Frank began to fear that Tim had come into the club without a proper understanding of its duties and requirements. Though he had, with an ill grace, apologized for his conduct, he seemed to feel no compunction on account of it; but, on the contrary, he every moment grew more overbearing and insolent3. He could not speak to his companions in a gentlemanly manner, as they had been accustomed to be addressed. He was course, rude, and vulgar; and the members, who had received him among them in the best spirit possible, began to feel some repugnance4 towards him.
But what could be expected of him in so short a time? They had no reason to believe that a boy who had always been a desperado would suddenly become a gentle and kind-hearted person. His nature wanted refining, and such a work could not be done in a moment. These reflections came to Frank's relief, when he had become well-nigh discouraged at the idea of reforming Tim—discouraged more by thinking of the vast chasm5 that yawned between what he was and what he ought to be. Like the pendulum6 in the story, he was crowding the work of months and years into a single instant. A little sober thought in the proper direction set him right.
The Butterfly was darting7 out of "Weston Bay" as they approached.
"Cease—rowing!" said Frank. "Now, my lads, let us give them three rousing cheers. All up! One!"
"Hurrah8!"
"Two."
"Hurrah!"
"Three."
"Hurrah!"
And then the Zephyrs9 clapped their hands, long and loudly, and this was the greeting which the old club gave to the new one. The compliment was heartily11 returned by the Butterfly, and then the cheers were repeated again and again. Every member seemed to glow with kindly12 feeling towards the others. Even Tim Bunker for the time laid aside his morose13 look, and joined in the expression of good will with as much zeal14 as his companions.
"Now man your oars16, Zephyrs," said Frank.
"What ye going to do now?" asked Tim, as he grasped his oar15 with the others.
"You shall know in due time," replied the coxswain.
Here was another thing which Tim had yet to learn—not to ask questions of the commander. It was a part of the discipline of the club to obey without stopping to argue the point. Captain Sedley himself had suggested this idea, and it had been thoroughly17 carried out on board the Zephyr10. It was an established principle that "the coxswain knew what he was about," and that he alone was responsible for the guidance and the safety of the boat.
Tim did not seem to fancy this kind of discipline. He evidently felt that he had been born to command, and not to obey. But the consciousness that he was in the minority induced him to yield whatever convictions he might have had of his own superiority to the will of the "powers that be," and he followed the example of the others.
"Ready—pull!" continued Frank.
He and Tony had arranged a little system of "fleet maneuvers," to be carried out when the two boats met.
To the surprise of all on board,—for they were not "posted up" in regard to these tactics,—Frank put the Zephyr about.
"Cease—rowing!" said he, when the boat was headed in the opposite direction.
To the further surprise of the Zephyrs, they discovered that the Butterfly had executed a similar maneuver18, and that the two boats lay at the distance of nearly a quarter of a mile apart, the bow of one pointing directly east, and the other directly west.
"Ready to back her!" said Frank, and the boys all pulled their oar handles close to their breasts, ready at the word to take the reverse stroke.
"Back her!"
The Butterfly did the same thing exactly, and the two boats rapidly approached each other, stern first. Tony had certainly made the most of the time which had been allotted19 to him for drilling his crew, and they worked together almost as well as the Zephyrs, who were a little embarrassed at each new movement by the awkwardness of Tim Bunker.
"Steady—slow," continued Frank, as the two boats came nearer together. "That will do; cease—rowing. Ready—up!" and the twelve oars gleamed in the sunshine.
The sterns of the two boats came together, and Frank threw Tony a line, which the latter made fast.
"Ready—down!" said Tony and Frank, almost in the same breath; and the oars were deposited in their places on the thwarts20.
The two clubs were facing each other as they sat in their seats, with the respective coxswains standing2 in the stern sheets.
"Mr. Coxswain of the Butterfly," said Frank, as he removed his hat, and gracefully21 bowed to Tony, "in behalf of the members of the Zephyr Boat Club, of which you were so long a cherished member, I welcome you and your club, and the beautiful craft in which you sail, to these waters. May the Zephyr and the Butterfly cruise together in entire harmony; may no hard words or hard thoughts be called forth22 by either, but may all be peace and good-will."
This little speech was received with a burst of applause by Tony's club, and the boats interchanged volleys of cheers.
"Mr. Coxswain of the Zephyr," Tony began, in reply to his friend's speech, "I am much obliged to you and your companions for the kind words you have spoken for yourself and for them. I am sure there will never be any hard feelings between us, and I assure you if any fellow in our club attempts to make a row, we will turn him out. Won't we, fellows?"
"Ay, ay! That we will," replied the club, with one voice.
"If we get beaten in a race, we will bear our defeat like men. Won't we, boys?"
"That we will."
Tony wound up by saying he was not much at making speeches, but he was ready to do everything he could to make things go off right and pleasantly.
Three cheers more were given on each side, and the crews were ordered into their seats.
"Starboard oars, ready—up!" said Frank.
"Larboard oars, ready—up!" said Tony.
"Ready—down!" was then given by one, and repeated by the other. And then, "Ready—pull!" followed, in like manner.
My reader will readily perceive that the effect of this maneuver was to turn the boats round in opposite directions, so that they came alongside of each other, after a few strokes of the oars.
The painter of the Butterfly was thrown on board the Zephyr, and made fast to the bow ring. The boys were now all brought together, and the discipline of the clubs was relaxed so as to permit the members to enjoy a few moments of social recreation.
The Butterfly, as we have said in the introduction, was of the same size and model as the Zephyr, and, except that the former was painted in gayer colors, to represent the gaudy23 tints24 of the butterfly, the two boats were exact counterparts of each other.
Her crew had already procured25 their uniform, and wore it on the present occasion. It was a pair of white pants, made "sailor fashion," with a short red frock, and a patent-leather belt. These garments, owing to the coldness of the weather, were worn over their usual clothes. The hat was a tarpaulin26, with the name of the club in gilt27 letters on the front, and upon the left breast of the frock was a butterfly, worked in colors.
The Butterfly, like her rival, carried an American flag at the stern, and a blue silk fly, with the letter "B" on it, at the bow.
"This is glorious, isn't it, Frank?" said Tony, as he took his friend's hand and warmly pressed it.
"First rate! There is fun before us this season; and if nothing happens to mar28 the harmony which now prevails, we shall enjoy ourselves even more than we did last summer."
"Nothing can happen—can there?" replied Tony, glancing involuntarily at Tim Bunker, who seemed to be so amazed at the good will that prevailed around him as to be incapable29 of saying anything.
"I hope not; but, Tony, what about the race? Has your club voted on the question of the prize?"
"Yes."
"What did you do?"
"What have you done, Frank?" asked Tony. There was not the slightest doubt as to his Yankee paternity.
"We voted to accept the offer."
"So did we, though our members were so afraid of doing something wrong, that George had to come into the meeting and argue the question with them. We accepted the offer on condition that you did so."
"Then it is all arranged."
"Yes, except the time."
"We shall leave that all to you."
"We are ready now," replied Tony, with a smile.
"Name the day, then."
"Next Wednesday afternoon."
"Very well."
"Who shall be the judges? We have chosen your father for one."
"And we shall choose Uncle Ben for another."
"Let us choose the other together."
"Agreed."
The two clubs were then called to order, and Frank, at Tony's request, stated the business to them.
"Please to nominate," said he.
"Mr. Hyde, the schoolmaster," exclaimed a dozen voices.
It was a unanimous vote, and the judges were all elected.
"Now, Tony, let us have some fun."
"We will try our fleet tactics a little more, if you like."
"So I say."
"We will go down the lake with the 'fraternal hug.'"
"The what!" exclaimed Charles Hardy30.
"We call our present position the 'fraternal hug.'"
"Hurrah for the fraternal hug!" shouted Charles, and all the boys laughed heartily.
"Nothing bearish31 about it, I hope," added Fred Harper.
"We have no bears," replied Frank, as he ordered out his starboard oars.
Tony in like manner got out his larboard oars.
"Now, Frank," said he, "as you are a veteran in the service, you shall be commodore, and command the allied32 squadron."
A burst of laughter greeted this sally; but Frank was too modest to accept this double command, and would only do so when a vote had been passed, making him "commodore."
Fenders—a couple of cushions, which Frank, in anticipation33 of this maneuver, had provided—were placed between the two boats to keep them from injuring each other, and the order was given to pull. As but six oars were pulled in each boat, their progress was not very rapid. No one, however, seemed to care for that. The joining of the two boats in the "fraternal hug" was emblematic34 of the union that subsisted35 in the hearts of their crews, and all the members of each club seemed better satisfied with this symbolical36 expression of their feelings than though they had won a victory over the other.
When they came abreast37 of the Zephyr's boat-house, they discovered that Uncle Ben was on board the Sylph, which lay moored38 at a short distance from the shore.
Bang! went the cannon39 which the veteran had again rigged on the bow of the sail-boat.
And as they passed down the lake, Uncle Ben blazed away in honor of the fraternal hug between the two clubs.
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1
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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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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3
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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4
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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6
pendulum
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| n.摆，钟摆 | |
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7
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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8
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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9
zephyrs
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| n.和风，微风( zephyr的名词复数 ) | |
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10
zephyr
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| n.和风，微风 | |
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11
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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12
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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13
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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14
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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15
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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16
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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17
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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18
maneuver
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| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
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19
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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21
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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22
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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23
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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24
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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25
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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26
tarpaulin
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| n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽 | |
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gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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28
mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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29
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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30
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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31
bearish
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| adj.(行情)看跌的，卖空的 | |
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32
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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33
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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34
emblematic
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| adj.象征的，可当标志的；象征性 | |
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35
subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
symbolical
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| a.象征性的 | |
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37
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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38
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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39
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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