

 

"Now, Benjamin, you mustn't interfere⁶ with Lawry's work," interposed

Mrs. Wilford. "He knows what he is about."

 

"I'm not going to interfere with him; I'm only going to help him."

 

"If you really want to help me, I'll tell you what you can do," said

Lawry.

 

"What's that?"

 

"You can run the ferry."

 

"Run the ferry!" exclaimed Ben. "Why, I know more about steamboats than you and your engineer put together. Do you suppose I'm going to run a ferry-boat when there's a job of this sort on hand?"

 

"You can help more in this way than in any other," persisted Lawry.

 

"Run a ferry-boat!" sneered⁷ Ben; "that isn't my style."

 

"We don't need any help on the steamer."

 

"Yes, you do. At any rate, I'll go down and see what you are about."

 

"What's that rock for?" he demanded, pointing to the sinker which lay on the skids⁸.

 

"To sink the casks with," replied Ethan; and he explained the process by which the hogsheads were attached to the hull⁹ of the Woodville.

 

"Well, Lawry, if you had been studying seven years to get up the stupidest thing that could be thought of, you could not have got up a more ridiculous idea than this," said Ben, laughing contemptuously.

 

"How would you raise her?" asked Lawry quietly.

 

"Well, I wouldn't do it in this way, I can tell you. If you want me to take this job in hand for you, I'll do it. You might as well try to raise the Goblins as the steamer in this way."

 

"It is very easy to condemn¹⁰ the method," added Ethan indignantly; "but it isn't so easy to find a better one."

 

"You say you don't want any help from me," said Ben.

 

"If you can tell me any better way, I should like to hear it," replied Lawry.

 

"If you want me to raise your steamer, say the word."

 

"Let me know how you intend to do it, first," persisted Lawry. "It's easier to talk than it is to do."

 

"You're smart, Lawry; but you can't raise that steamer with those casks in seven years."

 

"I'll have her on the top of the water by to-morrow night," said the young pilot.

 

"No, you won't."

 

"You see! But we must go to work, Ethan."

 

"That's just my idea," said the engineer.

 

"Then you don't want me to do the job?" added Ben.

 

"No, I think not," replied Lawry, rather coldly.

 

"I think my way is the best."

 

"Perhaps it is; but I don't know what your way is."

 

"I'll tell you, Lawry, for I don't like to have you waste your time and strength doing nothing; besides, we want the steamer as soon as we can get her, or the season will be over."

 

"What do you mean by we, Ben?" asked Lawry quietly.

 

"Why, you and me, of course. I know something about steamers, and perhaps I should be willing to go captain of your boat, if you ever get her into working order."

 

"Perhaps you would," answered Lawry.

 

"Of course you mean to use the boat for the benefit of the family, now the old man is jugged and can't do anything more for them."

 

"To be sure I do."

 

"I'm willing to do my part. You can be the pilot, and the other fellow can be the engineer."

 

"And we can both of us have the privilege of obeying your orders," laughed Lawry.

 

"Well, I shouldn't be likely to interfere with you; your place would be in the wheel-house."

 

"And yours in the cabin, Captain Wilford. I can't stop to talk about this now. There comes Ethan with the cask."

 

"You might as well stop this foolish work first as last," sneered the would-be captain of the Woodville. "I was going to tell you how to raise her."

 

"Go on; we'll hear you, and work at the same time," said Ethan.

 

"I should get two of those canal-boats, having about eight feet depth of hold," continued Ben.

 

"Where would you get them?" demanded Lawry.

 

"Get them? Hire them, of course. You can get plenty of them at Port

Henry."

 

"Have you any money in your pocket?"

 

"They wouldn't cost more than a hundred dollars."

 

"I haven't got even fifty dollars," said Lawry.

 

"They would trust you on the security of your steamer."

 

"I don't want to be trusted for any such purpose. What would you do with your canal-boats when you had got them?" asked Lawry.

 

"I would moor¹¹ one on each side of the steamer, put a couple of timbers across them, pass a chain under the bow and stern of the sunken hull, and make fast to the timbers. Then I would let the water into the canal-boats, and sink them down to the rails. When I got them down as deep as I could, I would tighten¹² the chains, till they bore taut¹³ on the timbers. Do you understand it, Lawry?"

 

"Certainly; I know all about the plan," replied the young pilot, with a smile.

 

"I don't believe you do," said Ben incredulously. "What would you do next?"

 

"Pump the water out of the two canal-boats, which would take about two days' time."

 

"You could rig extra pumps."

 

"Three of us, with three pumps, couldn't pump them out in two days."

 

"Well, the job is done when you have pumped them out."

 

"When you get the water out of the boats, you will have raised the steamer but three or four feet at most."

 

"Six feet, at least, for the canal-boats will come up where they were before."

 

"No; they won't; the weight of the steamer will press them down two or three feet."

 

An excited discussion followed upon this question; but Lawry and Ethan carried their point. It was plain that the buoyant powers of the two boats, as the water was pumped but of them, would raise the steamer three or four feet, leaving her suspended half-way between the surface and the bottom of the lake. Lawry wanted the aspirant¹⁴ for the captaincy of the Woodville to tell him what he would do next, for she could not be repaired while she was under water; but Ben was "nonplussed¹⁵" and unable to answer.

 

"I can finish that job for you," said Lawry.

 

"She could be moored¹⁶ on the ways, and then hauled up."

 

"Perhaps she might, but I should rather put her on the ways from the top of the water. When I got her three feet from the bottom, I should move her toward the shore till she grounded."

 

"What then?" asked Ben.

 

"I should sink the canal-boats again, pump them out once more, and thus raise her three feet more; but it would take about three days every time we lifted her three feet. Ben, I think we could get her to the top of the water in about a fortnight by your plan. By mine, I shall have her up by to-morrow night."

 

"I'll bet you won't; or in a month, either. You know too much,

Lawry," said Ben.

 

"I don't bet; but you shall see her at the ferry-landing by seven to-morrow evening if you are there."

 

The older brother, finding himself only a cipher¹⁷ on the raft, had consented to run the ferry in the afternoon, when the horn sounded; and the pilot and engineer were thus enabled to continue their labor¹⁸ without interruption.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。

3 intemperance   

n.放纵

参考例句：

• Health does not consist with intemperance. 健康与纵欲［无节制］不能相容。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She accepted his frequent intemperance as part of the climate. 对于他酗酒的恶习，她安之若素。 来自辞典例句

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

8 skids   

n.滑向一侧( skid的名词复数 )；滑道；滚道；制轮器v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的第三人称单数 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• The aging football player was playing on the skids. 那个上了年纪的足球运动员很明显地在走下坡路。 来自辞典例句
• It's a shame that he hit the skids. 很遗憾他消沉了。 来自辞典例句

9 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

10 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

11 moor   

n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊

参考例句：

• I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
• There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

12 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

13 taut   

adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的

参考例句：

• The bowstring is stretched taut.弓弦绷得很紧。
• Scarlett's taut nerves almost cracked as a sudden noise sounded in the underbrush near them. 思嘉紧张的神经几乎一下绷裂了，因为她听见附近灌木丛中突然冒出的一个声音。

14 aspirant   

n.热望者；adj.渴望的

参考例句：

• Any aspirant to the presidency here must be seriously rich.要想当这儿的主席一定要家财万贯。
• He is among the few aspirants with administrative experience.他是为数不多的几个志向远大而且有管理经验的人之一。

15 nonplussed   

adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The speaker was completely nonplussed by the question. 演讲者被这个问题完全难倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was completely nonplussed by his sudden appearance. 他突然出现使我大吃一惊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 moored   

adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
• We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。

17 cipher   

n.零；无影响力的人；密码

参考例句：

• All important plans were sent to the police in cipher.所有重要计划均以密码送往警方。
• He's a mere cipher in the company.他在公司里是个无足轻重的小人物。

18 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。