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Randy of the River: The Adventures of a Young Deckhand, a novel by Horatio Alger |
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Chapter 12. A Steamboat Man |
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_ CHAPTER XII. A STEAMBOAT MAN Having saved the lady from her uncomfortable if not dangerous position, Jack lost no time in rowing for the shore. Soon he was at the river bank and the lady leaped out of the rowboat and ran to where Randy had placed his dripping burden on the grass. "My Helen! Is she safe?" asked the lady, anxiously. "I think so," answered our hero. "But I guess she swallowed some river water." "Oh, how thankful I am that you went after her." "It was the only thing to do. I saw she couldn't swim." The little girl was still gasping for breath. The mother threw herself on the grass and did what she could for her. Soon the little girl gave a cry: "Mamma!" "Yes, darling, I am here!" "Oh, dear! I am all wet!" "Be thankful that your life has been spared." "That boy brought me out of the water." "Yes, dear--and he was brave to do it," answered the mother and beamed on Randy to such an extent that he had to blush. By this time the two men had also come ashore. The steam was still blowing off on the tug but the danger appeared to be over. Later the engineer announced that a valve and a connection had broken, and the craft would have to remain where she was until towed off. "I am glad to see you are all safe," said the man who ran the tug. "There wasn't very much danger on board." "It looked bad enough," said one of the men who had leaped overboard. "I didn't want to get scalded." "And neither did I," added the other. It appeared that neither of the men knew the lady excepting by name. She was, however, fairly well known to the tug captain, and had gone up the river on the craft to please her little girl. "I am sorry for this, Mrs. Shalley," said the tug owner. "I must say, I don't know what to do." "I must get dry clothing on Helen pretty soon." "The tug is wet from end to end from the escaped steam." "If I was down at Riverport I could go to the hotel," went on Mrs. Shalley. "We can take you down in our rowboat," said Jack. "It won't take very long." "Can I trust myself in the boat?" "Certainly, if you'll only sit still." The matter was talked over, and it was decided that the lady and her little girl should be taken down to Riverport by Randy and Jack. The party was soon on the way. "My name is Mrs. Andrew Shalley," said the lady. "My husband is a steamboat owner. May I ask your names?" "Mine is Jack Bartlett. I live in Riverport, but I am going to move to Albany." "And my name is Randy Thompson," added our hero. "I live over there--in the little cottage by that clump of trees." "I am pleased to know you," said the lady. "It was more than kind of both of you to come to the assistance of myself and my daughter." "It wasn't so much to do," answered Randy. "We were close by." "You are soaking wet." "It's an old working suit and I don't mind the water," laughed our hero. "What a nice lot of fish," said little Helen, who had now completely recovered. "I feel I should reward you both," went on Mrs. Shalley. "I don't want anything," said Jack, promptly. "And neither do I," added our hero. The hotel at which the lady was stopping was built close to the river bank. Mother and child landed at the dock and Randy and Jack bade them good-by. "I shall try to see you again," said Mrs. Shalley, as she started for the hotel. "Evidently a very nice lady," remarked Jack, as he and Randy rowed away. "Yes." "I think she wanted to reward us, Randy." "I think so myself, but I don't want any reward." "Neither do I, although I shouldn't mind, say ten thousand dollars," went on Jack, by way of a joke. "Or the Presidency of the United States," added Randy, in an equally light tone. The boys had caught so many fish Randy decided to sell some from his share. He found a purchaser on the dock where they landed and started home richer by fifty cents. "If I can't get anything else to do, I can do some fishing later on," he mused. "I can get at least two or three dollars' worth of fish a week, and that would be better than nothing--and I could keep right on with the farm, too." When Randy returned home he had quite a story to tell, to which both his father and his mother listened with interest. "Randy, you must be careful in the water," said Mrs. Thompson, with an anxious look in her eyes. "Supposing that girl had dragged you down?" "I was on my guard, mother." "Randy is a good swimmer," said his father. "I was a good swimmer myself, in my younger days." The fish proved acceptable, and Randy readily got Jerry Borden to trade him some bacon for a mess, and also give him some fresh vegetables. "Gosh! Wish I'd gone fishing," said Sammy. "I like to catch big fish." "Well, I am not going to stop you," said our hero. "Sammy never has no luck," put in Mrs. Borden. "Once he went fishing all day and all he got was three little fish." "Didn't nuther!" cried Sammy. "I got twelve big bites, but they got away." "It's the big fish that always get away," said Randy, with a smile. "Never mind, Sammy, maybe we can go together some day." "I'd like that," answered the overgrown country boy. "Did that Bartlett boy get any fish?" asked Mrs. Borden. "Just as many as I did." "I understand they are going to move away." "Yes, to Albany." "They say down to the iron works that Mr. Bangs is glad to have Mr. Bartlett out of the place." "I guess that is true." "It's too bad! All of the men liked Mr. Bartlett." "Don't they like Mr. Bangs?" "Not a bit--so Mr. Reilly was telling my husband. They say Mr. Bangs is mean to everybody." Two days slipped by, and Randy was at work in the garden one afternoon when he saw a buggy stop at the front of the cottage and a portly man alighted. Knowing his mother was busy, our hero went to meet the newcomer. "Is this where Randy Thompson lives?" asked the portly gentleman. "Yes, sir, I am Randy Thompson." "Oh!" The gentleman held out his hand. "I am glad to know you. My name is Andrew Shalley. You did my wife and little girl a great service the other day." "I only did what seemed necessary," answered Randy, modestly. "Will you come into the house, Mr. Shalley?" "Thanks, I'll sit down on your porch." The gentleman did so. "What are you doing, farming?" "A little. We got this place so late this season I cannot do a great deal. Next year I hope to have the farm in much better shape." "Do you like it?" "I try to like it." "Then you are not naturally a farmer?" "No, sir." "Is your father living?" "Yes, sir; but he is laid up with rheumatism, so he cannot work at present. He is a carpenter." "Indeed! I was a carpenter when I was a young man." "I thought Mrs. Shalley said you were a steamboat owner." "I am, now. I gave up carpentering to go into the freight business. I made money, and then bought a small freight boat. Then I branched out, and now own a steamboat running up and down the Hudson River, and I also own several steam tugs." "Do you own the one that got into trouble the other day?" "No, a friend of mine owns that--that is how my wife and little girl happened to be on board. I am----" Mr. Shalley stopped short as a form appeared in the doorway behind him. "This is my mother. Mother, this is Mr. Shalley, the steamboat owner." "I am glad to meet you," said Mrs. Thompson, politely. "Will you come in?" "Thank you, but it is very pleasant on the porch. Madam, you have a good son," went on the steamboat owner. "I know that." "He did my wife and little girl a great service the other day." "Yes, he told me what he did." "I think--er--that is, I'd like to reward you," stammered Andrew Shalley. He saw that Randy was no common boy with whom to deal. "Thank you, but I don't wish any reward, sir." "I felt you would say that," answered Andrew Shalley. "The other lad said the same." "Then you have seen Jack Bartlett?" "Yes, I just came from there. I wanted to reward him, but he would not have it. But I fixed him," and the steamboat owner smiled broadly. "Yes?" said Mrs. Thompson, curiously. "I found out he was going to move to Albany, so I gave him a free pass on my steamboat, the _Helen Shalley_--named after my wife. Now he can go up and down the river as much as he pleases and it won't cost him a cent. I told him I'd depend upon him to haul folks out of the water if they fell overboard," and the steamboat owner laughed broadly. "That ought to suit Jack--he loves the water so," said Randy. "Do you like the water, too?" "Yes, sir." "Then maybe you'd like a pass also." "I couldn't use it, Mr. Shalley." "I was only joking. But really, Randy, I'd like to do something for you, to show I appreciate what you did for my wife and for Helen." "I do not want anything, Mr. Shalley, excepting work." "Work? I should imagine you had enough of that right here." "I mean work that would pay me regular wages. We must have money. My father needs the doctor, and medicine, and we have to buy groceries, and such, and we can't make the farm pay the bills." "I understand, my lad. Where is your father?" "I am here, sir," came from the couch in the sitting room. "May I come in, Mr. Thompson?" "Certainly," answered the sick man, and a moment later Andrew Shalley entered the cottage and was shaking hands with Randy's father. _ |
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