Inland Waterways

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Inland Waterways
or
The Cruise of the Restless
by James Otis
1889

CHAPTER I.
THE TOW LINE.
NEAR Market Street Ferry, in the city of Philadelphia, is located the shipping and commission house of Gilman & Baker; and lying at the pier directly opposite, on a certain day this summer, was a jaunty but odd-looking yacht, thirty-five feet in length, with the name Restless in gilt letters on her bow.
In general design she was not different from the ordinary steam yacht; but the short smokestack rising from the hurricane deck aft caused her to appear, as the cook of a tugboat nearby expressed it, "like she had been stripped half naked." Every one who saw her stopped for a moment at least, and several, on learning that she was what is known as a "naphtha launch," pronounced most emphatically against the use of such power.
"It's bad enough to run the risk of bein' blowed up by a reg'lar steam craft," the cook of the tug said musingly; "but after it comes to sailin' with what's worse'n a powder magazine aboard, I'm ready to stay ashore. When two or three barrels of oil are where a match will send the whole craft flyin' like a sky rocket, it's mightily near temptin' of Providence to run her from here to Camden."
The cook had no further opportunity to express his opinion regarding the Restless, for just then his own craft steamed off to answer the signal of a brig in the stream, and the approaching owners of the yacht were spared the pain of hearing her supposed defects commented upon.
Philip Gilman and Harry Baker were the two boys who believed themselves particularly fortunate in possessing such a steamer, and they had left their fathers' place of business to join a friend, Nat Hinkle, who had this moment made his appearance on the pier.
"We've been waiting nearly an hour for you," Harry said petulantly. "Father insists that we can't make the voyage unless it shall be possible to get an outfit for one hundred dollars, and with the list which we made out last night that doesn't seem probable."
"Why not leave off some of the articles?" Nat asked cheerily. "I'd be willing to get along almost any way for the sake of running the Restless from here to the St. Lawrence River. I'm sorry you have been waiting, but it hasn't been ten minutes since father consented to the scheme. He doesn't think a naphtha boat is safe."
"If he took a run down the river in this one I fancy he would think differently. Since he has consented, however, let's attend to the outfit at once, in order to start to-morrow if possible, for everything depends upon how much we can buy for a hundred dollars."
"Where is the list?"
"Here; and we are going to Wanamaker's first. In case of a failure there, we will strike out the tent and fishing material, although I dislike to go without them."
The boys lost no time in deciding the important question. Upon arriving at the store they set about pricing each particular thing needed, a method which might have prolonged this portion of the task until all three were discouraged, and but a small assortment had been selected, when one of the salesmen said:
"I've been on such cruises myself, therefore have a pretty good idea of what will be actually needed. Give me the list and I promise to select such an outfit as will be necessary, without exceeding your limit."
"We're making a dismal failure of the job," Phil replied, with a sigh of relief, "and unless you succeed, the scheme of a long voyage will fall through, for three fellows can't get through without considerable stuff."
Half an hour later the sympathetic clerk handed them a bill, in which nothing essential had been omitted, and a number of necessary articles were added, the whole forming a very complete sea and shore equipment; but yet the total cost was nearly twelve dollars less than the amount specified.
"That will help us out on the tender we want to buy," Phil said in a tone of satisfaction, as he glanced over the items; and then he produced an order from the firm of Gilman & Baker, authorizing the delivery of the outfit on board the yacht Restless.
The work of provisioning the craft was to be performed by Mr. Gilman himself, therefore the boys had nothing more to do but receive and stow away the goods, a task which was not finished until late that evening.
A space of about three feet long directly abaft the cabin and forward of the engine was to be used as a kitchen, and here the cooking utensils were packed in a locker. The tent, cot beds and hammocks were stored in the standing room, while the remainder of the outfit, together with the