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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://archive.org/details/throughbydaylighOOopt 
 
THE LAKE SHORE SERIES. 
 
 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT; 
 
 THE YOUNG ENGINEER 
 
 LAKE SHORE RAILROAD. 
 
 BY 
 
 OLIVER OPTIC, 
 
 T3 AMERICA ABROAD," " THE ARMY A> 
 
 iRRY FLAG SERIES," " THE WOODVILLE i 
 
 "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," ETC. 
 
 AUTHOK OF "Y0CK3 AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIESi 
 
 " THE STARRY FLAG SERIES," " THE WOODVILLE STORIES," 
 
 "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," ETC. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 LEE, SHEPARD AND DILLINGHAM. 
 
 1873. 
 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 
 
 WILLIAM T. ADAMS, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 ELECTROTYPE!) AT THE 
 
 BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY, 
 
 NO. 19 SPRING, LANE. 
 
TO 
 
 MY YOUNG FRIEND 
 JAMES ELLIOT BAKER 
 
 IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. 
 
THE LAKE SHORE SERIES. 
 
 1. THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT ; or, The Young Engineer 
 
 of the Lake Shore Kailroad. 
 
 2. LIGHTNING EXPRESS; or, The Eival Academies. 
 
 3. ON TIME; or, The Young Captain of the Ucayga 
 
 Steamer. 
 
 4. SWITCH OFF; or, The War of the Students. 
 
 5. BRAKE UP; or, The Young Peacemakers. 
 
 6. BEAR AND FORBEAR; or, The Young Skipper of Lake 
 
 Ucayga. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The Lake Shoee Series, of which this book is the first 
 volume, includes six stories, whose locality and principal 
 characters are nearly the same, and which were originally pub- 
 lished in Oliver Optic's Magazine, Our Boys and Girls. The 
 railroad, which is the basis of the incidents in the first and 
 second volumes was suggested by the experience of several 
 young gentlemen in Ohio, who had formed a company, and 
 transacted all the business of a railroad in regular form, for 
 the purpose of obtaining a practical knowledge of the details' 
 of such a corporation. They issued certificates of shares, 
 bonds, with interest coupons, elected officers, and appointed 
 all the employees required for the management of a well- 
 ordered railroad. The author is the fortunate possessor of 
 one of the bonds of this company — " The Miami Valley 
 Eailroad." 
 
 The young engineer is doubtless a smart boy; but so far as 
 his mechanical skill is concerned, several counterparts of him 
 
 (5) 
 
6 PREFACE. 
 
 have come to the knowledge of the 'writer. If he has an 
 " old head," he has a young heart, which he endeavors to 
 keep pure and true. As he appears in this and the subse- 
 quent volumes of the series, the author is willing to com- 
 mend him as an example of the moral and Christian hero, 
 who cannot lead his imitators astray; for he loves truth and 
 goodness, and is willing to forgive and serve his enemies. 
 
 Harbison Square, Mass., 
 
 July 21, 1869. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Me. Waddie Wimpleton .....11 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 A Tremendous Explosion 21 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Wolf's Father 32 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 On the Locomotive 42 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Christy Holgate 52 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 On the Locomotive 62 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The Vial of Wrath 72 
 
COKTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEK VIII. 
 The Dummy Engine 83 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 TOPPLETONIANS AND WlMPLETONIANS 94 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Colonel Wimpleton and Son 105 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Better Thoughts and Deeds 116 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Wolf's Fortress 127 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Captain Stnders 138 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Raising the Dummy 150 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Getting up Steam 161 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 The Eirst Trip op the Dummy 172 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Mother's Advice 183 
 
CONTENTS. y 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Waddie's Mistake 194 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Rich Men's Quarrels 205 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 The Beautiful Passenger 216 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Some Talk with Colonel Wimpleton 22 ? 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 The Construction Train ... 239 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 Off the Track 251 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 The Grand Picnic 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 Wolf's Speech 275 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 The Auction Sale 287 
 
THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE LAKE 
 SHORE RAILROAD. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MR. WADDIE WIHPLETON". 
 
 POP, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop — six pops. 
 Mr. Waddie Wimpleton, an elegant young 
 gentleman of fifteen, by all odds the nicest young 
 man in Centreport, was firing at a mark with a re- 
 volver. It was a very beautiful revolver, too, silver- 
 mounted, richly chased, and highly polished in all its 
 parts, discharging six shots at each revolution, not 
 often at the target in the unskilful hands of Mr. 
 Waddie, but sometimes near enough to indicate what 
 the marksman was shooting at. 
 Even the target was quite an elaborate affair ; and 
 
 (ii) 
 
12 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 though Mr. Waddie had been shooting -at it for a 
 week, it was hardly damaged by the trial to which it 
 had been subjected. It was two feet in diameter, 
 having in its centre a tolerably correct resemblance 
 of one of the optics of a bovine masculine ; and this 
 enigma, being literally interpreted, meant the bull's 
 eye, which Mr. Waddie was expected to hit, or at least 
 to try to hit. Around it were several circles in black, 
 red, yellow, green, and blue, each indicating a certain 
 distance from the objective point of the shooter. 
 There were a few holes in the target within these 
 circles, but the central eye was not put out, and still 
 glared defiance at the ambitious marksman. 
 
 Mr. Waddie Wimpleton had everything he wanted, 
 and therefore never wanted anything he had. There 
 was no end to the ponies, sail-boats, row-boats, guns, 
 pistols, fishing-rods, and other sporting gear, which 
 came into his possession, and of which he soon became 
 weary. His father was as rich as an East Indian 
 prince, and Mr. Waddie being an only son, though 
 there were two daughters, who partially " put his 
 nose out of joint," his paternal parent had labored 
 industriously to spoil the child from babyhood. I am 
 
THE YOUNG ENGESTEEK. 13 
 
 forced to acknowledge that he succeeded even better 
 than he intended. 
 
 Mr. Waddie was always waiting and watching for 
 a new sensation. A magnificent kite, of party-colored 
 silk, had evidently occupied his attention during the 
 earlier hours of the morning, and it now lay neglected 
 on the ground, the line stretched off in the direction 
 of the lake. The young gentleman had become tired 
 of the plaything, and when I approached him he was 
 blazing away at the target with the revolver, at the 
 rate of six shots in three seconds. I halted at a re- 
 spectful distance from the marksman. He was not 
 shooting at me, but I regarded this as the very reason 
 why he would be likely to hit me. If he had been 
 aiming at me, I should have approached him with 
 more confidence. 
 
 Keeping well in the rear of the young gentleman, I 
 came within hailing distance of him. I did not belong 
 to the "Upper-ten" of Centreport, and I could not be 
 said to be familiaily acquainted with him. My father 
 was the engineer in his father's steam-flouring mills, 
 and a person of my humble connections was of no 
 account in his estimation. But I am forced to 
 
14 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 confess that I had not that awe and respect for Mr. 
 Waddie which wealth and a lofty social position de- 
 mand of the humble classes. I had the audacity to 
 approach the young scion of an influential house ; and 
 it was audacious, considered in reference to his pistol, 
 if not to his social position. 
 
 Pop, pop, pop, went the revolver again, as I placed 
 myself about five rods in his rear, feeling tolerably 
 safe in this position. When he had fired the three 
 shots, he stopped and looked at me. I could not 
 heljD noticing that his face wore an unusual aspect. 
 Though he was at play, engaged in what would have 
 been exceedingly exciting sport to a boy of my simple 
 tastes, he did not appear to enjoy it. To be entirely 
 candid, he looked ugly, and seemed to have no in- 
 terest whatever in his game. 
 
 Mr. Waddie Wimpleton could not only look ugly, 
 but he could be ugly — as ugly as sin itself. Only 
 the day before he had been concerned in an awful 
 row on board of a canal boat, which lay .at the pier 
 a dozen rods from the spot where he was shooting. 
 The boat had brought down a load of coal for the 
 use of the steam mill, and having discharged her 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 15 
 
 cargo, was waiting till a fleet should be gathered of 
 sufficient numbers to employ a small steamer to tow 
 them up the lake. Mr. Waddle had gone on board. 
 The owner's family, according to the custom, lived in 
 the cabin, and the young gentleman had employed his 
 leisure moments in teasing the skipper's daughter, a 
 pretty and spirited girl of his own age. She answered 
 his taunting speech with so much vim that Mr. Wad- 
 die got mad, and absolutely insulted her, using lan- 
 guage which no gentleman would use in the presence 
 of a female. 
 
 At this point her father interfered, and reproved the 
 nice young man so sharply, and withal so justly, that 
 Waddie's wrath turned from the daughter to the 
 parent, and in his anger he picked up a piece of coal, 
 and hurled it at the honest skipper's head. The 
 latter, being the independent owner and master of 
 the canal boat, and also an American citizen with 
 certain unalienable rights, dodged the missile, and 
 resented the impudence by seizing the young scion 
 of an influential house by the collar of his coat, and 
 after giving him a thorough shaking, much to the dis- 
 comfiture of his purple aud fine linen, threw him on 
 
16 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 the pier, very much as a Scotch terrier disposes of a 
 rat after he has sufficiently mauled him. 
 
 Mr. Waddie was not accustomed to this sort of 
 treatment. Whatever he did in Centreport, and es- 
 pecially about his father's estate and the steam mills, 
 no one thought of opposing him. If he set any one's 
 shed on fire, shot anybody's cow, or did other mis- 
 chief, the only remedy was to carry a bill of damages 
 to the young gentleman's father; and then, though 
 the claim was for double the value of the cow or the 
 shed, the fond parent paid it without murmuring. 
 No one had ever thought of taking satisfaction for 
 injuries by laying violent hands on the scion. 
 
 But the worthy captain of the canal boat, though 
 he knew Colonel Wimpleton very well, had not 
 learned to appraise an insult to him or his family in 
 dollars and cents. The " young rascal," as he pro- 
 fanely called the young gentleman, had insulted his 
 daughter, had used vile and unbecoming language to 
 her, and if he had had a cowhide in his hand at the 
 time, he would have used it unmercifully upon the 
 soft skin of the dainty scion. He had no weapon 
 but in his strong arms. Mr. Waddie had been made 
 
 4 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 17 
 
 to feel the weight of his muscle, and to see more 
 stars than often twinkled over the tranquil surface 
 of Lake Ucayga. 
 
 Perhaps, if the indignant skipper of the canal boat 
 had known Mr. Wadclie better, he would have been 
 disposed to moderate his wrath, and to have chosen 
 a less objectionable mode of chastising his victim; 
 though on this point I am not clear, for he was 
 an American citizen, and an unprovoked insult to 
 his daughter was more than he could patiently 
 endure. 
 
 Mr. Waddie struck the pier on his "beam ends." 
 I beg to inform my readers that I am a fresh-water 
 sailor, and from the force of habit sometimes indulge 
 in salt expressions. In the rapid evolutions which 
 he had been compelled to make under the energetic 
 treatment of the stalwart skipper, his ideas were 
 considerably " mixed." His body had performed so 
 many unwonted and involuntary gyrations, that his 
 muscles and limbs had been twisted into an aching 
 condition. Besides, he struck the planks, whereof 
 the pier was composed, so heavily, that the shock 
 jounced from his body almost all the breath which 
 2 
 
18 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 had not been expended in the gust of passion pre- 
 ceding the final catastrophe. 
 
 The scion lay on the pier like a branch detached 
 from the parent tree ; for if he realized anything in 
 that moment of defeat and disaster, it was that not 
 even his father's influence had, on this occasion, saved 
 him from deserved retribution. He must have felt 
 for the instant like one alone in the world. Mr. 
 Waddie was ugly, as I have before suggested. The 
 dose which had just been administered to him need- 
 ed to be repeated many times, in order to effect a 
 radical cure of his besetting sin. He was well pun- 
 ished, but unfortunately his antecedents had not been 
 such as to prepare him for the remedial agency. It 
 did him no good. 
 
 Mr. Waddie lay upon the pier roaring like a bull. 
 According to the legends of his childhood, some one 
 ought to come and pick him up ; some one ought 
 to appear and mollify his rage, by promising sum- 
 mary vengeance upon the " naughty man " who had 
 upset his philosophy, and almost riven his joints 
 asunder. But no one came. His father and mother 
 were not within the hearing of his voice — no one 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 19 
 
 but myself and the irate skipper and his family. 
 The young gentleman lay on the pier and roared. 
 All the traditions of the past were falsified, for no 
 one came to his aid. I did not consider it my duty 
 to meddle, under the circumstances, and the skipper 
 would sooner have shaken him again than undone 
 the good deed he had accomplished. 
 
 As no one came to comfort him, Mi\ Waddie 
 roared till he was tired of roaring — till the breath 
 came back to his body, and the full measure of I 
 ugliness came back to his mind. He got up. He 
 walked down to the side of the canal boat, where 
 the honest captain was sitting composedly on his 
 stool. Mr. Waddie stormed furiously; Mr. Waddie 
 even swore violently. Mr. Waddie inquired, in heated 
 tones, if the honest skipper knew who he was. 
 
 The honest skipper did not care who he was. He 
 was an " unlicked cub." No man or boy should in- 
 sult his " darter " without as heavy a thrashing as he 
 felt able to give him ; and if the young gentleman 
 gave him any more " sarse," he would just step 
 ashore and dip him a few times in the lake, just by 
 way of cooling his heated blood, and giving him a 
 lesson in good manners. 
 
20 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 Mr. Waddie had already tasted the quality of the 
 skipper's muscle, and he slowly retreated from the 
 pier ; but as he went, he vowed vengeance upon the 
 author of his disaster. As he passed the spot where 
 I was stopping a leak in an old skiff belonging to 
 my father, he repeated his threats, and I felt confi- 
 dent at the time that Mr. Waddie intended to an- 
 nihilate the honest skipper at the first convenient 
 opportunity. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION. 
 
 "R. WADDIE fired three shots from his re- 
 volver, and then turned to look at me ; and 
 he looked ugly. 
 
 My father's house was near the spot. I had been 
 planting peas in the garden all the morning, and I 
 had observed that the young gentleman was un- 
 usually steadfast in his occupations. He had raised 
 his kite, and kept it up for half an hour. Then he 
 had fastened the string to the target, and "run it 
 down." Occasionally I glanced at him to see what 
 he was about. After he had brought the kite down, 
 I saw him bringing it up to the target. Then he 
 went on board of the canal boat at the pier. The 
 honest skipper had locked up the cabin, and gone 
 with his family to visit his relations at Ruoara, eight 
 miles below Centreport. 
 
22 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 Mr. Wadclie appeared to be making himself at 
 home on board. He went down into the hold, and 
 remained there a considerable time. After the sav- 
 age threats I had heard him make the day before, 
 it would not have surprised me to see the flames 
 rising from the honest skipper's craft ; but nothing 
 of this kind had yet occurred, though I was fully 
 satisfied that the scion was plotting mischief. After 
 he had been on board half an hour, he returned to 
 the target, and popped away a while at it, though, 
 as I have before observed, he did not seem to take 
 any particular interest in the amusement. 
 
 On this day the flour mills were not at work, 
 having suspended operations to put in a new boiler. 
 After everything was ready for it, the boiler did not 
 arrive, and all hands were obliged to take a vaca- 
 tion, to await its coming. The mill was, therefore, 
 deserted, and my father had a little time to attend 
 to his own affairs. He was going down to TJcayga, 
 at the foot of the lake, upon business, which I shall 
 have occasion to explain by and by. He had gone 
 up to the town, and as he had given me permission 
 to go with him, I was to meet him at the steamboat 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 23 
 
 landing. I was on my way to this point when I 
 paused to observe Mr. Waddie's shooting. 
 
 A revolver is a very pretty toy for a boy of fif- 
 teen. My father would as soon have thought of 
 giving me a live rattlesnake for a pet, as a pistol 
 for a plaything. At the same time, I understood 
 and appreciated the instrument, and should have 
 been proud and happy as the possessor of it. Mr. 
 Waddle, in one of his gracious moments, had per- 
 mitted me to fire this pistol, and I flattered myself 
 that I could handle it much better than he. He 
 never did anything well, and therefore he did not 
 shoot well. As I stood there, at a respectful dis- 
 tance, admiring the splendid weapon, I envied him 
 the fun which might be got out of it, though I was 
 very sure he did not make the most of it. 
 
 He suspended his operations, and looked at me. 
 I hoped he was going to give me an invitation to 
 shoot ; and I felt that, if he did, I could soon spoil 
 the enigmatical eye that glared at the shooter from 
 the target. 
 
 "What do you want, Wolf?" said he. 
 
 Perhaps it is not nece&sary for me to explain that 
 
24 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 I was not actually a wolf; but it is necessary for 
 me to say that this savage appellation was the name 
 by which I was usually known and called in Cen- 
 treport. My father's name was Ralph Penniruan, 
 and at the time I was born he lived on the banks 
 of the Hudson. He had taken such a strong fancy 
 for some of the creations of Washington Irving, that 
 he insisted, in spite of an earnest protest on the 
 part of my mother, upon calling me Wolfert, after 
 one of the distinguished author's well-known char- 
 acters, who obtained a great deal of money where 
 he least expected to find it. In vain my mother 
 pleaded that the only possible nickname — in a land 
 where nicknames were as inevitable as the baby's 
 teeth — would be Wolf. My father continued to 
 insist, having no particular objection to the odious 
 name. I was called Wolfert, and I shall be Wolf 
 as long as I live; perhaps, after I die, if the width 
 of my tomb-stone compels the lapidary to abbreviate 
 my name. 
 
 « What do you want, Wolf? " asked Mr. Waddie, 
 in a surly tone, which led me to think that I was 
 an intruder. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 25 
 
 " Nothing," I replied ; and knowing how easy it 
 was to get up a quarrel with the scion, I began to 
 move on. 
 
 " Come here ; I want you," added Mr. Waddie, 
 in a tone which seemed to leave no alternative but 
 obedience. 
 
 "I can't. I have to go to the steamboat wharf," 
 I ventured to suggest. 
 
 " O, come here — will you ? I won't keep you 
 but a minute." 
 
 Mr. Waddie was almost invariably imperious ; but 
 now he used a coaxing tone, which I could not 
 resist. I could not help seeing that there was some- 
 thing about him which was strange and unnatural 
 — a forced expression and manner, that it bothered 
 me to explain. If the young gentleman was en- 
 gaged in any mischief, he was sufficiently accus- 
 tomed to it to do without any of the embarrassment 
 which distinguished his present demeanor. But I 
 could not see anything wrong, and he did not ap- 
 pear to be engaged in any conspiracy against the 
 canal boat, or the honest skipper in command of 
 it. Appearances, however, are often delusive, and 
 
26 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 they could hardly be otherwise, when Mr. Waddie 
 attempted to look amiable and conciliatory. 
 
 "You are a good fellow, Wolf," he added. 
 
 I knew that before, and the intelligence was no 
 news to me ; yet the condescension of the scion was 
 marvellous in the extreme, and I wondered what 
 was going to happen, quite sure that something 
 extraordinary was about to transpire. 
 
 " What do you want of me, Waddie ? " I asked, 
 curiously. 
 
 " I'm going up to the steamboat wharf, and I want 
 you to help me wind up my kite-line," he added, 
 bustling about as though he meant what he said. 
 
 " How came your kite-line over there when your 
 kite is up here ? " 
 
 "O, I untied it, and brought it up here so as not 
 to tear the kite — that's all. Take hold of the 
 string and pull it in." 
 
 I picked up the line. As I did so, Mr. Wacldie 
 gave a kind of start, and held his elbow up at the 
 side of his head. But I did not pull on the line, 
 for, to tell the honest truth, I was afraid be was up 
 to some trick. 
 
THE YOUHG ENGINEEK. 27 
 
 " Why don't you haul it in, you fool ? " demanded 
 Waddie, with more excitement than the occasion 
 seemed to require. 
 
 " I can't stop to wind it up, Waddie ; I'm in a 
 hurry. My father is waiting for me up at the wharf." 
 
 " It won't take but a couple of minutes ; pull in, 
 and I'll give you three shots with this revolver," he 
 added. 
 
 "I can't stay to fire the shots now." 
 
 " Yes, you can ! Come, pull in, and don't be all 
 day about it," continued he, impatiently. 
 
 I was almost sure he was up to some trick; he 
 was earnest and excited. The longer I staid, the 
 worse it would be for me, and I dropped the string. 
 
 " Pick it up again ! " shouted Waddie ; and at the 
 same moment he fired off the pistol. 
 
 I did pick it up; for though the pistol ball did 
 not come very near me, I heard it whistle through 
 the air, and as I had never been under -fire, I am 
 willing to confess that it frightened me. I do not 
 think Waddie meant to hit me when he fired, but 
 this consciousness made me all the more fearful for 
 my own safety. 
 
28 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 "Now, pull in, you ninny! If you don't mind 
 when your betters speak to you, I'll put one of 
 these bullets into you." 
 • "Do you mean to kill me, Waddie?" I asked. 
 
 " No, not if you mind what I say to you." 
 
 "But I tell you my father is waiting for me at 
 the steamboat wharf." 
 
 " No matter if he is ; he's paid for waiting when 
 I want you. Why don't you pull in ? " 
 
 I don't know exactly why I did not pull in. He 
 threatened to shoot me, on the one hand, if I didn't 
 pull in, and I felt as though something would happen, 
 on the other hand, if I did pull in. It was not im- 
 probable to me, just then, that the young scion had 
 planted a torpedo in the ground, which was to be 
 touched off by pulling the string, and which was to 
 send me flying up into the air. I would have given 
 something handsome, at that moment, for ten rods 
 of space between me and the imperative young 
 scion at my side. 
 
 " Why don't you pull ? " yelled he, out of patience 
 with me at last. 
 
 Springing forward, he grasped the string which I 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 29 
 
 then held in my hand, and gave it a smart jerk, at 
 the same time pointing the revolver at my head, as 
 if to prevent my sudden departure. The pulling of 
 the kite-string more than realized my expectations. 
 The very earth was shaken beneath me, and the 
 lake trembled under the shock that followed. High 
 in air, from the pier, a dozen rods distant, rose, in 
 ten thousand fragments, the canal boat of the honest 
 skipper. By some trickery, which I could not under- 
 stand, the gayly-painted craft had been blown up 
 by the pulling of that kite-string. 
 
 I could not see through it ; in fact, I was so 
 utterly confounded by the noise, smoke, and dust 
 of the explosion, that I did not try to see through 
 it. I was amazed and confused, bewildered and 
 paralyzed. The fragments of the boat had been 
 scattered in a shower upon us, but none of them 
 were large enough to do us any serious injury. 
 
 My first thought was a sentiment of admiration 
 at the diabolical ingenuity of Mr. "Waddle. It was 
 clear enough now that this was the revenge of the 
 young gentleman upon the skipper for the punish- 
 ment he had inflicted upon him. By some contri- 
 
30 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 vance, not yet explained, the young reprobate had 
 ignited a quantity of powder, placed in the hold of 
 the boat, with the kite-line. The honest skipper 
 seemed to be the victim now. 
 
 " Now see what you have done ! " exclaimed Mr. 
 Waddie, when he, as well as I, had in some measure 
 recovered from the shock. 
 
 "I didn't do it," I replied, indignantly. 
 
 " Yes, you did, you fool ! Didn't you pull the 
 string ? " 
 
 " Not much ! You pulled it yourself," I pro- 
 tested. 
 
 " At any rate, we are both of us in a very sweet 
 scrape." 
 
 " I'm not in it ; I didn't know anything about it, 
 and I'm not going to stay here any longer," I 
 retorted, moving off. 
 
 " Stop, Wolf! " 
 
 He pointed the pistol at me again. I had had 
 about enough of this sort of thing, and I walked 
 back to him. 
 
 " Now, Wolf, if you want to — " 
 
 I did not wait for him to say any more. Choos- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 31 
 
 ing my time, I sprang upon him, wrested the pistol 
 from his grasp, threw him over backwards, and 
 made good my retreat to a grove near the spot, 
 just as the people were hurrying down to ascertain 
 the cause of the explosion. 
 
32 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 WOLF S FATHER. 
 
 finHE grove into which I had retreated was on 
 -JL the border of Colonel Wimpleton's estate, and 
 in its friendly covert I made my way to the road 
 which led to the steamboat wharf. I put the pistol 
 into my breast pocket, intending, of course, to give 
 it back to Waddie when I saw him again. Just then 
 I heard the whistle of the steamer, and hastened to 
 the pier. 
 
 I was now far enough away from the scene of the 
 explosion to be out of the reach of suspicious cir- 
 cumstances, and I had an opportunity to consider 
 my relations to the startling event which had just 
 transpired. I could not make up my mind whether 
 Mr. Waddie had been afraid to pull the string which 
 was to produce the blow-up, or whether he wished to 
 implicate me in the affair. If he had not been utter- 
 
THE YOTTNG ENGINEER. 33 
 
 ly wanting in all the principles of boy-honor, I should 
 not have suspected him of the latter. I could not 
 attribute his conduct to a lack of brute courage, for 
 he had finally pulled the string, though it was in my 
 hands at the time he did so. But it was of no great 
 consequence what his motives were. I had taken 
 no part in the blowing up of the honest skipper's 
 boat, and did not know what the programme was 
 until the explosion came off. I felt that I was all 
 right, therefore, especially as I had escaped from the 
 spot without being seen by any one. 
 
 After the catastrophe had occurred, Waddie had 
 rudely asked me to see what I had done. I had 
 taken the trouble to deny my own personal agency 
 in the affair, but he had finally insisted that I pulled 
 the string. This indicated a purpose on his part. 1 
 was in some manner mixed up in the matter; but, 
 as I had no grudge against the honest skipper, I 
 could not see why any person should be willing to 
 believe Waddie, even if he did declare that I was 
 engaged in the mischief. But above and beyond all 
 other considerations, I felt that I was not guilty, 
 and it was not proper that an honest young man 
 8 
 
34 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 like me should bother his head about contingencies, 
 and situations, and suspicions. It was enough to be 
 free from guilt, and I was content to let the appear? 
 ances take care of themselves. 
 
 I found my father on the pier when I arrived. 
 He was dressed in his best clothes, and looked like 
 the solid, substantial man that he was. He could 
 not very well be genteel in his appearance, for the 
 smoke and oil of his occupation clung to him, even 
 when he wore his holiday suit. I have noticed that 
 men of his calling — and my own for some years — 
 find it almost if not quite impossible to get rid of a 
 certain professional aspect which clings to them. I 
 have almost always been able to tell an engineer 
 when I see one. There is something in the calling 
 which goes with the man wherever he goes. 
 
 Though my father was not, and could not be, gen- 
 teel, I was not ashamed of him. On the contrary, 
 I was very proud of him, and proud of the profes- 
 sional asjsect he wore. His look and manner had a 
 savor of engines and machinery, which I tried to 
 obtain for myself. When I was going to have any 
 new clothes, I always insisted that they should be 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 35 
 
 blue, because my father never wore any other color ; 
 and I used to think, though I had not yet been 
 thoroughly steeped in oil and smoke, that I was not 
 very unlike an engineer. 
 
 Having acknowledged the possession of this pride 
 of occupation, I ought to explain where I got it. 
 It was not a mere vanity with me, for I desired to 
 look like an engineer because I was one. My father 
 and mother had been good parents to me, and had 
 proper notions in regard to my present and future 
 welfare. I was sixteen years old, and had been at 
 school all the time, summer and winter, until the 
 spring of the year in which my story opens. I do 
 not like to be egotistical, but I must say — since 
 there is no one else to say it for me — that I was 
 considered a very good scholar. I had just grad- 
 uated at the Wimpleton Institute, where I had 
 taken a high rank. I had particularly distinguished 
 myself in natural philosophy and chemistry, because 
 these studies were nearer to my heart than any 
 other. 
 
 I was my father's only boy, and he had always 
 manifested a peculiar interest in me. Even before 
 
36 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 I was old enough to go to school, while we lived 
 on the banks of the Hudson, my father was in the 
 habit of taking me into the engine-room with him. 
 I used to ask him hundreds of childish questions 
 about the machinery, whose answers I was not old 
 enough to understand ; but, as I grew in years and 
 mental power, the questions were repeated, and so 
 carefully explained, that before I ever read a de- 
 scription of the steam engine, I had a very tolerable 
 idea of the principles upon which it was constructed, 
 and knew its mechanical structure. 
 
 When I was old enough to read and understand 
 books, the steam engine became the study of my 
 life. I not only studied its philosophy in school, 
 but my father had quite a little library of books 
 relating to the subject, which I had read a great 
 many times, and whose contents I had considered 
 with the utmost care. A large portion of my spare 
 time was spent in the engine-room at the mills. I 
 had even run the machine for a week when my 
 father was sick. 
 
 I had gone farther than this in the study of my 
 favorite theme. As an engineer, my father was well 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 37 
 
 acquainted with all of the men of the same calling 
 in the steamboats on the lake, and with some of 
 them on the locomotives which ran on the railroad 
 through Ucayga, at the foot of the lake. When 
 our family paid a visit to our former residence on 
 the Hudson, I rode on the engine all the way, and 
 made a practical study of the locomotive. I flat- 
 tered myself I could run the machine as well as 
 the best of them. Christy Holgate was the engi- 
 neer of the steamer now coming up to the pier, and 
 under his instruction I had mastered the mysteries 
 of the marine engine, with which I was already ac- 
 quainted in theory, after much study of the subject 
 in the books. 
 
 I did not pretend to know anything but the 
 steam engine, and I thought I understood that 
 pretty well. My father thought so too, which very 
 much strengthened my confidence in my own abil- 
 ity. I am sorry I have not some one else to tell 
 my story for me, for it is very disagreeable to feel 
 obliged to say so much about myself. I hope my 
 friends will not think ill of me on this account, 
 for they will see that I can't help saying it, for my 
 
38 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 story -would seern monstrously improbable without 
 this explanation. 
 
 "Wolf, what was that noise down by the mill, 
 a little while ago?" asked my father, as I joined 
 him at the wharf. 
 
 " The canal boat at the mill pier was blown up," 
 I replied, with some embarrassment. 
 
 " Blown up ! " exclaimed he. 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "They were blowing rocks back of the mill, and 
 I thought they must have set off a seam-blast; but 
 the noise did not seem to be in the direction of the 
 quarry. I don't see how the canal boat could have 
 blown up. It wasn't the water that blew her up. 
 Do you know anything about it, Wolf?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; I know a good deal more about it than 
 I wish I did," I answered, for my father had always 
 been fair and square with me, and I should as soon 
 have thought of cutting off my own nose as telling 
 him a falsehood. 
 
 "What do you know, Wolf?" he asked, with a 
 look which betokened a rather painful interest in 
 the nature of the answer. " I hope there wan't any 
 mischief about it." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 39 
 
 "It was all mischief." 
 
 "Who did it? Not you, I hope." 
 
 "No, sir; I did not know anything about it till 
 the boat blew up. Waddie Wimpleton did it." 
 
 "Of course he did," said my father, nodding his 
 head significantly. " Did you see him do it ? " 
 
 In reply I told the whole story, after we had 
 gone on board of the steamer, giving every par- 
 ticular as minutely as though I had been a witness 
 in a murder trial. 
 
 "I heard Waddie had had a row with the cap- 
 tain of the canal boat," added my father, who seemed 
 to be vexed and disturbed more than I thought the 
 occasion required, as he could not but see that I 
 had no guilty knowledge of the conspiracy. " The 
 young rascal must have stolen the powder to be 
 used for blasting. Well, his father can pay the 
 damages, as he has done a hundred times before ; 
 and I suppose it will be all right then." 
 
 We went into the engine-room, and took seats 
 with Christy Holgate, who manifested no little in- 
 terest in the affair of the morning. 
 
 " The little villain intends to have you mixed up 
 
40 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 in the scrape somehow, Wolf," continued my father, 
 who could not turn his attention from the subject. 
 
 "I don't care if he does. I didn't do anything, 
 and I'm willing to face the music," I replied, confi- 
 dently. " I took his pistol away from him to keep 
 him from shooting me ; but I mean to give it back 
 to him as soon as we return." 
 
 " I hope it will be all right, "Wolf," said my father, 
 anxiously. 
 
 "Your boy ain't to blame, Ralph," added Christy, 
 the engineer. 
 
 " I know he isn't ; but Colonel Wimpleton is the 
 worst man to get along with in the world when 
 Waddie gets into a scrape with other boys. He 
 thinks the little villain is an angel, and if he ever 
 does any mischief he is led away by bad boys. 
 Well, no matter; I am glad this thing takes place 
 to-day instead of last week." 
 
 "Why so, father?" I asked. 
 
 "Don't you know what I am going up to Ucayga 
 for, this morning ? " 
 
 " No, sir; I haven't heard." 
 
 "Well, I talked it over long enough with your 
 mother this morning." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 41 
 
 " I wasn't there." 
 
 "I'll tell you, Wolf," replied my father, throwing 
 one leg over the other, and looking particularly well 
 satisfied with himself and all the rest of mankind. 
 "When we first went to Centreport, I bought the 
 place we live on of Colonel Wimpleton. I gave 
 him one thousand down, and a note, secured by 
 mortgage, for two thousand more. I think the 
 place, to-day, is worth four thousand dollai-s." 
 
 " All of that," added Christy. 
 
 " Well, I've been saving up all my spare money 
 ever since to pay off that mortgage, which expires 
 next week. I have got the whole amount, and four 
 hundred dollars more, in the bank at Ucayga, and 
 I'm going to take it out to-day, and pay up. That's 
 what's the matter, Wolf; but I don't quite like this 
 row with Waddie." 
 
 Christy listened with quite as much interest as I 
 did to the story of my father. 
 
42 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ON THE LOCOMOTIVE. 
 
 AFTER we had sufficiently discussed the explo- 
 sion and my father's financial affairs, Christy 
 Holgate took from under the seat where he sat 
 a curiously-shaped black bottle and a tumbler. I 
 would rather have seen him take a living rattlesnake 
 from the box, and place it at my feet — or rather at 
 my father's feet, for it was on his account that I 
 shuddered when I heard the owner of the bottle de- 
 clare that it contained " old rye whiskey." Christy 
 told a tedious story about the contents of this " vial 
 of wrath" — where it was distilled in the State of 
 Kentucky; how a particular friend of his had pro- 
 cured two quarts of it, and no more of that year's 
 manufacture could be had in the whole nation, either 
 for love or for money. 
 
 One would have supposed, from the eloquent de- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 43 
 
 scription of its virtues, that it was the nectar of the 
 gods, instead of the fiery fluid which men put into 
 their mouths to take their brains away. I was dis- 
 gusted with the description, and I shuddered the 
 more when I saw that my father was interested in 
 it, and that he cast longing glances at the queer- 
 shaped bottle. I had heard that my father lost his 
 situation at the town on the Hudson by drinking to 
 excess, and I trembled lest the old. appetite should be 
 revived in him. If he had been a man like Christy 
 Holgate I should not have trembled, as I viewed 
 the case, for he had drank liquor "all his lifetime in 
 moderation, and no one had ever known him to 
 be intoxicated. It was not so with my father. He 
 had struggled manfully against the insidious appe- 
 tite, and with only a couple of exceptions, he had 
 always done so successfully. Twice, and twice only, 
 had he been under the influence of liquor since he 
 came to Centreport. I feared, if he tasted the con- 
 tents of the strange-looking bottle, that the third 
 time would have to be added to the list. 
 
 Christy poured out a glass of the " old rye," and 
 my father drank it. The engineer .of the boat took 
 
44 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 one himself; and both of them talked very fast then 
 till the steamer arrived at her destination. I was 
 alarmed for my father's safety, and I tried to induce 
 him to go on shore the moment we reached the 
 wharf; but before we could leave Christy produced 
 the bottle again, and both of them took a second 
 dram, though I noticed that the engineer took a 
 very light one himself. 
 
 The effect upon my father was soon apparent, 
 though he did not appear to be actually intoxicated. 
 He did not stagger, but he talked in a loud and 
 reckless manner. He gave me a dollar, and told me 
 to spend it for anything I wanted. He said it was 
 a holiday, and he wished me to have a good time. 
 I put the dollar in my pocket, but I did not leave 
 my father. I was mortified by his blustering speech 
 and extravagant manner, but I still clung to him. 
 I hoped my presence would prevent him from tak- 
 ing another dram ; and I think it did ; for though, 
 on our way to the bank, we passed several bar- 
 rooms, he did not offer to enter one of them. Two 
 or three times he hinted to me that I had better 
 go and enjoy myself alone, which assured me that 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 45 
 
 he desired to drink again, but did not wish to do 
 so before me. 
 
 I have since learned that a man will always be 
 more circumspect before his children than when 
 away from them. He feels his responsibility at 
 such times, and is unwilling to degrade himself 
 before those who are his natural dependants. I told 
 my father I had no place to go to, that I did not 
 wish to buy anything, and that I preferred to re- 
 main with him. He was vexed at my obstinacy, but 
 he did not say anything. We went to the bank 
 together, and he drew out his money, twenty-four 
 hundred dollars — more than he had ever possessed 
 at one time before. It would discharge the mort- 
 gage on the place, and leave him four hundred 
 dollars to make certain improvements which he 
 contemplated. 
 
 The whiskey which he had drank made him feel 
 rich, and it pained me to see him manifest his feel' 
 ings in a very ridiculous way. He put the moneji 
 in a great leather pocket-book he carried, and placed 
 it in his breast pocket. By various little devices I 
 induced him to return to the steamer with me. 
 
46 THEOUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 When it was too late I was sorry I had done so, 
 for Christy Holgate again placed the bottle to his 
 lips, taking hardly a tea-spoonful of its contents 
 himself. It would be an hour befoi*e the train ar- 
 rived, whose passengers the steamer was to convey 
 up the lake, and I trembled for the safety of my 
 father and of the large sum of money he had in 
 his pocket. 
 
 It seems very strange to me, and I dare say it 
 has seemed so to others, that some men, when they 
 have the greatest work of their lifetime in hand, 
 or are pressed down by the heaviest responsibility 
 that ever weighed upon them, choose this very time 
 to get intoxicated. My father had certainly clone 
 so. With more than two thirds of his worldly 
 wealth in his pocket, he had taken to drinking 
 whiskey — a thing he had not done before for at 
 least a year. Half of the hour we had to wait 
 had passed away, and my poor father made himself 
 very ridiculous. I had never felt so bad before in 
 my life. 
 
 "Wolf, my boy, I forgot to get my tobacco when 
 I was up in town," said he, handing me a quarter. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 47 
 
 "Run up to that store next to the hotel, and get 
 me half a pound of his best plug." 
 
 I did not want to leave him, but I could not 
 disobey without making a terrible scene. I went as 
 fast as my legs would carry me, and returned out of 
 breath with running. My father had drank nothing 
 during my absence, and I was startled when I be- 
 held his changed' appearance on my return. He was 
 deadly pale, and was trembling with emotion. He 
 was searching his pockets, and gazing nervously 
 into every hole and corner in the engine-room, 
 where I found him. 
 
 " What is the * matter, father ? " I asked, alarmed 
 at his appearance. 
 
 - " I have lost my pocket-book, Wolf," gasped he, 
 in an awful and impressive whisper. 
 
 "Lost it!" I exclaimed, almost paralyzed by the 
 intelligence. 
 
 " Nonsense, Ralph ! " added Christy, with a forced 
 laugh. "You can't have lost it, if you had it when 
 you came here." 
 
 " I did have it ; I know I did. I felt it in my 
 pocket after I came on board." 
 
48 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 "Then it must be in your pocket now. You 
 haven't been out of the engine-room since you 
 came," persisted Christy. 
 
 I helped my father search his pockets; but the 
 pocket-book was certainly gone. 
 
 "You must have dropped it out on your way 
 down from the bank," said the engineer. 
 
 " How could I drop it out ? " groaned my father, 
 as he pointed to the deep pocket in which he al- 
 ways kej)t it. 
 
 I searched again in every part of my father's 
 clothing, but in vain. He was perfectly sober now, 
 bo far as I could judge, the grief and mortification 
 attending his heavy loss having neutralized the ef- 
 fects of the liquor. On the seat stood the queer- 
 shaped bottle from which my father had imbibed 
 confusion. By its side was the tumbler, half filled 
 with the whiskey. I concluded that it had been 
 poured out for my father, and -that the discovery 
 of his loss had prevented him from drinking it. I 
 put them on the floor and looked into the box; I 
 examined every part of the engine-room again, but 
 without success. The missing treasure could not be 
 found. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 49 
 
 My father sat down upon the box again, and 
 actually wept for grief and shame. I heard the 
 whistle of the approaching train. It seemed to 
 startle the victim of the whiskey bottle from his 
 sad reverie. He removed his hands from his face, 
 and glanced at Christy, with a look which was full 
 of meaning to me, and seemed to be quite intelli- 
 gible to the engineer. 
 
 " I guess I'll take a look on the wharf," said 
 Christy, beginning to edge slowly out of the en- 
 gine-room. 
 
 " Christy Holgate," cried my father, springing at 
 the throat of the engineer, and clutching him like 
 a madman, "you have got my money!" 
 
 " Why, Ralph, what ails you ? Do you think I'd 
 take your money ? " replied Christy ; but his face 
 was as pale as my father's, and his lip quivered. 
 
 " I know you have ! That's what you made me 
 drunk for," continued my father, savagely, as he 
 began to claw into the garments of the engineer, 
 in search of his treasure. 
 
 Christy started as though he had been stung by 
 a serpent when my father placed his hand upon his 
 4 
 
50 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 breast pocket, and a violent struggle ensued. As 
 my maddened parent tore open his coat, I distinct- 
 ly saw enough of the well-known pocket-book to 
 enable me to identify it. He had taken it from 
 my father's pocket and transferred it to his own 
 while handing him the glass of whiskey. 
 
 " He has it, father ! " I shouted. " I see it in his 
 pocket." ' , 
 
 Christy was a powerful man, and with a desper- 
 ate effort he shook off my father, hurling him upon 
 the floor with much violence. Having shaken off 
 his fierce assailant, he rushed from the engine-room 
 to the gang-plank forward, by which the passen- 
 gers were coming on board, and disappeared in the 
 crowd. Without waiting to learn the condition of 
 my father, I followed him. I lost sight of him in 
 the throng, but I commenced an earnest search for 
 him. Presently I discovered him skulking along by 
 the train on the side opposite that at which the 
 passengers were getting out. 
 
 The engine had been detached from the train, 
 and had moved forward to the water tank to have 
 her tender filled. The engineer had left the loco- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 51 
 
 motive to speak with a friend on the wharf; and 
 the fireman, after the tender was filled, helped the 
 men throw in the wood. I went ahead of the en- 
 gine, where I could observe the movements of Chris- 
 ty. I thought he would hide till the train started, 
 and then jump on board. If he did, I meant to be 
 a passenger on the same train. 
 
 The tender was filled with wood, and the men 
 walked away, including the fireman. The moment 
 they had gone, Christy sneaked along by the wood- 
 sheds, and jumped upon the locomotive. He could 
 not see me, for I was concealed by the smoke-stack. 
 He started the engine. I jumped upon the cow- 
 catcher. In a moment, as he let on the steam, the 
 locomotive was flying like lightning over the rails. 
 I clung to the cow-catcher till the motion was 
 steady, and then climbed up to the side of the 
 machine, exhibiting myself to the astonished villain. 
 At this moment, I happened to think of Waddie's 
 revolver in my pocket. It was a useful plaything 
 for an emergency like this, and I drew it forth. 
 
52 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CHRISTY HOLGATE. 
 
 TOP her! " I shouted again and again to 
 Christy Holgate, as I pointed the pistol at 
 his head through the window of the cab. 
 
 When I first made my appearance, he had thrust 
 his head and shoulders through the window, appar- 
 ently to examine the situation, and determine in 
 what manner he could best dispose of me. I threat- 
 ened to shoot him, and he drew in his head, placing 
 himself where I could not see him without changing 
 my position. 
 
 I pointed the pistol at Christy, and threatened to 
 fire ; but I had as little taste for shooting a man as 
 I had for eating him, and I beg the privilege of 
 adding, that I am not a cannibal. I found it very 
 easy to talk about firing, but very much harder to 
 do it. Christy had proved that he was a villain, 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 53 
 
 and a very mean villain too ; but I found it quite 
 impossible to carry my threat into execution. I 
 could reason it out that he deserved to be shot, and, 
 as he was running away with my father's money, 
 and did not stop the engine when I told him to 
 do so, that it would be perfectly right for me to 
 shoot him. 
 
 If I had been a bloodthirsty, brutal monster, in- 
 stead of an ordinary boy of sixteen, with human feel- 
 ings, I suppose I could have fired the pistol while 
 the muzzle covered the head of the rascal in the 
 cab. If I had not been afraid of killing him, I 
 think I should have fired ; for I had considerable 
 confidence in my skill as a marksman, though it had 
 not been fortified by much practical experience. 
 
 Though Christy had been very useful in enabling 
 me to enlarge my knowledge of the mysteries of 
 the marine engine, and though I was reasonably 
 grateful to him for the privilege he had afforded 
 me, I did not feel under great obligations to him. 
 Whenever I made a trip with him in the engine- 
 room, for the purpose of studying my favorite theme, 
 he invariably set me at work upon some dirty job, 
 
54 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 either at oiling the machinery or cleaning the bright 
 parts. He was rather stout, and it was always my 
 function to climb ivp and oil -the gudgeons and other 
 working parts of the walking-beam. I had done 
 almost everything pertaining to an engine, under his 
 direction. He used to praise me without stint, and 
 call me a smart boy; which perhaps he intended as 
 my reward, though I found it in the knowledge and 
 experience I had gained. 
 
 I did not refrain from pressing the trigger of the 
 revolver while aiming it at Christy's head on account 
 of the debt of obligation which weighed me down. 
 I knew enough about an engine to make myself 
 useful, and I worked hard for all the information I 
 obtained. Still I considered myself indebted to him 
 for the opportunities he had afforded me ; and, if he 
 had not chosen to be a villain, I am quite sure I 
 should always have felt grateful to him, even while 
 I paid in hard work for every scrap of knowledge I 
 obtained from him. 
 
 Christy and my father were quite intimate, though, 
 as the steamer in which he served always lay nights 
 and Sundays at the lower end of the lake, they had 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 55 
 
 not been together much of late years. He had rec- 
 ommended my father for the position he then held 
 in the flour mills. I know that my father felt under 
 great obligations to him for the kind words he had 
 spoken in his favor, and had often urged me to help 
 him all I could, encouraging me by the hope that 
 I might, by and by, get a place as engineer on a 
 steamboat. 
 
 The engineer of the Ruoara — for this was the 
 name of the steamer in which we had gone down 
 to TJcayga — was a strange man in some respects. 
 He made a great deal of the service he had ren- 
 dered to my father and to me, and very little of the 
 service we had rendered to him, for my father had 
 often made him little presents, often lent him money, 
 and had once, when the mills were not working, run 
 his steamer for him a week, while he was sick, with- 
 out any compensation. I never thought Christy had 
 any cause to complain of either of us. But I dislike 
 this balancing of mutual obligations, and only do it 
 in self-defence ; for it is the kindness of the heart, 
 and the real willingness to do another a favor, which 
 constitute the obligation, rather than what is actually 
 
56 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 done. "And if ye do good to them that do good 
 to you, what thank have ye ? For sinners also do 
 even the same." 
 
 Christy was a man who always believed that the 
 world was using him hardly. He was unlucky, in 
 his own estimation. The world never gave him his 
 due, and everybody seemed to get the better of him. 
 Though he had good wages, he was not worth any 
 money. He spent his earnings as fast as he got 
 them ; not in dissipation, that I am aware of, but 
 he had a thriftless way of doing business. He never 
 could get rid of the suspicion that the world in gen- 
 eral was cheating him ; and for this reason he had 
 an old grudge against the world. On the passage to 
 Ucayga he discoursed in his favorite strain with my 
 father when he learned his errand. The unhappy 
 man seemed to think that it was unjust to him for 
 one in the same calling to have twenty-four hun- 
 dred dollars in cash, while he had not a dollar 
 beyond his wages. 
 
 The engineer of the steamer had not pluck enough 
 to resent and resist injustice. Perhaps he thought 
 that in introducing my father to his situation, he 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 57 
 
 Lad been the making of him, and that he was there- 
 fore entitled to the lion's share of his. savings for 
 five years. Whatever he thought, he had deliber- 
 ately formed his plan to rob my father of his money, 
 and had actually succeeded in his purpose. Christy 
 knew the weak point of his intended victim, and 
 had plied him with whiskey till he was in a situa- 
 tion to be operated upon with impunity. I think 
 my father wanted to drink again, and had sent me 
 for. the i tobacco so that I should not see him do so. 
 
 My father afterwards told me that he recalled the 
 movements of Christy when he took the pocket-book 
 from him, though he thought nothing of them at 
 the time. 
 
 " Ralph, you are a good fellow — the best fellow 
 out ! Let's take one more drink," said Christy, as 
 reported by my father. 
 
 " I'm a good fellow, Christy, and you're anothei'," 
 replied the victim. " Just one more drink ; " and my 
 father, in his maudlin affection for his friend, had 
 thrown his arms around his neck, and hugged him. 
 
 During this inebriated embrace Christy had taken 
 the money from his pocket. After he had poured 
 
58 THROUGH BY DA FLIGHT, OE 
 
 out the liquor, he found that his pocket-book was 
 gone. The- discovery paralyzed him; but his head 
 was too much muddled at first to permit him to 
 reason on the circumstances. He remembered that he 
 had felt the pocket-book only a few minutes before ; 
 and, as soon as he could think, he was satisfied that 
 his companion had robbed him, for the simple reason 
 that no one else had been near him. He was 
 ashamed of his own conduct. He was conscious 
 that he had drank too much, and that this had been 
 the occasion of his misfortune. 
 
 I do not know what Christy's plan was, or how 
 he expected to escape the consequences of his crime. 
 He had easily shaken my father off, and made his 
 escape. However hardly the world had used him, he 
 was certainly more severe upon himself than his 
 tyrant had ever been ; for when a man commits a 
 crime, he treats himself worse than any other man 
 can treat him. I could not fathom the villain's 
 plan in running away with the locomotive. I 
 doubt whether he had any purpose except to escape 
 from immediate peril, and thus secure his ill-gotten 
 prize. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 59 
 
 The circumstances had devolved upon me the 
 responsibility of capturing the treacherous friend. 
 Half a dozen times I threatened to shoot him if he 
 did not stop the engine, but somehow my muscles 
 did not seem to have the power to execute the 
 threat. Christy had placed himself where I could 
 not see him through the cab window. I examined 
 the revolver, which contained two charges, and then 
 walked up to the window. The villain had crouched 
 down by the fire-box, evidently having a wholesome 
 regard for the weapon in my hand. The engine 
 was going at the rate of thirty miles an hour, and I 
 judged that we had gone about ten miles. 
 
 " Christy Holgate, I don't want to shoot you, but 
 I'll do it, as sure as you live, if you don't stop her ! " 
 I shouted, as loud as I could yell, while I aimed 
 the revolver at him again. 
 
 "Don't fire, Wolf, and I'll stop her as soon as I 
 can," he replied ; and I think his guilty conscience 
 terrified him quite as much as the pistol. 
 
 He stood up, and I saw the pocket-book sticking 
 out of his outside breast pocket. I concluded that 
 he had taken it out to examine its contents, and I 
 
60 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 felt pretty confident that I should have the satis- 
 faction of restoring the lost treasure to my father. 
 With the revolver, containing two bullets, I realized 
 that I was master of the situation. 
 
 Christy shut off the steam, and put on the break 
 just as we entered a dense wood. As the speed of 
 the engine slackened, I climbed upon the roof of 
 the cab, and jumped down upon the wood in the 
 tender. I took care not to go very near the villain, 
 for, even with the pistol in my hand, I thought he 
 was fully a match for me. 
 
 "Do you mean to shoot me, after all I've done 
 for you, Wolf?" said he, in a whining tone, as the 
 engine stopped. 
 
 " I didn't think you would serve my father such a 
 mean trick as you did," I replied. " I will shoot 
 you if you don't give up that pocket-book." 
 
 " I didn't mean to take your father's money, Wolf. 
 He and I have been good friends for a great many 
 years, and I wouldn't hurt him any more than I 
 would myself." 
 
 "But you did take it." 
 
 " I didn't mean to keep it. I was only joking. I 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEK. 61 
 
 meant to give it back to hiui ; but when he flew at 
 me so, he made me mad." 
 
 " What did you run away on the engine for, 
 then ? " I demanded, willing, if possible, to accept his 
 explanation. 
 
 "You got me into the scrape, and I hardly knew 
 what I was about. I'm ruined now, and it won't 
 do for me to go back." 
 
 " You can go where you please ; but give me that 
 pocket-book, Christy, or we'll finish the business here," 
 I continued, raising the pistol again. 
 
 " Of course I'll give it to you," he answered, 
 handing me the pocket-book. "But I'm afraid to 
 go back myself." 
 
 I put the treasure into my pocket, and felt that I 
 had won the day. Christy jumped from the engine, 
 and disappeared in the woods. . 
 
62 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ON" THE LOCOMOTIVE. 
 
 I WAS entirely satisfied with myself as I put the 
 pocket-book into my breast pocket, and carefully 
 buttoned my coat. I felt as though I had really 
 done " a big thing," allowing the phrase to mean 
 even more than boys usually attach to it. How my 
 father would rejoice to see that money again ! How 
 thankful he would be for the success which had 
 attended my efforts ! 
 
 The pocket-book was in my possession, and I was 
 too much excited to look into it. I was somewhat 
 afraid, if I did not keep both eyes open, that Christy 
 would come out of the woods and undo the work I 
 had accomplished. I could hear him forcing his way 
 through the underbrush as he retreated ; but I still 
 kept the revolver where I could make use of it if 
 occasion required. It seemed to me then that my 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 63 
 
 quarrel with Mr. Waddie had been a fortunate cir- 
 cumstance, since the possession of the pistol had 
 enabled me to recover the pocket-book. I was 
 rather thankful to the scion for his agency in the 
 matter, and willing, when the time of settlement 
 came, to make some concessions, if needful, to his 
 vanity and pride. 
 
 Christy had piled the wood into the fire-box for 
 a hard run, and the locomotive was hissing and 
 quivering with the pressure of steam upon it. By 
 the unwritten law of succession, the care of the 
 machine devolved upon me, and I am willing to 
 confess that I was not displeased with the task im- 
 posed upon me. To run the engine alone, with no 
 one to volunteer any instructions or limitations to 
 me, was a delightful duty ; and I was so absorbed 
 by the prospect that I gave no further thought to 
 the pocket-book. It was safe, and that was enough. 
 
 I must run the locomotive back to Ucayga; but I 
 was fully equal to the task. I knew every part of 
 the machine, and had entire confidence in my own 
 ability. I did not exactly like to run her back- 
 wards; but, as there was no turn-table at hand, I 
 
64 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 had no choice. Reversing the valves, I let on the 
 steam very gradually, and the engine moved off ac- 
 cording to my calculations. I gave her more steam, 
 and she began to rush over the rails at a velocity 
 which startled me, when I considered that the mo- 
 tions of the machine were under my control. 
 
 I had to keep a lookout over the toj) of the 
 tender, and at the same time watch the furnace, the 
 gauge-cocks, and the indicator ; and of course I had 
 to observe them much more closely than would have 
 been necessary for a person of more experience. 
 Having my hands and my head full, something less 
 than thirty miles an hour was sufficient to gratify 
 my ambition. I knew nothing about the roads which 
 crossed the track, and therefore I kept up a constant 
 whistling and ringing of the bell. It was exciting, I 
 can testify, to any one who never tried to run a 
 locomotive under similar circumstances. I was doing 
 duty as engineer and fireman, and I could not think 
 of anything but the business in hand. 
 
 It would have been exceedingly awkward and un- 
 pleasant to burst the boiler, or run over a vehicle 
 crossing the track, and I did not wish to have my 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. DO 
 
 first venture on a locomotive damaged by such an 
 accident. I kept a sharp lookout, both before and 
 behind me. It was a new position to me, and I 
 enjoyed the novelty of it, in spite of the fear of 
 being blown up, or smashed by a collision. I kept 
 the whistle sounding, and as the engine whirled 
 around a bend, after I had been running fifteen or 
 twenty minutes, I saw some men lifting a hand-car 
 from the track in great haste. They had heard 
 my warning in season to prevent the catastrophe I 
 dreaded. 
 
 " Stop her ! " shouted one of the party, with all 
 his might, as the engine thundered by him. 
 
 A glance at the party assured me that one of them 
 was the engineer of the train. I shut off the steam, 
 and put on the break. As it was a down grade, the 
 engine went about a mile before I could stop her. 
 But, as soon as I had brought her to a halt, I re- 
 versed the valves again, and went ahead till I came 
 up with the party, who were just putting the hand- 
 car upon the track again. The engineer and fire- 
 man leaped upon the foot-board. The former was 
 much excited, and I was not a little surprised to 
 5 
 
66 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB, 
 
 find that he did not even thank me for bringing 
 back his engine. 
 
 " What does all this mean ? " he demanded, with 
 an oath. " What did you run away with the engine 
 for?" 
 
 "I did not run away with her; I only brought 
 her back," I replied, indignantly. 
 
 " Who was the man that stole the money ? " 
 
 " That was Christy Holgate ; he was the man 
 that run away with the engine." 
 
 " Who are you ? " 
 
 " I'm Wolf Penniman. The money was stolen 
 from my father. When I saw Christy leap into the 
 cab, I jumped upon the cow-catcher." 
 
 " Then you are the boy they were looking for 
 down to the station." 
 
 " I don't know about that. I had a pistol, and I 
 made Christy stop her, and give me the pocket-book. 
 He got off then, and ran into the woods. I ran 
 the engine back again." 
 
 " I'm sorry you didn't shoot the rascal," added the 
 engineer, as he examined into the condition of the 
 locomotive. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 67 
 
 "I got the pocket-book again, and that was all I 
 wanted. I didn't wish to kill him." 
 
 " Who told you how to run an engine ? " asked 
 the engineer, as he started the locomotive. 
 
 "My father is an engineer, and I've always been 
 among engines, though I never ran a locomotive 
 alone before." 
 
 " I suppose you think you can run one now." 
 
 "Yes, sir; I can put her through by daylight," I 
 replied, using a pet phrase of mine. 
 
 " You have done very well, sonny," said he, with 
 a smile ; and he could afford to smile, though he 
 growled a great deal at being an hour behind time 
 by the event of losing his engine. 
 
 He asked me a great many questions about Christy 
 and the robbery; and the conversation was only in- 
 terrupted by our arrival at the Ucayga station, where 
 the impatient passengers were waiting to continue 
 their journey. I jumped off; the engine was shackled 
 to the train again, and went on its way. 
 
 "Hallo, Wolf!" called the captain of the steamer 
 to me. "Where is Christy?" 
 
 " I don't know, sir. He jumped off the locomo- 
 tive, and ran away into the woods." 
 
68 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 A crowd of people gathered around me to hear 
 my story, for the facts of the robbery had been re- 
 lated by my father. I felt the pocket-book in my 
 coat, and declined to answer any questions till I had 
 seen my father. I was told he was on board of the 
 steamer, and I hastened to find him. He was in 
 the engine-room, where I had left him. He was still 
 deadly pale, and seemed to have grown ten years 
 older in a single hour. 
 
 " Where have you been, Wolf ? " asked he, in a 
 voice almost choking with emotion. 
 
 " I have been after Christy ? " 
 
 "Did you catch him?" he asked, in a septilchral tone. 
 
 "I was on the engine with him. Here is your 
 pocket-book, father." 
 
 He grasped it with convulsive energy, and seemed 
 to grow young again in a moment. The crowd, 
 most of whom were passengers in the steamer, gath- 
 ered in the gangway, by the side of the engine-room, 
 to learn the facts. In an excited manner I began 
 to tell my story. 
 
 " What does he say ? Speak louder, boy ! " called 
 the men behind me. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEK. 69 
 
 Though I did not feel like haranguing a multitude, 
 I raised my voice. 
 
 " Good ! Good ! " shouted the crowd, when I came 
 to the point where I aimed the revolver at Christy 
 in the cab. "Why didn't you shoot him?" 
 
 "When I drew a bead upon him, he stopped the 
 engine, and gave up the pocket-book," I continued, 
 with boyish exhilaration. 
 
 " Wolf, you have saved me," gasped my delighted 
 father ; " but I am rather sorry you did not shoot 
 the villain." 
 
 "We are wasting the whole day here," said the 
 captain of the boat, nervously. "We have no engi- 
 neer now. Ralph, will you run us up the lake ? " 
 
 "Certainly I will," replied my father, taking his 
 place at the machinery. 
 
 I sat down in the engine-room with him, and an- 
 swered the questious he put to me about the affair. 
 He obeyed the signals given him by the bells, and 
 as soon as the boat was going ahead at full speed, 
 he took a seat at my side. 
 
 " Wolf, I have suffered more to-day than in all the 
 rest of my lifetime," said he, wiping, the perspiration 
 
70 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 from his brow. " If I had lost that money, it would 
 well nigh have killed me. It was a lucky thing 
 that you took that pistol from Waddie." 
 
 "It happened just right; Christy was afraid of it, 
 and when I got the muzzle to bear upon him, he 
 came down like Crockett's coon," I answered, with 
 no little self-complaisance. 
 
 " Was he willing to give it up ? " 
 
 " Pie couldn't help himself. If he hadn't given it 
 up, I should have put a bullet through him." 
 
 "I'm glad you didn't have to do that, on the 
 whole, though I shouldn't have cared much if you 
 had shot him," added my father, putting his hand 
 upon the pocket-book to assure himself of its present 
 safety. "I wouldn't have believed Christy could be 
 guilty of such a mean trick. But it was my fault, 
 Wolf. You saw how it was done, and it has been 
 a lesson to me which I shall never forget." 
 
 My father sighed heavily as he thought of the cir- 
 cumstances, and I fancy he promised himself then 
 never again to touch whiskey. 
 
 "Did Christy open the pocket-book?" he asked, 
 after a silence of, some minutes. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 71 
 
 "I don't know. I didn't see him open it, and I 
 don't know when he could have had time to do so," 
 I replied. 
 
 "It don't look as though it had been touched," 
 said he, taking the pocket-book from his pocket, and 
 proceeding to open it. 
 
 "I guess it is all right, father," I added. 
 
 " All right ! " gasped he. " There is not a single 
 dollar in it!" 
 
 My father groaned in bitterness of spirit. I looked 
 into the open pocket-book. The money had all been 
 taken from it ! 
 
72 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE VIAL OF WKATH. 
 
 I WAS both amazed and confounded when it was 
 ascertained that the pocket-book did not contain 
 the money. From the depth of despair my father 
 and myself had gone up to the pinnacle of hope, 
 when the treasure was supposed to be found; and 
 now we fell back into a deeper gulf than that into 
 which we had first fallen. Those_ with whom money 
 is plenty cannot understand the greatness of my 
 father's loss. For years he had toiled and saved in 
 order to clear the house in which we lived. He 
 had struggled with, and conquered, the appetite for 
 intoxicating drinks, in order to acconrplisk his great 
 purpose. 
 
 He had been successful. He had kept away from 
 the drunkard's bowl, he had lived prudently, he had 
 carefully husbanded all his resources, and at the 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 73 
 
 time my story begins, he felt that the pretty little 
 place where we lived actually belonged to him. It 
 was always to be the home of his family, and it 
 was all the more loved and prized because it had 
 been won by constant toil and careful saving. This 
 was the feeling of my father, as it was my own, 
 when we started for TJcayga to draw the money 
 from the bank. We felt like the king and the 
 prince who had won a great victory, and were to 
 march in triumph into the conquered possession. 
 
 My father was elated by what he had accom- 
 plished. The mortgage note for two thousand dol- 
 lars would be due the next week, and he had the 
 money to pay it, with enough to make the coveted 
 improvements. It would have been better if he had 
 not been elated ; for this feeling led him to believe 
 that, as the battle had been Avon, there was no 
 longer any need of the vigilance with which he had 
 guarded himself. He had raised the cup to his lips, 
 and in a moment, as it were, his brilliant fortune 
 deserted him, the savings of years were wrenched 
 from his relaxed grasp. 
 
 I do not wonder, as I consider how prudent and 
 
74 THKOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 careful lie had been, that he sank into the depths 
 of despair when he found the money was really 
 gone. The struggle had been long and severe, the 
 victory sublime and precious ; and now the defeat, 
 in the moment of conquest, was terrible in the ex- 
 treme. I trembled for my father while I gazed into 
 his pale face, and observed the sweep of his tortur- 
 ing emotions, as they were displayed in his expres- 
 sion. 
 
 For my own part, I was intensely mortified at 
 the result of my efforts. I felt cheap and mean, as 
 I sank down from the height to which I had lifted 
 myself, and realized that all my grand deeds had 
 been but a farce. If I had only looked into the 
 pocket-book when Christy returned it to me, I 
 might have saved this terrible fall. The villain had 
 probably taken the money from it while he was 
 crouching down by the fire-box. He had played a 
 trick upon me, and I had been an easy victim. I 
 was but a boy, while I had felt myself to be a 
 man, and had behaved like a boy. If I had been 
 smart in one respect, I had been stupid in another. 
 I blamed myself severely for permitting myself to 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 75 
 
 be duped by Christy at the moment when he was 
 in my power. I almost wished that I had shot 
 him; but I am sure now that I should have felt 
 ten times worse, if I had killed him, even if I had 
 obtained the money by doing so. 
 
 "I am ruined, Wolf," groaned my father, as he 
 dropped upon the seat in the engine-room. " I shall 
 never get the money now." 
 
 "I think you will, father," I replied, trying to be 
 hopeful rather than confident. 
 
 "No; I shall never see a dollar of it again." 
 
 "Don't give it up yet, father. Christy has gone 
 off in his every-day clothes, and left his family at 
 Ucayga. He will come back again, or you will get 
 some clew to him." 
 
 "I'm afraid not," said my father, shaking his 
 head. 
 
 "But something must be done. Christy isn't a 
 great way off, and we must put him through by 
 daylight," I added. 
 
 " What can we do ? It isn't much use to do any- 
 thing." 
 
 "Yes, it is. Something can be done, I know." 
 
76 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " Where are we now, Wolf? " asked my father. 
 
 I did not know where we were, for there was no 
 chance to see the shore from the engine-room. I 
 walked out on the forward deck, and returned im- 
 mediately. 
 
 "Well, where are we, Wolf?" demanded my 
 father, rather sharply, as he laid down the glass 
 from which he had just drained another dram taken 
 from Christy's queer-shaped bottle. 
 
 "We are just oft' the North Shoe," I replied, as 
 gloomily as though another third of my father's 
 worldly wealth had also taken to itself wings. 
 
 My poor father was drinking whiskey again. In 
 his depression and despair, the bottle seemed to be 
 his only resource. I have since learned enough of 
 human nature to understand how it was with him. 
 Men in the sunlight of jDrosperity play with the 
 fiend of the cup. Full of life, full of animal spirits, 
 it is comparatively easy to control the appetite. 
 But when the hour of despondency comes; when 
 depression invades the mind ; when earthly posses- 
 sions elude the grasp, — then they flee to the conso- 
 lations of the cup. It gives an artificial strength, 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 77 
 
 and men who in prosperity might always have kept 
 sober and temperate, in adversity are lost in the 
 whirlpool of tippling and inebriation. 
 
 Thus it seemed to be with my father. He had 
 begun to drink that day in the elation of his spirits ; 
 he was now resorting to the cup as an antidote for 
 depi-ession and despair. The dram had its tempo- 
 rary effect ; but, while he was cheered by the fiery 
 draught, I trembled for him. I feared that this was 
 only the beginning of the end — that he needed 
 prosperity to save him from himself. 
 
 " Off the North Shoe," said he ; but he was not 
 able wholly to conceal his vexation that I had seen 
 him take the glass from his lips. "We shall be in 
 Ruoara in half an hour, and I will send a sheriff 
 after the villain. You say Christy went about ten 
 miles, Wolf?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; as nearly as I could guess." 
 
 "We'll catch him yet," added my father, confi- 
 dently. "Have an eye to the engine, Wolf, while I 
 go and see the captain about it." 
 
 My father left the engine-room, which he would 
 not have done if he had not supposed me entirely 
 
78 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 competent to run the machine. I determined to 
 have an eye to something besides the engine. In 
 my father's present state of mind, I feared he would 
 drink till he was helpless. I raised the lid of the 
 seat and took out the strange bottle. It was about 
 half full. There was mischief enough left in it to 
 rob my father of all his senses. 
 
 Even as a boy I prided myself on my prompt- 
 ness in action. The present seemed to be a moment 
 when it was my duty to cast out an evil spirit. I 
 took the bottle to the gangway, where there was a 
 large scupper-hole to let the water run off when the 
 decks were washed down. Into this I emptied the 
 contents of the "vial of wrath." The fiery liquid 
 ran through and mingled with the clear waters of 
 the lake. Having no spite against the bottle, I re- 
 turned it to the locker in the engine-room, rather 
 to save my father the trouble of looking for it than 
 because I had any regard for its preservation. 
 
 Presently my father returned with the captain of 
 the steamer, who did not seem to relish the idea 
 of leaving the engine in charge of a boy of fifteen. 
 They talked about the lost money, and my father 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 79 
 
 was tolerably cheerful under the influence of the 
 dram he had taken. The captain said that Mr. Mor- 
 timer, the sheriff, was almost always on the wharf 
 when the steamer made her landing, and that he 
 would be glad to start instantly in pursuit of the 
 robber. It was a kind of business which he en- 
 joyed, and if any one could catch Christy, he could. 
 I was quite satisfied with this arrangement, and so 
 was my father. 
 
 When the boat touched at Ruoara, Mr. Mortimer 
 was on the pier, as the captain had said he would be. 
 He was more than willing to undertake the task 
 of pursuing the thief, and the steamer was detained 
 at the landing long enough for him to procure a 
 warrant for the arrest of the fugitive. He was to 
 cross the lake to the next port on the other side, 
 from which he was to proceed, by private convey- 
 ance, to the town nearest to the point where Christy 
 had left the locomotive. Mr. Mortimer came into, 
 the engine-room as the boat started, and we gave 
 him all the information we possessed in regard to 
 the robber. 
 
80 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "Now, Mortimer, won't you take something before 
 you go ashore ? " said my father. 
 
 " Thank you, I don't care if I do," replied the 
 sheriff. "I have had a cold for two or three days, 
 and a little of the ardent won't hurt me, though I 
 am not in the habit of taking it very often." 
 
 " It will do you good ; it does me good," added 
 my father, as he raised the lid of the locker and 
 took out the queer bottle. 
 
 The " vial of wrath " was empty. My father 
 looked at me — looked uglier than I had ever seen 
 him look before. He held it over the glass, and 
 inverted it. My work had been thoroughly accom- 
 plished, and hardly a drop of the fiery fluid an- 
 swered the summons to appear-. My father looked 
 at me again. His lips were compressed, and his 
 eyes snapped with anger. 
 
 "All gone — is it?" laughed the sheriff. "Well, 
 no matter; I can get along without it." 
 
 " We'll take some at the bar," said my father, 
 as the bell rang to " slow " her. 
 
 When the boat was fast to the wharf, they went 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 81 
 
 to the bar and drank together. Somehow, it seemed 
 to me that all my calculations were failing on that 
 day; but still I hoped to accomplish something by 
 the deed I had done. Mr. Mortimer went on shore, 
 and my father returned to the engine-room. I 
 hoped he would be satisfied with the dram he had 
 taken, and that I should escape the consequences of 
 his anger. The bell rang, and the boat started 
 again. 
 
 "Wolf, did you empty that bottle?" asked my 
 father, sternly. 
 
 " Yes, sir, I did," I replied, gently, but firmly. 
 
 "What did you do that for?" 
 
 " I thought it was best not to have the liquor 
 here," I answered, with no little trepidation. 
 
 " Best ! " exclaimed he. " Who made you a keeper 
 over me ? " 
 
 I did not dare to say anything. I held my peace, 
 resolved to endure the storm in silence, lest some 
 disrespectful word should escape my lips. My father 
 was very angry, and I feared that, under the influ- 
 ence of the liquor, he would do violence to me; 
 but he did not. 
 6 
 
82 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 " Get away from here ! Don't let me see you 
 around me any longer," said he, at last, when he 
 found that I was not disposed to explain my con- 
 duct, or to cast any reproaches upon him. 
 
 I went to the forward deck, and seated myself 
 on the rail at the bow. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 83 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE DUMMY ENGINE. 
 
 MY father and I had always been on the best 
 of terms. He was very considerate to me, 
 and used to talk with me a great deal; indeed, he 
 treated me in such a way that I had very little 
 reason to think I was a boy. He discussed his 
 plans with me, and often asked my advice, just as 
 though I had been a man of mature judgment. He 
 was angry with me now, almost for the first time 
 in my remembrance; certainly he had never before 
 been so highly exasperated with me. But I con- 
 soled myself with the reflection that he was par- 
 tially intoxicated, and that when the fumes of the 
 whiskey had worked off, he would be as kind and 
 gentle to me as ever. 
 
 Perhaps it was wrong for me to empty the bot- 
 tle; but, as I can never know what would have 
 
84 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 happened if I had not done so, I am content with 
 simply believing that I did it for the best. He was 
 in charge of the engine. There were fifty precious 
 lives on the boat. My father had the reputation of 
 being a very steady and reliable man. If he had 
 been a little noisy and turbulent at Ucayga, the 
 shock of losing his money had wrought a sudden 
 and wonderful change in his manner, so that few, 
 if any, had noticed him. After the steamer started, 
 I alone was aware of his condition ; I alone knew 
 of his resuming his cups; and I alone knew that, 
 left to himself, he would soon be intoxicated, and 
 incapable of managing the engine. I could not wish 
 that I had not emptied the bottle, even while I 
 suffered intensely under the consciousness of his 
 displeasure. 
 
 While I was thinking of the wrath of my father, 
 and of the consequences which might follow the 
 loss of the money, the steamer approached Middle- 
 port, which was opposite Centreport, where we 
 lived. My attention was immediately attracted by 
 a singular-looking object on a canal boat at the 
 wharf. My thoughts were partially diverted for a 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 
 
 85 
 
 time from the painful circumstances of our family 
 affairs, and I gazed with interest at the strange 
 object. It looked like an immense omnibus, only 
 it had a smoke-stack passing through the roof at 
 one end. I had never seen such a thing before, 
 and I did not know what to make of it. 
 
 "Ah, the dummy has arrived," said a Middleport 
 passenger, who had come forward to look at the 
 carriage. 
 
 "The what, sir?" I asked. 
 
 «The dummy." 
 
 "What's a dummy?" I inquired; for, with all 
 my study of steam engines, I had never heard of 
 
 one. 
 
 « It's a railroad car with an engine in one end of 
 it," replied the gentleman ; and by this time I could 
 make out the form of the thing. "It is for the 
 Lake Shore Railroad. I suppose you have heard 
 that the students of the Toppleton Institute are 
 building a railroad on the shore of the lake." 
 
 "Yes, sir, I have heard of it." 
 
 "This dummy was built to run on a horse rail- 
 road in Philadelphia; but though they call it a 
 
86 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 dummy, it made so much noise, and frightened so 
 many horses, they could not use it in the streets. 
 Major Toppleton saw it, and bought it cheap, for 
 the students, in order to get a little ahead of 
 the Wimpleton Institute, on the other side of the 
 lake." 
 
 As the boat approached the wharf, I examined 
 the dummy very carefully. It was a railway car- 
 riage, similar to those used on street roads, having 
 an engine in one end to propel it. It would be a 
 rare plaything for the Toppletonians, and I envied 
 them the possession of such a prize. I knew all 
 about the Lake Shore Railroad, and many a pang 
 of jealousy had it caused the Wimpletonians, on our 
 side of the lake ; for a stupendous rivalry existed 
 between the two Institutes, which were separated 
 from each other by only a mile of fresh water. 
 
 Lake Ucayga is about forty-five miles long. At 
 the foot of it was the town of the same name, con- 
 nected with the great centres of travel by railroad. 
 At the head of the lake was the large town of 
 Hitaca. The average width of the lake was three 
 miles ; but near the middle — or, to be more accu- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 87 
 
 rate, twenty miles from Ucayga, and twenty-five 
 from Hitaca — a point of land jutted out on the 
 west side, so as to leave a passage only a mile in 
 width. On this peninsula was located the town 
 of Middleport, and directly opposite was Centre- 
 port. 
 
 Below these towns the country was level, while 
 above them it was hilly, and even mountainous near 
 the head of the lake. Middleport and Centreport 
 were of very modern origin, so far as their social 
 and commercial importance was concerned, and their 
 growth and history were somewhat remarkable. 
 They are located on the verge of the hilly region, 
 and the scenery around them, without being grand 
 or sublime, is very beautiful. 
 
 Hardly twenty years before my story opens, two 
 gentlemen had come up to the lake to spend a week 
 in hunting and fishing. They were fast friends, and 
 each of them had made an immense fortune in the 
 China trade. The narrow part of the lake — gener- 
 ally called "The Narrows" — attracted their atten- 
 tion on account of its picturesque scenery. They 
 were delighted with the spot, and the result was, 
 
88 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 that, on retiring from business, they fixed their res- 
 idences here. 
 
 One of these gentlemen was Colonel Wimpleton, 
 and the other was Major Toppleton. They had 
 won their military titles in the same regiment of 
 militia in their earlier life, and had clung together 
 like brothers for many years. They built their ele- 
 gant mansions on the banks of the lake, facing 
 each other, and formerly gayly-painted barges were 
 continually plying between them. Certainly their 
 houses looked like palaces of enchantment, so ele- 
 gantly were the grounds laid out, and so pictur- 
 esque were the surroundings. In front of each, on 
 the lake, was a wall of dressed stone, from the 
 quarries in the neighborhood. From these walls, 
 the grounds, covered with the richest green in sum- 
 mer, sloped gradually up to the houses. They were 
 adorned with smooth walks and avenues, shaded with 
 a variety of trees. Indeed, I think nothing more 
 lovely was ever seen or imagined. 
 
 Major Toppleton, on the Middleport side, built a 
 flour mill ; the village began to grow, and soon 
 became a place of considerable commercial impor- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 89 
 
 tance. At the same time, Centreport increased in 
 population and wealth, though not so rapidly as its 
 neighbor on the other side of the lake. Both the 
 gentlemen had sons ; and they were alive to the 
 importance of giving them a good education. This 
 consideration induced them to discuss the propriety 
 of establishing an academy, and both agreed that 
 such an institution was desirable, especially as there 
 was not one of high standing within fifty miles of 
 the place. Then the difficult and delicate question 
 of the location of the proposed academy came up 
 for settlement. Each of them wanted it on his side 
 of the lake ; and on this rock the two friends, who 
 had been almost brothers for forty years, S]}lit ; and 
 the warmth of their former friendship seemed to be 
 the gauge of their present enmity. 
 
 The feud waxed fierce and bitter; and hence- 
 forth Middleport and Centreport, which had always 
 been twin sisters, were savage foes. The major built 
 a lofty edifice, and called it the Toppleton Institute. 
 The colonel, not to be thwarted or outdone, built 
 another on a grander scale, and called it the Wim- 
 pleton Institute. Everything that could add to the 
 
90 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 efficiency and the popularity of the two institutions 
 was liberally supplied ; and, as competition is the life 
 of trade, as well in literary as in commercial affairs, 
 both thrived splendidly. All the principal cities and 
 towns of the Union were represented among the 
 students. The patron millionnaire of each, with his 
 principal and teachers, labored and studied to de- 
 vise some new schemes which would add to the 
 popularity of his institution. Military drill, gym- 
 nastics, games, boating, English, French, and Ger- 
 man systems, were introduced, and dispensed with 
 as fresher novelties were presented. 
 
 The rival academies numbered about a hundred 
 students each, and neither seemed to obtain any 
 permanent advantage over the other. " Like master, 
 like man;" and, as the major and the colonel quar- 
 relled, the pupils could hardly help following their 
 illustrious example; so that it was fortunate a mile 
 of deep water lay between the two. 
 
 The rivalry of the millionnaires was not confined 
 to the schools ; it extended to the towns themselves. 
 Colonel Wimpleton built a flour mill on the Cen- 
 treport side, and fought boldly and cunningly for 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 91 
 
 the commercial salvation of his side of the lake. If 
 a bank, an insurance company, or a sawmill was 
 established in Middleport, . another immediately ap- 
 peared in Centreport ; and the converse of the prop- 
 osition was equally true. 
 
 In the midst of this rivalry the Toppleton Insti- 
 tute was vivified by a new idea. The mania for 
 building railroads which pervaded the Northern 
 States invaded the quiet haunts of learning. Many 
 of the students were the sons of prominent railroad 
 men, and Major Toppleton hit upon the magnificent 
 scheme of giving the young gentlemen a railroad 
 education. A company had been organized ; certifi- 
 cates of stock and bonds — of which the munificent 
 patron of the institution was the largest holder — 
 were issued. A president, directors, treasurer, and 
 clerk were elected ; superintendents, track-masters, 
 baggage-masters, conductors, brakemen, engineers, 
 firemen, switch-tenders, and other officials were duly 
 appointed. At first the railroad was to be an imagi- 
 nary concern ; but the wealthy pati'on was not con- 
 tent to have the business done on paper only. He 
 purchased sleepers and rails, and the students had 
 
92 THKOTJGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 actually built five miles of road on the level bor- 
 der of the lake. The dummy engine had been 
 bought, and had been sent by railroad to the head 
 of the lake, and thence to Middleport by a canal 
 boat. 
 
 This splendid project of the Toppletonians was 
 viewed with consternation by the Wimpletonians. 
 I was warmly interested in the scheme, and watched 
 its progress with the deepest interest. The dummy 
 was a miracle to me, and I regarded it with the 
 most intense delight. All the Toppletonians, as- 
 sisted by a few men, were on the shore, busy as 
 bees in transferring the machine to the wharf. 
 Planks had been laid down on which to roll it 
 from the boat, and rigging manned by the students 
 was attached to it, by which it was to be hauled 
 on shore. 
 
 The steamer was to make a landing alongside 
 the canal boat. I stood at the bow watching the 
 operation of moving the dummy. They had rolled 
 it two or three feet up the skids ; but " too many 
 cooks spoil the broth." A rope broke, the machine 
 slipped back, and canting the boat by its impetus, 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 93 
 
 the thing rolled off, with a tremendous splash, into 
 the lake. The steamer backed just in season to 
 avoid smashing it into a hopeless wreck. 
 
 If Centreport had been there it would have re- 
 joiced exceedingly at this mishap. 
 
94 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 TOPPLETONIANS AND WIMPLETONLAN'S. 
 
 "fc /TIDDLEPORT had a terrible fall in the un- 
 
 1V1 
 
 fortunate slip of the dummy engine; and if 
 any Wimpletonians, on the other side of the lake, 
 witnessed the catastrophe, I am afraid they were 
 ill-natured enough to " crow " over it ; for to have 
 seen the thing hissing up and down on the opposite 
 shore would have been a sore trial to them. For 
 the present, at least, it was safe on the bottom of 
 the lake, though, as the water was only six or eight 
 feet deep, the machine would doubtless be saved in 
 the end. 
 
 Though I belonged to Centreport, and was a grad- 
 uate of the Wimpleton Institute, I could not find it 
 in my heart to rejoice at the disaster which had be- 
 fallen the Toppletonians. I was too much interested 
 in the dummy to cherish any ill-will towards the 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 95 
 
 machine or its owners. I wanted to see it work, 
 and I could not help envying the engineer who was 
 to enjoy the superlative happiness of running it. 
 Such a position would have suited me, and I was 
 sorry the railroad idea had not originated on our 
 side of the lake. I wondered what Colonel Wim- 
 pleton would hring forward to offset this novelty 
 of his rival, not doubting that he would make a 
 desperate effort to outdo the major. 
 
 The accident filled the Toppletonians with dismay. 
 They had been yelling with excitement and delight 
 while laboring at the skids and rigging; but now 
 they were aghast and silent. The Ruoara backed 
 away from the submerged machine, and made her 
 landing at the end of the pier. The dummy rested 
 upright upon the bottom of the lake, with its roof 
 well out of the water. I hardly took my eyes off of 
 it while we were at the wharf, and I only wished the 
 task of putting it on the track of the Lake Shore 
 Railroad had fallen on me; for I thought I saw a 
 plan by which it could be easily accomplished. 
 
 While the steamer was waiting I stepped upon 
 the wharf, and mingled with the crowd of dismayed 
 
96 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 Toppletonians, who were gazing at the apparent wreck 
 of all their hopes. I was acquainted with a few of 
 them ; but they regarded me with a feeling of jeal- 
 ousy and hatred which I am happy to state that I 
 did not share with them. 
 
 " Our pipe is out," said Tommy Toppleton, the 
 only son of the major. "It's too confounded bad! 
 I meant to have a ride in that car by to-morrow." 
 
 "It's not so bad as it might be," I ventured to 
 remark. 
 
 " Who are you ? " snapped Tommy, when he recog- 
 nized me as a Centreporter. 
 
 "I belong on the other side, I know; but I was 
 really sorry to see the thing go overboard," I added, 
 gently enough to disarm the wrath of the patron's 
 son. 
 
 " I think the Wimpleton fellows will feel good 
 over this," continued Tommy, who, if he had not 
 been crestfallen at the misfortune of his clan, would 
 have been impudent and overbearing to a plebeian 
 like me. 
 
 " I supj)ose they will feel good ; but if I were one 
 of your fellows I would not let them enjoy it a great 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 97 
 
 while. I would have it out of the water and get 
 up steam before I slept upon it," I answered. 
 
 " What would you do ? " asked Tommy, curiously. 
 
 "I would get it out of the water in double-quick 
 time, and then put her through by daylight, even if 
 it took me all night." 
 
 "You are a brick, Wolf; and I am rather sorry 
 you live on the other side of the lake," laughed the 
 scion of the Middleport house. " Do you think you 
 could get her out of the water ? " 
 
 "I know I could." 
 
 " How would you do it ? " 
 
 " I haven't time to explain it now," I replied, 
 edging towards the steamer. 
 
 " I say, Wolf, people think you know all about an 
 engine, and can run one as well as a man," con- 
 tinued Tommy, following me to the boat. 
 
 " I ran a locomotive ten miles to-day." 
 
 "Did you, though?" 
 
 " I did — all alone." 
 
 " Our fellows don't want a man for an engineer 
 on the Lake Shore Railroad : some of them were 
 talking about having you to run the dummy for us." 
 7 
 
98 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 " I am much obliged to them for thinking of me." 
 " It's too bad you live on the other side." 
 I thought so too, as the bell of the Ruoara rang, 
 and I stepped on board of her. To do anything for 
 the enemy on the Middleport side would be to give 
 mortal offence to Colonel Wimpleton, his hopeful 
 son, and all the students of the Institute in Centre- 
 port ; and it was quite out of the question for me to 
 think of a position on the foot-board of the dummy. 
 I would have given anything to join the Topple- 
 tonians, against whom I had now no spite, and take 
 part in the operations of the new railroad; and I 
 regarded it as a very great misfortune that the 
 rivalry between the two places prevented me from 
 doing so. 
 
 The Ruoara left the wharf, and stood across the 
 lake towards Centreport. As she receded from the 
 shore, I saw Tommy talking to his father, and point- 
 ing to the boat, as though I were the subject of the 
 conversation. I do not know what either of them 
 said ; but the young gentleman doubtless told the 
 patron of the Toppletonians that I considered my- 
 self able to extricate the dummy from her present 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 9l> 
 
 position. I was a very modest young man at the 
 time of which I write ; but years have enabled me, 
 in some measure, to conquer the feeling, and I may 
 now say that I had a splendid reputation as an 
 engineer, for a boy. I do not know that I was 
 regarded as exactly a prodigy, but even men of ability 
 treated me with great kindness and consideration 
 on account of my proficiency in matters relating to 
 machinery. It seemed quite possible, therefore, that 
 Major Toppleton did not regard my suggestion of a 
 plan to extricate the dummy as a mere boyish boast. 
 Whether he did or did not, I was too much 
 oppressed by my father's misfortunes to think of the 
 dummy after it was out of my sight. I walked aft, 
 passing through the gangway, where I could see my 
 unfortunate parent. He looked stern and forbidding, 
 and when I paused at the door, he told me I need 
 not stop there. I did not think he had been drink- 
 ing again, and I felt sure that he would not long 
 be angry. It made me very sad to think that he 
 was offended with me ; but, more than this, I dread- 
 ed lest he should fall back into his old habits, and 
 become a drunkard. 
 
100 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 As the steamer approached the Centreport land- 
 ing, I was startled by three rousing cheers. On the 
 lawn, which faced the river in front of the Wim- 
 pleton Institute, were assembled all the students. 
 Two or three of them were looking through field 
 glasses to the opposite shore. They had just dis- 
 covered the nature of the disaster to the dummy, 
 and they expressed their satisfaction in the cheers 
 which I heard. It was mean and cowardly to rejoice 
 in the misfortunes of others, even if they were ene- 
 mies ; but as their elders expressed themselves in this 
 manner, nothing better could be expected of them. 
 
 I went ashore when the boat was made fast. I 
 noticed that several people looked sharply at me, 
 and some of them appeared to make remarks about 
 me, as I passed through the crowd up the wharf; 
 but so completely had my thoughts been absorbed 
 by the affairs of my father, that I had quite for- 
 gotten my altercation with Mr. Waddie Wimpleton, 
 and I did not connect the sharp looks and the 
 suppressed remarks bestowed upon me with that 
 circumstance. I had the young gentleman's revolver 
 in my pocket; but I had ceased to feel its weight 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 101 
 
 or to think of it. I walked up the wharf, and 
 hastened to the cottage of my father. 
 
 " Why, Wolfert ! What have you been doing ? " 
 exclaimed my mother, as I entered the kitchen, 
 where she was at work. 
 
 " Nothing wrong, I hope, mother," I replied ; ana! 
 I am sure my long face and sad demeanor were not 
 without their effect upon her. 
 
 " They are telling awful stories about you, Wolfert," 
 she added. 
 
 "Who are?" 
 
 "Everybody. What have you been doing?" 
 
 " I haven't done anything, mother." 
 
 "Didn't you take the powder from the tool-house 
 at the quarry, and blow up that canal boat ? " gasped 
 she, horrified that I should be even accused of such 
 wickedness. 
 
 " No, mother ; I did not. Who says I did ? " 
 
 "Everybody is saying so. We all know that the 
 canal boat was blown up ; and they say you ran 
 away before the people came." 
 
 I told my mother the whole truth in regard to 
 the canal boat, and she believed me. 
 
102 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " Waddie Wimpleton says you did it, Wolfert," 
 added she. 
 
 " I did not do it, and did not know anything 
 about it till the explosion took place." 
 
 " They all say you must have done it. Waddie 
 don't deny that he had a hand in it; but he says 
 you planned the whole thing, and he gave you his 
 revolver for doing it." 
 
 " There is not a word of truth in it, mothei\" 
 
 "The quarry men saw you and Waddie near the 
 mill wharf, just before the explosion. It was not till 
 they had told their story that Waddie acknowledged 
 he had anything to do with it. He says it was 
 done by pulling a string ; and everybody believes 
 that boy hadn't gumption enough to blow up the 
 canal boat without blowing himself up with it. 
 They say the thing was well done, and therefore 
 you must have done it." 
 
 This was flattering to my pride, disagreeable as 
 the consequences threatened to be. People believed 
 I was guilty because I had the reputation of being 
 skilful in mechanical contrivances ! But I was not 
 anxious to rob Waddie of any of his honors in this 
 affair. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 103 
 
 "I have not done anything wrong, mother; and I 
 am "willing to take the consequences, whatever they 
 are. I wish this was the only thing we had to fear," 
 I said, dreading the effect upon her of the intelli- 
 gence I had to communicate in regard to my father. 
 
 " Why, what else have we to fear ? " asked she, 
 with an expression of alarm. " Where is youi 
 father ? " 
 
 " He has gone up to Hitaca in the steamer." 
 
 "What has he gone up there for?" 
 
 "He is in charge of the engine of the Ruoara." 
 
 " Where is Christy Holgate ? " 
 
 " He has robbed a man of his money, and run 
 away." 
 
 " Christy ! " 
 
 " Yes, mother ; and that isn't the worst of it, 
 either." 
 
 " Why, what do you mean, Wolfert ? " 
 
 " Father was the man whom he robbed." 
 
 "Why, Wolfert!" ejaculated my mother, as pale 
 as death. 
 
 " It is just as I say, mother ; and it isn't the 
 worst of it, either." 
 
104 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 " O, dear ! What else has happened ? " she de- 
 manded, in a hoarse whisper. 
 
 "Father has taken to drinking again," I replied; 
 and, no longer able to restrain my emotions, I burst 
 into tears. 
 
 " Merciful Heaven ! That is worse than all the 
 rest ! " exclaimed she, covering her face with her 
 apron, and weeping bitterly with me. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 105 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 COLONEL WIMPLETON AND SON. 
 
 Y mother wept as she thought of the past, 
 L and dreaded the future. It would have been 
 comparatively easy to endure the loss of the twenty- 
 four hundred dollars; but it was intolerable to think 
 of the misery of again being a drunkard's wife. All 
 else was as nothing to her beside this awful pros- 
 pect. My father had struggled with his besetting 
 and his besotting sin for five years, and with hard- 
 ly an exception had always been the conqueror. 
 During this period he had prospered in his world- 
 ly affairs, and till this day of disaster the future 
 seemed to be secure to him. 
 
 My mother told me I had done right in emptying 
 the bottle, and assured me that my father would 
 not long cherish his anger. She knew not what to 
 do in order to turn the tide which had set against 
 
106 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 us. If the sheriff succeeded in arresting Christy, 
 and securing the money he had stolen, the effect 
 upon my father would be good. If the money was 
 lost, we feared that father would be lost with it. 
 
 While we were talking about the sad prospect 
 before us, an imperative knock was heard at the 
 front door — a summons so loud and stately that 
 we could hardly fail to identify the person even 
 before we saw his face. My mother wi])ed away 
 her bitter tears, and hastened to the door. 
 
 " Has your son come home ? " demanded Colonel 
 Wimpleton, in his abrupt and offensive manner, 
 when he spoke to his social inferiors, as he re- 
 garded them. 
 
 " Yes, sir, he has," replied my mother, with fear 
 and trembling before the magnate of Centreport. 
 
 Without further ceremony, or any ceremony, — 
 for he had used none, — he stalked into the kitchen 
 where I sat. He was followed by his hopeful scion, 
 who looked quite as magnificent as his stately 
 father. 
 
 " So you have come home, you young villain ! " 
 said the colonel, fixing a savage gaze upon me. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 107 
 
 " I have come home ; bat I am not a villain, sir," 
 I replied, with what dignity I could command. 
 
 " Don't contradict me. I say you are a villain." 
 
 "Your saying so don't make it so," I answered, 
 desperately; for I was goaded almost to despair by 
 the misfortunes of the day ; and though at any other 
 time I should have been as meek as a nursing dove, 
 I felt like defending myself from the charges he was 
 about to make. 
 
 "Don't be impudent to me, young man," scowled 
 he. " You know me, and you know what I am." 
 
 "I know what you are," I added, significantly; 
 and I was astonished at my own boldness. 
 
 He looked at me savagely, apparently trying to 
 determine what construction to put upon my re- 
 mark. Waddie stood at his side, quite self-pos- 
 sessed, considering the wicked deed he had done. 
 His presence reminded me of the revolver I had 
 in my pocket, and I took it out and presented it 
 to him. 
 
 " Here is your revolver, "Waddie. I did not in- 
 tend to keep it, when I took it," said I. 
 
 "I don't want it. It is yours now," replied he, 
 
108 THB0UGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 declining to take the weapon. "I gave it to you 
 for the job you did for me, and I am not going 
 to back out now." 
 
 " Take it, Waddie," interposed his father. " Such 
 a trade is not legal or binding." 
 
 " I'm not going to take it," replied the hopeful, 
 stoutly. " It was a fair trade, and it would hot be 
 honorable for me to back out." 
 
 " Give it to me, then," added the colonel. 
 
 I gave it to him, and he put it in his pocket, in 
 spite of the protest of Waddie. 
 
 "Now, Wolf, I want you to tell me the truth," 
 continued Colonel Wimpleton. 
 
 " I will do so, sir." 
 
 " You persuaded my boy to blow up that canal 
 boat." 
 
 "No, sir. I did not." 
 
 "I didn't say he persuaded me to do it, father," 
 interrupted the son. 
 
 "You wouldn't have done such a thing as that 
 unless somebody put you up to it, Waddie," pro- 
 tested the fond father, who had been obliged to 
 make the same statement fifty times before, and 
 
.THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 109 
 
 remained obstinately incredulous in regard to his 
 son's capacity to do mischief up to the present time. 
 
 "Yes, I would, father; and I am only sorry the 
 skipper of the canal boat was not on board when 
 she went up. Didn't I say he insulted me! Didn't 
 I tell you he shook me, kicked me, cuffed me, and 
 then chucked me on the wharf, as though I had 
 been a dead cat! When a man insults me, he has 
 to pay for it," said Waddie, shaking his head to 
 emphasize his strong declarations. 
 
 "Yes; and I shall have to pay for it too," mut- 
 tered the colonel, who felt very much as the man 
 did who had to pay his wife's fine after he had 
 prosecuted her for an assault upon himself. 
 
 " No matter for that ; I am revenged," added 
 Waddie, coolly. "I only said that Wolf showed 
 me how to do it, and pulled the string when all 
 was ready." 
 
 "That's enough," replied the father. 
 
 I understood the magnate of Centreport well 
 enough to comprehend his position. He was quite 
 willing to pay a couple of thousand dollars for the 
 destruction of the canal boat ; but he was very 
 
110 THEOTJGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 loath to have the Centreporters believe, what was 
 literally the truth, that Waddie Wimpleton was the 
 worst and most evil-disposed boy in the whole town. 
 While he did not attempt to discipline and control 
 his vicious heir, he was exceedingly jealous of the 
 youth's reputation. He wished to have me confess 
 that I had had a finger in this pie of mischief. My 
 character stood high in town, Tor I had tried to be- 
 have like a gentleman on all occasions. If I shared 
 the blame with the colonel's hopeful, he was willing 
 to pay all costs and damages. I really believe, if I 
 could have assumed the entire odium of the wicked 
 deed, the magnate would have been willing to pay 
 for the boat, and give me a thousand dollars be- 
 sides. In fact, I knew of one instance in which a 
 boy of bad habits had been indirectly paid for tak- 
 ing upon his own shoulders the blame that belonged 
 upon Waddie's. 
 
 "I had nothing at all to do with blowing up the 
 canal boat, Colonel Wimpleton," I replied. "I knew 
 nothing about it till the explosion took place." 
 
 " You deny it — do you ? " demanded the mag- 
 nate, sharply. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. Ill 
 
 " I do, sir ; I had nothing to do with it." 
 
 " How dare you lie to me ? As Waddie was con- 
 cerned in the affair, I don't mind paying for the 
 boat, and I suppose that will be the end of the 
 scrape ; but I know my boy wouldn't do such a 
 thing without some help." 
 
 "I didn't help him," I protested, warmly. 
 
 " Didn't you pull 1!he string ? " demanded Waddie, 
 with the most unblushing effrontery. 
 
 "No, I did not." 
 
 " Didn't you have hold of the string when the 
 boat went up?" persisted the young villain. 
 
 "I did, but — " 
 
 "There, father, he owns up to all I ask him to 
 confess," interposed Waddie. 
 
 " I own up to nothing," I replied, indignantly. " I 
 say again, I had nothing to do with the explosion, 
 and knew nothing about it till the boat blew up." 
 
 "What do you mean, you young rascal?" stormed 
 the colonel. " One moment you say you had hold 
 of the string, and the next that you knew nothing 
 about it." 
 
 "If you wish me to explain the matter, I will do 
 
112 THKOTTGH BT DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 so; if not, I won't," I added, disgusted with the 
 evident intention of the magnate to convict mo, 
 whether guilty or not. 
 
 "Will you confess that you had a hand in the 
 mischief?" 
 
 " No, I will not." 
 
 " But, you young rascal — " 
 
 " I am not a rascal, Colonel Wimpleton. If 
 either of us is a rascal, you are the one, not I," I 
 continued, goaded to desperation by his injustice. 
 
 " What ! " gasped the great man, confounded at 
 my boldness. 
 
 " I say just what I mean. Waddie knows, as 
 well as I do, that I had nothing to do with blowing 
 up the canal boat, and if he was a decent fellow he 
 would say so." 
 
 "Don't be rash, Wolfert," interposed my mother, 
 alarmed at my temerity. 
 
 " I am not afraid of them, mother." 
 
 " Do you mean to say I'm not a decent fellow ? " 
 howled Waddie. 
 
 " I did say so, and I meant to say so. You know 
 that you lie when you say I had anything to do 
 with blowing up the boat." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEK. 113 
 
 "Do you tell me I lie?" 
 
 " I do ; I tell you so with all my might," I per- 
 sisted, boldly. 
 
 " We'll see about this," said Colonel Wimpleton, 
 furiously. " Mrs. Penniman, your boy is impudent — 
 impudent to me, and to my son." 
 
 "You accuse him of something he didn't do, and 
 won't hear what he has to say," replied my mother, 
 meekly. 
 
 " Accuse him of what he didn't do ! Didn't he 
 say he had hold of the string? "Wolf had the 
 pistol, too, and that proves the truth of what Wad- 
 die said. How came you by the pistol?" de- 
 manded the magnate, turning fiercely to me. 
 
 " I took it away from Waddie when he threat- 
 ened to shoot me with it, and after he had fired 
 one ball at me." 
 
 " Do you want to make it out that my boy in- 
 tended to murder you ? Once more, will you con- 
 fess to me, or will you have it proved before a 
 justice? " 
 
 " I don't care where you prove it ; but I shall 
 not confess what I didn't do." 
 
114 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " My son speaks the truth, Mrs. Penniman, though 
 he may be a little wild sometimes." 
 
 "There isn't a bigger liar in town," said I, very 
 imprudently. 
 
 " Do you hear that, maim ? " snapped the colonel. 
 "Didn't my son confess that he had a hand in the 
 mischief? Doesn't that show that he is a truthful 
 boy ? Wolf is violent and abusive. I have done 
 what I could for your family, Mrs. Penniman." 
 
 " I know you have, Mr. Wirnpleton, and we 
 are all very grateful to you," replied my trembling 
 mother. 
 
 " I should think you were ! You permit this 
 young rascal to insult and abuse me and my son. 
 He calls me a rascal, and my son a liar. Is that 
 his gratitude ? " continued the much-abused great 
 man. "You will hear from me again, Mrs. Penni- 
 man." 
 
 "And you will hear from me again, Wolf Penni- 
 man. I don't allow any fellow to call me a liar," 
 added Waddie, bristling up like a bantam rooster. 
 
 "You j)ermit this young cub to insult and abuse 
 me," persisted the magnate, as he bolted out of the 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 115 
 
 front door, followed by his hopeful, who could not 
 help shaking his fist at me as he went out. 
 
 " What have you done, Wolf? " exclaimed my 
 mother, when they had gone. 
 
 " I have spoken the truth, like a man," I replied, 
 though I trembled for the consequences of my bold 
 speech to the great man. 
 
 " He will discharge your father ; and, now the 
 money is gone, he will turn us out of house and 
 home," added my mother, beginning to cry again. 
 
 " I can't help it. I have only told the truth, and 
 I am not going to cower before that man and that 
 boy any longer." 
 
 I took my cap and left the house. 
 
116 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT OB 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 BETTEE THOUGHTS AND DEEDS. 
 
 I LEFT the house more to conceal my own emo- 
 tions than for any other reason. I had been 
 imprudent. My father was not only dependent upon 
 Colonel Wimpleton for the excellent situation he 
 held, which had enabled him to live well, Jo give 
 me a good education, and to save money to buy 
 his place, though there was a mortgage on the little 
 estate that would expire in a few days. So far as 
 liberality in financial matters was concerned, no one 
 could find any fault with the magnate of Centreport. 
 I was accused of a crime — not merely of a piece 
 of mischief, -as the colonel was pleased to regard it, 
 but of a crime whose penalty was imprisonment. 
 By merely admitting the truth of the charge, I 
 could escape all disagreeable consequences, and retain 
 for my father, and myself the favor of the mighty 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 117 
 
 man in whose smile we had prospered and grown 
 rich. Doubtless, in the worldly sense, L had been 
 very imprudent. It would have been safer for me 
 not to deny the accusation, and not to resent the 
 hard names applied to me. 
 
 As a matter of policy, I had always permitted 
 Waddie to have his own way in his dealings with 
 me. If he ordered me to do anything, I did it. If 
 he called me names, I did not retort upon him. It 
 galled me sorely to permit the puppy to ride over 
 me in this manner ; to be insulted, kicked, and 
 cuffed at his royal pleasure ; but while it was sim- 
 ply a sacrifice of personal pride, or even of self- 
 respect, it did not so much matter. When, how- 
 ever, Waddie and his father wished to brand me as 
 a criminal, and to browbeat me because I would 
 not confess myself guilty of a deed in which I had 
 no hand, my nature revolted. In my indignation, 
 I had made use of some expressions which I had 
 better not have used, and which I should not have 
 used if I had not been suffering under the weight 
 of that sad day's trials. 
 
 I did not care for myself under the displeasure of 
 
118 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 the mighty man. My mother was a timid woman, 
 and the cloud of -misfortunes, which was rising over 
 us filled her with dismay. The displeasure of Colo- 
 nel Wimpleton, the loss of the money, and above, 
 all the fear that my father would return to his old 
 habits, were terrors enough for one day, and I wept 
 for her. But what could I do? To confess myself 
 guilty of a crime when I was innocent, was the 
 greatest wrong I could do to her and to myself. I 
 would not do that, whatever else I did ; and there 
 was no other way to win back the favor of the 
 colonel. 
 
 After I had cooled off, I returned to the house, 
 and found my mother more calm than I expected. 
 She had resumed her work; but she looked very 
 sad and troubled. My two sisters had gone to the 
 village, and as yet knew nothing of the misfortunes 
 that were settling down upon our house. 
 
 " WolfertJ[ am sorry you were so rash," said my 
 mother, as I seated myself in the kitchen. 
 
 "I am sorry myself; but I don't think it would 
 have made any difference with the colonel if I had 
 been as gentle as a lamb," I replied. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 119 
 
 "Perhaps it would." 
 
 "The colonel wished me to take upon my shoul- 
 ders the blame, or part of it, of blowing up the 
 canal boat. Nothing less than that would have sat- 
 isfied him. You can't wonder that I was mad, after 
 what you heard him say to me. I have eaten dirt 
 before the colonel and his son for years, and 1 don't 
 think we have made anything by it; but whether 
 we have or not, I won't be called a villain and a 
 scoundrel, or confess a thing I didn't do." 
 
 "Mr. Wimpleton is a very powerful man in Cen- 
 treport," added my mother, shaking her head in 
 deprecation of any rash steps. 
 
 " I know he is, mother ; and I will do anything 
 I can to please him, except sell my own soul ; and 
 he hasn't got money enough to buy that. I'm not 
 going to put my nose into the dirt for him." 
 
 "He may ruin us,- Wolfert." 
 
 "What can he do?" 
 • " He can discharge your father." 
 
 "Father can get as much wages in another place 
 as he can here. Perhaps he will be wanted on the 
 Ruoara now Christy has run away." 
 
120 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "But his house is here, and he meant to stay in 
 Centreport. Besides, Mr. Wimpleton can turn us 
 out of the house if we don't pay the money, which 
 will be due in a few days." 
 
 "I hope Mr. Mortimer will catch Christy, and 
 get the money. If he don't, there is a man in town 
 who offered thirty-five hundred dollars for the place ; 
 and that is more than it cost, and father won't lose 
 anything." 
 
 "You don't know Mr. Wimpleton, Wolfert. He 
 is a terrible man when he is offended. If the place 
 were sold at auction, as it would be, he has influ- 
 ence enough to prevent any one from bidding on 
 it ; and your father might lose every cent he has 
 left in the world." 
 
 " What would you have me do, mother ? " I asked, 
 rising from my chair, considerably excited. " Shall 
 I say that I helped Waddie blow up the canal 
 boat ? " 
 
 "No, certainly not, Wolfert, unless you did help 
 him." 
 
 "Do you think I did, mother?" 
 
 "No, I can't think so, after what you have said." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 121 
 
 " I had nothing more to do with it than you 
 had." 
 
 " But you can be a little more gentle with him." 
 
 "And let him browbeat and bully me as much 
 as he pleases? I think, mother, if I stand up square- 
 ly for my own rights, he will respect me all the 
 more. For my own part, I am about tired of Cen- 
 treport ; for all the people bow down and toady 
 to Colonel Wimpleton. If he takes snuff every- 
 body sneezes. All the fellows treat Waddie as 
 though he were a prince of the blood. I have been 
 ashamed and disgusted with myself a hundred times 
 after I have let him bully me, and put his foot on 
 my neck. I have been tempted to thrash him, a 
 dozen times, for his impudence ; and if I didn't do 
 so, it was not because I didn't want to." 
 
 "You must try to have a Christian spirit, Wol- 
 fert," said my mother, mildly. 
 
 " I do try to have a Christian spirit," mother. I 
 haven't anything against Waddie or his father. If 
 I could do a kindness, to either one of them this 
 minute, I would do it. But I don't think a fellow 
 must be a milksop in order to be a Christian. I 
 
122 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 don't think the gospel requires me to be a toady, 
 or even to submit to injustice when I can help my- 
 self. I don't ask to be revenged, or anything of 
 that sort ; I only desire to keep my head out of the 
 dirt. I am going to try to be a man, whatever hap- 
 pens to me." 
 
 " If you will only be a Christian, Wolfert, I can 
 ask no more." 
 
 "I will try to be; but do you think yourself, 
 mother, that I ought to stand still and allow myself 
 to be kicked?" 
 
 "You must not provoke your enemies." 
 
 "I will not, if I can help it; but I think it is 
 pretty hard to keep still when you are called a ras- 
 cal and a villain. If you think I ought to confess 
 that I helped blow up the canal boat when I did 
 not, I will — " 
 
 I was going to say I would do it, but the words 
 choked me, and I could not utter them. 
 
 " I don't wish you to say so, Wolfert." 
 
 " Then I am satisfied ; and I will try to be gentle 
 while they abuse me." 
 
 At this moment Waddie Wimpleton bolted into 
 
THE YOUNG- ENGINEER. 123 
 
 the room, without taking the trouble to announce 
 himself beforehand. 
 
 " My father says you must come up and see him 
 at once," said the scion, in his usual bullying and 
 offensive tone. 
 
 " Where is he ? " I asked, as quietly as I could 
 speak, under the influence of my good mother's 
 lesson. 
 
 " At the house. Where do you suppose he is ? " 
 pouted Waddie. "And he says, if you don't come, 
 he'll send a constable after you." 
 
 "What does be want of me?" 
 
 "None of your business what he wants. All 
 you've got to do is to go." 
 
 "If I conclude to go, I will be there in a few 
 moments," I added. 
 
 " If you conclude to go ! " exclaimed Waddie. 
 " Well, that is cool ! Do you mean to say you 
 won't go ? " 
 
 " No, I don't mean to say that." 
 
 " Well, I want to know whether you are going 
 or not," demanded the scion. 
 
 "Shall I go, mother?" I asked, appealing to her. 
 
124 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " I think you had better go, Wolfert." 
 
 "Then I will go." 
 
 "You had better," continued Waddle, who could 
 not help bullying even after his point was gained. 
 
 The gentlemanly young man left the house, and my 
 mother admonished me again not to be saucy, and 
 to return good for evil. I hoped I should be able 
 to do so. If I failed it would not be for the want 
 of a good intention. I walked up the road towards 
 the mansion of the great man, thinking what I 
 should" say, and how I could best defend myself 
 from the charge which was again to be urged 
 against me. The situation looked very hopeless 
 to me as I jumped over the fence in the grove, 
 through which there was a path which led to the 
 house of the colonel. 
 
 "Here he is," said Waddie, accompanying the 
 remark with a yell not unlike an Indian war-whoop. 
 
 I halted and turned around. Behind me stood 
 the scion of the great house of Centreport, with a 
 club in his hand, and attended by half a dozen of 
 the meanest fellows of the Institute, armed in like 
 manner. They had been concealed behind the fence ; 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 125 
 
 and of course I instantly concluded that the colo- 
 nel's message was a mere trick to decoy me into 
 the grove. 
 
 " Do you wish to see mo ? " I asked, as coolly as 
 I could; and the circumstances under which we 
 appeared to meet were not favorable to a frigid 
 demeanor. 
 
 "Yes, I want to see you," replied Waddie, mov- 
 ing up to me, and flourishing his stick. " You must 
 settle my account before you see my governor." 
 
 "What do you want of me ? " I demanded, as I 
 edged up to a big tree, which would protect me 
 from an assault in the rear. 
 
 "You told my father I was the biggest liar in 
 town," blustered Waddie. "I'm going to give you 
 the biggest licking for it you ever had in your life." 
 
 " Go in, Waddie ! " shouted Sam Peppors. " We'll 
 stand by, and see fair play." 
 
 "Are you ready to take your licking?" bullied 
 Waddie, who did not seem to be quite ready to com- 
 mence the operation. 
 
 " No, I am not," I answered, quietly ; and I never 
 spoke truer words in my life. 
 
126 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "You called me the biggest liar in town — didn't 
 you ? " 
 
 «I did." 
 
 " Have you anything to say about it ? " 
 
 "I have," I replied, still moved by the gentle 
 words of gospel wisdom which my mother had 
 spoken to me. 
 
 " If you have, say it quick." 
 
 " I was angry when I spoke the words, and I am 
 sorry for uttering them." 
 
 " Ha, ha ! humph ! " yelled the half-dozen ruffians 
 in concert. 
 
 " Get down on your knees and beg my pardon, 
 then," said Waddie. 
 
 "No> I will not do that," I replied, firmly. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEK. 127 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 WOLFS EOETKESS. 
 
 "T~HTNDER the influence of the better thoughts 
 V_y which my good mother had suggested to me, 
 I was willing to do better deeds. I was ready to 
 apologize; I had done so, but I could not go down 
 upon my knees before such a fellow as Waddie Wim- 
 pleton, or any fellow, for that matter. It was hard 
 enough for me to say I was sorry; and I had done 
 so for my mother's sake, rather than my own. 
 
 "I don't think you are very sorry for what you 
 said," sneered Waddie. 
 
 "I am sorry enough to apologize. I really regret 
 that I made use of any hard expressions," I replied. 
 
 " Then get down on your knees, and beg my 
 pardon, as I tell you," persisted Waddie, flourishing 
 his stick. " If you do, I'll let you off on part of the 
 punishment." 
 
328 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " I apologized because I had done wrong, and not 
 because I was afraid of the punishment," I added, 
 still schooling my tongue to gentle speech. 
 
 " Humph ! " exclaimed the scion ; and my remark 
 was based on a philosophy so subtile that he could 
 not comprehend it. 
 
 " Go in ! Go in ! Give it to him ! " shouted the 
 supporting ruffians. " He's fooling you, Waddie." 
 
 " If you are not going to do what I tell you, look 
 out for the consequences," blustered tbe young gen- 
 tleman, who still seemed to have some doubts in 
 regard to the prudence of his present conduct. 
 
 "Waddie Wimpleton," said I. 
 
 " Well, what do you want now ? " demanded he, 
 dropping his weapon again. 
 
 "If you strike me with that stick you must look 
 out for consequences. I shall defend myself as well 
 as I know how." 
 
 Waddie glanced at his companions. 
 
 " Hit him ! What are you waiting for ? " cried his 
 friends; and I have always observed, in such cases, 
 that it is easier to give advice than to strike the 
 blow. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 129 
 
 Mr. "Waddie had placed himself in a position which 
 he could not well evacuate. He evidently had no 
 heart for the encounter which he foresaw must take 
 place if he struck me, and perhaps he had not entire 
 confidence in the character of the support which he 
 was to receive. At any rate he could not help real- 
 izing that the first blows of the battle were likely 
 to be dealt upon his own head. 
 
 " You called me a liar," said he, working up his 
 courage again by a new recital of his wrongs. 
 
 "I did, and apologized for it," I replied. 
 
 " Go down on your knees, then, and say you are 
 sorry." 
 
 "I will not." 
 
 " Then mind your eye," continued "Waddie, as 
 with a sudden spring he hit me on the arm, which 
 I raised to ward off the blow. 
 
 I did mind my eye, and I minded his, too; for, 
 before he could bring up his supports, I leaped upon 
 him. Though he was of my own size and age, he 
 was only a baby in my hands. I grasped his stick, 
 wrenched and twisted it a few times, and then threw 
 him over backwards into a pool of soft mud, which 
 9 
 
130 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 I had chosen to flank my position, and save me from 
 an attack in the rear. He was half buried in the 
 soft compound of black mud and decayed leaves 
 which filled the hole, and his good clothes suffered 
 severely from the effects of his disaster. 
 
 The moment the conflict commenced the supports 
 moved up ; but, before they could come into action, 
 I had overthrown my assailant, and stood against 
 the tree with the club in my hand. When Waddie 
 went over backwards, a new duty seemed to be sug- 
 gested to his backers ; and, instead of turning on me, 
 they proceeded to help their principal out of his 
 uncomfortable position. Encouraged and thoroughly 
 waked up by my victory, I think I could have 
 thrashed the whole party; but I. had not wholly 
 escaped the influence of my mother's teachings, and 
 was disposed to act strictly in self-defence. 
 
 The quagmire into which Waddie had fallen was 
 near the bank of the brook which meandered through 
 the grove, and which had been bridged in several 
 places, as well to add to the convenience of passers- 
 by as to increase the picturesque beauty of the place. 
 I deemed it best to retreat to one of these bridges, 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 131 
 
 which was not more than three feet wide, and which 
 would enable me to defend myself from an assault 
 to the best advantage. 
 
 " Humph ! you cowards ! " snarled Waddie, as his 
 companions lifted him out of the slough, and he spit 
 out the mud and water which filled his mouth. 
 " Why didn't you stand by me, as you promised ? " 
 
 " We expected you to make a better fight than 
 that," replied one of them; and it was doubtful to 
 me whether they could assign any good reason why 
 they had not stood by him. 
 
 "I did the best I could, and you did not come 
 near me. I'm in a pretty pickle," sputtered Waddie, 
 as he glanced at his soiled garments. 
 
 "We'll give it to him yet," said one of the party, 
 as he glanced at me, securely posted on the bridge. 
 
 "Where is he?" asked Waddie. 
 
 I was pointed out to him, and the sight of me 
 inflamed all his zeal again. 
 
 " Come on, fellows ; and stand by me this time. I 
 wish I had my revolver here." 
 
 I was very glad he had not that formidable weapon 
 about him, though I don't think he could have hit 
 
132 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK 
 
 me if he had fired at me ; but he sometimes struck 
 the mark by accident. Waddie took a club from the 
 hand of one of his supporters, and rushed towards 
 the bridge. Though he was not a master of strategy, 
 he could not help seeing that I was well posted, and 
 he halted suddenly before he reached the brook. 
 
 "We must drive him from the bridge, where we 
 can have fair play," said "Waddie. 
 
 I did not just then see how this was to be done; 
 but I was soon able to perceive his plan. The scion 
 led his forces to a position on the brook above me, 
 and, taking some stones from the shallow stream, 
 began to pelt me with a vigor which soon rendered 
 my place untenable. Several of the missiles hit me, 
 though I was not much hurt by them. Under these 
 circumstances, I was helpless for defensive purposes, 
 for I had nothing with which to return the fire. It 
 was useless for me to stand there, and be peppered 
 with stones. I concluded to retreat in good order, 
 and brought myself off without any material damage. 
 
 The only safe line by which I could retire was in 
 the direction of the mansion of Colonel Wimpleton. 
 I crossed the brook farther down, and came to a 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 133 
 
 rustic summer house, on the bank of the stream. 
 It was built on a high foundation, to afford a pros- 
 pect of the lake, and the only admission was through 
 the door, which was reached by a long flight of 
 steps. I immediately took possession of this struc- 
 ture, assured that I could defend the door, while its 
 walls would protect me from the missiles of my 
 assailants. 
 
 Waddie led his forces up to my fortress, and sur- 
 veyed the situation. They attempted to drive me 
 out with stones; but they fell harmless upon the 
 building. The besiegers consulted togethe:*, and 
 decided to make an assault on the works. I was 
 entirely willing they should do so, for I could knock 
 them over with the club as fast as they came up, 
 having all the advantage of position. Ben Pinkerton 
 volunteered to lead the forlorn hope, and advanced 
 with considerable boldness to the attack. I gave 
 him a gentle rap on the head as he appeared at the 
 door, and he fell back, unable to reach me with hia 
 stick, as I stood so much higher than he. 
 
 " Better keep back," I remonstrated with him, 
 " If there are any broken heads, they will be yours." 
 
134 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 Dick Bayard then attempted to climb up the 
 railing of the stairs, so as to be on a level with 
 me ; but I knocked his fingers with my stick, and 
 he desisted. It was plain to them, after this trial, 
 that a direct assault was not practicable, and they 
 retired to the ground below. Another consultation 
 followed in the ranks of the enemy; and by this 
 time Wadclie's friends were quite as much interested 
 in the affair as he was himself. 
 
 " I wish I had my revolver," said the scion. " Hold 
 on ! I will go to the house and get it ; you stay 
 here, and don't let him come down." 
 
 " O, no ! We don't want any pistol," protested Ben 
 Pinkerton. " You musn't shoot him ! " 
 
 " Why not ? I would shoot him as quick as I 
 would a cat. I wouldn't kill him, of course ; but I 
 would make him come down, and give us fair play 
 on the ground," added Waddie. 
 
 Fair play ! Seven of them, armed with clubs, 
 against one ! That was Waddie's idea of fair play. 
 
 " ISTo ; we don't want any pistols," persisted Ben. 
 " Some one might get hurt, and then we should be 
 in a bad scrape." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 135 
 
 " What are you going to do ? " demanded the 
 young gentleman. "Are you going to let him stay 
 up there and crow over us ? I'm wet through, and I 
 don't want to stay here all day. I'll tell you what 
 I'll do. I'll set the summer house on fire. That will 
 bring him down." 
 
 This was a brilliant idea of Waddie, and I was 
 afraid he would put it into operation, for he was 
 reckless enough to do anything. 
 
 "That won't do," replied the prudent Pinkerton. 
 "We don't want to get into any scrape." 
 
 " No ; don't set it on fire," added Dick Bayard ; 
 and so said all of them but Waddie; for probably 
 they foresaw that they would have to bear all the 
 blame of the deed. 
 
 " I don't want to stay here all day," fretted Waddie. 
 
 " Put it through by daylight ! " I ventured to sug- 
 gest, as I sat on the upper step, listening to the 
 interview. 
 
 "He is laughing at us," said the scion, angrily. 
 
 "Let him laugh; he is safe," replied Ben. "I'll 
 tell you what we can do." 
 
 "Well, what?" asked Waddie, as he east a dis- 
 contented glance at me. 
 
136 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "Let us camp out here to-night," continued Ben. 
 
 " Camp out ! " repeated several of the party, not 
 fully comprehending the idea of the fertile Pinker- 
 ton's brilliant mind. 
 
 " Starve him out, I mean," explained Ben. " We 
 will stay here and keep him a close prisoner till he 
 is willing to come down and take his licking like 
 a man." 
 
 Stupid as this plan seemed to me, it was promptly 
 adopted. But the enemy retired out of hearing to 
 complete the arrangement, though they were near 
 enough to fall upon me if I attempted to escape. 
 I did not consider myself a match for the whole of 
 them on the ground, and I had expected to be ter- 
 ribly mauled, as I should have been if my wits had 
 not served me well. 
 
 Presently I saw Wacldie leave the party, and walk 
 towards his father's house. I concluded that he had 
 gone to change his clothes, for his plight was as 
 disagreeable as it could be. His companions took 
 position near the foot of the steps, with the clubs 
 in their hands, ready to receive me if I attempted 
 to evacuate my fortress. I was quite comfortable, 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 137 
 
 and rather curious to know what they intended 
 to do. 
 
 I waited an hour for the return of Waddie, during 
 which time I studied the structure in which I was a 
 prisoner, and its surroundings, in order to prepare 
 myself for action when it should be necessary. It 
 was plain to me that the scion was taking more 
 time than was needed to change his clothes. I 
 thought something had happened at the house ; and 
 in this impression I Avas soon confirmed by the ap- 
 pearance of Colonel Wimpleton, attended by two 
 men. 
 
138 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CAPTAIN SYNDEES. 
 
 THERE were not many men in Centreport who 
 were not either the toadies or the employees 
 of Colonel Wimpleton. He was an absolute mon- 
 arch in the place, and his will was law, to all in- 
 tents and purposes, though of course he did not 
 operate with all as he did with me. Ordinarily, 
 and especially when not opposed, he was a very 
 gentlemanly man, affable to his equals, — if he had 
 any equals in town, — and condescending to his 
 inferiors. 
 
 I was not quite willing to believe that Waddie 
 had called upon his father • for aid. It was more 
 probable that the scion's dirty plight had attracted 
 the attention of his parents, and called forth an 
 explanation. But it was all the same to me, since 
 Colonel Wimpleton was coming with efficient aid 
 
TELE YOUNG ENGINEER. 139 
 
 to capture and reduce me to proper subjection. It 
 was no common enemy with whom I was called 
 upon to contend, but the mighty man of Centre- 
 port, whose will none dared to oppose. 
 
 As the party approached, I saw that one of the 
 men was. Captain Synders, the ex-skipper of a canal 
 boat, who had been promoted to the honors and 
 dignities of a constable. I was somewhat appalled 
 when I considex*ed his official position, for he was 
 armed with authority, and it would be hardly safe 
 for me to offer any resistance to him. The coming 
 of Colonel Wimpleton nipped in the bud the scheme 
 of the bullies to camp out around me, and I was 
 rather glad to have the case settled without any 
 unnecessary delay. 
 
 The summer house, which was a poor imitation 
 of an Indian pagoda, mounted on piles, had a door, 
 with a window in each of its octagonal faces. On 
 the other side of the brook was a large tree, whose 
 branches partially shaded the building. During my 
 study of the situation, I had arranged a plan by 
 which my escape could be effected at a favorable 
 moment. I could pass out at one of the windows, 
 
140 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 and climb to the roof of the pagoda, from which 
 the overhanging branches of the trees would afford 
 me the means of reaching the ground. The only 
 difficulty in my way was, that my besiegers would 
 be able to reach the foot of the tree before I could, 
 and thus cut off my retreat. But the summer house 
 was located near the lake, and the brook at this 
 point was wide and deep, so that it could not be 
 crossed except on the bridge, which was several 
 rods distant. My line of retreat would be avail- 
 able only when the besiegers were off their guard, 
 or were not in a situation to pursue instantly. 
 
 When Colonel Wimpleton appeared, Waddie's six 
 brave companions retired from the ground, fearful, 
 perhaj)S, of getting into a scrape. I saw them move 
 off a short distance, and halt to observe the pro- 
 ceedings. The great man and his associates de- 
 voted their whole attention to me, and did not 
 heed the students. They came directly to. the foot 
 of the stairs, while I sat at the head of them. I 
 had made a movement to retire when the valiant 
 six retreated ; but I saw that the attempt would only 
 throw me into the hands of the reinforcements. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 141 
 
 " Come down, you villain ! " called Colonel Wini- 
 pleton, as he halted at the foot of the stairs. 
 
 To this summons to surrender I made no reply. 
 
 "What do you mean by knocking my son over 
 into the mud ? " he added, angrily. 
 
 " He began it upon me, sir," I replied. " He 
 brought up half a dozen fellows to lick me, and 
 struck me with a club." 
 
 " He served you right. I told you to come 
 down." 
 
 "I know you did, sir." 
 
 "Are you coming down?" 
 
 "Not just yet." 
 
 "Go up and bring him down, Synders," said the 
 colonel to the officer. 
 
 "I'll bring him down," replied the zealous con- 
 stable. 
 
 But he did not. 
 
 I sprang to my feet, leaped out upon the trim- 
 mings of the pagoda, and vaulted to the roof 
 almost in the twinkling of an eye — at. any rate, 
 before Captain Synders reached the inside of the 
 summer house. The constable looked out of the 
 
142 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 window at my elevated position. He was too 
 clumsy to follow me, and I felt that I was per- 
 fectly safe. From the roof I saw that the branches 
 of the tree were more favorable to my descent 
 than I had supposed, and I found that I could 
 climb into another tree on the same side of the 
 brook as the pagoda. I jumped into the branches 
 of this tree, and began to move down. I found 
 that my gymnastic practice at the Institute, where 
 I had excelled in this department, was of great 
 service to me, and I was quite sure that no man 
 could follow me. 
 
 Perching myself on a branch, I paused to exam- 
 ine the situation again. Captain Synders sent the 
 man who had come with him, and who was one 
 of the gardeners, to the foot of the tree to inter- 
 cept my retreat. I did not purpose to go down 
 that way, but intended, at the right time, to return 
 to the roof of the pagoda, and descend on the other 
 side of the brook. My movement in this direction 
 was only a feint. The colonel exj)ected, doubtless, 
 that I would drop down into the arms of the gar- 
 dener, and that the chase would be immediately 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 143 
 
 ended ; but, seated on the branch, I kept still, and 
 said nothing. 
 
 " Are you going down, you scoundrel ? " roared 
 the colonel, when he found the plan did not work. 
 
 "No, sir, not yet." 
 
 "You are on my grounds, and I will have you 
 arrested as a trespasser," foamed the colonel. 
 
 " You sent for me, sir, and I came at your request." 
 
 " Who sent for you ? " 
 
 "You did, sir; ask Waddie; he was your mes- 
 senger." 
 
 " I didn't send for you." 
 
 " Waddie came to my house, and said you wanted 
 to see me." 
 
 " I want to see you now, at any rate." 
 
 " Here I am, sir." 
 
 " You shall be punished for knocking my son over 
 into the mud." 
 
 "I would like to talk this matter over coolly, 
 Colonel Wimpleton," I continued, taking an easy 
 position in the tree. "I apologized to Waddie for 
 calling him a liar, and I am sorry I was saucy to 
 you." 
 
144 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " Humph ! Come down from that tree, then. If 
 you make a clean breast of it, I will let you off 
 easy." 
 
 " I don't think I'm to blame for anything except 
 being saucy," I replied ; and I did not think I was 
 much to blame for that, after he had called me a 
 villain and a scoundrel, and other hard names; still 
 it was returning evil for evil. 
 
 " Did he apologize to you, Waddie ? " asked the 
 colonel, turning to his hopeful. 
 
 " He said he was sorry, and I told him to get 
 down on his knees and beg my pardon," replied 
 Waddie. 
 
 " And he would not do it ? " asked the indignant 
 father, evidently regarding it as exceedingly un- 
 reasonable in me to refuse to undergo this trifling 
 humiliation. 
 
 "No, he wouldn't." 
 
 " Very well," replied the great man. " We shall 
 see whether he will or not." 
 
 I was willing to see. 
 
 "Wolf Penniman, you are a bad boy!" exclaimed 
 the colonel with emphasis. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 145 
 
 I did not dispute him. 
 
 "You have insulted me and my son." 
 
 " I am willing to be forgiven, sir," I answered, 
 after a vain effort to keep down the spirit which 
 was rising in me. " I have apologized for being 
 saucy ; what more can I do ? " 
 
 " You must do what my son told you to do, and 
 then confess that you helped blow up the canal 
 boat," replied he, more calmly than he had yet 
 spoken. 
 
 "I can't do anything more, then. I knew noth- 
 ing about the blow-up, and I won't go down on 
 my knees to anybody in this world." 
 
 " You are an obstinate villain, and I'll bring you 
 to your senses before I have done with you. Where 
 is your father?" 
 
 "Gone to Hitaca." 
 
 "Will you come down now, or shall I have you 
 brought clown." 
 
 " I'll be brought down, if it's all the same to you, 
 sir," I replied, folding my arms, and looking as im- 
 pudent as I spoke. 
 
 I felt that I had given my mother's good advice 
 10 
 
146 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK 
 
 a fair trial. I had gained nothing by apologizing, 
 though I was not sorry I had done so. The more 
 I humiliated myself, the more I must; and, with- 
 out meaning to be saucy, I determined to stand up 
 squarely for my own rights and my own dignity. 
 
 " I'll bring him down, if you say so, father," vol- 
 unteered the Wimpleton junior. 
 
 "How?" 
 
 " We can drive him out of the tree, as we did 
 off the bridge." 
 
 "Exactly so!" exclaimed Captain Synders. "That's 
 a good idea. Since neither words nor grass will do, 
 we'll try what virtue's in a stone or two." 
 
 The besiegers went down the stairs, and Waddie 
 called up his forces, ready to renew the assault. By 
 the time they reached the ground I had descended 
 to the roof of the pagoda, where the party could 
 not see me, and where the thick branches of the 
 trees protected me from their missiles. They soon 
 found they were not getting ahead any, and by 
 the advice of Synders they changed their position. 
 With the exception of the colonel, who was too 
 dignified to throw stones, men and boys renewed 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 147 
 
 the assault, and poured a shower of stones upon 
 me. Some of them hit me, and the roof became 
 too warm for me. I dropped down into the sum- 
 mer house for safety. Finding the coast clear, — for 
 the colonel had been forced to retire from the foot 
 of the stairs to avoid the stones, — I rushed down 
 the steps, and ran with all my might towards home. 
 The besiegers had been careless, and I was only too 
 happy to take advantage of their mistake. 
 
 I ran as fast as I could over the bridge, follow- 
 ing the path by which I had come. I was closely, 
 pursued; but I distanced all my enemies. It would 
 be useless for me to go home ; for the constable 
 was a man of authority, and I supposed he had 
 been sent for to arrest me, though on what charge 
 I could not conjecture, for Wimpleton senior would 
 not dare to prosecute me in a matter wherein Wim- 
 pleton junior would be likely to suffer more than 
 myself. I wished to spare my mother the pain 
 and anxiety of another controversy in the house; 
 and for that reason, as well as because home was 
 not a safe place for me, I made my way to the 
 mill wharf, where I had an old skiff. 
 
148 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 I reached this boat without accident, but out of 
 breath with the hard run I had had. Jumping in, 
 I pushed off, and pulled away from the shore. For 
 the present I was safe, for there was no boat in 
 which I could be pursued, nearer than the man- 
 sion of Colonel Wimpleton. The constable and 
 his companions did not come down to the wharf 
 after they saw me push off, but returned in the 
 direction of the grove. I rowed out upon the lake, 
 where I could see any boat which might put off 
 after me. I went half way across the lake, and 
 then concluded that my assailants had chosen to 
 wait for my return. 
 
 I did not exactly like to return then ; it would 
 only be putting my head ' into the lion's mouth ; 
 and I pulled for Middleport. A sail-boat was near 
 me, in which were several boys, one of whom pres- 
 ently hailed me. 
 
 " Is that you, "Wolf? " called the speaker, in whom 
 I recognized Tommy Toppleton. 
 
 I informed him that it was I. 
 
 "I was going over after you," he added. "Jump 
 aboard — will you?" 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 149 
 
 I did so, and was glad to find myself among 
 friends, though they were Toppletonians. 
 
 "We want you to get that engine out of the 
 water," continued Tommy. 
 
 I saw the tow-boat at the wharf, with steam up, 
 and I promised to do the job before night — in fact, 
 to put it through by daylight. 
 
150 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 EAISING THE DUMMY. 
 
 "JJAYEFT you any one in Middleport that 
 
 _i l_ can raise that engine ? " I asked, with a 
 
 pleasant smile, after I had taken a seat in Tommy 
 Toppleton's beautiful sail-boat, with my old skiff in 
 tow. 
 
 " Of course we have," replied the Toppleton 
 junior; but I'm afraid it will take a week for them 
 to do it. They are talking about rigging a derrick 
 on the wharf." 
 
 " You don't need any derrick, or anything of that 
 sort," I added, confidently ; and I was quite satis- 
 fied that with the aid of the tow-boat I could make 
 good my jn'omise. 
 
 " Do you think you can really raise the thing ? " 
 asked Tommy, anxiously. 
 
 "I know I can." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 151 
 
 " Can you do it right up quick ? " 
 
 " It may take an hour or so. Can I have your 
 father's tow-boat?" 
 
 "Certainly you can; but my father don't know I 
 came over after you," added the scion of the house, 
 of Toppleton. 
 
 " I don't want to do anything without your 
 father's knowledge and consent." 
 
 "He won't find any fault with anything except 
 that you are a Centreporter." 
 
 "I am no more a Centreporter than I am a Mid- 
 dleporter now," I replied. "I have had a row with 
 the powers that be on our side." 
 
 " A row ! Good ! " exclaimed Tommy, his face 
 brightening up at this intelligence. " What was it ? " 
 
 I explained what it was, telling the whole history 
 of the blowing up of the canal boat, with the col- 
 lateral incidents relating to the affair. 
 
 "That's just like Wimpleton," said Tommy. "We 
 don't behave in that way on our side of the lake." 
 
 I hoped they did not; but it was a fact patent 
 to the people, that Mr. Tommy, though by no 
 means as bad a boy as Waddie, was a spoiled child. 
 
152 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 He was overbearing, domineering, and inclined to 
 get into bad scrapes. Though he was willing to be 
 my friend, and to treat me with the greatest consid- 
 eration at the present time, it was only because he 
 had an axe to grind ; and I had not much confi- 
 dence in the professions he made to me. 
 
 "I wish you would come and live on our side," 
 added Tommy. "We want just such a fellow as 
 you are over here." 
 
 " Perhaps I may have to live over here," I re- 
 plied. " I suppose Waddie will not let me rest in 
 peace after what has happened ; and I never will 
 go down on my knees to him or any other person." 
 
 " Don't you do it, Wolf," said Tommy, warmly. 
 "If you want a dozen or twenty of our fellows 
 to go over and whip out the crowd that set upon 
 you, we will do it — won't we, fellows ? " 
 
 " I'll bet we will," replied the half dozen partic- 
 ular cronies of Tommy who were in the boat with 
 him. 
 
 "I don't wish to do anything of that kind. I 
 bear Waddie no ill will ; and if he will only let me 
 alone, I shall never have any trouble with him." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 153 
 
 "You are too easy with him. If you only licked 
 him once, he would respect you for it." 
 
 I could not help thinking what the consequences 
 would be if any plebeian Middleporter took it into 
 his head to " lick " Tommy Toppleton ; and it was 
 about the same on one side of the lake as the other. 
 It was not prudent to thrash so much pride, conceit, 
 and wealth, as were embodied in the person of either 
 of the heirs of the great houses. The sons of poor 
 men had to stand back, and take off their hats to 
 the scion of either family. Fathers' situations and 
 mothers' social positions depended much upon the 
 deference paid by their children to the represen- 
 tatives of the nabobs. 
 
 "Where shall I land you, Wolf?" asked Tommy, 
 as the sail-boat approached the wharf, near which 
 the dummy reposed, ignominiously, on the bottom 
 of the lake. 
 
 " Put me on board of the tow-boat if you please. 
 And you must get the captain to do what I tell 
 him," I replied. 
 
 "I'll do that. He shall obey your orders just as 
 though you were the owner of the steamer." 
 
154 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 W«e ran up to the tow-boat, which was about to 
 start on a trip up the lake with a fleet of canal 
 boats that had gathered together. I knew that she 
 had on board all the rigging I needed for my bold 
 experiment, including some very long tow-lines. 
 Tommy ran up to the boat, and he and I leaped 
 upon her deck, for I had assured him I needed no 
 help from the boys, or any one else. 
 
 " Captain Underwood, we want to use your boat 
 for a while," said Tommy, as briskly as though he 
 had himself been the owner of the craft. 
 
 " Does your father say so ? " asked the captain, 
 with some hesitation, and with the utmost deference. 
 
 "No matter whether he does or not; I will be 
 responsible. Now go ahead, Wolf. You can put 
 her through by daylight." ~ 
 
 The captain consented to take part in the enter- 
 prise, when informed that I was the "young engi- 
 neer," — as I had the honor to be called, — and 
 that I had a plan to put the dummy on shore. 
 
 " Shall I explain the plan to you, Captain Under- 
 wood ? " I asked. 
 
 "No, you needn't, Wolf, unless you wish to do 
 so," interposed Tommy, impatiently. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 155 
 
 "If you will tell me what to do, I will obey 
 orders," answered the captain. "In fact, I don't 
 care to know anything about it; and then I shall 
 be responsible for nothing." 
 
 " All right, captain. You shall not be responsi- 
 ble, and if I fail no harm will be done. Have you 
 a stout iron hook ? " 
 
 " Yes ; here is one on the end of this tow-line," 
 he replied, pointing to a coil of large rope. 
 
 "That's just what I want," said I, throwing off 
 my coat. "Now run up to the north side of the 
 dummy." 
 
 Before the steamer reached the spot I had thrown 
 off all my clothes. Jumping into my skiff with 
 Tommy, who was proud and happy to have a finger 
 in the pie, we took the tow-line on board, and pulled 
 to the end of the dummy, to which I made fast. I 
 had ascertained from my companion that there was 
 a shackle eye in each end of the engine, by which 
 another car could be attached to it ; and my present 
 purpose was to fasten the hook into this eye. 
 
 The water of Lake Ucayga is as clear as crystal, 
 and I had no trouble in finding the eye, which was 
 
156 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 no more than four feet below the surface of the lake. 
 I dropped down into the engine-room, standing up 
 to my neck in water, and Tommy lowered down 
 the iron hook. I then stooped down, disajDpeared 
 from the view of the world above me for a moment, 
 and attached the hook to the eye. 
 
 "All right, Tommy," said I, when I had cleared 
 the water from my mouth. 
 
 "Bully for you, Wolf; but I don't see how you 
 are going to put the thing on shore," replied he. 
 
 "I'm going to do it; if I don't I never will go 
 on shore again myself," I added, as I sprang upon 
 the roof of the dummy again. 
 
 " I should hate to fail, for the fellows are a gath- 
 ering on the wharf to see the fun." 
 
 " There's no such word as fail," I answered, leap- 
 ing into the boat. " Now pull for the tow-boat, 
 and let me put on my rags again. 
 
 I jumped upon deck, and in a few moments had 
 my clothes on. I glanced at the wharf, and saw 
 that quite a number of students and grown-up peo- 
 ple had gathered there, as the intelligence spread 
 that something was going on. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 157 
 
 "What next, Wolf?" asked Captain Underwood, 
 bestowing upon me a smile which seemed to indi- 
 cate an utter want of confidence in my operations. 
 
 " Go ahead, captain," I replied, seizing the tow- 
 line, and making it fast at the bitts provided for the 
 purpose. 
 
 I knew what the bottom of the lake was at the 
 Middleport wharf, for I had been down there more 
 than once. It was composed of hard gravel, and 
 almost as smooth as the surface of the lake in a 
 calm day. I knew that the flanges of the car wheels 
 would cut into the ground and make it go hard, 
 and they would run as well there as on a hard 
 road. 
 
 "Go ahead!" said Captain Underwood to the 
 engineer. 
 
 " Steady, captain ! Work her up gradually," I 
 added. 
 
 The wheels turned slowly at first, so as not to 
 part the tow-line, or needlessly wrench the sunken 
 car; but in a few moments she had full steam on. 
 It was an anxious moment to me, and the gathering 
 crowd on shore watched the movement in silence. 
 
158 THBOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 " She starts ! " exclaimed Tommy, highly excited. 
 " She's coming ! " 
 
 " Of course she's coming ; I knew she would," I 
 replied, struggling to keep down the emotions which 
 agitated me. 
 
 " Hurrah ! " yelled Tommy, as the dummy began 
 to follow us, as though she were a part of the 
 steamer. 
 
 "Starboard your helm, Captain Underwood," I 
 called. 
 
 " Starboard it is," replied the captain, when he 
 had given the order to the wheelman. 
 
 " Keep as well in shore as your draught will let 
 you," I continued. 
 
 "I can't run the boat up on the shore, Wolf," 
 said the captain. 
 
 " I don't want you to do so. The dummy travels 
 very well on the bottom." 
 
 " Yes ; but we can't drag it out of the water with- 
 out running upon shore with the boat." 
 
 "I think we can, captain. At any rate, don't let 
 the boat get aground," I replied. 
 
 The steamer continued on her course till she came 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 159 
 
 abreast of a large tree growing on the shore, be- 
 tween which and the lake the rails were laid down. 
 
 " Stop her ! " I shouted ; and my order was 
 promptly obeyed. 
 
 The dummy was now in about six feet of water, 
 and not more than a hundred feet from the tree. 
 It was headed in a diagonal towards the railroad. 
 
 "Now, Captain Underwood, have you a heavy 
 snatch-block ? " I asked, as the. boat stopped. 
 
 " I have — one used with that tow-line," replied 
 the obliging captain, to whom the request indicated 
 the nature of further operations ; and I ought to add, 
 in justice to him, that the look of incredulity which 
 had played upon his face was all gone. 
 
 I took the snatch-block, with the ropes to make it 
 fast, and the end of the tow-line, into the skiff, and, 
 attended by Tommy, pulled ashore. My companion, 
 in spite of the fact that he usually wore kid gloves, 
 made himself exceedingly serviceable. I rigged the 
 snatch-block to the tree, and passed the tow-line 
 over the sheaf, carrying the end back to the steamer 
 in the boat, where I made it fast to the stern bitts. 
 
 " Go ahead, captain ! " I called. 
 
160 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR - 
 
 Working her up to her speed slowly and carefully, 
 the steamer ploughed and strained for a few mo- 
 ments, then went ahead. The rope strained, but it 
 did not part, and the dummy walked up out of the 
 water as though she had been a sea-horse emerging 
 from his native element. 
 
 The crowd which had followed the steamer cheered 
 lustily, and my promise was redeemed. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 161 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 GETTING UP STEAM. 
 
 THE enthusiastic cheering which followed the 
 passage of the dummy from the water to the 
 land was grateful to me, and I enjoyed it to a de- 
 gree which I cannot exj:>ress. I felt just as though 
 the Centreporters had cast me out, and the Middle- 
 porters had taken me up. I was quite confident 
 that there were many persons in Middle-port who 
 could have raised the dummy; but no one seemed 
 to have thought of my plan. Perhaps few of them 
 knew the bottom of the lake as well as I did, for 
 diving was one of my accomplishments ; and I had 
 oftener gone into the water on the Micldleport side 
 than on the other, because the beach was better. 
 
 " By gracious, Wolf ! You have done it ! " ex^ 
 claimed Tommy Toppleton, as I directed the captain 
 to stop the steamer; and his mouth and his eyes 
 11 
 
162 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 were opened as wide as if an earthquake had rent 
 the lake beneath us. 
 
 " Of course I have done it ; I expected to do it," 
 I replied, as indifferently as I could ; for, however big 
 one may feel, he does not always like to show it. 
 
 " You have done it handsomely, too," added Cap- 
 tain Underwood; and praise from Sir What's-his- 
 name was praise indeed. 
 
 "I hope the Wimpleton fellows saw that," said 
 Tommy, puffing out his cheeks, and looking as grand 
 as an alderman. "It would take them down a peg 
 if they did." 
 
 " I expect to catch it for helping you out," I added, 
 as I thought of the wrath of Colonel Wimpleton 
 when he should hear that I had been playing into 
 the hands of the Toppletonians. 
 
 " Don't you be afraid of the whole boodle of 
 them," replied Tommy, shaking his head, as though 
 he thought the other side would make a great mis- 
 take if it attempted to punish me for what I had 
 done. 
 
 "We'll talk about that some other time," I an 
 Bwered, turning my attention to business again. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 163 
 
 "We haven't quite done the work yet. "We must 
 put the dummy on the track." 
 
 " Can I help you any more?" asked the captain, 
 with a deference which amazed me. 
 
 " You may give us one more pull, if you are not 
 in a hurry. I'm going on shore now, and I will 
 make a signal to start and to stop her, with my 
 handkerchief," said I, jumping into the skiff with 
 Tommy. 
 
 The dummy stood within a couple of rods of the 
 track, which was in readiness as far as Spangleport, 
 five miles down the lake. We landed, and marched 
 in triumph through the crowd of men and boys on 
 the shore, though I ought to say that Tommy did 
 the triumphal part of the programme, and looked as 
 grand as though he had himself been the engineer 
 of the movement. Scores of the students offered 
 their services, and as I was on the point of sending 
 some of them for a few planks on which to roll the 
 dummy to the track, a platform car, which had con- 
 stituted the entire rolling stock of the Lake Shore 
 Railroad, rumbled up to the spot, in charge of a por- 
 tion of the students, attended by Major Topplet^n 
 
164 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 himself. The car was loaded with planks and rig- 
 ging, which the Middleport magnate had foreseen we 
 should want. 
 
 " We've got her out, father ! " shouted Tommy, 
 when he saw the major. 
 
 "I see you have," replied the great man, with a 
 cheerful smile. 
 
 " But we haven't quite finished the job yet," added 
 the young gentleman, bustling about as though the 
 completion of the work rested heavily on his shoul- 
 ders. " "What next, Wolf? " said he, turning to me, 
 and speaking in a lower tone. 
 
 " We must lay down some planks to roll it on the 
 track with," I replied. 
 
 "Bring up the planks, fellows ! " cried Tommy; 
 and the students rushed to obey his commands. 
 
 "This is Wolf— is it?" said Major Toppleton, 
 bestowing a patronizing glance at me. 
 
 " Yes, father ; this is Wolf, and he puts things 
 through by daylight, I can tell you. He and I have 
 managed this thing ourselves," replied Tommy, swell- 
 ing with importance. 
 
 "I'm glad to see you, Wolf. They say you have 
 a taste for machinery." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 165 
 
 "Yes, sir; I'm very fond of machinery." 
 
 " And you live on the other side ? " 
 
 "Yes, sir; my father is the engineer in Colonel 
 Wimpleton's steam mill." 
 
 "Humph!" ejaculated the major. "But you have 
 done well, for I was just offering a man two hundred 
 dollars to raise the dummy. He said it would take 
 him three days to rig his derrick, and hring down 
 his capstans from Ucayga. I was talking with him 
 when you hooked on and dragged the thing away. 
 You are a smart boy." 
 
 "Thank you, sir." 
 
 "You shall not lose anything by the job, if you 
 do belong on the other side," said the major, mag- 
 nanimously. 
 
 " O, I don't ask anything, sir. I only did it for 
 fun." 
 
 "Well, it's good fun, at any rate," laughed the 
 great man. " The boys will think you are a little 
 god." 
 
 " I suppose I shouldn't have dared to meddle with 
 it if I had not fallen out with Colonel Wimpleton 
 and his son." 
 
166 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 "Ah, indeed?" queried the major, opening his 
 eyes, as a gleam of satisfaction passed over his face. 
 " We will talk that matter over when your job is 
 finished." 
 
 By this time the students, who would have in- 
 sulted me if I had come among them at any other 
 time, had brought up the planks from the car, and 
 I proceeded to lay a track for the dummy wheels. 
 I placed two lines of wide ones as far as the iron 
 rails, sweeping them in curves, so as to turn the 
 engine as it neared the track. On them I laid nar- 
 rower planks for the wheels to run upon, gauging 
 them with a stick measured to the width of the 
 flanges of the wheels. When all was ready for a 
 start, I gave the signal with my handkerchief. The 
 steamer paddled and splashed, the rope strained, and 
 the dummy started again. I directed the students 
 to steady the planks so that they should not slip, 
 and in a couple of minutes, more or less, we had 
 the machine on the temporary track I had rigged. I 
 waved my handkerchief again, and the boat stopped. 
 
 "That will do, Tommy," said I. "Tell your fel- 
 lows to cast off the snatch-block, and let the captain 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 167 
 
 haul in his tow-line. We shall not want it any 
 more." 
 
 " But the^dumrny is not on the track yet," replied 
 Tommy, fearful that some delay might occur. 
 
 " We can move it on the planks easily enough 
 without the steamer; and she pulls so hard I am 
 afraid she will overdo the matter. Send a couple 
 of your fellows off in my skiff with the snatch-block 
 and ropes." 
 
 The scion of the Toppleton house liked to be 
 " the biggest toad in the puddle," and he gave off 
 his orders with great gusto to the students, not 
 always in as gentlemanly terms as I could have 
 wished, but with effect. He was promptly obeyed, 
 without dispute. I suggested to him that the cush- 
 ions and other movable articles in the passenger 
 compartment of the dummy should be removed, and 
 placed in the sun to dry. Tommy went at the 
 students as though the idea was his own, and made 
 all hands " stand around " for a moment. 1 was 
 very willing to flatter his vanity by letting him do 
 the ordering. 
 
 There was a break in the engine-room, and another 
 
168 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 on the platform in the rear of the car. Tommy, at 
 my request, placed a student at each of them. 1 
 then rigged a long rope at the forward end of the 
 dummy, which was manned by a crowd of boys, 
 while the men who were standing by took hold at 
 the sides and end of the car. 
 
 "Now, start her, Tommy," said I, in a low tone, 
 so as to permit him to enjoy the pleasing illusion 
 that he was running the machine. 
 
 " Now, all together — ahead with her ! " shouted 
 Tommy, flourishing his arms like the director of an 
 orchestra. 
 
 "Steady, Tommy." 
 
 " Steady ! " yelled my mouthpiece. 
 
 The dummy moved slowly forward, till the drive- 
 wheels came to the iron track. 
 
 " Put on the brakes ! Stop her ! " shouted Tommy, 
 as I gave him the word. 
 
 The passage of the wheels from the planks down 
 to the iron track involved some difficulty ; but, by 
 the aid of rocks and a couple of iron bars, the transit 
 was effected, and the dummy was safely deposited 
 on the rails in just an hour after the work began. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEE. 169 
 
 " Three cheers for the Lake Shore Railroad ! " 
 shouted one of the students, in the violence of his 
 enthusiasm, when the job was completed. 
 
 They were given with a will. 
 
 "Three more for Wolf Penniman," added another 
 student; and I was duly complimented, for which I 
 took off my cap' and bowed my acknowledgments. 
 
 " Don't forget Tommy," I whispered to one of the 
 fellows. 
 
 " Three rousing cheers for Tommy Toppleton," 
 called the student to whom I had given the hint. 
 
 Perhaps some of them thought that Mr. Tommy 
 had not done anything to entitle him to the consid- 
 eration ; but the cheers were given, and supplemented 
 with a " tiger." 
 
 " Fellow-students, I thank you for this compli- 
 ment, and for this evidence of your good will," said 
 Tommy, taking off his hat. "I have done the best 
 I could to help along the Lake Shore Railroad, and 
 as the president of the company, I am much obliged 
 to you for this token of encouragement. When our 
 rolling stock was buried beneath the wave, it was 
 my duty to do something; and I've done it. I'm 
 glad you are satisfied with the result." 
 
170 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 Then Tommy was the president of the Lake Shore 
 Railroad Company ! I did not know this before ; 
 his zeal was fully explained, and I was all the more 
 pleased that I had permitted him to exercise the 
 lion's share of the authority. 
 
 " Three cheers for Major Toppleton," squeaked a 
 little fellow, who thought the magnificent patron of 
 the enterprise had been neglected. 
 
 The great man bowed and smiled, as great men 
 always do when they are cheered ; but he did not 
 take up any of our valuable time by making a speech. 
 
 " Tommy, we want some oil and some packing," I 
 suggested to the president of the road, after I had 
 examined the machinery of the dummy. 
 
 " Do you think you can start her up to-night, 
 Wolf ? " asked Tommy, anxiously, after he had 
 despatched half a dozen of his satellites for the 
 required articles. 
 
 " Certainly we can ; you shall ride over to Spangle- 
 port, and back to Middleport in her," I replied. 
 "Now let some of your fellows bring up water to 
 fill the boiler and the tank, and we will get up 
 steam in the course of an hour or so." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 171 
 
 The boys returned from the steam mill with pack- 
 ing and oil; and, while others were bringing wood 
 and water, I rubbed up and oiled the machinery. 
 Brooms, mops, and cloths were obtained, and, under 
 Tommy's direction, the passenger portion of the car 
 was cleaned and wiped. The engine had been well 
 oiled before it was sent up from Philadelphia, and I 
 had nothing to do but wipe off the water and lubri- 
 cate the running parts. I kindled a fire in the fur- 
 nace, and when the smoke began to pour out of the 
 smoke-stack, the students yelled for joy. 
 
172 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OH 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE FIRST TRIP OF THE DUMMY. 
 
 I WAS in my element — in charge of a steam 
 engine. Though I had never seen a dummy 
 before this one, I comprehended the machinery at 
 a glance. I hardly heard the tumultuous yells of 
 the Toppletonians as they manifested their joy, so 
 absorbed was I in the study of the machine, and in 
 the anticipation of what wonderful things it would 
 do. Such an excited crowd as that which sur- 
 rounded me I had never seen, and I was obliged 
 to close the door of the engine-room to keep them 
 out. I opened it with due deference when Mr. 
 Tommy Toppleton, the president of the Lake Shore 
 Railroad, made a demand for admission, but I re- 
 morselessly excluded the board of directors and 
 the superintendent, to their great mortification, no 
 doubt; but I did not know them just then. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 173 
 
 Tommy and hi8 father were busily engaged in a 
 conversation which seemed to relate to me, when 
 I rang the bell to indicate that the engine was 
 ready for a start. This announcement was greeted 
 with the usual volley of cheers, and the young gen- 
 tlemen began to pile into the passenger apartment 
 to a degree which perilled the powers of the car. 
 There were at least a hundred of them, and it was 
 impossible to accommodate the whole. The major 
 directed his son to divide them into two companies; 
 and, though all of them manifested a childish im- 
 patience to have the first ride, they submitted to 
 the arrangement. Fifty of them filled the car, and 
 Major Toppleton and Tommy honored me with theii 
 company in the engine-room. 
 
 " All aboard ! " shouted the president. 
 
 "I think they need no such invitation," I added 
 laughing. 
 
 " We must do things up in shape, you know. We 
 are all ready now, Wolf," replied Tommy, highly 
 excited. 
 
 " I don't know anything about the road on which 
 I am to run, Mr. President," I suggested, as a prep- 
 aration for any accident which might happen. 
 
174 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "The road is all right, you may depend upon 
 that," answered Tommy. 
 
 "Of course, if the rails happen to be spread, or 
 anything of that sort, we shall be thrown off the 
 track." 
 
 "I sent a man over it with a gauge, yesterday, 
 and he reported it to be in perfect condition," in- 
 terposed the major. " It would be very unfortuate 
 to have any accident happen, and I have taken 
 every precaution to guard against one." 
 
 " I think we had better run very slowly the first 
 time," I replied. 
 
 " You can't be too careful, young man." 
 
 " Let her drive, Wolf ! " said Tommy, impatiently. 
 
 I let off the brake, and opened the valve. The 
 steam hissed in the most natural and encouraging 
 manner, and the dummy began to move, amid the 
 shouts of those on board and those on the ground. 
 The road was very level and straight, and the car 
 moved as easily as a boat in the water, though the 
 engine made a disagreeable puffing and twanging 
 noise in its action. 
 
 " Here we go ! " roared Tommy, at the top of his 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 175 
 
 lungs, swinging his cap to the boys who stood at 
 the sides, looking in at the door. " This is bully ! " 
 
 " Exceedingly bully ! " laughed his father. 
 
 "I should like to run through some of the Wim- 
 pleton fellows about this time," added the president. 
 " They would find out that our side of the lake is 
 wide awake." 
 
 I did not care to present myself to the Wimple- 
 tonians just at that moment. If I had, I should 
 have been mobbed as a traitor to "my own side ; 
 though, after the treatment which Centreport, in 
 the persons of its magnate and its magnate's son, 
 had bestowed upon me, my conscience did not re-, 
 proach me for infidelity. I bad actually been driven 
 out of the place, and the colonel had no right to 
 expect anything different from me. 
 
 The dummy went along very smoothly, and 
 worked so well that I ventured to "let her out" 
 a little more. The outsiders, in their excitement, 
 had followed us so far; but, as I let on the steam, 
 we ran away from them, the outsiders giving a rous- 
 ing cheer as we distanced them. The ground on 
 which the road was laid was nearly a dead level, 
 
176 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 though in some places a shelf on the side hill on 
 the border of the lake had been dug out. Between 
 Spangleport and the other terminus, two bridges had 
 been built over a couple of brooks, and the expense 
 of constructing the road was little more than the 
 cost of sleepers and rails. 
 
 In about half an hour we reached Spangleport, 
 which consisted of a wharf, a store, and about a 
 dozen houses, on the lake shore, though there was 
 quite a large village a mile distant. The occupants 
 of the dozen houses turned out in a body, as the 
 dummy went hissing and sizzling on its way. The 
 students yelled and cheered, and the Spangleport- 
 ers manifested their enthusiasm in a proper man- 
 ner. It was a great occasion for Spangleport, and 
 both natives and visitors made the most of it dur- 
 ing the few moments we remained. 
 
 As there was no turn-table, we were obliged to 
 run to Middleport backwards ; but one of the con- 
 ductors was ])laced on the forward platform to keep 
 a lookout, and as he could ring a bell in the engine- 
 room by pulling the strap, the car could be stopped 
 )n an instant. But there were no road crossings or 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 177 
 
 obstructions of any kind to bother us, and we went 
 ahead at a high rate of speed, rushing through the 
 crowd of students we had left where the dummy- 
 was raised, and stopping only when we reached 
 Middleport. 
 
 The whole village turned out to greet the dummy 
 when she appeared; but we left our freight, and im- 
 mediately returned to take up the waiting party, 
 who were impatiently anticipating their first ride on 
 the machine. I was beginning to grow tired of 
 yelling and cheering; for I was not disposed to be 
 very demonstrative myself, and I hoped the novelty 
 would soon wear off, so that we could move with- 
 out seeming like a horde of wild Indians. Proba- 
 bly I did not enjoy the stirring events of the day 
 as much as I should if I had had no trouble oa 
 the other side of the lake ; for, in spite, of the ex- 
 citement of running the dummy, I could not help 
 thinking, occasionally, of my poor mother, who was 
 wondering what had become of me. I dreaded to 
 hear from my father, for I was afraid that he had 
 renewed his drinking after I left the boat. It 
 seemed to me just as though our happy family 
 12 
 
178 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK 
 
 had been broken in pieces by the events of that 
 day; and I could not shake off a certain degree 
 of sadness that hung over me. 
 
 I stopped the engine when we came to the party 
 of students who were waiting for us, and they piled 
 in like a flock of sheep. Tommy shouted, "All 
 aboard ! " after he was positively sure that every 
 fellow was in the car ; and we went off again in 
 the midst of a din of cheers and yells that would 
 have beggared Bedlam. 
 
 " Let her slide now — can't you, Wolf? " said 
 Tommy. " Make her spin ! " 
 
 " I don't like to run her too fast, till she gets a 
 little used to it," I replied. 
 
 " Are you afraid of her ? " 
 
 " No ; but it's all a new thing, and we must be 
 careful, as your father said. 
 
 " Father isn't here, now," answered Tommy ; for 
 the young gentleman had insisted that the machine 
 should be run by the boys alone on this trip. 
 
 " I don't want to smash you up, Mr. President ; 
 but I will obey orders." 
 
 "All right; let her slide." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 179 
 
 I let her go as fast as I thought it was safe 
 for her to go ; but I did not regard Tommy as a 
 very safe president. By this time I felt quite at 
 home on the engine ; but I should have enjoyed it 
 more if I had been alone, for I did not like the 
 interference of my companion. I foresaw that, under 
 his direction, many risks must be run, and that it 
 would be difficult always to keep on the right side 
 of him. He was good-natured now, but I knew 
 very well that such was not his invariable habit. 
 Like Waddie Wimpleton, he was disposed to be 
 tyrannical and overbearing. He liked his own way, 
 and it was not very pleasant to think of being his 
 dependant. 
 
 We ran up to Spangleport; and, after a vast 
 amount of cheering and yelling by the boys, and 
 a reasonable display of enthusiasm on the part of 
 the inhabitants, we started for the return. Tommy 
 wanted to go faster; and I was very much afraid 
 I should have a quarrel with him before night. Run- 
 ning backwards, I could not see anything ahead of 
 the dummy, and I had not entire confidence in the 
 lookout on the forward platform. Fortunately we 
 
180 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 had not a large supply of fuel on board, and this 
 afforded me a sufficient excuse for not getting up 
 too much steam. 
 
 We ran into Middleport, where the rest of the 
 students, and hundreds of men, women, and chil- 
 dren were waiting to see more of the dummy. By 
 this time it was well dried off, and all the var- 
 nished parts had been rubbed by the boys till it 
 looked as good as new. A house had already been 
 built for the engine, near the Institute. It was pro- 
 vided with a water cistern, from which the tanks 
 in the engine could be filled, and with other con- 
 veniences for taking care of it. 
 
 When the people had examined the car to their 
 satisfaction, I ran it into the engine-house, put out 
 the fire, and placed the machinery in proper order 
 for use the next day. My work for that occasion 
 was done, and I felt that I had " put her through 
 by daylight." 
 
 " Now, Wolf, father wants to see you at the 
 house," said Tommy, when I had finished my task 
 on the engine. 
 
 " What does he want of me ? " I asked, curiously. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 181 
 
 "O, he wants to see you," answered the young 
 gentleman ; and he deemed this a sufficient reason 
 why I should do as I was asked. 
 
 I followed Tommy to the great mansion, and was 
 ushered into the library, where the major was read- 
 ing the newspapers which had just come by the 
 mail. 
 
 "Well, Wolf, I'm glad to see you," said the mag- 
 nate of Middleport, laying aside his paper. " You 
 have done more than a man's work to-day, and I 
 want to pay you for it. Will a hundred dollars 
 satisfy you for your afternoon's job ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir, and more too ; I don't ask anything 
 for what I have done," I replied. 
 
 " Don't be too modest, my boy," added the major, 
 placing a roll of bank bills in my hand. 
 
 " I am very much obliged to you, sir. I didn't 
 ask or expect anything. I only came over here 
 because I had to leave Centreport, and I did the 
 work for the fun of it." 
 
 " Doubtless it was good fun ; but you have done 
 us a good turn, and I have not overpaid you. Now 
 tell me about your difficulty with Wimpleton." 
 
182 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 I told him the story about the events of the day. 
 I think it quite likely the major thought he was 
 encouraging a rebel; but he did not express any 
 dissatisfaction with my conduct. On the contrary 
 he praised my spirit, and declared that Middleport 
 would be glad to take me up, if Centreport wished 
 to cast me out. He then offered me a dollar a day 
 to run the dummy ; but I told him I could not ac- 
 cejDt it till I had consulted my father and mother, 
 and it was arranged that I should see him the 
 next day. 
 
 I then went to the shore, took my skiff, and rowed 
 across the lake, feeling like a rich man. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 183 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 MOTHER S ADVICE. 
 
 FOR the first time in my life I had some fears 
 in regard to meeting my father. I dreaded 
 the terrible infirmity which was beginning to develop 
 itself anew in him. Under ordinary circumstances I 
 should have been glad to see him; and with a hun- 
 dred dollars in my pocket — the first money I had 
 ever earned by my knowledge and skill — I should 
 have been delighted to tell him the history of the 
 day. I should have been sure of a proud and sym- 
 pathetic listener in him as I detailed the means I 
 had used to raise the dummy. 
 
 I feared two things — first, that he would be in- 
 toxicated ; and second, that he would remember 
 against me the deed I had done with the strange- 
 looking bottle in the forenoon. In relation, to the 
 latter, I had come to see that the destruction of the 
 
184 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 whiskey was not the only or the greater cause of 
 offence. By emptying the bottle, I had censured 
 him, virtually, and made myself a judge of his con- 
 dition and conduct. My father was a plucky man, 
 in spite of his position as an employee of Colonel 
 Wimpleton, and, right or wrong, would not suffer 
 any one to be a censor upon his actions. 
 
 I feared that his anger would not go down with 
 the sun ; and I had an utter horror of any quarrel 
 in the family. Besides, I had a great admiration of 
 my father. I considered him one of the best and 
 one of the most skilful men of his craft on the lake. 
 I could not endure the thought of any coldness on 
 his part, or the feeling that I had suffered in his 
 estimation. I knew he had been proud of me as .a 
 scholar, and especially proud of the reputation I had 
 earned as a young engineer. My readers, therefore, 
 will not be surprised when I say that my bosom 
 bounded with emotion as I thought of meeting him 
 after the occurrences of the day. If he was only 
 sober, and in his right mind, all would be well 
 with me. 
 
 I had heard in Middleport that the Ruoara, on 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEE. 185 
 
 her clown trip, had obtained an engineer at Hitaca ; 
 therefore I supposed my father had gone home. 
 The storekeeper on the wharf had seen him ; but I 
 did not dare to ask whether he was intoxicated. 
 Never before, I repeat, had I gone to my father's 
 house with any doubts or misgivings. It was quite 
 dark when I reached the mill wharf, and secured my 
 skiff at its moorings. When I started from Middle- 
 port with a hundred dollars in my pocket, I felt like 
 a rich man. During my silent pull across the lake I 
 thought of our family trouble, and when I landed at 
 Centreport I felt as though I had lost a hundred 
 dollars, and that I was even poorer than usual. 
 
 With stealthy step I crept through the garden, 
 fearful that I might encounter my father intoxicated. 
 There was a light in the kitchen, and I stood on 
 tiptoe, so that I could look in at the window. My 
 father was not there. The supper table was waiting 
 in the middle of the room, and my good mother sat 
 at one corner of it, sewing, while my two sisters 
 were" reading near her. I opened the back door 
 and went in, but not without the fear that I should 
 be told my father was helpless in his bed. 
 
186 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "Why, Wolfert, where have you been?" asked 
 my mother, rising as I entered. " I needn't ask you, 
 for I have heard all about it." 
 
 "About what?" 
 
 "You have been over to Middleport, at work for 
 the Toppleton boys." 
 
 "I know it." 
 
 "Why did you do it?" 
 
 " Why shouldn't I do it, mother ? " I inquired, 
 not a little astonished to find that she was inflamed 
 by the rivalry between the two houses. 
 
 "Why shouldn't you do it! Because it will make 
 trouble, Wolfert. When the boat brought over the 
 news that you had raised the dummy, or whatever 
 they call the thing, and that you were running it on 
 the railroad over there, the people howled just as 
 though you had set the town on fire. The Wimple- 
 ton boys say they will mob you, tar and feather 
 you, and I don't know what not," said my poor 
 mother, who apj^eared to be really suffering under 
 this manifestation of popular indignation. 
 
 "It seems just as though I am bound to put my 
 foot in it, whether I will or not. Do folks tell the 
 rest of the story ? " I inquired. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 187 
 
 " The rest of what story ? " asked my mother, 
 opening her eyes. 
 
 " Do they say that I was hunted out of town like 
 a wild beast ? " I demanded, indignantly. 
 
 " Why, no ; they didn't say anything of that kind 
 The girls came home just before dark, and said 
 everybody was talking about you ; that you had 
 turned traitor." 
 
 "Perhaps I have, mother; but I don't care a fig 
 for this three-cent quarrel between the two sides of 
 the lake. I hope you won't turn against me, moth- 
 er," I added, choking up with emotion, so that I 
 could not speak. 
 
 " Turn against you ! Why, no, Wolfert, I shall 
 never turn against you. Who ever heard of such a 
 thing?" 
 
 " You seem to blame me for what I have done," I 
 replied, wiping away a truant tear, and struggling 
 hard for utterance. 
 
 " I only said what you have done will make 
 trouble. You know Colonel Wimpleton will not 
 like it ; and he will punish us all for your acts." 
 
 "I couldn't help it, mother. I was driven away." 
 
188 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 "What do you mean by being driven away?" 
 
 It occurred to me that my mother knew nothing 
 of what had happened since Waddie had called to 
 deliver the fictitious message from his father; and I 
 told her the whole story. 
 
 "If I know my father, he would kick me if I 
 should get down on my knees to Waddie Wimple- 
 ton. Be that as it may, I won't do it," I added. 
 
 " I don't want you to do it. If it has come to 
 that, I think we had all better go to the poorhouse 
 at once," said my mother, with more spirit than I 
 remembered to have seen her exhibit before ; and I 
 felt then that she was on my side. 
 
 " We won't go to the poorhouse," I replied, taking 
 the hundred dollars from my wallet. " I made that 
 to-day." 
 
 My mother opened her eyes again, as she was in 
 the habit of doing when astonished. Then she 
 counted the money, and for an instant a smile over- 
 spread her pleasant face. To me it was the pleas- 
 antest face , in all the world, and I had never before 
 seen it saddened for so long a time as it had been 
 that day. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 189 
 
 " A hundred dollars ! " exclaimed she, looking 
 at me. 
 
 " Yes, mother ; that is what Major Toppleton gave 
 me for getting the dummy out of the water, and 
 putting it on the track. It was a good job." 
 
 "The major is liberal; and I only wish he and 
 the colonel would be friends again." 
 
 " I wish they would ; but whether they are or not, 
 I'm not going to fight the battle of either one of 
 them. Now, mother, I want to make a clean breast 
 of it. What you said to me after the colonel went 
 away wasn't lost upon me. I was sorry I called 
 Waddie a liap to his face, though all the world 
 knows that he is one; and I was really sorry that 
 I had said anything saucy to the colonel. When 
 Waddie said he was going to lick me, I apologized 
 to him; and I did to the colonel when I saw him. 
 I think I did it handsomely, considering that they 
 were going to lick me." 
 
 "I'm glad you did, Wolfert." 
 
 " It was like pulling out half a dozen of my teeth 
 to do it, but I did it; and I was sincere in doing 
 it, too. I won't go down on my knees to any one, 
 
190 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 and I won't confess a crime of which I'm not 
 guilty ; " and in my zeal, I struck the table a blow 
 with my fist which made all the dishes dance 
 upon it. 
 
 " Do right, Wolfert, and pray to God for strength. 
 He will help you, and all will be well in the end. 
 Have you seen anything of your father?" 
 
 " I haven't seen him ; but he came over on the 
 Ruoara from the other side. I supposed he was at 
 home," I replied. 
 
 " I haven't seen anything of him since he went 
 out this morning," she added, looking very anxious. 
 
 I ate my supper, still discussing the- exciting topic 
 of the day. I felt better; for, if my mother was on 
 my side, I could afford to have almost everybody else 
 against me ; and she was a Christian woman, who 
 would rather have buried me than had me do any 
 great wrong. Whatever my readers, old and young, 
 may think of me, I feel bound to say that I had tried 
 to do right. I had been goaded into the use of im- 
 pudent speech by the intolerable tyranny of the 
 magnate of Centreport; but I had apologized for it, 
 and had been willing to make any reasonable repara- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 191 
 
 tion. My mother had taught me, as a child, to 
 go down on my knees before God, but never to 
 man. 
 
 I kissed my sisters, who were younger than I, and 
 they went to bed about eight o'clock. My mother 
 and I could now talk about the condition of my 
 father, which neither of us was willing to do before 
 them. We wondered what had become of him ; but 
 I was pretty sure that he was somewhere in Cen- 
 treport. It was a new experience in our family to 
 be waiting at night for him, for he always spent his 
 evenings at home. 
 
 I told my mother of the offer which Major Top- 
 pleton had made me to run the dummy. For a 
 boy of my age, and at a distance from the great 
 city, the proposition was a liberal one, for my father 
 only had sixty dollars a month. It is true I was to 
 do a man's work for half wages ; but no boy in that 
 region could make half the money offered to me at 
 that time. 
 
 " I don't see how you can take up with the offer," 
 said my mother. " Colonel Wimpleton would not 
 have anything to do with us if we did anything to 
 help along the people on the other side." 
 
192 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "I don't know that I can accept it, but it is a 
 great pity I cannot," I replied, moodily ; for I should 
 have been glad to run the dummy for nothing if the 
 major was not willing to pay me. 
 
 " It is a pity ; but only think how mad the colo- 
 nel would be if you should go ! " 
 
 "I don't know that he could be any madder than 
 he is now. I am sick and disgusted with this stupid 
 quarrel ! " 
 
 " I'm sure he would discharge your father if he 
 should let you go over to Middleport to work for 
 the major. Those two men hate each other like 
 evil spirits," replied my mother. 
 
 " Of course I don't want father to lose his situa- 
 tion ; and if it comes to that, I suppose I must 
 decline the offer." 
 
 "I think you must, Wolfert." 
 
 "I will, mother," I added, sorely aggrieved at the 
 alternative. " I will not do anything to make a 
 quarrel, though I think it is about time I should be 
 earning something." 
 
 "Perhaps there will be a chance for you on this 
 side ; for I am sure the colonel will do something 
 to get even with the major on that railroad. He 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 193 
 
 will get up another railroad, a balloon, a flying 
 machine, or something or other." 
 
 " He can't build any railroad on this side," I re- 
 plied. " The country is so rough that it would cost 
 him all he is worth. But if he did, he wouldn't 
 give me anything to do upon it." 
 
 " Perhaps he — " 
 
 My mother's remark was interrupted by a noise in 
 the garden ; and, fearful that my poor father had 
 come home in a helpless condition, I went out to 
 ascertain the cause of it. It was not my father ; but 
 I heard sounds which indicated that several persons 
 were running away from the house. I ran to the 
 fence, and saw three boys hastening up the road 
 towards the Institute. If I was not much mistaken, 
 "Waddie Wimpleton was one of them ; and I con- 
 cluded that he was still intent upon punishing me 
 for calling him a liar. 
 
 As I was about to go into the house, I discovered 
 another form in the darkness, walking down the road. 
 I knew the step. It was my father. I was very 
 thankful that he was able to walk, though I noticed 
 that his step was a little unsteady. 
 13 
 
194 THE0UGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 waddie's mistake. 
 
 I HASTENED into the house, and told my 
 mother that father was coming. She bestowed 
 upon me a glance so full of anxiety that I compre- 
 hended the question she desired to ask, and I 
 added that he walked tolerably well. 
 
 " Was it he that made the noise we heard ? " she 
 inquired. 
 
 "No; some of the students have been around 
 nere, and I think I saw Waddie," I replied. 
 
 "What do they want?" 
 
 "I don't know; but I suppose they wish to see 
 me." 
 
 "Do be careful, Wolfert." 
 
 "I'm not afraid of them, mother. I think I can 
 take care of myself in the face of the whole crowd." 
 
 My father came in at the back door, interrupting 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 195 
 
 the conversation. His step was unsteady and his 
 movements uncertain. He staid a long time in the 
 entry putting away his hat, but at last he entered 
 the kitchen. He made desperate struggles to con- 
 ceal his condition ; but he failed to do so. I could 
 see my poor mother's bosom bounding with emo- 
 tion as the days of evil came back to her from the 
 past. There was a tear in her eye; but she spoke 
 not a word of reproach. My father walked across 
 the room to his accustomed chair, and dropped 
 heavily into it. 
 
 " "Wolf! " said he, in a tone which was intended 
 to be sharp, but which was very thick from the 
 effects of the liquor. 
 
 " I am here, father," I replied, as little able to 
 control my feelings as my mother. 
 
 " You have been a bad boy ! " he added, fiercely. 
 " You have disgraced your father ! " 
 
 I thought not, but I did not deem it advisable 
 to say so, or to utter a word that would irritate 
 him. 
 
 " I used to think you were a smart boy ; but 
 now I think you are a fool," he continued, with an 
 
196 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 oath, which I had never before heard him use. 
 " With a pistol in your hand you let Christy carry 
 off all my money. I wouldn't say anything about 
 that, but you came home, insulted and abused Colo- 
 nel Wimp'ton and his son. You hadn't done your 
 worst yet; so you went over to Middleport, and 
 turned traitor to the friends that feed and clothe 
 you. I know all about it!" 
 
 It was no use to talk about these things while he 
 was in his present condition, and I held my peace. 
 
 " I've seen Colonel Wimp'ton, and he ztold me 
 all about it," my father went on, rapping the table 
 violently with his fist. "I won't have my boy 
 behave zo. I'll lick him first." 
 
 " Why, father, Wolfert has not done anything 
 bad," interposed my mother. 
 
 " I zsay he has ! " replied my father, furiously. 
 "He'n Waddie blowed up that canal boat. Then 
 Wolf denied it, and insulted his best friends. Then 
 he went off and run that dummy." 
 
 "Don't say anything, mother," said I to her, in 
 a low tone. 
 
 " What's that ? " demanded my father, suspicious- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 197 
 
 ly. What did you say, Wolf? Do you mean to 
 insult me, as you did Colonel Wimp'ton ? " 
 
 But I will not follow this unpleasant scene any 
 fui'ther in detail. It was evident that my father 
 had seen the magnate of Centreport, and that the 
 great man had won him over. He was stormy, 
 violent, and suspicious. He was angry with me, 
 and then with my mother for speaking a word in 
 my defence. Finally he wept like a child, declar- 
 ing that his family had turned against him ; and, 
 overwhelmed by this maudlin grief, he went up stairs 
 and threw himself upon my bed. I think he in- 
 tended to occupy the spare chamber on the other 
 side of the entry, for he was so angry with my 
 mother and me that he was intent upon getting 
 away from us. 
 
 We decided that it would be best to let him 
 alone. He lay sobbing on the bed for a time, and 
 then dropped asleep. My mother went in, and 
 having assured herself that he was in a comfortable 
 position, took away the lamp. She and I sat up 
 till midnight, talking over the bitter prospect before 
 us. In his cups my father was another man. My 
 
198 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 mother told me, with tears in her eyes, that he had 
 abused her when he used to drink before. In his 
 intoxication he seemed to hate the family he loved 
 so well when he was sober. 
 
 At midnight he was still sleeping off the effects 
 of his debauch, and we retired, hoping for better 
 things in the morning. I was so tired that I went 
 to sleep very soon. I occupied the spare chamber 
 on the second floor, while my mother's room was 
 down stairs. I do not know how long I had slept, 
 but I was awakened by a violent noise in the oppo- 
 site side of the house, which seemed to come from 
 the apartment where my father was. I was star- 
 tled, and immediately leaped out of bed, lighted a 
 lamp, and hastily put on my clothes. Hearing my 
 father's voice in excited tones, I rushed to the room 
 with the lamp in my hand. I feared that the liquor 
 he had drank had in some manner affected his 
 brain, and induced a delirium. 
 
 I opened the door. I saw my father standing 
 over the prostrate form of "Waddie Wimpleton. The 
 window was wide open, and I heard voices outside, 
 as of other boys effecting a hasty retreat. Waddie 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEJB. 199 
 
 lay still upon the floor, and his face was covered 
 with blood. 
 
 "What is the matter, father?" I asked, terrified 
 at the strange sight which I beheld. 
 
 " Don't you see what the matter is ? " replied my 
 father; but he seemed to be very much confused. 
 
 " What has happened ? " 
 
 " I hardly know," answered he, gazing at the form 
 of Waddie. 
 
 My father had slept several hours, and he ap- 
 pearecl to be quite sober. 
 
 " This is Waddie Wimpleton," said I, bending over 
 the fallen youth. 
 
 " I see it is. I felt a hand upon me, and I started 
 up from the bed. Some one caught hold of me, 
 and I struck right and left, till I heard some one 
 fall," answered my father, rubbing his eyes, as if to 
 stimulate his bewildered senses. " I thought it was 
 some one who had come to rob me, and I couldn't 
 help believing it was Christy Holgate." 
 
 "What in the world is the matter?" cried my 
 mother, who now came into the room, pale and 
 trembling with terror. 
 
200 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 I explained, as far as I could, the circumstances 
 of the affair. My father said nothing, but went to 
 the window and looked out. 
 
 " There is a ladder under the window," said he. 
 
 " But Waddie is not a robber," added my mother, 
 kneeling on the floor at his side. "His face is cut, 
 and he seems to be stunned." 
 
 My father and I lifted him up, and placed him 
 on the bed. My mother went to work upon him, 
 sending me down to assure my sisters that no harm 
 could come to them. I brought up some water 
 and the camphor bottle. On my return my father 
 seemed to be quite like himself, and was assisting 
 in the restoration of the injured boy. 
 
 "He isn't badly hurt, I think," said my mother. 
 " One of his front teeth is knocked in, and the blood 
 on his face comes from a mere scratch. What in 
 the world was he doing here?" 
 
 "I understand it now," I replied. "Waddie and 
 the other fellows were after me. I saw them around 
 the house about eight o'clock." 
 
 " What do they want of you ? " asked my father, 
 whose head had been filled with the other side of 
 the story. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 201 
 
 "They were going to punish me, I suppose, for 
 what I said to Waddie and his father, though I 
 apologized to both of them for it." 
 
 " What is to be done with this boy ? " interposed 
 my mother, anxiously, as Wadclie opened his eyes, 
 and looked wildly around the room. " I think the 
 doctor had better see him." 
 
 I went for the doctor, and came back with him, 
 for he had just returned from a night visit to a 
 distant patient, and his horse was harnessed at the 
 door. When we arrived, Waddie was sitting up 
 in the kitchen. The physician examined his head, 
 and declared that he had sustained no injury that he 
 could perceive. My father, who had been alarmed 
 for the consequences of the blow he had struck, 
 breathed easier after this announcement. 
 
 "I'm going home," said Waddie, rising from the 
 chair, after the doctor had finished his examination. 
 "I'll bet you haven't theen the latht of thith thcrape. 
 Ithall — " 
 
 The scion put his hand up to his mouth, and won. 
 dered why he could not speak without lisping. Hfe 
 had fully recovered his senses, under the vigorous 
 
202 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 treatment of my mother, and with them came back 
 the evil spirit which controlled him. 
 
 " What were you doing in my house, Waddie ? " 
 asked my father. 
 
 "What wath I doing? I wath going to give 
 Wolf fitth for being a traitor and calling me a liar. 
 And I'll do it yet, if it coths me my life ! " replied 
 Waddie, vigorously, as he held one hand on his 
 mouth. 
 
 " I didn't think you'd break into a man's house in 
 the night," added my father. 
 
 "Wolf ith going to work on the other thide, and 
 that'th the only time we could catch him. What 
 did you hit me for ? " demanded the scion, rubbing 
 his sore head with his hand. 
 
 " I did not know it was you, Waddie," answered 
 my father, meekly. " You came into my room in 
 the dark, when I was asleep." 
 
 "It wathn't your room. It wath Wolf'th room. 
 What were you doing in there?" 
 
 " It's my own house, and I have a right to occupy 
 any room I please," said my father, with more spirit 
 than before. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 203 
 
 "You were boothy latht night, and didn't know 
 what you were about." 
 
 My father's brow contracted, and his lips were 
 compressed. To be told that he was intoxicated 
 galled him sorely. Waddie declared that he had 
 struck him on purpose, and that he should suffer 
 for it. The doctor then took him into his chaise, 
 and conveyed him to his home. My father was 
 not satisfied with the situation. He went to the 
 pump, and drank a large mug of water. He walked 
 up and down the kitchMi in silence for a moment, 
 and then said he must see Colonel Wimpleton at 
 once. He went, and by going through the grove 
 he could reach the house as soon as the doctor. 
 
 I did not see him again that night, and he did 
 not come out of his room till eight o'clock the 
 next morning. I was very anxious to know how he 
 would regard me, after the hard words he had 
 spoken the night before. I was also curious to learn 
 what had passed at Colonel Wimpleton's during 
 his visit. Our relations with the magnate were cer- 
 tainly very singular and perplexing. As nearly as 
 I could judge, my father stood exactly in my own 
 
204 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 position in regard to him. Neither of us had in- 
 tended to insult or injure the great man or his son, 
 but both had incurred his displeasure ; for it would 
 be impossible for the colonel to forgive the unwit- 
 ting blow my father had struck. 
 
 "Wolf," said my father, after he had eaten his 
 breakfast, "your mother tells me you have an offer 
 on the other side." 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "You may accept it, and go to work to-day, if 
 you wish." ^ 
 
 "I should be very glad to do so," I replied. "Did 
 you have any trouble with Colonel Wimpleton ? " 
 
 " I did. He discharged me, and ordered me out 
 of his house," he answered, gloomily. 
 
 Of one thing I was sure — my father was not 
 angry with me. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 205 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 RICH MEN'S QTTAEEELS. 
 
 MY father was himself again. He was clothed 
 in his right mind once more. He even ap- 
 peared to have forgotten that I had emptied the 
 Dottle the day before, and treated me as kindly as 
 though nothing had occurred to mar the unity 
 which had always subsisted between us. My mother 
 seemed to be quite happy, too ; and, while I was 
 at work in the garden, she told me she had talked 
 till daylight with him, after his return from Colonel 
 Wimpleton's. He had bitterly bewailed his error^ 
 and solemnly promised not to taste another drop 
 of liquor. He was conscious that he had lost hi? 
 twenty-four hundred dollars by getting intoxicated, 
 and he had very little hope of ever seeing it again. 
 More than this, my mother had explained my 
 conduct to him, and he was satisfied with it. The 
 
206 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 night visit of Waddle, and the colonel's unreason- 
 able harshness to him, had probably done more to 
 convince him than any words of my mother. He 
 had lost his situation, and had been treated with 
 gross injustice, for the great man would not accept 
 his explanation of the blow he had given his son. 
 
 " Wolf," said my father, after he had granted me 
 permission to accept Major Toppleton's offer, " I am 
 afraid we shall soon be in trouble all round." 
 
 "I hope not." 
 
 " If I had the money to pay off the mortgage 
 on the house, I should not care so much. As it 
 is, I may lose even the thousand dollars I have paid 
 on it. The colonel will foreclose on me at once, 
 and people here will not dare to bid when it is put 
 up at auction, if he tells them not to do so." 
 
 " I heard you say you had an offer of thirty-five 
 hundred dollars for the place." 
 
 " So I had ; Bingham offered that for it." 
 
 " I would go to him, and take the offer at once." 
 
 "What, sell the place?" 
 
 " Yes ; you can pay off the mortgage, and then 
 have fifteen hundred left." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 207 
 
 " That's a good idea," replied my father. " But I 
 don't know that Bingham will give thirty-five hun- 
 dred now." 
 
 "I would try him, at any rate. I think we had 
 better move out of Centreport." 
 
 "Perhaps it would be as well, after what has hap- 
 pened," said he, in deep thought. " I will see what 
 can be done." 
 
 My father hastened to the village to see Bing- 
 ham, and soon after I pulled across the lake to re- 
 port for duty to Major Toppleton. I was shown 
 into his elegant library ; but I found the magnate 
 of Middleport in violent wrath. 
 
 "I have called, sir, to say that I will accept the 
 offer you were so kind as to make to me yesterday," 
 I began, with the utmost deference. 
 
 " Very well, boy. I am a man of honor, which 
 cannot be said of every man who lives on the other 
 side of the lake," — by which, of course, he meant 
 Colonel Wimpleton, — " and I will keep my agree- 
 ment ; but if the business were to be done over 
 again, I wouldn't have anything to do with a per- 
 son from Centreport." 
 
208 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK, 
 
 " I'm sorry you think so hard of us, sir," I ven- 
 tured to reply. "I will do the very hest I can for 
 you; and I hope we shall not live in Centreport 
 much longer." 
 
 " Well, I don't know that I need to blame you 
 for what Wimpleton does. He is a mean man, and 
 his soul is smaller than a mosquito's. This morn- 
 ing the old rascal sent his agent over here to offer 
 the engineer of my flour mills twenty dollars a 
 month more than he is getting now. The villain 
 was paid up to last night, and left without giving 
 me any notice, and my mills are all stopped." 
 
 Major Toppleton walked the library in a violent 
 rage, and I waited for further developments before 
 I dared to speak. 
 
 " He hired my engineer away from me, I'm told, 
 because I employed you," added the magnate, paus- 
 ing before me. 
 
 " I'm very sorry I made any trouble," I answered, 
 diffidently. 
 
 " You didn't make it. I only wonder how Wim- 
 pleton was my friend for so many years. He omits 
 no opportunity to stab me when he gets a chance. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. ^09 
 
 I suppose he is gloating over it now because no 
 smoke rises from my mills." 
 
 " Do you want an engineer, sir ? " I had the a^ 
 dacity to ask, at this opportune moment. 
 
 " Of course I do. Wimpleton sent over for mine 
 solely to vex me, and I would give a thousand dol- 
 lars to be even with him this moment." 
 
 " I can run the engine of your mills," I replied. 
 
 "You?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; I have run the Centreport mills for a 
 week at a time." 
 
 " But I want you on the dummy." 
 
 "I will bring you an engineer, then, in an hour. 
 What wages will you give, sir?" 
 
 "I will give the same that Wimpleton pays the 
 man he stole from me — eighty dollars a month, and 
 engage him for a year." 
 
 " I will have him here in one hour, sir." 
 
 "But who is he?" 
 
 "My father, sir." 
 
 "O, ho!" 
 
 "Colonel Wimpleton discharged him before day- 
 light this morning." 
 . 14 
 
210 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " Then I am to take a man whom Wimpleton has 
 discharged, and pay him twenty dollars more than 
 he was having before." 
 
 " He discharged my father in order to punish him," 
 I replied ; and then I told him the sequel to the 
 story I had related the day before. 
 
 " Very good ! Excellent ! I will help "Wimpleton 
 punish your father by giving him eighty dollars a 
 month, which is twenty dollars more than any en- 
 gineer ought to have. Go for him at once." 
 
 I never pulled across the lake so quickly before 
 as I did then. I found my father at home; he had 
 just returned from his visit to Bingham. 
 
 "Back so soon, Wolf?" said he; and he looked 
 quite sad. 
 
 " Yes, sir. Did you see Bingham ? " 
 
 "I did; but it's too late. He has heard of the 
 quarrel, and won't buy the house at any price. It 
 will go hard with me, I'm afraid." 
 
 "Never mind, father. It will come out right in 
 the end, I know." 
 
 "What did you come back for?" 
 
 " Major Toppleton wants you, and will engage you 
 
THE YOUNG EJ5TGINEEB. 211 
 
 for a year, at eighty dollars a month," I replied, 
 with proper enthusiasm. 
 
 "Eighty dollars!" 
 
 I explained what Colonel Wimpleton had done, 
 and what Major Toppleton wished to do. 
 
 "He wants you right off, this minute," I added. 
 
 "I'm all ready." 
 
 " When rich men quarrel, poor men ought to profit 
 by it, if they can do so honestly," I suggested. 
 
 "The colonel will be the maddest man this side 
 of the north pole when he hears of my good for- 
 tune," said my father. 
 
 "I dare say he will, for it appears that he has 
 only discharged you to open the way to a much 
 better position." 
 
 " Exactly so ! " exclaimed my father, delighted with 
 the situation. "If rich men will be fools, we cannot 
 help it, as you say, Wolf." 
 
 My father took the bundle of old clothes he had 
 just brought from the mill, and we went down to 
 the wharf, where we embarked in the skiff for the 
 other side of the lake. 
 
 "If you could only sell the place, father, we 
 
212 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 might move over to Middleport at once," said I, 
 pulling with all my might at the oars. 
 
 "I don't think I can do it. By this time every- 
 body knows that the colonel has quarrelled with 
 me, and no one will run the risk of offending him 
 by buying it," replied my father. "I hope Morti- 
 mer will catch Christy, and get back part of my 
 money, if not the whole of it." 
 
 We landed in Middleport, and hastened to the 
 mansion of the major. He was ever so much better 
 humored than when I had called upon him before. 
 He had evidently considered the nature of the vic- 
 tory he had won over his powerful rival, for he had 
 certainly cheated the colonel out of his revenge 
 upon my father, and jjractically nullified his punish- 
 ment. He appeai*ed to be duly comforted. 
 
 "I am glad to see you, Mr. Penniman," said he, 
 graciously, as my father bowed low to him. 
 
 "I am very grateful to you for your kind offer, 
 sir, and I accept it thankfully," replied my father. 
 
 "I wish to see the smoke rising from the chimney 
 of the mill at once," added the major, briskly. "I 
 want Wimpleton to understand that he can't shut 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEE. 213 
 
 me up. Go to the mill, and get up steam as fast as 
 you can ; and the more smoke you make, the better, 
 for that will be my sign of triumph." 
 
 " I'll fire up at once," replied my father, leaving 
 the room, and hastening to his work. 
 
 Young and inexperienced as I was, I could not 
 help feeling sad at this exhibition of malignity on 
 the part of the rich man of Middleport. The colonel 
 had taken the opportunity afforded by the* dismissal 
 of my father to strike his rival in a tender place. 
 It was mean ; but such was the character of the 
 dealings between them, when they had any. The 
 major rubbed his hands with delight, and paced the 
 library under the exhilaration of the moment. It 
 was a pity that these men, with such vast means 
 of doing good within their grasp, should quarrel 
 with each other, and debase and demoralize a whole 
 neighborhood by their actions. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Penniman, I suppose you are ready to 
 go to work," said the major, pausing before me after 
 a time. 
 
 Mr. Penniman ! I felt an inch taller to have a 
 handle applied to my name by such a magnificent 
 man. 
 
214 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 "Yes, sir; I am waiting for orders." 
 
 "I suppose you think that dummy isn't much of 
 an engine," he added, with a very pleasant smile 
 upon his face. 
 
 "I think it works very well, sir." 
 
 " I dare say you do ; but I want to say, a thing 
 like that is not the height of our ambition," he con- 
 tinued, rubbing his hands under the influence of 
 some undeveloped idea. 
 
 "I'm sure I shouldn't wish for anything better 
 than the dummy." 
 
 " It answers very well to begin with ; but I have 
 a regular locomotive and two cars in process of 
 building, and I shall have them on the track this 
 fall." 
 
 " Is it a big locomotive ? " I asked, curiously. 
 
 " No, it's a small one ; and it will be the prettiest 
 plaything you ever saw. I'm determined that the 
 Toppleton Institute shall be the most popular one 
 in the country." 
 
 " I suppose Colonel Wimpleton will do something 
 to offset this movement on your part," I suggested. 
 
 "What can he do?" asked the major, anxiously. 
 " Have you heard of anything ? " 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 215 
 
 "No, sir. I only know they feel very bad about 
 the Lake Shore Railroad over there." 
 
 "They will feel worse before we get through with 
 it," replied the magnate, shaking his head. "What 
 can they do ? They can't build a railroad, the coun- 
 try is so rough. We can keep ahead of them now. 
 But I want that dummy in motion. You must run 
 it every half hour for the rest of the day between 
 Middleport and Spangleport. Carry everybody who 
 wishes to ride. I want the Centreport people to 
 see it, and to know that we are alive on this side." 
 
 "Will the students be with me?" I inquired. 
 
 " This afternoon, when they are dismissed from the 
 school-room, they will be. I will send you a conduct- 
 or. Let me see; Higgins is too sick to study, and 
 just sick enough to play. He shall run with you. 
 Now keep her going, as though you meant business." 
 
 "I will, sir; I will put her through by daylight," 
 I replied, as I left the library. 
 
216 THROUGH BY DATLIGHT, OR 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE BEAUTIFUL PASSENGER. 
 
 I FOUND the dummy just as I had left it on 
 the preceding day. I kindled a fire in the 
 furnace, rubbed down the machinery, filled up the 
 water tank, and took on a supply of coal, which 
 was the kind of fuel intended to be used under the 
 boiler. I assure my sympathetic reader that I felt 
 a real pleasure in the discharge of these duties, and 
 in the consciousness that I was actually the master 
 of the machine. Though my taste was rather in- 
 clined towards the engine of a steamer, I was more 
 than satisfied with my present position, and deemed 
 myself the luckiest dog in the world. 
 
 Higgins, the invalid student, who was to officiate 
 as conductor, stood by and watched all my move- 
 ments with the most intense interest. He looked 
 like a clever fellow, and I proceeded to make friends 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 217 
 
 with him in due form, by declaring that I was sorry 
 he was sick. 
 
 "I'm not sorry," said he, with a grin. "I'm 
 rather glad I'm sick. In fact, I'm not very sick." 
 
 "Well, I thought you were; the major said so; 
 at least he said you were too sick to study, and 
 just sick enough to play." 
 
 "Did he say that?" 
 
 "He did." 
 
 "Well, he knows a thing or two," laughed Hig- 
 gins. " My mother thinks it makes my head ache to 
 study ; and in fact it does when the lessons are hard." 
 
 "I dare say. Are they hard to-day?" I asked. 
 
 " ISTot so very hard ; but, to tell the truth, I 
 thought there was to be some fun going on here, 
 and I wanted to be on hand. My mother wrote 
 to the principal that she did not wish me to study 
 very hard, for something ailed my head." 
 
 " I'm afraid the jar of the dummy will hurt your 
 head," I suggested. 
 
 " O, no, it won't," protested the candid Higgins. 
 " It feels better now than it did this morning ; in 
 fact, it always feels better after school begins." 
 
218 THEOTJGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "But I'm really afraid it will injure you to ride 
 on the dummy, with all the excitement of the highly 
 responsible position of conductor," I added, gravely. 
 " I think I had better mention the matter to Major 
 Toppleton when I see him." 
 
 " O, no ; don't do that," pleaded Higgins, plain- 
 tively. " Between you and me and the smoke-stack 
 of the dummy, I am as well as you are." 
 
 " Precisely so ; and I think the major understands 
 your malady, if the principal does not." 
 
 "Don't say a word this time, and I won't 'soger' 
 any more." 
 
 " It's none of my business, Higgins ; but you are 
 sawing off your own nose, and playing the trick 
 upon yourself. I would be a man, and face the 
 music like one, if I were you." 
 
 "I will face the music if you won't say anything." 
 
 " All ready, Mr. Conductor ! " I shouted, when 
 I had steam enough. 
 
 "All aboard ! " yelled Higgins, rather glad to 
 change the subject when he found that I did not 
 appreciate his deception. 
 
 I ran the dummy out of the house, and stopped 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 219 
 
 her near the head of the steamboat wharf. The 
 car was still so great a novelty that many people 
 gathered around to examine it. The cushions were 
 now well dried, and though the cloth had suffered 
 somewhat from the effects of the bath, it looked 
 very nice inside of her. 
 
 "Have you a watch, Higgins?" I asked of the 
 gentlemanly conductor. 
 
 "Yes," replied he, producing a small gold one. 
 
 "We will leave Middleport on the hour, and 
 Spangleport on the half hour," I added. "I wish I 
 had a watch." 
 
 "Why don't you have one?" 
 
 " I'm not a rich man's son, and I can't afford to 
 have such playthings. But I suppose I must get 
 one, if I run on this dummy." 
 
 "I'll lend you mine for to-day, Wolf." 
 
 "Thank you. I want to time the running, so as 
 to know where we are," I answered, taking the 
 watch, and attaching the chain to my vest. "It is 
 nearly twelve o'clock, and we will start soon." 
 
 " All aboard for Spangleport ! " screamed Higgins, 
 
220 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 as though the announcement was intended for the 
 people on the other side of the lake. 
 
 "Folks will understand that nothing ails your 
 lungs, Higgins, whatever is the matter with your 
 head,". I added, gently, to the zealous conductor. 
 "I wouldn't yell so. Boys always make fools of 
 themselves by halloing when there isn't the least 
 need of it." 
 
 Higgins, in a milder tone, invited the ladies and 
 gentlemen who were inspecting the car to step in 
 and make the excursion to Spangleport, promising 
 that they should return in just fifty minutes. Quite 
 a number of them accepted the invitation; and I 
 was about to start, when I saw a very beautiful 
 young lady hastening towards us. She was elegant- 
 ly dressed, and her movements were as graceful as 
 those of a fawn. The " gentlemanly conductor " 
 rang the bell for the engine to start, and the young 
 lady, hearing it, made a motion with her sunshade 
 for us to wait for her. I was too happy to find 
 she was to be a passenger in the car to start with- 
 out her, in spite of my laudable ambition to be " on 
 time." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 221 
 
 The moment Higgins saw her, he jumped off the 
 platform, took off his cap, bowed and scraped like 
 a French dancing-master, and helped her up the 
 steps. There was a glass window in the partition 
 between the engine-room and the passenger com- 
 partment, for which at that moment I felt extreme- 
 ly grateful to the builder, for it enabled me to 
 obtain an occasional glance at the beautiful young 
 lady. I beg leave to say that this unwonted enthu- 
 siasm on my part was as surprising to myself as it 
 will be to my readers, for I had hardly ever looked 
 at any person of the feminine persuasion before, 
 except my mother and sisters. I had certainly 
 never seen any lady who attracted me so strongly, 
 or for whom I felt so great an admiration. She 
 was not more than fifteen or sixteen years of age ; 
 but she wore a long dress, and had a mature bearing. 
 
 Higgins conducted her to a seat, and she took 
 possession of it as gracefully as though she had been 
 schooled in the polite art for a whole lifetime. I 
 could not help gazing at her, and I envied Higgins 
 the rapture of being permitted to speak to her. She 
 looked around, and bowed to several persons in 
 
222 THEOTTGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 the car, with the sweetest smile that ever lighted 
 up a young lady's face. I was wholly absorbed in 
 gazing at her, and actually forgot that I was the 
 young engineer of the Lake Shore Railroad, till the 
 sharp snap of the bell brought me to my senses, 
 and assured me that Higgins was not so fascinated 
 as I was. 
 
 I was a minute behind time, and I let on the 
 steam to make it up. I was obliged to turn my 
 back on the beautiful being in the car, and look out 
 for "breakers ahead" through the door and windows 
 in the end of the engine-room ; but I had the pleas- 
 ing satisfaction of thinking that in running backwards 
 from Spangleport I should face the other way. 
 
 What a fool I was ! Of course I was. A young 
 man always has a time to be a fool, just as he has 
 to take the measles, though he seldom has it so 
 young as I did. I did not know who the young 
 lady was, and I did not crave any other privilege 
 than that of simply looking at her, just as I should 
 at a pretty picture. If she had fallen overboard, I 
 should certainly have jumped in after her. If she 
 had been in the claws of a lion, I should certainly 
 
THE YOUNG ESTGINEEB. 223 
 
 have smitten the lion. If she had been in the upper 
 story of a house on fire, I should certainly have run 
 the risk of being singed for her sake. But she did 
 not fall overboard, or into the claws of a lion, and 
 she was not in a burning house; and, provoking as 
 it was, I could not do anything for her, except turn 
 my back to her, — and I was not sure that this 
 was not the most agreeable service I could render 
 her, — and run the dummy at its highest speed. 
 
 I could not help seeing the beautiful young lady 
 even through the back of my head ; and I am sorry 
 to say that I forgot to look at my watch, when we 
 passed Ruggles's barn and the Grass Brook bridge, 
 as I had intended ; and at a quarter past twelve the 
 dummy sizzled into Spangleport, shivering like an 
 over-driven horse. I had the self-possession, how- 
 ever, to stop her when she got there; but I have 
 since wondered that, under the circumstances, I did 
 not run her into the lake, or over the hill to Grass 
 Springs. I had made the distance in just fourteen 
 minutes. 
 
 The passengers got out of the car, and for a time 
 I lost sight of the elegant young lady. Higgins 
 
224 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 came round to me, and declared that we had made 
 a " bully trip." I was entirely of his opinion ; but 
 I was not willing to confess that a certain absent- 
 mindedness had induced me to run the machine so 
 as to gain five minutes, and make up one. The 
 conductor left me, and I fancied that he had gone 
 to find the interesting person who had fascinated 
 me, and with whom he seemed to be acquainted. 
 
 " Will you allow me to get in there and see the 
 machinery?" said a silvery voice, while I was rub- 
 bing up the works. 
 
 I turned, and my face felt as though all the steam 
 in the boiler had been discharged upon it when I 
 discovered that the sjDeaker was no other than the 
 bewitching being who was uppermost in my thoughts. 
 
 " Certainly," I replied, leaping to the ground, and 
 endeavoring to imitate the polite gyrations of the 
 gentlemanly conductor. 
 
 "Thank you, Mr. Wolf," added she, with the 
 sweetest of smiles. 
 
 Mr. Wolf! Involuntarily my head went up, and 
 I felt prouder of the handle to my name than when 
 the mighty major himself had applied it. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 225 
 
 "I'm afraid you will find the engine-room a very 
 dirty and greasy place," I had the courage to sug- 
 gest, flustered as I was by having the beautiful girl 
 speak to me — actually speak to me ! 
 
 " O, never mind ! I have on my old clothes." 
 
 If these were her old clothes, I wondered what 
 her best were. 
 
 "I suppose you don't know me, Mr. Wolf; but I 
 have heard a great deal about the young engineer, 
 and I assure you I am delighted to see you," she 
 added, with a kind of roguish look, which made me 
 feel just as though I was " going up." " I am 
 Grace Toppleton." 
 
 The daughter of the major ! I had heard what 
 a pretty, gentle, amiable girl she was, and I was pos- 
 itively sure that the reports did not belie her. 
 
 " I have often heard of you, though I never had 
 the pleasure of seeing you before," I replied, as gal- 
 lantly as my flustered state of mind would permit. 
 
 Still imitating the gentlemanly conductor, I took 
 her gloved hand, and attempted to help her up the 
 high step of the engine-room. I felt, at this partic- 
 ular moment, just as though I was in the seventh 
 15 
 
226 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 heaven. As the elegant young lady was about to 
 step up, a rude grasp was laid on my shoulder ; so 
 rude that Miss Grace lost her foothold on the step, 
 and was thrown back upon the ground. 
 
 Turning round, I discovered that my rough assail- 
 ant was Captain Synders, the constable of Centreport. 
 He was attended by Colonel Wimpleton and the 
 skipper of the canal boat which had been blown up. 
 To my astonishment, Miss Grace leaped upon the 
 dummy without my help, and I was held back by 
 the savage grasp of the officer. My blissful dream 
 had suddenly been disturbed, and I was mad. The 
 envious Centreporters had chosen the moment of my 
 greatest joy to pounce upon me. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 227 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SOME TALK WITH COLONEL WIMPLETON. 
 
 I WAS very intent upon explaining to Miss Grace 
 Toppleton the mysteries of the dummy engine, 
 and I was not pleased to have the agreeable inter- 
 view broken off. I was vexed, annoyed, and discon- 
 certed. The beautiful young lady looked at me, and 
 I thought I could see the indications of sympathy 
 upon her face. 
 
 " If you will excuse me a moment, Miss Topple- 
 ton, I will show you the engine," I said to her, with 
 all the politeness of which my nature was capable. 
 
 " I guess not," added Captain Synders, with a 
 coarse grin, as though he had evil intentions in 
 regard to me. 
 
 " If you will let me, Mr. Wolf, I want to ride 
 back in the engine-room, and see the machinery 
 work," replied she, in her silvery tones. 
 
228 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "I guess not," repeated Captain Synders; and I 
 turned my attention from her to him. 
 
 I could not conceive why Colonel Wimpleton and 
 his odious associate had chosen to come down upon 
 me at Spangleport, rather than Middleport, unless it 
 was because their appearance would make less excite- 
 ment. The boat in which they had come lay at the 
 wharf, and they must have started long before the 
 dummy left Middleport. Possibly they expected to 
 interrupt the trips of the engine, and have it left 
 five miles from its headquarters without an engineer. 
 
 Colonel Wimpleton had with him Captain Syn- 
 ders, the constable. It had not yet occurred to me 
 that I should actually be arrested, and held to 
 answer for the destruction of the honest skipper's 
 canal boat, though the appearance of the officer had 
 suggested the idea to me. They could not arrest 
 me without including Waddie in the warrant, for he 
 had confessed his agency in the mischief. I did not 
 know of any way by which I could be punished 
 without involving the scion of the great house on 
 the other side. 
 
 " What do you wish with me?" I asked, in a 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 229 
 
 very ill-natured tone ; for I beg to remind the reader 
 that I am human, and that Miss Toppleton occupied 
 the engine-room of the car. 
 
 Captain Synders glanced at the colonel, as though 
 he expected him to do the talking, and that dis- 
 tinguished gentleman looked down upon me with 
 unutterable severity. The honest skipper did not 
 appear to have much sympathy with his companions, 
 and looked very pleasant for a man who had expe- 
 rienced so heavy a loss as that of his canal boat. 
 
 " Wolf ! " said the colonel, in stern and lofty 
 accents. 
 
 " Sir ! " I replied, with a dignity becoming the 
 engineer of the Lake Shore Railroad. 
 
 " We have been looking for you," he added, 
 glancing at the constable, as if to direct my atten- 
 tion to him. 
 
 "You have been lucky enough to find me, sir. I 
 wish to say, sir, that the car starts for Middleport 
 at half past twelve, and therefore I have only ten 
 minutes to spare," I replied, consulting Higgins's 
 gold watch, the appearance of which, I think, pro- 
 duced a sensation in the minds of my visitors. 
 
230 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 " Humph ! I think you will wait my pleasure." 
 
 " That will depend somewhat upon the length of 
 time your pleasure demands my presence. Will you 
 please to tell me what you want of me?" 
 
 " Where is your father, Wolf?" 
 
 "At Middleport, sir." 
 
 " What is he doing there ? " 
 
 "He is at work, sir." 
 
 Colonel Wimpleton looked as though he wanted 
 to swear; for I am sorry to say this influential man 
 sometimes indulged in the wicked habit of using 
 profane language. It did not seem quite proper that 
 the menial, whom he had discharged as a punishment, 
 should find work so soon. 
 
 " What is he doing ? " demanded the magnate of 
 Centreport, biting his lips to conceal his vexation. 
 
 " You were so kind as to make an opening for 
 him, sir, by hiring away Major Toppleton's engineer, 
 and my father has taken his place, at the same wages 
 — eighty dollars a month — as you pay your new 
 engineer." 
 
 The great man stamped his foot with rage, and 
 uttered an expression with which I cannot soil my 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 231 
 
 paper. As wicked* tyrannical, overbearing men often 
 do, he had overreached himself in his anxiety to 
 strike my father. If it was unchristian for me to 
 rejoice in his discomfiture, I could not help it, and 
 I did so most heartily. 
 
 " I have been to see him about your conduct," 
 continued the colonel, when his wrath would let him 
 speak again. " I want to know what he is going 
 to do about paying his share of the loss of the 
 canal boat, which you and Waddie blew up." 
 
 " I can speak for him, sir, if that is all you want. 
 He is not going to pay the first cent of it," I 
 replied. 
 
 "Here is the captain of the boat, and he wants 
 to know what you are going to do about it," added 
 the colonel, trying to enjoy the confusion which he 
 thought I ought to feel in view of such a demand. 
 
 " Yes, I want to know who is going to pay for 
 the mischief," said the honest skipper; but as he 
 already knew, he did not put much heart into the 
 words, and actually chuckled as he uttered them. 
 
 " Captain," I continued, turning to the master of 
 the canal boat, "I say to you, as I have said to 
 
232 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 others, that I had nothing whatever to do with 
 blowing up your boat, and I did not know any- 
 thing about it till the explosion took place. That 
 is all I have to say." 
 
 " I don't know anything about it," replied the 
 skipper. 
 
 " I do," interposed the colonel. " He has con- 
 fessed that he had hold of the string when the 
 boat blew up." 
 
 I took the trouble to explain to the honest skip- 
 per that Waddle had asked me to pull in his kite 
 line; that I had picked it uj), but, fearing some 
 trick, had done nothing with it; and that Waddie 
 had pulled the string himself. 
 
 " All aboard for Middleport ! " shouted Higgins, as 
 moderately this time as a gentlemanly conductor 
 should speak. 
 
 "My time is nearly up, sir," I added to the colo- 
 nel. " If you have any further business with me, 
 please to state it as quickly as possible." 
 
 "You must go over to Centreport with me, and 
 arrange this business," replied the magnate, gruffly. 
 
 " No, sir ; I cannot do that." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 233 
 
 "Then Captain Synders must arrest you." 
 
 " Very well, sir ; let him do so. I am willing to 
 go to jail and stand trial on the blowing up. Have 
 you made a complaint against me?" I asked of the 
 honest skipper. 
 
 He was too candid to tell a lie, and he made me 
 no answer. 
 
 " Have you a warrant for my arrest ? " I demanded 
 of Captain Synders. 
 
 " I can take you without a warrant," growled the 
 constable. 
 
 "Do so, then. If you wish to arrest me, I will 
 submit." 
 
 My friends may think I was putting a very bold 
 face upon the matter, but I candidly admit that I 
 should have been glad to have the charge against 
 me investigated ; though I was very certain no steps 
 would be taken in that direction. It is possible 
 Colonel Wimpleton believed that I had been con- 
 cerned with his hopeful in the blowing up of the 
 canal boat ; yet the guilt of his son was settled, and 
 if convicted, some stupid judge might sentence us 
 both to the penitentiary, for the case would have to 
 
234 THEOTTGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 go to the shire town of the county, out of the reach 
 of the great man's influence, for trial. 
 
 My father had told me that, at the interview with 
 the colonel in the night, the latter had threatened 
 him with prosecution for abusing his son ; but when 
 my father suggested that Waddie had broken into 
 his house in the night time, it was plain enough that 
 the young gentleman was liable to a term in the 
 state prison. Waddie's crimes and mistakes con- 
 tinually stood in the way of his taking his revenge. 
 I considered myself fully protected in the same 
 manner. 
 
 " Captain Synders, if you are going to arrest me, 
 please to do it at once," I added, as the lady pas- 
 sengers began to get into the car, and some of the 
 gentlemen came up to the spot where I stood. 
 
 "What's the row?" asked Higgins. 
 
 " These gentlemen from the other side talk of 
 taking me up for the mischief to that canal boat. 
 If they do so, Higgins, I want you to go to my 
 father, and tell him about it. If I mistake not, 
 Waddie Wimpleton will be arrested before night for 
 breaking into our house." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 235 
 
 " I'll do it ! " exclaimed the enthusiastic con- 
 ductor. 
 
 " Arrest Waddie ! " ejaculated the colonel, gnash- 
 ing his teeth with rage. 
 
 It was mortifying to the great man to find that 
 he had come to the end of his rope ; that even his 
 power to annoy and persecute his inferiors had a 
 limit. 
 
 "All aboard!" repeated Higgins. 
 
 "If you are going to arrest me, Captain Synders, 
 now is your time," I added. 
 
 The people who had gathered around us began to 
 laugh and enjoy the scene, and being mostly Mid- 
 dleporters, they had no particular sympathy for the 
 colonel. 
 
 " Wolf, we shall meet again," said the great man, 
 sullenly, as he turned upon his heel, and, followed 
 by his companions, walked rapidly down to the 
 wharf, where his boat lay. 
 
 Even while I knew his power, and felt that he 
 could annoy our family, and perhaps ruin us, I was 
 quite ready to meet him again. Waddie's indiscre- 
 tions stood between me and his wrath for the 
 
236 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK 
 
 present, but his time might come. I leaped into 
 the engine-room of the dummy, where Miss Topple- 
 ton had stood listening to our conversation. 
 
 " Mr. Wolf, I think you are real smart," said she, 
 with a sweet smile of approbation. 
 
 "I thank you, Miss Toppleton, for your good 
 opinion. Colonel Wimpleton is very hard upon me 
 just now." 
 
 " I heard father tell about it. I think that Colonel 
 Wimpleton is a real wicked man ; and I only won - 
 der that he and father were good friends for so many 
 years." 
 
 " I am all ready to start now," I added. " I wish 
 I had better accommodations for you." 
 
 " O, this is very nice ! " exclaimed she. 
 
 I opened the valve, and let on the steam. 
 
 " What did you do then ? " she asked, pointing to 
 the handle of the valve. 
 
 " I let on the steam ; " and then I gave her a full 
 description of the engine, which was hardly finished 
 when we came in sight of Middleport. 
 
 I found it a delightful task to expatiate on my 
 favorite theme to such a beautiful and interested 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 237 
 
 listener, and I pointed out the cylinder wherein the 
 piston worked, the connecting rod which moved the 
 crank, and showed her how the valves which ad-, 
 mitted the steam to the cylinder were worked. I 
 flattered myself, after the lesson I had given her ? 
 that she was almost competent to run the dummy 
 herself. 
 
 "I think it is real nice to ride in here, and see 
 the machinery move," said she. 
 
 " So do I; and I enjoy it very much ; more just 
 now, I fear, than I ever shall again." 
 
 " Why so ? " she asked, innocently. 
 
 I was not quite bold enough to explain the prin^ 
 cipal reason, and so I replied that it was a new 
 thing to me. 
 
 "I hope you will let me ride with you again, 
 some time," she added. 
 
 " With the greatest pleasure," I replied. " When- 
 ever you please." 
 
 We ran into Midclleport, and Miss Toppleton 
 thanked me very prettily for my kindness in showing 
 her about the engine ; and I really wished I had it 
 to do over again. By this time the students were 
 
238 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 turned out of school, and all of them gathered around 
 the dummy, anxious to begin the afternoon's fun. I 
 had brought over my dinner, and I ate it before 
 the next trip. At one o'clock I was ready to start 
 for Spangleport again. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 239 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE CONSTRUCTION TRAIN. 
 
 I HAVE been so busy with the history of our 
 family affairs, and the incidents which sent me 
 over to Middleport, that I have not had much to 
 say about the Lake Shore Railroad ; but before I 
 have done with the subject, I shall fully describe 
 the road, and explain the operations of the company. 
 Only a small portion of the line had yet been built, 
 and the dummy was but a temporary substitute for 
 more complete rolling stock. Major Toppleton in- 
 tended to have a charter for the road, to be obtained 
 at the next session of the legislature, and to con- 
 tinue it to TTcayga. Although it was at the present 
 time a mere plaything for ,the students, it was de- 
 signed to be a useful institution, and to build up 
 Middleport immensely in the end. 
 
 Just as I was about to start on the one o'clock 
 
240 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 trip, Major Toppleton presented himself. The car 
 was filled with students, though a number of ladies 
 and gentlemen had come down to the station to 
 have a ride in the dummy. The major immedi- 
 ately ordered the boys to evacuate the premises, 
 which they did with some grumblings, amounting 
 almost to rebellion. The persons waiting were in- 
 vited to get in, and I started for Spangleport with 
 a less noisy crowd than I had anticipated. As we 
 went off, I heard the major call the students togeth- 
 er, and I concluded that he had some definite plan 
 to carry out. 
 
 On my return, I found the boys had loaded up 
 the two platform cars with rails and sleepers, and 
 they were attached to the dummy as soon as she 
 arrived. Several mechanics were standing by, and 
 it was evident that a piece of work was to be done 
 that day, instead of play. 
 
 "Now, Wolf, we will run a construction train on 
 this trip," said Major Toppleton, as he took his place 
 at my side on the dummy, and directed the students 
 and the mechanics to load themselves into the pas- 
 senger apartment and on the cars. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 241 
 
 " I think we need a little more construction at 
 Spangleport, sir," I suggested. 
 
 "Why, what's the matter?" 
 
 "I don't like to run backwards, sir, on the down 
 trips." 
 
 "But a turn-table will cost too much for the short 
 time we shall make Spangleport a terminus. We 
 will build one at Grass Springs, for that will be as 
 far as we shall run the road this season." 
 
 "We need not build a turn-table, sir," I added. 
 " We can turn the dummy on switches." 
 
 " How is that ? " inquired the major. 
 
 "It will take three switches to turn her. First 
 run a track round a curve to the right, until it 
 comes to "a right angle with the main line. Then 
 run another track on the reverse curve till it strikes 
 the main line again, a few rods from the point where 
 the first track leaves it." 
 
 "I don't understand it." 
 
 "I will explain it when we stop, sir. It will not 
 take long to lay it down, and when it is no longer 
 wanted it can be taken up, and put down in another 
 place." 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 At Spangleport, where we stopped, I made a dia- 
 gram on a piece of paper, to illustrate my plan ; and 
 here is a copy of my drawing. The perpendicular 
 
 lines are the main track. The dummy was to be 
 switched off at the lowest part of the diagram, and 
 run on the curve till it had passed a switch on the 
 right. Then it was to be switched on the upper 
 curve, and run back till it passed the switch on the 
 main line, which being shifted, the car having been 
 turned entirely round, it runs back on the perpen- 
 dicular lines between the curves. 
 
 Major Toppleton was satisfied with the scheme, 
 directed that the switches should be brought up, 
 and the work was commenced at once by the me- 
 chanics. All the boys but two were employed in 
 laying down more track ; but I am sorry to say 
 they grumbled fiercely, for they wanted to have 
 some fun with the dummy. Higgins was still to 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 243 
 
 serve as conductor, and the other student who had 
 been excepted from hard labor was one of the regu- 
 larly appointed engineers of the road. His name 
 was Faxon. He had some taste for mechanics, and 
 had distinguished himself in school by making a 
 fine diagram of the steam engine on the black- 
 board. He was to run with me on the dummy, 
 and learn to manage the engine. I was directed 
 to post him up, as well as I could, and to permit 
 him to take an active part in running the machine. 
 
 I was not particularly pleased with the idea of 
 an apprentice in the engine-room with me, for if 
 the fellow had any "gumption" he would soon be 
 able to take my place, and I might be discharged 
 whenever it was convenient. But a second thought 
 assured me that my fears were mean and unworthy ; 
 that I could never succeed in making myself useful 
 by keeping others in ignorance. The students were 
 sent to the Institute to learn, and the railroad was 
 a part of their means of instruction. I had no right 
 to be selfish. 
 
 We ran down to the wharf in Spangleport, for 
 the road was built half a mile beyond the village, 
 
244 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 when Higgins shouted, "All aboard for Middle- 
 port!" We had quite a crowd of Spangleporters 
 as passengers, and we ran our trips regularly till 
 five o'clock, to the great gratification of the people 
 of both places, when the gentlemanly conductor de- 
 clined to receive any more who expected to return, 
 as the half past five car up would be a construction 
 train. Mr. Higgins talked very glibly and profes- 
 sionally by this time, and imitated all the gentle- 
 manly conductors he had ever seen. 
 
 Faxon was a very good fellow, though he cher- 
 ished a bitter antipathy against the Wimpletonians, 
 and everything connected with them. He was an 
 ardent admirer of Major Toppleton, and particular- 
 ly of Major Toppleton's eldest daughter, for which 
 I did not like him any the less, strange as it may 
 appear after the developments of the last chapter. 
 
 " I'll tell you what it is, Wolf," said he, as we 
 were running up the last trip, "this thing won't go 
 down with the fellows." 
 
 « What ? " 
 
 " All the fellows are mad because they had to 
 work this afternoon." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 245 
 
 "I thought they considered it fun to build the 
 road." 
 
 " They did before the dummy came ; but now 
 they want the fun of the thing. They are all rich 
 men's sons, and they won't stand it to work like 
 Irish laborers. I hope there won't be any row." 
 
 "Of course Major Toppleton knows what he is 
 about." 
 
 " The students don't growl before him. They do 
 it to the teachers, who dare not say their souls are 
 their own." 
 
 " But the major told me the boys enjoyed the 
 fun, and insisted upon building the road themselves 
 when he wanted to employ laborers for the pur- 
 pose." 
 
 "That's j)layed out. I heard some of the fellows 
 say they would not work another day." 
 
 " Some one ought to tell the major about this. 
 He don't want them to work if they don't like it," 
 I suggested. 
 
 " It was fine fun when we first began to dig, and 
 lay rails, but we have all got about enough of it." 
 
 "I will speak to the major about it*" 
 
246 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "Don't say anything to-day," interposed Faxon. 
 " The students are vexed because they were not 
 allowed to have a good time this afternoon ; but 
 the major is going to have a great picnic at Sandy 
 Shore next week, and he is in a hurry to have the 
 road built to* that point — two miles beyond Span- 
 gleport." 
 
 "There is only one mile more to build, and if the 
 fellows stick to it they will get it done." 
 
 "But they say they won't work another day," re- 
 plied Faxon. 
 
 Middleport was not paradise any more than Cen- 
 treport. Boys were just as foolish, and just as. will- 
 ing to get into a scrape, on one side as the other. 
 The Toppletonians had insisted upon doing the work 
 of building the road, and then purposed to rebel be- 
 cause they were required to do it. I had heard of 
 the grand picnic which was to take place on the 
 occasion of the birthday of Miss Grace Toppleton. 
 The grove by the Sandy Shore could be reached 
 most conveniently by the railroad, and the major's 
 anxiety to have the rails laid to that point had in- 
 duced him to drive the work, instead of giving the 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 247 
 
 students a chance to have a good time with the 
 dummy, as they had desired to do while it was a 
 new thing. 
 
 We ran into the engine-house, and some of the 
 boys forced their way into my quarters, in spite of 
 my protest. I saw a couple of them studying the 
 machinery with deep interest. They asked me some 
 questions; and supposing they were only gratifying 
 a reasonable curiosity, I gave them all the informa- 
 tion they needed, telling them just how to manage 
 the engine. 
 
 "Pooh! I can do that as well as anybody," said 
 Briscoe, as he jumped down. 
 
 " Of course you can," replied one of his compan- 
 ions. 
 
 "Don't you think I could run her, Wolf?" asked 
 Briscoe. "I am one of the engineers of the road, 
 and I ought to know how." 
 
 " Probably you could after you had had some 
 experience." 
 
 They went away, and I wondered what they 
 were thinking about. It did not much matter, 
 however, for I was satisfied that the major would 
 
248 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 not permit them to run the engine till they had 
 become thoroughly competent to do so. I put out 
 the fires in the dummy, cleaned the machinery, and 
 left her in readiness for use the next morning. I 
 then went to the mills ; and, as my father had 
 finished his day's work, we walked down to the 
 wharf where my skiff lay. On the way I told him 
 about my interview with Colonel Wimpleton, and 
 we both enjoyed the great man's confusion when 
 he learned in what manner he had punished my 
 father. 
 
 " He will not arrest you, Wolf; you may depend 
 upon that," said my father. "As the case now 
 stands, we have the weather-gage of him, except 
 in the matter of the mortgage. I am afraid I shall 
 lose all I have in the house. Mortimer has got 
 back, but he hasn't seen or heard of Christy." 
 
 " He may turn up yet." 
 
 "He may, but I don't depend much upon it. I 
 have tried a little here in MiddlejDort to raise the 
 money to pay off the mortgage ; but people here 
 will not lend anything on real estate on the other 
 side of the lake." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 249 
 
 "Perhaps Major Toppleton will help you out," I 
 suggested. 
 
 " I don't like to say anything to him about it. 
 He has done well by me, and I won't ride a free 
 horse to death ; besides, I don't want to be in the 
 power of either one of these rich men. I have had 
 trouble enough on the other side." 
 
 I pulled across the lake, and we went into the 
 house. My mother looked anxiously at my father 
 as he entered, and then at me. I smiled, and she 
 understood me. Father had not drank a drop, and 
 she was happy. We never relished our supper any 
 better than we did that night, and I went to bed 
 early, not a little surprised that we heard noth- 
 ing, during the evening, of Colonel Wimpleton and 
 his son. 
 
 The dummy was to make her first trip at eight 
 o'clock, and I left the house at half past six, with 
 my father, to cross the lake. When we reached 
 the wharf, I was utterly confounded to see the 
 .dummy streaking it at the rate of twenty miles an 
 hour along the opposite shore of the lake. Some- 
 thing was wrong, for there was no one on the 
 
250 THKOTTGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 other side who knew how to run the machine, 
 unless it was Faxon, and I was afraid the discon- 
 tented Toppletonians were in mischief. We em- 
 barked in the skiff, and I pulled over as quickly 
 as I had done the day before. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 251l 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 OFF THE TEACK. 
 
 THE appearance of the dummy, going at full 
 speed, filled me with anxiety. I was sure that 
 something was wrong, for I knew that Major Top- 
 pleton was not stirring at that hour in the morn- 
 ing, and that he could not have given any one per- 
 mission to take out the car without telling me of it. 
 I hastened up to the engine-house ; but it was 
 empty, and added nothing to my meagre stock of 
 ideas on the vexed subject. The dummy was gone, 
 and that was all I knew about it. 
 
 The Institute buildings were only a short distance 
 from the engine-house, and I next went there in 
 search of information. The students were engaged, 
 in large numbers, in their sports. Indeed, there 
 were so many of them present that the suspicion 
 I had entertained that some of the boys had gone 
 
252 THROUGH ET DAYLIGHT. OB 
 
 on a lark in the dummy seemed to be disarmed. 
 Still, a dozen or twenty of them would not be 
 missed in the crowd, and it was j)ossible that this 
 number were in mischief, though I thought, if it 
 were so, they had chosen a singular time of day 
 for it. 
 
 The students were rung up in the morning at six 
 o'clock ; but, by a merciful provision of the govern- 
 ors of the Institute, the first hour was devoted to 
 play, so that those who were behind time cheated 
 themselves out of just so much sport. I was in- 
 formed that only a few neglected to get up when 
 the bell rang; and I commend this humane and 
 cunning arrangement to other institutions troubled 
 by the matutinal tardiness of students. The morn- 
 ing is favorable to bold schemes and active move- 
 ments; and the more I thought of the matter, the 
 more anxious I became to know whose places 
 would be vacant at the breakfast table, at seven 
 o'clock, when the bell rang for the morning meal. 
 
 I inquired for Faxon, and soon found him mak- 
 ing a " home run " in a game of base ball. Before 
 I had time to address him the breakfast bell rang; 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 253 
 
 and, with a most surprising unanimity, all games 
 were instantly suspended — a fact which ought to 
 convince humanitarian educators that breakfast, din- 
 ner, and supper should immediately follow play, if 
 boys are to be taught habits of promptness. The 
 students rushed towards " Grub Hall," as the dining- 
 room was called; but, though Faxon had a good 
 appetite, I succeeded, with some difficulty, in inter- 
 cepting his headlong flight. 
 
 "What's the row, Wolf?" demanded he, glancing 
 at the open door through which the boys were filing 
 to the breakfast table, and possibly fearing that the 
 delay would involve an inferior piece of beefsteak. 
 
 " Are any of the fellows missing ? " I asked. 
 
 "Not that I know of; but we can tell at the 
 table," replied he. " What's up ? " 
 
 "The dummy is gone," I answered, mysteriously. 
 
 " Gone ! Gone where ? " 
 
 "I don't know. I saw her streaking it down the 
 road as if she had been shot off"." 
 
 "Don't say a word about it; but hold on here 
 till I get my grub, and see who is missing," said 
 he, rushing into the building. 
 
254 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 I did not understand what Faxon purposed to do ; 
 but I was willing to comply with the arrangement, 
 in compassion for his stomach, if for no other rea- 
 son. I had feared that my associate on the engine 
 was concerned in the conspiracy to abstract the 
 dummy, for I did not think any one else would be 
 able to manage it. I was glad to find he had not 
 engaged in the lark, and I wondered all the more 
 who had the audacity to play with the machine. I 
 walked over to a point on the Institute grounds 
 which commanded a view of the Lake Shore for 
 some distance ; but I could see nothing of the 
 dummy. Presently, Faxon, who had satisfied the 
 cravings of his hunger in a remarkably short time, 
 came out of the building. 
 
 "Briscoe and half a dozen other fellows are miss- 
 ing," said he. 
 
 " Briscoe ! " I exclaimed ; for he was the fellow 
 who had invaded my quarters the night before, and 
 declared he could handle the engine. 
 
 "He's a first-rate fellow, in the main, and I hope 
 he isn't getting into any scrape," added Faxon, anx- 
 iously. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEK. 255 
 
 'I'm afraid he is. He Is the fellow who has run 
 away with the dummy." 
 
 "Don't say a word. I have permission to be out 
 an hour, and we will see where they are. What 
 can we do?" 
 
 "We can take one of the platform cars, and go 
 after them." 
 
 "Come along; but don't say anything." 
 
 We went to the engine-house, and lifted one of 
 the platform cars on the track. The Lake Shore 
 Railroad, as I had found by running the dummy, 
 had a slight descent from Midclleport to Spangleport. 
 We pushed the car, running behind it, till we had 
 worked it up to a high rate of speed, and then leaped 
 upon the platform. The impetus thus given to it 
 kept it going for a mile, when the motive power 
 was applied again, as before. In this manner we 
 ran three miles, without making very hard work of 
 it, and came in sight of the dummy. 
 
 "There she is!" exclaimed Faxon. "The fellows 
 did not go a great way in her." 
 
 " No ; but they went as far as they could," I 
 replied, as soon as I had examined the situation of 
 
256 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 the car, which was not in motion when we discov- 
 ered it. 
 
 "How do you know?" 
 
 " She's off the track." 
 
 "That's too bad!" 
 
 For my own part I was rather glad the enterprise 
 of the runaways had been nipped in the bud, for I 
 had a professional contempt for those who attempt 
 to run an engine when they know nothing about 
 one. I only hoped the dummy and the boys were 
 not injured. As we approached nearer to the scene 
 of the disaster, we saw the conspirators hard at 
 work trying to get the dummy on the track. 
 
 " What are you about, you spoonies ! " shouted 
 Faxon, as we stopped the car close to the unfortu- 
 nate dummy. 
 
 "We are trying to get the thing on the track," 
 replied Briscoe, as coolly as though he had done 
 nothing wrong. 
 
 " How came she out here ? " demanded Faxon. 
 
 " O, well, we were having a little fun with her." 
 
 "You were missed at breakfast, and you will 
 catch fits for this." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 257 
 
 "I suppose we shall; but we can't help it now." 
 
 " What did you meddle with her for, you spoon- 
 ies, when you didn't know anything about her?" 
 continued Faxon, indignantly. 
 
 "I know all about her, as well as you do, Faxon. 
 You needn't put on airs because you helped run 
 the thing," retorted Briscoe. 
 
 "I should think you did know all about her; and 
 that's the reason why you ran her off the track. You 
 don't know so much as you think you do." 
 
 " That may be, but I know more than you think 
 I do." 
 
 "What did you run her off for?" 
 
 "I suppose it is considered rather necessary to 
 have rails for this thing to run on," replied Briscoe. 
 " If you will look ahead of her, you will see that 
 the track is torn up for a quarter of a mile, and the 
 rails carried off." 
 
 "Is that so?" added Faxon, walking out ahead 
 of the dummy. 
 
 "That's so, as you may see for yourself," said 
 Briscoe, following us along the track. 
 17 
 
258 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "Who did it? That's the next question," asked 
 Faxon, vexed, as we all were, at the discovery. 
 
 " I don't know ; we didn't," answered Briscoe. 
 "If the track hadn't been pulled up, we should have 
 returned at breakfast time. What's to be done ? " 
 
 "You must get back as quick as you can," re- 
 plied the benevolent Faxon. "I won't blow on you. 
 Take that car, and make time for the Institute." 
 
 "You're a good fellow, Faxon," added Briscoe, 
 with a smile. 
 
 " If I am, don't you play this game again." 
 
 " I won't, again." 
 
 " How did it work ? " I inquired, wishing to hear 
 the experience of the runaways. 
 
 "First rate. I had no trouble with it. She 
 started when I pulled the thing, and we made time 
 on her coming down, you had better believe." 
 
 " I should think you did. I saw you putting her 
 through by daylight." 
 
 "Edwards saw the track was gone, and told me 
 of it. I shut off steam, and put on the brakes ; 
 but I couldn't fetch up soon enough to keep from 
 running off." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 259 
 
 " All I have to say is, that you are lucky to come 
 out of it with a whole skin," I added, solemnly. 
 "But hurry back as fast as you can, or you will 
 be in hot water." 
 
 "I'm in hot water now, and I may as well be 
 scalded with a quart as a pint. I am willing to 
 stay and help you put her on the track." 
 
 "Don't do it, Briscoe," interposed Faxon. "You 
 are one of the directors, and if the major finds out 
 you meddled with the dummy, he will have you 
 turned out of office. Rush back to the Institute, 
 and don't let on." 
 
 The runaways were willing to adopt this advice. 
 There were half a dozen of them, and as they could 
 make easy work of pushing the car back, they soon 
 disappeared behind the trees. 
 
 "You won't let on — will you, Wolf?" said Fax- 
 on, in a coaxing tone, as soon as we were alone. 
 
 "I won't volunteer to tell any stories out of 
 school ; but I shall not tell any lies about it." 
 
 " Don't be squeamish. Briscoe is a good fellow, 
 and one of the directors. The major would break 
 him if he heard of this thing." 
 
260 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "Between you and me, I think he ought to be 
 broken. Suppose they had burst the boiler, and 
 been wiped out themselves ? " 
 
 " That's all very pretty ; but they didn't burst 
 the boiler, and were not wiped out." 
 
 " I'm at work for Major Toppleton. If he asks me 
 any questions, I shall tell him the truth." 
 
 " O, come now ! " 
 
 "But I don't think he is likely to ask me any 
 questions. There will be a breeze when he finds 
 out the track has been torn up, and there will be 
 fog enough with it to cover up those fellows." 
 
 "Be a good fellow, Wolf, and don't say a word." 
 
 "I will not if I can help it. I don't think any- 
 body will know anything about this scrape. Those 
 who saw the dummy come out will suppose I was 
 on her. But here's a pretty kettle of fish ! " I 
 added, glancing at the dummy, and then at the 
 road minus the rails. 
 
 " Can we put the thing on the track again ? " 
 
 "I think we can — we can try it, at least. We 
 want some of those rails for levers." 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 261 
 
 " Where ate they ? " asked the puzzled Faxon. 
 "Did some one steal them for old iron?" 
 
 "No; they are not far off," I replied, leading the 
 way down to the Lake Shore. 
 
 We walked along the beach, till I discovered 
 footsteps in the sand. 
 
 " Here is where they landed," I added, pointing 
 to the -prints, and also to some deep lines gored in 
 the sand by a couple of boats, which had been 
 hauled up on the beach. 
 
 "Who landed? I don't understand it." 
 
 "I do; an enemy has done this. The Wimple- 
 tonians have been over here during the night, and 
 torn up your track." 
 
 "If they did, it will be a sorry day for them," 
 said Faxon, grating his teeth and shaking his head. 
 
 " These footprints were made by dandy boots, and 
 all the party were boys. It's as plain as the nose 
 on Colonel Wimpleton's face ; " and the great man 
 of Centreport was troubled with a long proboscis. 
 
 "They'll catch it for this." 
 
 We walked along till we came to Grass Brook, 
 and there we fpund the rails thrown into the deep 
 
262 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 water at the mouth of it. The end of one of them 
 lay within my reach, and I pulled it out. Using 
 this as a lever, we pried up the wheels of the dum- 
 my, and after an hour of severe exertion, we suc- 
 ceeded in putting the car upon the track. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE GRAND PICNIC. 
 
 IT is not necessary for me to quote any of the 
 big words which Major Toppleton used when I 
 told him the Wimpletonians had been over and 
 torn up a quarter of a mile of the track of the 
 Lake Shore Railroad. I did not deem it best, as 
 he asked no questions, to augment his wrath by 
 telling him the dummy had been off the track. He 
 was more impatient, if possible, to have the road 
 completed than the boys were. He procured the 
 services of a score of mechanics and laborers, and 
 we hastened with them to the dismantled portion 
 of the road. The rails were fished up from the 
 deep water, and before twelve o'clock the track was 
 in as good order as ever. 
 
 If the students of the Wimpleton Institute looked 
 over the lake, and enjoyed the mischief they had 
 
264 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 done, — as of course they did, — their satisfaction was 
 of short duration. Before they were turned out to 
 play in the afternoon, the dummy was running her 
 regular trips to Spangleport. I have no doubt the 
 rascals who did the mischief felt cheap and crest- 
 fallen when they saw the car going on its way as 
 though nothing had happened ; and I had no more 
 doubt that they would consider their work ill done, 
 and attempt to do it over again. They were not 
 allowed to go out nights ; but I am afraid the 
 authorities of the Institute did not punish them 
 very severely when they broke through the rules in 
 order to do mischief to the establishment on the 
 other side. It was only following the example of 
 the magnate of Centreport and many of their elders; 
 and " like master, like man." 
 
 When the torn-up track was relaid, the twenty 
 men were conveyed beyond Spangleport to build the 
 road. Frogs and switches had been procured, the 
 turning apparatus was finished, and I had the pleas- 
 ure of running both ways in ship-shape style. By 
 laying a few rods of track, and putting down a 
 couple of switches near the engine-house, we were 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 265 
 
 enabled to turn at the Middleport end. We always 
 switched off to run into the engine-house, and we 
 had to back in, from a point above the house. On 
 the new track we ran out to a point below, and came 
 upon the main line headed towards Spangleport. I 
 take the more pride in describing these movements, 
 because they were of my own invention, though I 
 have since learned that similar plans had been used 
 before. 
 
 Towards night on the second day of my railroad 
 experience, Major Toppleton was a passenger in the 
 engine-room. He was in high spirits to think the 
 mischief done by the Wimpletonians had been so 
 speedily repaired; but he was afraid the daring act 
 would be repeated, as I was quite satisfied it would. 
 I knew my late comrades on the Centreport side 
 well enough to understand that they would never 
 let the Lake Shore Railroad enjoy peace and pros- 
 perity until they were provided with an equivalent. 
 I was confident that Colonel Wimpleton was racking 
 his brains even then for a scheme which would pro- 
 duce an equal excitement among the students of 
 his Institute. 
 
266 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "You know those villains over there better than 
 I do, Wolf," said the major confidentially to me ; 
 and I was amazed to hear him own that I knew 
 anything better than he did. " Don't you think they 
 will attempt to tear up the track again ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir, I do think so," I replied. 
 
 " The rascals ! It mortifies me to have them get 
 ahead of me in this manner. If I could only catch 
 them, I would cure them of night wandering very 
 quick. It is of no use for me to complain to the 
 colonel, or to the principal of the Wimpleton Insti- 
 tute. They would enjoy my chagrin." 
 
 " It is easy enough to prevent them from doing 
 any more mischief," I added. 
 
 " How ? " he asked, eagerly. 
 
 "By setting a watch." 
 
 " Yes ; and while we are watching in one place 
 they will tear up the rails in another." 
 
 " There are two ways to do it. Your tow-boat 
 can ply up and down the shore, or we can run the 
 dummy all night." 
 
 " Do you think you can stand it to run the dummy 
 all night, Wolf?" laughed he. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 267 
 
 "My father and I could for a few nights." 
 The tow-boat had gone up the lake with a fleet 
 of canal boats, and the other plan was the only 
 alternative. I saw my father at six o'clock. He was 
 ready to serve on the watch, but he was not willing 
 to leave my mother alone with my sisters at home 
 all night, fearful that some of the chivalrous Wim- 
 pletonians might undertake to annoy her. But Faxon 
 volunteered to serve with me, and was pleased with 
 the idea. We lighted up the reflecting lamp over 
 the door of the engine, and though it was dark, 
 we put her " through by daylight," in a figurative 
 sense. 
 
 We talked till we were sleepy, and then by turns 
 each of us took a nap, lying upon the cushions of 
 the passenger compartment. It was a good bed, and 
 we enjoyed the novelty of the situation. Faxon by 
 this time understood the machinery very well, and I 
 was not afraid to trust him. We did not run on 
 regular hours, and lay still more than half the time, 
 after Faxon had run the car as much as he desired. 
 We kept an eye on the lake for hpats, of which the 
 Wimpletonians had a whole squadron. 
 
268 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 Only once during the night was there anything 
 like an alarm. We saw half a dozen boats come 
 down through the Narrows about eleven o'clock, 
 but we soon lost sight of them under the shadow 
 of the opposite shore. We saw nothing more of 
 them, and I concluded that the dummy, with her 
 bright light on the shore, had prevented another 
 attack upon the railroad. After this all was quiet, 
 and there was nothing to get up an excitement 
 upon. 
 
 The next day I was rather sleepy at times, and so 
 was Faxon. At eight o'clock the major appeared, 
 and I told him we had probably prevented another 
 raid upon the road, for we had seen a fleet of boats 
 pass through the Narrows. 
 
 " All right, Wolf; I am glad we balked the scoun- 
 drels," answered the major ; • and almost anything 
 seemed to be a victory to the great man of Mid- 
 dleport. 
 
 "I suppose they will try again some other time," 
 I added. 
 
 "We will see that they don't succeed. Now we 
 must push along the road as fast as we can. I don't 
 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 269 
 
 like to disappoint the boys, but I can't wait for them 
 to build the rest of it." 
 
 I could not help smiling. 
 
 " What is it, Wolf ? " he asked, smiling with me ; 
 and great men's smiles are sunshine to the heart. 
 
 " I don't think they will cry if you don't let them 
 do any more." 
 
 " Don't you ? Why, they begged me to let them 
 do the work with their own hands, and I have 
 gratified them thus far." 
 
 I soon convinced him that the boys were not 
 anxious to do any more digging, or to lay any more 
 rails ; that hard work was " played out " with them. 
 The magnate was delighted to hear it; and there 
 was no grumbling because the students were not 
 called upon to use the shovels and the hammers. 
 I ran the dummy out with the men, after that, every 
 morning at seven o'clock, and the road progressed 
 rapidly towards Grass Springs. 
 
 At noon we heard astounding news from Centre- 
 port. All the boats belonging to the Wimpleton 
 Institute — not less than a dozen of them — had 
 mysteriously disappeared. No one knew what had 
 
270 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 happened to them, and no one had heard anything 
 in the night to indicate what had become of them. 
 Major Toppleton inquired very particularly about the 
 fleet of boats Faxon and I had seen ; but our in- 
 formation did not elucidate the mystery. I observed 
 that my fellow-engineer winked at me very signifi- 
 cantly, as though he knew more than he chose to tell. 
 
 " What did you wink for, Faxon ? " I asked, when 
 we started on our trip, and were alone. 
 
 " You are as blind as the major," laughed he. 
 
 " What do you mean ? " 
 
 " About forty of the Toppletonians found a way to 
 get out of the Institute last night. You won't say 
 a word about this — will you ? " 
 
 "You had better not tell me, Faxon." 
 
 "But I will tell you, for I don't think the major 
 or the principal will say anything if the whole thing 
 is blown. You know where the quarries are, above 
 Centreport, on that side." 
 
 " Of course I do." 
 
 "The Wimpleton boats, loaded with rocks, and 
 the plugs taken out, lie at the bottom of the lake, 
 in twenty feet of water, off the quarries. We are 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 271 
 
 even with those fellows now for tearing up our 
 track." 
 
 "That's too bad!" I exclaimed. 
 
 " Too bad ! It wasn't too bad to tear up our 
 track — was it ? " replied he, indignantly. 
 
 " Tavo wrongs don't make a right," I replied, 
 sagely. 
 
 " But one evil sometimes corrects another — ' simi- 
 Ua similibus curanturj as our little-pill doctor used 
 to say. The loss of their boats will prevent the 
 Wimps from coming over here again in the night 
 to cut up our road." 
 
 I was a boy, like the rest of them ; but I did 
 not exactly enjoy this " tit for tat " business. My 
 mother had always taught me to exercise a Christian 
 spirit, and this " paying back " was a diabolical 
 spirit. I would not tell of these things, nor suffer 
 my readers to gloat over them, if any are dis- 
 posed to do so, — were it not to show how these 
 two great men, and all the little men who hung 
 upon the skirts of their coats, were finally reconciled 
 to each other ; and how, out of war and vengeance, 
 came "peace and good will to men." 
 
272 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OK 
 
 Before Miss Grace Toppleton's birthday arrived, 
 the road was finished to Sandy Beach, and the 
 grand picnic took place. The two platform cars 
 had seats built upon them, and were attached to 
 the dummy. I conveyed about a hundred a trip- 
 until the middle of the day, when all Middle- 
 port appeared to have been transported to the 
 grove. The aifair was very elaborate in all its 
 details. Tents, pavilions, booths, and swings had 
 been erected, and the Ucayga Cornet Band was on 
 the ground. 
 
 When I came in on the twelve o'clock trip, my 
 father presented himself at the door of the engine- 
 room, his face wreathed in smiles. My mother and 
 sisters were present, for we were now regarded as 
 Micldleporters. 
 
 "I will take care of this thing for a short time, 
 Wolf, and you may go and see the fun," said my 
 father. 
 
 "I don't care about going now." 
 
 " O, you must go ; the people want to see you." 
 
 Thus urged I entered the grove, and found my- 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 273 
 
 self before a speaker's stand, on which Major Top- 
 pleton was holding forth to the people. 
 
 " Come here, Wolf! " called he. " I want to see 
 
 you." 
 
 A couple of the students seized me by the arras, 
 and, dragging me forward, actually forced me up the 
 steps upon the speaker's stand. I blushed, was be- 
 wildered and confused. 
 
 " Three cheers for Wolf ! " shouted Faxon ; and 
 they were given. 
 
 " Come forward, Wolf. The people want to see 
 you," added the major, dragging me to the front of 
 the stage. 
 
 I blushed, and tried to escape ; and then the great 
 man jumped down, and left me alone on the platform. 
 I took off my cap, and bowed. 
 
 "Mr. Wolf." 
 
 I turned. Miss Grace Toppleton was on the stage 
 with me. I looked at her with wonder. 
 
 " Mr. Wolf," she continued, " the students of the 
 Toppleton Institute, grateful to you for your labors 
 on the Lake Shore Railroad, wish to present you 
 18 
 
274 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OE 
 
 this gold watch ; and I assure you it affords me 
 very great pleasure to be the bearer of this token 
 to you." 
 
 She handed me the watch, and I took it, with a 
 red face and a trembling hand. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 275 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 "WOLF S SPEECH. 
 
 I WAS never so "taken aback" in my life as 
 when I heard the silvery voice of Miss Grace 
 Toppleton, and saw the magnificent gift in her hand. 
 At any time I should have looked at her with in- 
 terest; but just then it seemed to me that the sun 
 had ceased to shine, and all the light which flowed 
 down upon the brilliant scene around me came from 
 her beautiful face. I wished there was a hole in 
 the platform beneath me, through which I might 
 sink out of sight ; but then, I am sure, if I had 
 gone down into the gloom of the space beneath 
 me, I should instantly have wished myself back 
 again ; for I was the hero of the occasion, and the 
 soft eyes of Miss Grace were fixed upon me. 
 
 As I listened to the silvery tones of the fair 
 orator, I became conscious that I was presenting a 
 
276 THBOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 very awkward appearance. My hands seemed to 
 be as big as the feet of an elephant, and altogether 
 too large to go into my pockets. I did not know 
 what to do with them, or where to put them. I 
 felt like a great clumsy booby. But when the 
 thought flashed upon me that Miss Grace was look- 
 ing at me, and that she must consider me a boor- 
 ish cub, I felt the necessity of doing something 
 to redeem myself. When I was fully conscious that 
 she was observing me, I quite forgot that anybody 
 else was engaged in a similar occupation. I straight- 
 ened up, stiffened the quaking muscles in my frame, 
 and permitted my cumbrous hands to fall at my 
 side, just as the professor of elocution in the Wim- 
 pleton Institute had instructed me to do when I 
 spoke " in public on the stage." . 
 
 If the change of attitude produced no effect upon 
 others, it did in me, for I knew then that I looked 
 like a civilized boy, and bore myself with the dignity 
 becoming the young engineer of the Lake Shore 
 Railroad. Miss Grace handed me the watch, and 
 I took it with my best bow. She finished her 
 "neat little speech," and as her silvery tones ceased, 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 277 
 
 I was painfully conscious that something was ex- 
 pected of me. It was a hard case. Clinging to 
 the cow-catcher of a locomotive going at thirty 
 miles an hour was nothing to it. Again I longed 
 for a hole in the platform through which I might 
 disappear from the public gaze. But there was no 
 hole in the platform, and no chance to escape. The 
 audience were heartily applauding the presentation 
 speech of Miss Grace ; and I think the major was 
 prouder of her then than he had ever before been 
 in his life. 
 
 While this demonstration was in progress, I tried 
 to gather up my thoughts for the mighty effort I 
 was to make. A labored apology, with something 
 about being in a "tight place," flashed upon my 
 mind as a suitable preface to my speech; but I 
 almost as quickly decided not to make any apol- 
 ogy; for, since no one could suspect me of being 
 a speech-maker, I was not likely to fall below their 
 expectations as an orator. Before I had concluded 
 what I should say, or try to say, the applause 
 ceased for an instant, and then the Toppletonians 
 began to shout, " Speech ! Speech ! " 
 
278 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 If I could run an engine, there was no good 
 reason why I should not make a speech. I had 
 something to say, and all I had to do was to say 
 it. Really it seemed to be the simplest thing in 
 the world, and I determined to "go in," however 
 I might come out of it. In a word, I was re- 
 solved to put it " through by daylight." 
 
 "Miss Grace Toppleton," I began; and the utter- 
 ing of the whole name seemed to afford me a grate- 
 ful respite of some fraction of a second in which 
 to gather up the next idea. "I am very much 
 obliged to the students of the To])pleton Institute 
 for this beautiful gift. A gold watch is something 
 I never expected to have. I didn't think of any- 
 thing of this kind when I came in here, and for 
 that reason I was very much surprised. I shall 
 always keep this watch, and whenever I look at its 
 face, it will remind me of the generous fellows who 
 gave it to me. I shall — " 
 
 I was interrupted by a burst of rapturous ap- 
 plause from the students; and while I was waiting 
 for it to subside, I was satisfied that I was doing 
 very well. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 279 
 
 "I shall endeavor, with the help of this watch, 
 always to be on time; and I hope I shall be able 
 to do my duty to the officers and to the liberal 
 patron of the Lake Shore Railroad. Miss Topple- 
 ton, I am very grateful to all the good fellows who 
 have given me this splendid watch; and though I 
 don't believe in wearing two faces, I shall never 
 look at the face of this watch without thinking of 
 another face — the face of the one who so prettily 
 presented it." 
 
 "Good! Good!" shout-ed the students; and anoth 
 er round of applause encouraged me in my arduous 
 task. 
 
 "I shall always prize this watch," I continued, 
 glancing at the beautiful time-keeper, "for the sake 
 of those who gave it to me; and I am sure I shall 
 give it a double value because of the fair hands 
 from which it passed into my own. With ten 
 thousand thanks for the beautiful gift, I shall try 
 to perform my duty better than ever before; and 
 whatever work is given me to do, I shall put it 
 through by daylight." 
 
 I made my best bow again, and retired from the 
 
280 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 stage amid a storm of applause. As Miss Grace 
 followed me, I helped her down the steps. The 
 pleasant, arch smile she bestowed upon me made 
 me feel that I had not said anything which she 
 disliked. 
 
 "Mr. Wolf, you are quite a speech-maker," said 
 she. 
 
 "I don't know; I never did any such thing be- 
 fore," I replied, blushing like a little girl. 
 
 "You did it real well, Mr. Wolf; and when they 
 don't want you to run the engine, you must go to 
 Congi'ess." 
 
 " If I had only known what was going on, I 
 should have got ready for it, and shouldn't have 
 felt quite so sheepish." 
 
 " That would have spoiled the whole. You did 
 splendidly. Now let me fasten the chain to your 
 vest, and see how you look with the watch on." 
 
 She took the watch from my hand, adjusted the 
 chain in a button-hole of my vest with her own 
 fair hands, and I could hardly resist the temptation 
 to do or say something intensely ridiculous ; but I 
 did resist it, and only thanked her as coolly as I 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 281 
 
 could for the service. Major Toppleton came up, 
 and congratulated me on my speech. I think they 
 did not expect me to be able to say anything, and 
 perhaps some of the students would have enjoyed 
 the scene quite as much if I had broken down 
 completely. But I am confident that all the com- 
 pliments I received were based upon the very 
 meagre expectations of my intelligent audience. 
 
 The students used me very handsomely, and for 
 the time did not put on any airs. They treated 
 me as an equal, and even Tommy Toppleton was 
 as gracious as though I had been the scion of a 
 great house like his own. Miss Grace walked with 
 me to the refreshment tables, and while the band, 
 whose leader seemed to be an aAvful satirist, wick- 
 edly played, "Hail to the Chief," I partook of 
 chicken salad, cake, and ice-cream, being actually 
 waited upon by the fair oratorical divinity who 
 had presented me the watch. I was afraid she 
 would scold me for saying that I should think of 
 her face whenever I looked at the face of the 
 watch; but she did not, and I suppose she regard- 
 ed the daring expression as a piece of "buncombe" 
 tolerated by the license of such an occasion. 
 
282 THEOUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 I spent an hour in the most agreeable manner 
 in the Sandy Beach Grove ; indeed, the whole scene 
 is still a bright spot in my memory. But I was 
 obliged to return to the dummy, for after all I was 
 only a poor boy, an employee of the magnate of 
 Toppleton. I was out of place at the feast and 
 the revel; but I was very grateful to the students, 
 and to all the people, especially Miss Grace Topple- 
 ton, who had treated me with such "distinguished 
 consideration." I resumed my place on the eDgine, 
 and as there were a great many people to convey 
 back to Middleport, I made quick trips, and literally 
 succeeded in putting them all "through by day- 
 light." 
 
 After I had put up the dummy for the night, I 
 went over to Centreport with my father, mother, 
 and sisters in the major's sail-boat, which he 
 placed at my disposal for the purpose. I had never 
 seen my parents so happy before. If they were 
 proud of me, I could afford to forgive them for it. 
 We had almost forgotten that the cloud of mis- 
 fortune had ever lowered above us. My father 
 had not tasted a drop of liquor since the fatal 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEB. 283 
 
 day on which he had lost his money, and this was 
 enough to make us all happy, without any of the 
 other pleasant events which had gladdened our 
 hearts. God had been very merciful to us, and 
 had turned the wrath of man into blessings for 
 us, and I am sure we were all grateful to him for 
 his goodness. 
 
 Nothing definite had been heard from Christy 
 Holgate, but it was believed that he had gone to 
 the South. A close watch was kept upon his fam- 
 ily in Ucayga; for it was supposed that he would 
 send for them, and it was hoped that their move- 
 ments would enable the officer in charge of the 
 case to ascertain his present residence. My father 
 despaired of ever hearing from the runaway or the 
 money, and all agreed that it would be but a poor 
 satisfaction to have the wretch sent to the state 
 prison for even a short term. 
 
 "We walked from the mill wharf up to the house 
 after I had securely moored the sail-boat. We were 
 still talking over the pleasant events of the day, 
 and, for the third time, I had showed my watch 
 to my sisters, who were prouder of it than I was. 
 
284 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 As we approached the house, I saw Captain Syn- 
 ders sitting on the fence, and apparently waiting 
 for the return of my father or myself. I could 
 not believe that he had any business with me, for 
 Colonel Wimpleton had paid the honest skipper 
 for the destruction of his boat, and nothing had 
 been said for a week about arresting me for taking 
 part in the mischief. 
 
 " I'm waiting for you, Mr. Penniman," said Syn- 
 ders, as we went up to the gate. 
 
 "I hope you haven't had to wait long," replied 
 my father, gently. 
 
 "Long enough," added the constable, gruffly. 
 
 " What can I do for you ? " inquired my father, 
 rather anxiously, I thought, though his face wore a 
 good-natured smile. 
 
 " Nothing for me, but you can do something for 
 Colonel Wimpleton." 
 
 "What can I do for him?" 
 
 " Pay the note of two thousand dollars which 
 was due at noon to-day," continued Synders, ma- 
 liciously. 
 
 " Colonel Wimpleton knows very well that my 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEEK. 285 
 
 money was stolen from me, and that I cannot pay 
 him," replied my father. 
 
 "It's nothing to him that your money was stolen. 
 You must pay the note." 
 
 "I can't do that." 
 
 "Well, we know you didn't do it, and this after- 
 noon the colonel foreclosed the mortgage. I'm here 
 to give you notice of it, and to warn you out of 
 the house." 
 
 " Does he mean to turn me out to-night ? " asked 
 my father. 
 
 "I shall give you legal notice to quit, before wit- 
 nesses." 
 
 "I will pay rent for the house," suggested my 
 father. 
 
 "That won't do," answered Synders, shaking his 
 head. " The house must be sold after legal notice 
 has been given ; and in my opinion it won't bring 
 a dollar over the mortgage, under the hammer." 
 
 "Well, I can't help myself," added my father, 
 gloomily. 
 
 " You made a bad mistake when you turned upon 
 the colonel," sneered the officer. 
 
286 THE0UGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 "I didn't turn upon him; but we will not talk 
 about that." 
 
 My father was very much depressed at the thought 
 of losing the thousand dollars which he had invested 
 in his house. All he had saved was to be swept 
 away from him. The constable procured his wit- 
 nesses, served his legal notices, and went away 
 chuckling over the misery he left behind him. 
 Doubtless he exaggerated the confusion and dismay 
 of my father when he reported his doings to his 
 employer, and the great man gloated proportionally 
 over the wreck he was making. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINKEB. 287 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE AUCTION SALE. 
 
 MY father was very unhappy, and my mother 
 was afraid he would again resort to the cup 
 for solace in his misfortune. I do not know what 
 she said to him; but he treated her very tenderly, 
 and never was a woman more devoted than she 
 was during this threatening misfortune. My father 
 was again a poor man. All that he had of worldly 
 goods was to be stripped from him to satisfy the 
 malice of his hard creditor. He was too proud to 
 apply to Major Toppleton for assistance, believing 
 that he would have nothing to do with property 
 on the other side of the lake. 
 
 I continued to run the dummy, and was so happy 
 as to keep on the right side of the major, his son, 
 and the students. Before the expiration of the legal 
 notice, my father hired a small house in Middleport, 
 
288 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 and we moved into it. It was only a hovel, com- 
 pared with the neat and comfortable dwelling we 
 had occupied in Centreport, and the change was 
 depressing to all the members of the family. My 
 father's place was advertised to be sold, and as the 
 day — which looked like a fatal one to us — drew 
 near, we were all very sad and nervous. Nothing 
 had yet been heard of Christy ; and the case was a 
 plain one. The thousand dollars saved from the 
 earnings of the debtor was to be sacrificed. No 
 man in Centreport, however much he wanted the 
 house, would dare to bid upon it. 
 
 My father desired to attend the sale, perhaps 
 hoj^eful that his presence might induce some friend 
 of other days to bid a little more for the place. My 
 mother did not wish to have him attend the auction; 
 but as he insisted, she desired that I should go with 
 him. I had no wish to be present at the humiliat- 
 ing spectacle, or to endure the sneers and the jeers 
 of the Centreporters ; but I decided to go, for my 
 presence might be some restraint upon my father, if 
 his misfortunes tempted him to drink again. I 
 applied to Major Toppleton for leave of absence for 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 289 
 
 my father and myself on the clay of the sale. My 
 father had engaged a man to take his place, and 
 Faxon could now run the dummy. 
 
 "What's going on over there?" asked the major, 
 after he had consented to the absence of both of us. 
 
 " My father's place is to be sold at auction. 
 Colonel Wimpleton has foreclosed the mortgage," I 
 replied. 
 
 "How much has your father paid on the house?" 
 
 " He paid a thousand dollars down ; and the mort- 
 gage is for two thousand. He would have paid the 
 note when it was due, but his money was stolen 
 from him." 
 
 "I remember about that," added the major, mus- 
 ing. "Will the place bring enough at auction to 
 enable your father to get back the thousand dollars 
 he paid." 
 
 "JSTo, sir; we don't expect it will bring anything 
 over the mortgage. Colonel Wimpleton means to 
 punish my father by ruining him, and none of the 
 Centreport people will dare to bid on the place." 
 
 He asked me several questions more, and I told 
 him as well as I could how the matter stood. I 
 19 
 
290 THEOTJGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 was hoping most earnestly that he would offer to 
 advance the money to pay off the mortgage ; but 
 just as my expectations reached the highest pitch, 
 a gentleman interrupted the conversation, and the 
 major went off with him in a few moments, having 
 apparently forgotten all about the subject. My 
 hopes were dashed down. I conveyed all the stu- 
 dents out to Sandy Beach in the dummy that after- 
 noon, and brought them back ; but I was so absorbed 
 in our family affairs that I hardly knew what I was 
 doing. 
 
 At one o'clock the next day, I went over to Cen- 
 treport with father to attend the sale. He was very 
 nervous, and I was hardly less so. At the appointed 
 time, a large collection of people gathered around 
 the house. A red flag was flying on the fence, and 
 all the company seemed as jovial as if they were 
 assembled for a picnic, rather than to complete the 
 ruin of my poor father. Hardly any one spoke to 
 us; but I saw many who appeared to be talking 
 about us, and enjoying the misery we experienced 
 at the prospect of seeing our beloved- home pass 
 into other hands. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 291 
 
 Colonel Wimpleton was there, and so was Waddie. 
 Both of them, seemed to be very happy, and both 
 of them stared at ns as though we had no right 
 to set foot on the sacred soil of Centreport. Others 
 imitated their illustrious example, and we were made 
 as uncomfortable as possible. In our hearing, and 
 evidently for our benefit, a couple of men discussed 
 their proposed bids, one declaring that he would go 
 as high as fifteen dollars, while the other would not 
 be willing to take the place at so high a figure. 
 Finally, the colonel, after passing us a dozen times, 
 halted before my father. 
 
 "I suppose you have come over to bid on the 
 place, Ralph," said he. 
 
 "No, sir; I have nothing to back my bid with," 
 replied my father, meekly. 
 
 " You had better bid ; I don't think it will bring 
 more than fifteen or twenty dollars over the mort- 
 gage," chuckled the magnate. 
 
 "It ought to bring fifteen hundred," added my 
 father. "I was offered that for it once." 
 
 "You should have taken it. Real estate is very 
 much depressed in the market." 
 
292 THROUGH BT DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "I should think it was; and I'm afraid Centre- 
 port is going down," answered my father, with a 
 faint smile. 
 
 "Going down!" exclaimed the great man, stung 
 by the reflection. "Any other piece of property in 
 Centreport would sell a hundred per cent, higher 
 than this." 
 
 " I supjDose so ! " ejaculated my poor father, fully 
 understanding the reason why his place was to be 
 sacrificed. 
 
 The auctioneer, who had mounted the steps of 
 the front door, interrupted the conversation. He 
 stated that he was about to sell all the right, title, 
 and interest which Ralph Penniman had in the 
 estate at twelve o'clock on a certain day, described 
 the mortgage, and called for a bid. 
 
 " Twenty-five cents," said a colored man in the 
 crowd. 
 
 The audience gave way to a hearty burst of laugh- 
 ter at the richness of the bid. 
 
 " Thirty cents," added Colonel "Wimpleton, as soon 
 as the noise had subsided. 
 
 The auctioneer dwelt on it for a moment, and 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 293 
 
 then the colored man advanced to thirty-one cents. 
 By this time it was clear to us that these proceed- 
 ' ings were a farce, intended to torment my father. 
 I had never endured agonies more keen than those 
 which followed these ridiculous bids, as I became 
 conscious that my father was the butt of the com- 
 pany's derision. The colonel, more liberal than the 
 negro, went up to thirty-five cents, whereupon the 
 latter advanced another cent, amid the laughter and 
 jeers of the assembly. Thus it continued for some 
 time, the colored man, who had doubtless been 
 engaged to play his part, going up one cent and 
 the great man four. Others occasionally bid a cent 
 or a half cent more ; and half an hour was consumed 
 in windy eloquence by the auctioneer, and in cent 
 and half-cent bids, before the offer reached a dollar. 
 
 " One dollar and five cents," said Colonel Wimple- 
 ton, at this point. 
 
 "One dollar and six cents," promptly responded 
 the negro. 
 
 "One dollar and six cents is bid for this very 
 desirable estate," added the auctioneer. " Consider, 
 gentlemen, the value of this property, and the cir- 
 
294 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 cumstances under which it is sold. Every dollar 
 you bid goes into the pocket of the honest and 
 hard-working mortgagor." 
 
 " One dollar and ten cents," said the colonel, as 
 if moved by this appeal. 
 
 " Dollar 'leven," added the negro. 
 
 " Consider, gentlemen, the situation of the unfortu- 
 nate man whose interest in this property I am selling." 
 
 " Dollar fifteen," said the colonel. 
 
 "Dollar fifteen and a half," persisted the negro, 
 amid roars of laughter. 
 
 " One thousand dollars," said some one in the 
 rear of the crowd, in a loud, clear tone. 
 
 If the explosion of the honest skipper's canal boat, 
 which had been the indirect cause of the present 
 gathering, had taken place in the midst of the 
 crowd, it could not have produced greater amaze- 
 ment and consternation than the liberal bid of the 
 gentleman on the outskirts of the assemblnge. It 
 was a bombshell of the first magnitude which burst 
 upon the hilarious people of Centreport, met, as it 
 seemed to me, for the sole purpose of sacrificing my 
 poor father. I recognized the voice of the bidder. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 295 
 
 It was Major Toppleton. 
 
 I had not seen him before. I did not know he 
 was present. I afterwards learned that he arrived 
 only a moment before he made the bid, and only- 
 had time to perceive the nature of the farce which 
 was transpiring before he turned it into a tragedy. 
 
 " Dollar fifteen and a half," repeated the auction- 
 eer, so startled that he chose not to take the astound- 
 ing bid of the magnate of Middleport. 
 
 "I bid one thousand dollars," shouted Major Top- 
 pleton, angrily, as he forced his way through the 
 crowd to the foot of the steps where the auctioneer 
 stood. 
 
 " One thousand dollars is bid," said the auction- 
 eer, reluctantly. 
 
 I looked at Colonel Wimpleton, who stood near 
 me. His face was red, and his portly frame quaked 
 with angry emotions. My father's property in the 
 house was saved. We looked at each other, and 
 smiled our gratitude. 
 
 " Toppleton must not have the property," said 
 Colonel Wimpleton to his lawyer, who stood next 
 to him, while his teeth actually grated with the 
 
296 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OB 
 
 savage ire which shook his frame. " He will put a 
 nuisance under my very nose. Eleven hundred," 
 gasped the great man of Centreport, with frantic 
 energy ; and he was so furious at the interference 
 of the major that I do not think he knew what he 
 was about. 
 
 "Twelve hundred," added Major Toppleton, qui- 
 etly, now that this bid had been taken. 
 
 "Thirteen," hoarsely called the colonel. 
 
 " Fourteen." 
 
 " Fifteen." 
 
 The crowd stood with their mouths wide open, 
 waiting the issue with breathless eagerness. The 
 auctioneer repeated the bids, as he would have pro- 
 nounced the successive sentences of his own death 
 warrant. Colonel Wimpleton had by this time for- 
 gotten all about my father, and was intent only on 
 preventing his great enemy from buying the estate. 
 
 " Sixteen," said the major, who, seeing the torture 
 he was inflicting uj)on his malignant rival, was in 
 excellent humor. 
 
 "Seventeen," promptly responded Colonel Wim- 
 pleton. 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 297 
 
 "Eighteen." 
 
 "Nineteen," gasped the colonel. 
 
 "Two thousand." 
 
 " Twenty-one hundred," roared the colonel, des^ 
 perately. 
 
 "Twenty-two," laughed the major. 
 
 The colonel was listening to the remonstrance 
 of his lawyer, and the auctioneer was permitted to 
 dwell on the last bid for a moment. 
 
 " Twenty-three ! " shouted the colonel. 
 
 " Twenty-three hundred dollars — twenty-three, 
 twenty-three, twenty-three," chipped the auctioneer, 
 with professional formality, when the major did not 
 instantly follow the last bid. "Going at twenty- 
 three hundred ! Are you all done ? " 
 
 "Knock it off!" growled the colonel, savagely, 
 but in a low tone. 
 
 "Going at twenty-three hundred — one — two — 
 three — and gone, to Colonel Wimpleton, at twenty- 
 three hundred," added the auctioneer, as he brought 
 down his hammer for the last time. 
 
 " Pretty well sold, after all," said the major to me, 
 as he rubbed his hands. 
 
298 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, OR 
 
 "Yes, sir; thanks to you, it is very well sold," I 
 replied, running over with joy at the unexpected 
 termination of the farce. 
 
 Colonel Wimpleton swore like a pirate. He was 
 the maddest man on the western continent. 
 
 " Colonel, if you are dissatisfied with your bargain, 
 I shall be happy to take the property at my last 
 bid," said the major, as he walked out into the 
 road. 
 
 I will not repeat what the great man of Centre- 
 port said in reply, for it was not fit to be set down 
 on clean white paper. My father and I crossed the 
 lake, and went home with the good news to my 
 mother, who was anxiously waiting to hear the re- 
 sult. Whatever joy she experienced at the good 
 fortune of my father, she was too good a woman to 
 exult over the quarrels of the two great men. 
 
 " I think Colonel Wimpleton will not try to pun- 
 ish me any more," said my father. " He pays eight 
 hundred dollars more than I was offered for the 
 place. If he is satisfied, I am." 
 
 The next day the twenty-three hundred dollars, 
 less the expenses of the sale, was paid over to my 
 
THE YOUNG ENGINEER. 299 
 
 father. He had already cast longing eyes upon a 
 beautiful estate on the outskirts of the town of Micl- 
 dleport, having ten acres of land, with a fine orchard ; 
 but the owner would not sell it for less than five 
 thousand dollars. The fruit upon the place would 
 more than pay the interest of the money; and, as 
 soon as he had received the proceeds of the sale, 
 he bought the estate, paying two thousand down, and 
 giving a mortgage for three thousand. We moved 
 in immediately. The house was even better than 
 that we had occupied in Centreport, and I assure 
 the reader, in concluding my story, that we were as 
 happy as any family need be left at the end of a last 
 chapter. 
 
 Of the Lake Shore Railroad I have much more 
 to say, in other stories which will follow. The road 
 was soon completed to Grass Springs, thirteen miles 
 from Middleport, and I ran the dummy to that 
 point during the autumn. In due time we had a 
 regular locomotive and cars, and ran to Ucayga, 
 where we connected with a great line of railway 
 between the east and the west. We had a great 
 deal of trouble with the Wimpletonians, and the 
 
300 THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT. 
 
 Centreporters generally, of which something will be 
 said in ray next story — " Lightnlng Express, or 
 The Rival Academies." 
 
 The Toppletonians continued to treat me very 
 Bndly, and I did my best for them. Our family 
 troubles appeared to be all ended. My father was 
 as steady as he had ever been, and though we 
 heard nothing from Christy, we were on the high 
 road to prosperity. Miss Grace Toppleton was fre- 
 quently a passenger in the dummy, and I must add 
 that she was always very kind and considerate to 
 me. I am sure her smile encouraged me to be 
 good and true, and to be faithful in the discharge 
 of my duty; or, in other words, to put it Through 
 by Daylight. 
 
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 ard Grant. §1.25. 
 
 " Oliver Optic is as well known and as highly appreciated among fchs 
 young people of our land as Charles Dickens is among the older folks. ' In 
 School and Out' is equal to anything he has written. It is a story that will 
 deeply interest boys particularly, and make them better." — Notices of the 
 J'ress. 
 
 "WATCH AND WAIT ; or, The Young Fugitives. 
 
 $1.25. 
 The author has used, to the best advantage, the many exciting incidents 
 that naturally attend the career of a fugitive slave, and the seeds that be may 
 gow in youthful hearts will perhaps bear a hundred-fold. 
 
 WORK AND WIN; or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise. 
 
 §1.25. 
 "A nautical story of adventure and endurance, written to delineate the 
 upward progress of a boy whose moral attributes were of the lowest order, 
 in consequence of neglected education, but in whom high religious princi- 
 ples were afterwards developed." — Notices of the Press. 
 
 HOPE AND HAVE ; or, Fanny Grant among the 
 Indians. §1.25. 
 "This is a story of Western adventure and of peril among the Indians, 
 and contains the experience of Fanny Grant, who, from a very naughty giii, 
 became a very good one, by the influence of a pure and beautiful example 
 exhibited by an erring child, in the hour of her greatest waudering from the 
 path of virtue." — Philadelphia Age. 
 
 HASTE AND WASTE ; or, The Young Pilot of 
 Lake Cham plain. $1.25. 
 " This is a story of boyish daring and integrity upon Lake Cbamplain, 
 and older heads than those of sixteen may read and profit by it." 
 
 The stories in the " Woodville " series are hinged together only so far as 
 
 the same characters have been retained in each. 
 
 Sold by all booksellers, and sent by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
REV. ELIJAH KELLOGG'S 
 
 ELM ISLAND STORIES. 
 
 Six vols. 16mo. Illustrated. Per vol., $1.25. 
 
 1. Lion Ben of Elm Island. 
 
 2. Charlie Bell. 
 
 3. The Ark of Elm Island. 
 
 4. The Boy Farmers of Elm 
 
 Island. 
 
 5. The Young Shipbuilders of 
 
 Elm Island. 
 
 6. The Hardscrabble of Elm 
 
 Island. 
 
 "There is no sentimentalism in this series. 
 It is all downright matter-of-fact boy life, and 
 of course they are deeply interested in read- 
 ing it. The history of pioneer life is so 
 attractive that one involuntarily wishes to 
 renew those early struggles with adverse 
 circumstances, and join the busy actors in 
 their successful efforts to build up pleasant 
 homes on our sea-girt islands." — Zion's 
 Herald. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
 Illustrated Natural History, 
 
 YOUNG HUNTER'S LIBRARY. 
 
 By MBS. R. LEE. Four volumes. Illustrated. 
 Per vol., $1.50. 
 
 The Australian "Wanderers. 
 
 The Adventures of Captain Spencer and 
 his Horse aud Dog in the Wilds of Aus- 
 tralia. 
 
 The African Crusoes. 
 
 The Adventures of Carlos and Antonio 
 in the Wilds of Africa. 
 
 Anecdotes of Animals, 
 
 With their Habits, Instincts, &c, &c. 
 
 Anecdotes of Birds, Fishes, Rep- 
 tiles, &c, their Habits and Instincts. 
 
 This is a very popular series, prepared for 
 the purpose of interesting the young in the 
 study of natural history. The exciting ad- 
 ventures of celebrated travellers, anecdotes 
 of sagacity in birds, beasts, &c , have been 
 interwoven in a pleasant manner. This se- 
 ries is not only very interesting but is deci- 
 dedly profitable reading. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 JUTLAND SERIES. 
 
 Four vols. Illustrated. Set in a neat box, or sold 
 separate. Per vol., $1.50. 
 
 The Sand Hills of Jutland. 
 
 By Hans Christian Andersen. i6mo. 
 Illustrated. 
 
 Yarns of an Old Mariner. 
 
 By Mrs. Mary Cowden Clarke. Illus- 
 trated by Cruikshank. i6mo. 
 
 Schoolboy Days. 
 
 By W. H. G. Kingston. i6mo. Six- 
 teen illustrations. 
 
 Great Men and Gallant Deeds. 
 
 By J. G. Edgar. i6mo. Illustrated. 
 
 Four books by four noted authors comprise 
 this series, which contains Adventures by Sea 
 and Land, Manly Sports of England, Boy 
 Life in English Schools, Fairy Tales and 
 Legends, — all handsomely illustrated. 
 
 The Great West. 
 
 THE FRONTIER SERIES 
 
 Five vols. Illustrated. Per vol., $1.25. 
 
 Twelve Wights in the Hunters' 
 
 Camp. 
 A Thousand Miles' "Walk Across 
 
 South America. 
 
 The Cabin on the Prairie. 
 
 Planting the "Wilderness. 
 
 The Young Pioneers. 
 
 The romance surrounding the adventurous 
 lives of Western piovjeers and immigrants 
 has suggested nearly as many stories as the 
 chivalric deeds of knight-errantry. These 
 tales of frontier life are, however, as a rule, 
 characterized by such wildness of fancy and 
 such extravagancy of language that we have 
 often wondered why another Cervantes did 
 not ridicule our border romances by describ- 
 ing a second Don Quixote's adventures on 
 the prairies. We are pleased to notice, that 
 in the new series of Frontier Tales, by Lee 
 & Shepard, there is an agreeable absence of 
 sensational writing, of that maudlin senti- 
 mentality which make the generality of such 
 tales nauseous. " — Standard. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
*oQX\£ 
 
 MAY MANNERING S (O 
 
 HELPING HAND SERIES. 
 
 Six volumes. Illustrated Per volume, $1. 
 
 Climbing the Rope. 
 
 Billy Grimes's Favorite. 
 
 The Cruise of the Dasha- 
 way. 
 
 The Little Spaniard. 
 
 Salt "Water Dick. 
 
 Little Maid of Oxbow. 
 
 '"May Mannering' is the nom de plume of an 
 agreeable writer fur the young folks who possesses 
 more than ordinary ability, and has a thorough 
 comprehension of the way to luterest children." — 
 Philadelphia Item. 
 
 "We like the spirit of these bookj exceedingly, 
 and cordially commend it to the notice of Sabbath 
 School Libraries." — Ladies' Repository. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARQ, Publishers, Boston. 
 
 ^X9<^ 
 
 MISS LOUISE M. THURSTON S 
 
 CHARLEY ROBERTS SERIES. 
 
 To be completed in six vols. Illustrated. 
 Per volume, #i. 
 
 How Charley Roberts Be- 
 came a JMan. 
 
 How Eva Roberta Grained 
 Her Ulduoution. 
 
 Charley and EJva's Home 
 in the West. 
 
 (Others in Preparation.) 
 
 In presenting the above new series the publish- 
 ers believe that they are adding to that class of 
 juvenile literature whose intrinsic worth is recog- 
 nized by those who have at heart the good of the 
 young. 
 
 "They are pleasantly written books, descriptive 
 of the struggles and difficulties of Charley and 
 Eva in attaining to manhood and womanhood, 
 and they are well adapted to stimulate a noble 
 ambition in the hearts of young persona." 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
 "UaruU anti attracttie." 
 
 VACATION STORY-BOOKS. 
 
 Six vols. Ulust. Per vol., 80 cts. 
 
 "Worth not "Wealth. 
 
 Country Life. 
 
 The Charm. 
 
 Karl Keigler. 
 
 Walter Seyton. 
 
 Holidays at Chestnut Hill. 
 
 ROSY DIAMOND STORY-BOOKS. 
 
 Six volumes. Illustrated. Per vol., 80 cts. 
 
 The Great Rosy Diamond. 
 Daisy, or The Fairy Spectacles. 
 "Violet, a Fairy Story. 
 Minnie, or The Little Woman. 
 The Angel Children. 
 Little Blossom's Reward. 
 
 These are delightful works for children. They 
 are all very popular, and have had a wide circula- 
 tion. They are now presented in a new dress. 
 The stories are all amusing and instructive, ex- 
 hibiting human nature in children, and teaching 
 
 some very important practical lessons. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
 " jTasscinating anti Instrudifae." 
 
 THE PROVERB SERIES. 
 
 By Mr9. M. E. Bradley and Miss 
 Katk J. Nekly. 
 
 Sue vols. Illust Per voL, $t. 
 
 Birds of a Feather. 
 
 Fine Feathers do Not make Fine 
 Birds. 
 
 Handsome is that Handsome does. 
 
 A "Wrong Confessed is half He- 
 dressed. 
 
 Actions speak louder than Words. 
 
 One Good Turn deserves another. 
 
 " Each volume is complete in itself, and illus- 
 trates, with a story of most fascinating and in- 
 structive interest, the proverb taken for its title. 
 These are just the kind of books that we like to 
 see in a family or Sunday-school library. They 
 will be read by persons of all ages with deep 
 interest, and afford instructive and entertaining 
 conversation with the children."— S. S. Journal. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston.