Read Ebook: Square and Compasses; Or Building the House by Optic Oliver Sheppard William Ludwell Illustrator

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Ebook has 1378 lines and 61989 words, and 28 pages

e boys had been very much interested in the proposed new house; not so much on account of the accommodations it was to furnish them, as because they were to build the house themselves. Not a few of them had already considered plans for the structure, and the prizes would introduce a new element of excitement. But somehow the announcement fell rather coldly, and some of the pupils were more inclined to get up a rebellion against the new uniform than to compete for the prize.

Captain Gildrock left the shop, and went to the house. He could not help seeing that there was a spirit of disaffection among the students. They did not like the uniform, but the principal regarded it as a necessity, for he believed it would correct some tendencies to rowdyism he had observed among the boys, and especially that it would deter them from entering any disreputable places.

The boys went to the dressing-room, removed their overalls and jumpers, and attended to their ablutions. Little knots of them conversed in low tones about the uniform; but a considerable number of them were sure to be loyal to the principal, and they were careful not to allow their remarks to be heard by such pupils.

The two twelve-oar barges, which had been provided by the principal and brought up to the lake two weeks before, had not yet become an old story. During the past fortnight the two crews had practised nearly every day with the oars, and had made excellent progress.

The two coxswains, Matt Randolph of the Gildrock, and Dory Dornwood of the Winooski, had a conference after every trip in the boats in order to determine what more was to be done for the improvement of the rowing. Captain Gildrock and Luke Bennington often made suggestions to them, but all instruction and discipline in the boats was left to the coxswains. The principal never gave an order except through the proper officer.

The instruction in swimming had been continued on every suitable day, and, as the boys were deeply interested in this amusement, they soon became very expert in the art. The timid ones obtained the necessary confidence, and the shallow waters of Beech Hill Lake were abandoned for those of Champlain itself. The boating and swimming were now combined, and an excursion to Sandy Beach had been arranged for the day.

"Hurry up, fellows; we haven't any too much time, for it is a four-mile pull to Sandy Beach," said Matt Randolph, when he saw that the crew of his boat were thinking of something besides the excursion.

"I don't know that I care about going," replied Lew Shoreham, with a cross-grained look.

"Don't care about going?" exclaimed the coxswain of the Gildrock. "What has come over you fellows?"

"I don't like the idea of being dressed up like a monkey," answered Lew, apparently fanning his discontent.

"And all because a couple of fellows took a glass of beer each," added Bob Swanton.

"I should like to know how many fellows ever took any beer since they joined the school," continued Lew Shoreham. "I never drank any for one."

"I never tasted beer in my life," said Phil Gawner.

"I never tasted it but once in my life, and then it made me as sick as a horse," added Lick Milton.

Several others gave their testimony to the same effect, or declared that they had drank none since they joined the school.

"I see you are trying to get up a rebellion," said Matt Randolph. "I have drank lager beer a few times in New York, but not a drop since I came to this school. I don't object to the uniform, and I think the regulation requiring it is a very reasonable one. But I am not going to jaw about it now. All the Gildrocks to the boat."

"All the Winooskis to the boat," added Dory Dornwood.

About two thirds of the students followed the coxswains to the lake. It looked as though the other third intended to rebel at once, for they remained in the dressing-room after the others had gone.

AN IMPROMPTU RACE BETWEEN THE BEECH HILL BARGES.

"Here are eight of us, and not one of the eight has touched any beer since he joined the school," said Lew Shoreham, after the majority of the boys had gone, and he had got the bearings of the question under discussion.

"I am in favor of standing out, for one," added Tom Ridley. "I am willing to do my duty and obey all the rules, but I am not going to be rigged out like a state-prison bird when I haven't done anything out of the way."

"It looks like punishing the whole crowd for the sins of the two fellows who drank the beer," continued Harry Franklin.

"If the captain knows who the fellows are, why don't he put them into uniform, and not make black sheep of the whole of us?"

"I don't believe in doing anything in a hurry," interposed Bart Cornwall. "If we are going to stand out, we want to know what we are about before we begin."

"That's my idea," added Bob Swanton. "Let us understand what we are going to do before we begin."

"Perhaps we had better talk it over among ourselves before we do anything," mused Lew Shoreham. "There is time enough before to-morrow morning."

"That's the idea," Life Windham chimed in. "The worst we can do is to refuse to wear the uniform; and we can't refuse before the clothes are given to us."

"I know they have, for I saw the kid-glovers out in them," replied Lick Milton.

"When did you see them, Lick?" asked Lew Shoreham.

"Day before yesterday. They were pulling in the barges near the shore."

"The rest of the fellows will go off without us if we don't hurry up," added Bart Cornwall. "Sandy Beach is not far from the Chesterfield Institute."

Phil Gawner bolted from the room in hot haste, and the other rebels followed him. The rebellion seemed to be forgotten, for there was already something like rivalry existing between the two educational institutions on the opposite sides of the lake. The Chesterfield young gentlemen, when they came within hailing distance of the boys of Beech Hill, had taken occasion to manifest their contempt by words, signs, and other demonstrations. They called the industrial school "The Tinkers' Institute," and this term was exceedingly offensive to our boys.

But the beautiful steam yacht in which the "Tinkers" voyaged on the lake, and especially the magnificent twelve-oar barges in which they sported upon the waves, excited the envy of the "Kid-Glovers." Colonel Buckmill suddenly found his prestige slipping away from him. He had a variety of boats for the use of his students, though none of them were sailing craft. He was no sailor himself, and he had a mortal dread of sailboats.

As soon as he realized the state of feeling among his students, he hastened to New York, where he succeeded in finding a couple of barges like those which had been built for the Beech Hill school. He had purchased them at a large price, and they had arrived a few days before. Colonel Buckmill was a soldier and a gentleman, but he wished that Captain Gildrock had located his fanciful school, as he regarded it, a thousand miles from Lake Champlain.

"What's the matter now?" demanded Matt Randolph, when the rebels rushed out on the pier at which the two barges lay. "I thought you were going to deprive us of the pleasure of your company to-day."

"We have concluded to go with you, and keep you out of hot water," replied Lew.

"And keep yourselves out of hot water, which is more sensible," added the coxswain of the Gildrock, as he seated his crew in the boat.

"Up oars!" shouted Matt, when the crew of both boats were seated; and the order was repeated by Dory.

Ten oars in each boat went up to a perpendicular, with the flat side of the blades parallel with the thwarts. The coxswains looked them over to see that all were in proper position.

"Shove off!" continued the coxswains.

The bow oarsmen shoved off the head of each barge, and the stroke oarsmen used their boathooks until the boats were clear of the pier. Then the bowmen coiled up the painters, and the after oarsmen took care of the stern lines. When they had done this duty, they elevated their oars without any orders.

"Let fall!" said Matt and Dory, when the boats were clear of the pier. The crews had been so well trained that the twenty-four oars struck the water at the same instant; but the loom, or part near the handle, of the oars was not allowed to fall upon the rail, or into the rowlocks. They are put in proper position after they are dropped.

"Give way--together!" said Matt and Dory, when they had seen that each oarsman was ready for the pull.

All the rowers caught the stroke the first time trying, but it had taken a great deal of practice to enable them to do so. The boys pulled a very even, uniform, and steady stroke. All the oars were raised to the same height above the water, and sunk to the same depth beneath its surface.

The barges were not mere fancy craft, built for speed, and for nothing else. Considering their great size they were very light, but they were strongly built. They were constructed after a beautiful model, yet at the same time they were good sea boats, able and safe. As the students were liable to be caught on the other side of the lake in rough weather, Captain Gildrock considered staunch boats as necessary on Lake Champlain as on the ocean. The short, choppy sea of the fresh-water lakes is more trying to any kind of a craft than the long waves of the Atlantic.

The two barges darted down the lake as though they had been shot from a gun. It was a cool day, with the wind fresh from the northwest, and the crews were in just the right condition to do their best at the oars. Since their recent defeat in the race, the first class had been working hard to improve in rowing, and Matt Randolph had succeeded in imparting his own enthusiasm to his crew. But nothing was said about another race, for the first class meant to be sure before they risked another trial. Dory Dornwood saw what the machinists--as they sometimes called the higher class--were about, and he did not go to sleep.

The boats passed through the narrow outlet into Beaver River, and the Winooski appeared to have lost a length in coming down from Beech Hill Lake. Dory watched the Gildrock, and soon discovered that she was gaining on him. The other crew had been practising by themselves a good deal lately, and it was evident that Matt Randolph had made a decided improvement both in style and power in the work of his crew.

Dory said nothing, and did not attempt to increase the speed of his boat. At the mouth of the river the Gildrock was half a dozen lengths ahead of him, and her crew seemed to be exerting themselves to widen the distance between the two barges. The boys of the leading boat could see the other all the time, while the Winooskis could not, for no rower was allowed to look behind him.

"The Gildrock is half a mile ahead of us!" exclaimed Life Windham, the stroke oarsman of the Winooski; for the other boat had changed her course to the southward, and a side glance had enabled him to see her.

"Not so bad as that, Life," replied Dory, with a smile.

"Don't let them beat us, Dory," added Ned Bellows, on the next thwart.

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