Haste and Waste | Page 3

did its work in an instant; and before the bank director had fairly begun to tremble, the rotten mainsail of the Missisque was blown into ribbons, and the "flapping flitters" were streaming in the air. Piece after piece was detached from the bolt-rope, and disappeared in the heavy atmosphere. The sloop, in obedience to her helm, came about, and was now headed down the lake. The rain began to fall in torrents, and Mr. Randall was as uncomfortable as the director of a country bank could be.
"Go below, sir!" shouted Captain John to the unhappy man.
"Is it safe?" asked Mr. Randall.
"Safe enough."
"Won't she sink?"
"Sink? no; she can't sink," replied the skipper. "The wu'st on't's over now."
The fury of the squall was spent in a moment, and then the fury of Captain John began to gather, as he saw the remnants of the sail flapping at the gaff and the boom. The Missisque and her cargo were safe, and not a single one of the precious lives of her crew had been sacrificed; but the skipper was as dissatisfied as the skipper of a lake sloop could be; more so, probably, than if the vessel had gone to the bottom, and left him clinging for life to a lone spar on the angry waters, for men are often more reasonable under great than under small misfortunes.
"Why didn't you let go that throat-halyard?" said he, as he walked forward to where the young pilot stood.
"I did," replied Lawry quietly.
"You did! What was the use of lettin' it go after the squall had split the sail? Why didn't you do it sooner?"
"I did it as soon as I saw the squall coming down on us."
"Why didn't you see it before then?" growled Captain John.
"I told you the squall was coming half an hour ago. Why didn't you come on deck, and attend to your vessel?"
"Don't be sassy," said Captain John.
"I'm not the skipper of this craft. If I had been, that sail would have been safe. I told you the squall was coming, and after that I did the best I could."
"You ain't good for nothin' 'board a vessel. I thought you knew enough to take in sail when you saw a squall comin'."
"I should have taken in sail long ago if I had thought the captain didn't know enough to come on deck when there was a squall coming up," replied Lawry.
"I don't want nothin' more of you."
"And I don't want anything more of you," added Lawry smartly. "I've got almost home."
"What do you s'pose I'm goin' to do here, eighty mile from Whitehall, with the mainsail blowed clean out?" snarled Captain John, as he followed Lawry.
"Mind your vessel better than you have, I hope."
"Don't be sassy, boy."
"You needn't growl at me because you neglected your duty. I did mine. I was casting off the halyards when the squall came."
"Why didn't you do it before? That's what I want to know."
"I had no orders from the captain. Men on board a vessel don't take in sail till they are told to do so. When I saw the squall coming, half an hour ago, I let you know it; that was all I had to do with it."
"I don't want you in this vessel; you are too smart for me," continued Captain John.
"I'll leave her just as soon as we get to Port Rock," said Lawry, sitting down on the rail.
The rain ceased in a few moments, and the skipper ordered the jib, which had before been useless, to be set. At the invitation of Mrs. Captain John, Lawry went below and ate his dinner, to which he felt himself entitled, for he was working his passage up from Plattsburg. By the time he had disposed of the last piece of green-apple pie on board, the Missisque was before Port Rock, which was the home of the young pilot, and he saw his father's ferry-boat at the shore as he came on deck.
"Will you put me ashore here, Captain John?" asked Lawry.
"Yes, I will; and I'm glad to get rid of you," replied the captain testily.
"I think I will land here, also," added the bank director. "Now you have lost your sail, I'm afraid you won't get along very fast."
"I don't expect I shall. I sha'n't get to Shoreham till to-morrow morning with this wind. I'm sorry it happened so; but that boy didn't mind what he was about."
"The captain didn't mind what he was about," added Lawry. "He needn't lay it to me, when it was all his own fault."
"I will cross the lake, and get a horse at Pointville, so that I shall be in Shoreham by five o'clock," continued the bank director.
Captain John ordered one of the men to pull Mr. Randall and Lawry ashore in the boat, and in