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- 5. Introduction to SustainableTransports 1st Edition Favre Digital Instant Download Author(s): Favre, Bernard ISBN(s): 9781118649091, 1848215452 Edition: 1 File Details: PDF, 9.30 MB Year: 2014 Language: english
- 8. Introduction to SustainableTransports
- 10. Introduction to Sustainable Transports Bernard Favre SeriesEditor Bernard Dubuisson
- 11. First published 2014in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address: ISTE Ltd John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 27-37 St George’s Road 111 River Street London SW19 4EU Hoboken, NJ 07030 UK USA www.iste.co.uk www.wiley.com © ISTE Ltd 2014 The rights of Bernard Favre to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Library of Congress Control Number: 2013955376 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-84821-545-0 Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd., Croydon, Surrey CR0 4YY
- 12. Table of Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Chapter 1. The Fundamentals of Sustainable Transport . . . . . . . 1 1.1. The ingredients of sustainable transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2. Towns, territories and sustainable transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 1.3. Energy and sustainable transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 1.4. The environment and sustainable transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 1.4.1. “Sensitive” pollutants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 1.4.2. Greenhouse gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1.5. Material and sustainable transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 1.6. A “committed” change in Europe and elsewhere? . . . . . . . . 34 1.7. Toward a better understanding of the impacts of transport . . . 40 1.8. A strategy for sustainable transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Chapter 2. Vehicles: An Element of the Solution for Sustainable Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 2.1. Technology: from evolution to revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 2.2. Combustion engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 2.3. Environmental and energy efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 2.4. Hybridization and electrification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 2.4.1 Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 2.4.2. Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 2.4.3. Constraints for recharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 2.5. Energy solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 2.5.1. Fuels (refer to the glossary for alternative fuels) . . . . . . . 81 2.5.2. Emerging solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
- 13. vi Introduction toSustainable Transports 2.6. Noise emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 2.6.1. Overall vehicle noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 2.6.2. Noise reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 2.6.3. Noise regulation and its impact on noise environment . . . 92 2.7. The intelligent vehicle: “safe-smart-secure”. . . . . . . . . . . . 96 2.8. Sustainable vehicles and transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Chapter 3. A Systemic Approach to Transport Schemes . . . . . . 103 3.1. Transport corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 3.2. Transport mode, effective velocity and distance traveled . . . . 112 3.3. Articulating modes and scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 3.4. Transport scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 3.4.1. Scenario 1: private transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 3.4.2. Scenario 2: organized public transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 3.4.3. Comparison of the two scenarios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 3.5. The transport of goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 3.6. The prospects for sustainable transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Chapter 4. Can We Organize Sustainable Mobility? . . . . . . . . . 135 4.1. Understanding mobility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 4.2. Principles of sustainable mobility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 4.3. Massification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 4.4. Developing, pooling and using data to attain sustainable mobility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 4.5. Mobility and urban planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 4.6. Urban mobility of people, example of multimodality . . . . . . 158 4.7. Intercity mobility of people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 4.8. Logistics: the mobility vector of merchandise . . . . . . . . . . 166 4.9. The re-appropriation of urban logistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 4.10. Intercity logistics: squaring the circle? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 4.11. Paradoxes and mirrors of sustainable mobility . . . . . . . . . 187 Chapter 5. Innovation Projects for Sustainable Transport Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 5.1. Dealing with the transport system through the multistakeholder approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 5.1.1. LUTB Transport & Mobility Systems think tanks (see the appendix about LUTB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 5.2. Transport systems and energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 5.2.1. Electric charging stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
- 14. Table of Contentsvii 5.2.2. Other fast charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 5.2.3. Toward electric motorways? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 5.2.4. Other energy solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 5.3. Transportation systems and architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 5.4. Intelligent transport systems (ITS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 5.4.1. Several European projects on intelligent transport . . . . . . 219 5.4.2. Linking of systemic layers of intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . 223 5.4.3. Toward an interoperable continuous chain . . . . . . . . . . 227 5.4.4. Man–master on board? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 5.5. The integration of transport systems, services and transport solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 5.5.1. Development of equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 5.5.2. Development of services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 5.5.3. Transport solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 5.5.4. Innovations in operation and supervision . . . . . . . . . . . 240 5.5.5. The linking of systems in a mobility solution . . . . . . . . . 242 5.6. Application prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Chapter 6. Public Policies, Economics and Sustainable Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 6.1. From global to local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 6.1.1. Impact on climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 6.2. European transport policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 6.2.1. Research support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 6.2.2. Taxation and financial policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 6.3. Link between the European level and local level . . . . . . . . . 261 6.4. Public policy and economics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 Conclusions – Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Glossary for Alternative Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Appendix–LUTB Transport and Mobility Systems. . . . . . . . . . . 299 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
- 16. Introduction Investigation into thesubject of sustainable transport broaches the question of mobility. Mobility is an end in itself, and transport is the means by which it is satisfied. The current hunger for mobility is a vital part of the human essence, similar to food, clothing, the exchange of ideas or goods, consumption and evacuation, etc. For all these activities, humanity is confronted with the crucial challenge of combining a harmonious development that provides good levels of well-being, with protecting the limited and fragile resources present in our environment. However, the solutions for sustainable transport are not capable of solving the contradictions that we face today on their own. On the one hand, the Earth’s population is increasing at great speed. This evolution puts various players (in both political and economic worlds, the media, etc.), as well as the collective subconscious, in a schizophrenic state that gives rise to many concerns; there is no form of transport that is sustainable for the day when the amount of transport consumed explodes exponentially if current consumption levels are multiplied by the observed growth rate of the world population; yet, this frightening, well-established observation is matched to the individual tendencies of consuming more transport for
- 17. x Introduction toSustainable Transports personal needs or the desire to be mobile; furthermore, political objectives intend to make this particular consumption available to all. On the other hand, technology may bring both the best and the worst in terms of transport sustainability1 : the best can be achieved by developing efficient, economical solutions that will facilitate, simplify and accompany the action of transportation; the worst is the consequence of deploying and depleting the resources needed to cope with the enormity of certain new transport solutions facilitated by technologies that are faster, go further and are more accessible; and therefore more energy-intensive and “space-intensive”, more polluting, noisier, omnipresent in space and time, and affecting all aspects of daily life, either social or private. Yet, the current era is also characterized by the ability to connect the objects and data that compose the space that we live in daily. This recent but strong tendency evidently disrupts our relationship with transport. In places where people produce and use vehicles that move around on infrastructure, these people are now faced with connected systems that integrate superimposed layers of “intelligence.” “Traditional” solutions which relied on physical products (in this case, transport vehicles) no longer exist. This recent integration of connected intelligence into transport gradually leads to the interaction of multiple players and sectors, which produce new objects combining the virtual and the real world. They are focused on valuing use, and not on the product’s performance, as was previously the case. Through this new paradigm, we aim to implement effective solutions for mobility instead of inventing vehicles. From now on, it is a matter of developing mobility systems. At the same time, our relationship with mobility is affected, and it impacts on the demand for transport and the evolution of the demand typology. For example, instead of buying an individual vehicle such as a car for the sole the purpose of owning it, one could buy access to transport systems which provide secured mobility performances. The consequences for the automobile market will be considerable, and cars 1 Note that this characteristic of technology is, of course, not the panacea for transport.
- 18. Introduction xi will (atleast partially) lose their status as an object to be owned. The consequences for the economic models that structure the transport market are equally significant. This book proposes lines of approach to better grasp the various aspects that come into play in encouraging more sustainable transport. Chapter 1 First, what are the fundamentals of sustainable transport? The aim of transport is to provide a means of moving people or goods between a set of origin points and a set of destination points. This “origin to destination” channel is located at the center of other complementary channels: with respect to energy, the “well-to-wheel” channel; with respect to materials, the “cradle to grave” channel; and concerning intelligence, the “sensor to service” channel. In order to be more sustainable, transport must incorporate means of ensuring compatibility between transport consumption which satisfies mobility and conservation of the resources that it mobilizes, while making the most of the access to intelligence. These resources are space, energy and matter (water, air, minerals, etc.). If solutions have to draw on technological innovations, the success of a shift toward more “reasonable” choices is still governed by various factors. Replacing carbon fossil fuels (oil or natural gas) with renewable energies is one of the main stumbling blocks. This issue by no means concerns transport alone, but transport is still massively involved; transport almost exclusively uses liquid fuels (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, heavy fuel oil, etc.) due to their excellent energy density and the flexibility for mobile onboard applications. There is an urgent need to replace these (gradually) with alternative sustainable energy sources, but it is also problematic as we need to intervene at all levels of the system in a coordinated manner, and this is more easily done for some forms of transport than for others. However, the pertinence of the different possible options (electricity, liquid or gaseous biofuel, hydrogen, etc.) needs to be carefully examined because in this sector details may obscure the bigger picture. It is a question of understanding the link between primary energy (produced
- 19. xii Introduction toSustainable Transports at the source) and secondary energy (used by transport in an onboard form). It will also be seen that human and social factors include other incidences that have another more direct impact than that of climate change. Questions linked to safety (particularly road safety), impact on health and discomfort, security and quality of service, all naturally have an important position in the problem of sustainable transport, which must help minimize negative effects on the relationship between populations and transport, either as transport users, operators, or transport infrastructure near-by residents. Chapter 2 We shall then focus on the analysis of the significant and very current evolutions concerning transport vehicles, taking road vehicles as an example because they are a good reference for overall trends. Information and communications technology (ICT) upsets and even revolutionizes the way in which vehicles are designed, whether they move on roads, on rails, on water or in the air. However, technology linked to energy, structures and materials is not forgotten. Their assembly and packaging require design methodologies that involve collaboration among specialists in various areas of engineering and design. Thus, we can imagine vehicles whose performance greatly varies from that of the vehicles of the previous decades, in terms of their environmental footprint (decreased weight, improved energy efficiency, recyclability, acoustic quality, etc.), safety and intelligence. However, our abilities to anticipate the future are limited to the timescales represented in the roadmaps of laboratories or industries involved in the development of these technologies, which rarely extend to over 20 years. New vehicles use diverse energy systems for which gas and noise emissions are strictly regulated, and which have been considerably improved in terms of “local” emissions (nitrogen oxides, particles, noise, etc.). Electricity is used for omnipresent functions. On the one hand, it becomes the reference energy for regulating and controlling both vehicle drivelines and onboard systems. Above all, it is seen as
- 20. Introduction xiii an alternativeto combustion motorization and has already acquired a remarkable position as such. However, we need to avoid considering it as the only possible “engine” in tomorrow’s vehicles (or the-day- after-tomorrow’s vehicles) as electricity must be stored in order to use it onboard. Due to their great variety, vehicles require specific motorization, and combustion engines will always have a future, whether as a stand-alone engine or combined in a hybrid associating, for example, thermal energy and electricity. The chapter will also discuss the confirmed tendency toward the use of decarbonized energy (or energy with a lower carbon content) due to the range of energy solutions that satisfy the diversity of uses. Some, though not all, uses are particularly conducive to this. In the era of “intelligent transport”, another crucial concern for the evolution of vehicles relates to the human being – master on board: people now share the role of pilot (or driver) with electronic systems. In this case too, the way forward is partially staked out, although progress is uncertain. One can conceive of and build a fully automatic vehicle that moves and decides “by itself”. However, actual and widespread implementation is not going to take place in the near future, with the exception of dedicated infrastructures and regulated sites. In the meantime, man–machine interfaces for driving and steering vehicles are functions that are particularly sensitive and intervene strongly in the development of driver assistance systems in order to minimize the risk of accidents and energy consumption. They request very careful design in order to best fit needs and human capabilities in any contextual situation, and must therefore be nurtured. Chapter 3 Vehicles represent only one element of transport systems. What about infrastructure? What about the rules which ensure that it is well managed? The core issue related to infrastructure must be considered, as well as the way in which it is organized, ranked and exploited. Infrastructures (roads, rail, airports, ports, etc.) use a huge amount of space and also leave an environmental footprint on neighboring sites. They must be designed not only for the link flows that they must
- 21. xiv Introduction toSustainable Transports deliver, but also for vehicle parking, intermodal and internodal exchanges at their extremities, and for their interfaces. As for the circulation of vehicles on these infrastructures, their variable density influences their flow capacities: too many vehicles will induce saturation phenomena that cause infrastructure performance failure (congestion) in various areas. The operating procedures (surveillance, signaling, intervention, etc.) ensure that safety and flow performance are maintained, and now also operate in order to minimize the environmental impact. It is therefore important to view transport systems in terms of their overall structure: the context is multimodal as road, rail, waterways and airways cooperate. There is a certain hierarchy between the various elements, and their effects on the environmental footprint can be quantified. A virtuous, calm, efficient and fluid flow through networks is favored: transport schemes show the compared respective performances of a variety of scenarios, over a long or short distance, and of various transport organizations: individual, collective, mass transport, etc. Systemic analysis indicates invariables that reappear at different territorial levels, from the scale of a district to that of an intercontinental space. A formal similarity appears between the transport of people and goods. This systemic analysis demonstrates that transport segments (corridors) and transport nodes (platforms that ensure exchanges and connections) are equally important. It enables us to develop a method to design sustainable transport systems, combining infrastructures, modes of transport, vehicles and organization. It is important to minimize the environmental impact of each element as well as the entire system at different scales, which can lead to intermediary compromises: local drainage must be ensured by capillary channels, accompanied by a global massification on pertinent corridors at each territorial level, with the capacity of the “pipes” designed on the basis of the mobiles flowing through them and the territories that they cross. In parallel, we must contribute to the evolution of the definition and the configuration of these mobility aids (vehicles) and the organization of their operation.
- 22. Introduction xv Chapter 4 However,can sustainable mobility be organized? This assumes that the state of mobility has been established, as well as the root of its causes. Various analysis methods enable us to determine the characteristics of mobility, both for towns and interurban territories, and of both people and goods (the supply chain), and to understand its driving forces. For example, movements between home and work are an essential driving force for people mobility in urban areas. However, they are conditioned by a variety of factors, including the presence in the territory of activities and accommodation, or even of uses associated with working organizations, or with individual or collective cultural behaviors. Some of these factors evolve slowly (such as town planning), yet others have much faster dynamics (such as the recent explosion of e-commerce or telework). A range of tools are already at our disposal: the principle of massing, if applied efficiently, is considered to be a founding factor for calm mobility as it allows the performance of a transport mode to be improved considerably. Sustainable mobility will also benefit from the rise of mobility services. Such services can be built using a wide variety of data (“cloud”, “big data”). Their creation and use will produce new services with the potential to be highly efficient. The role of public authorities must be taken into account as the (excessive) number of regulations generates technical and financial devices for control, restriction and optimization of access to infrastructures and urban territories. The diversity of transport modes provides an offer for mobility with connections that can be improved between mild “active” modes, individual motorized modes, collective motorized modes and massed modes. Their potential complementary nature has been established, as well as the impact that varies strongly in terms of ecological and societal performance. It is also important to ensure the assignment of necessary infrastructure resources at interfaces between transport modes (exchange platforms), which can lead to the harmonious juxtaposition of mobility and proximity services. People mobility and freight logistics are based upon organizations that are very different in nature and that can be made to evolve progressively whether they are for towns or for long distance. The
- 23. xvi Introduction toSustainable Transports convergence can be a source of inspiration, as each one embraces “best practices” that are probably not exploited to their full potential. They concern technologies for different modes (road–rail–water–air, etc.) as well as the way in which they are organized, articulated (mixity, juxtaposition, etc.) and structured (corridors, platforms, governance). Actual innovations can therefore be proposed for the field of transport systems. Chapter 5 Projects on the development of technologies for sustainable transport systems are countless, aiming at deploying innovative solutions. They introduce a keyword for the operational implementation: consultation. Indeed, this is crucial for solutions to be deployed for sustainable transport, which must coherently combine all the essential systemic building blocks: vehicles, infrastructures, services, operational processes, energy and intelligence. Concerning energy, the use of electricity requires recharging stations whose performances are compatible with the vehicles and their uses: slow or fast, with or without contact, static or dynamic, etc. Does the future include electric highways that provide a continuous electrical output required by the moving vehicles on the road? However, other energy solutions are appearing, starting with “traditional” fuels originating from re-examined energy systems. Natural gas has new ambitions for transport, either compressed or liquefied depending on applications; hydrogen is still stalling although it may yet, and probably will, take off. Concerning the design of vehicles, the restrictions introduced by handling, lane-keeping and loading lead to new propositions for transport modules, individual vehicles, organized collective systems and infrastructure. In terms of intelligence, a number of European projects on intelligent transport systems (ITS) are progressively producing the ingredients necessary for their implementation and deployment. However, will people remain in command when the age of connected vehicles dawns? Infrastructure for transport is continuing its mutation as well as its intermodal interfaces. New systemic objects prefiguring sustainable transport are created by associating infrastructure and vehicles with the development of services, and these include operational
- 24. Introduction xvii innovations. Linkingsystems is a solution for mobility that has yet to move on from a concept to actual rollout. This requires a pertinent and long-lasting political desire, compatible with economic fundamentals: the safety and cost of energy, competitiveness, sensitivity to ecology, internalization of external costs, ability to invest, territoriality, and local political and social networks. Current projects have the potential to turn quickly toward alternative solutions without the need for massive investments for equipment or infrastructure: everything can happen very fast in the age of data processing, of access to “knowledge” and of proximity between solutions and uses. However, new business models are needed if we are to reach a systemic integration based on new data and communication technology with organizational innovation. Chapter 6 In conditions such as these, how should one lead the political convergence between the multiple requirements of society that give rise to often contradictory restrictions for the evolution of transport? The aim is to successfully create connections and a consensus between different territorial scale levels and their organizations, from the local level (that of a street or commune) to the global level (that of the planet). Reciprocally, the quota objectives for greenhouse gas emissions must be agreed upon, and they must be distributed from the global to the local level – “from the Kyoto objectives to a local municipal climate plan”. The tools developed in the great world “regions” are installed differently, although globalization in the field is the subject of active (though as yet incomplete) research. The European Union has developed a set of “top-down” tools: support for research (R&D Framework Programmes, Horizon 2020) by means of {public–private} partnerships, support for investments, development of roadmaps, development of regulatory directives and their implementation. The White Paper on Transport Policy proposes principles that provide some structure in terms of transport policies, and is accompanied by a plan of action for mobility, for the implementation of ITS, on road safety and on freight transport and logistics, etc.
- 25. xviii Introduction toSustainable Transports At the level of European regions and European cities, “bottom-up” principles are also being established. As for the (ultimately intermediate) scale of States, the example of France illustrates how they aim to provide coherence, and what compromises result from the finer points of a policy that aligns both ecological and economical objectives. Investment in equipment and infrastructure, vehicles and virtuous transport systems is accompanied by the development and installation of mobility-support services having a more immediate effect, and whose environmental, social and political impact becomes apparent sooner. Conclusions – Directions To conclude, the real difficulty of establishing solutions for sustainable transport leaves us at the heart of our contradictions: contradictions between individual and collective objectives or short- and long-term ones. Indeed, it is impossible to reach an agreement: within ourselves, as consumers, taxpayers, commuters, etc.; between our communities, whether they be territorial, political or economical, or for tomorrow or the more distant future. Therefore, how can we make accurate predictions in order to pave the way for the future of transport? To what extent can we predict anything? Research into efficiency is a prerequisite, yet the definition of efficiency varies according to context and perspective. The good behavior of the set of players – both public authorities and private initiatives – is part of the route to success. Transport requires space, energy and matter, for which an expenditure quota must be introduced. In modern times, the intelligence factor has also come into play, and without this factor, sustainable transport would be an impossibility: not just technological intelligence, but first and foremost human intelligence. This book therefore presents the elements in context, it puts forward tools. However, it also warns the reader against reading the subject of sustainable transport in too linear a fashion. Interactions of cause and effect, interlocking of domains and disciplines concerned, the consideration of distance and time scales, the diversity of geographical and cultural territories, everything demonstrates the complexity of the possible answer or answers.
- 26. Other documents randomlyhave different content
- 27. "I don't knowany thing more about a sailboat than I do about making turtle-soup," added Sam. "That won't prevent you from telling Tom to come about and go to the wharf by the boat-house." Sam Spottwood had not thought of this before. If he told the skipper to go back, he thought he must explain how it was to be done. "This won't do, Tom Topover!" said he vigorously, as he walked aft through the standing-room. "We are going away from the wharf all the time, and we shall never get there at this rate." "I suppose you don't know much about a boat, but you have to sail as the wind will let you," replied Tom in an airy manner, as though he comprehended the subject perfectly. "I don't know any thing about a sailboat, but I think it is high time we were getting near the wharf," added Sam. "I was just thinking so myself, and I will turn her about now," said Tom, as he cast his eyes about him like a prudent sailor before he changes the position of his vessel. In this part of the lake the country was more open than farther up the creek, and the wind from the great lake came fresh over the lowlands at the mouth of Beaver River. As Sam spoke, the breeze freshened; and, as the boat happened to have a "good full," she heeled over till her gunwale was very near the surface of the water. This sudden jerk frightened all in the boat except Ash Burton; and the captain more than any one else, for he felt the responsibility of his position. Tom Topover was bound to do something to counteract the pressure of the wind against the sail; and he put the helm hard up, instead of hard down as he should have done. He neglected to cast off the main sheet, which he had made fast to the cleat. The result was that the boat came as near going over as she could in that amount of wind. The skipper was so mixed up that he did not know what to do next, and he moved the wheel over the other way as soon as the
- 28. boat had gybed.A moment later the Goldwing repeated the operation, for she was not used to being handled in this clumsy manner. Tom whirled the wheel from one side to the other, for he did not know what he was about; and finally she was again headed into the outlet, with her sail drawing on the starboard tack. He could make her go as she had gone before, and that was all he could do. Ash Burton was used to the movements of a boat, even when badly managed; and he was not at all alarmed, for they were close to the shore. He laughed at the struggles of the skipper to set things to rights. "I thought you were going to the wharf," said Sam, as soon as he had recovered in some measure from his fright. "You are headed the wrong way." "She won't go the other way," protested Tom. "The wind is west, and it ought to take us the other way as well as this," Sam objected. "But it won't take us that way," replied Tom sharply. "Haven't I just tried it?" "But you don't know how to manage the boat," protested Sam, disgusted with the conduct of the captain. "Who says I don't know how?" demanded Tom, who never admitted his inability to accomplish any thing he undertook to do. "I say so, and you have proved it. I believe you mean to take us out on the lake." "Well, what if I do? I don't believe the fellows will object to a trip on the lake in this boat," replied Tom, willing to take the clew the mutinous hand had given him. "I object to it, and for one I won't go on any trip on the lake. You don't know how to manage the boat, and you will drown the whole of us."
- 29. "I guess Iknow what I am about; and if you don't dry up, Sam Spottwood, I'll bat you over the head. I am the captain of this ship, and I ain't goin' to have any feller stick his nose into my baked beans," returned the skipper angrily. Sam was not a coward; but he had never measured his skill with Tom, and he did not care to quarrel in the boat. He went forward again, and he and Ash agreed to jump ashore as soon as they got a chance. The boat was now fairly in the outlet of Beechwater. The course for a short distance was the same as before. The current could be felt as the lake narrowed into a stream of less than a twentieth part of its width, and the Goldwing increased her pace. The turn in the stream would bring the wind dead ahead in a moment. Tom Topover kept his eyes wide open; but he might as well have shut them tight, for he did not know where the channel was, and he could not have kept the boat in it if he had known. It was necessary to change the course of the sloop to prevent her from running into the bank, and Tom shifted the helm to send her in the direction of the most water. The sail shook, and the boat began to swing about, as it was quite proper for her to do; but he met her with the helm too soon, not knowing any thing about his business, and the sloop lost her headway, so that she missed stays. The next moment she drifted into the shallow water, and was aground close to the bank, which was a little higher than the forecastle of the craft. Ash Burton saw his opportunity at once, and without a word to any one he leaped upon the land. Sam Spottwood followed him without a moment's delay. The sail hung loosely from the gaff, and was slapping and banging in a manner that was trying to the nerves of the inexperienced skipper. The noise seemed to be an element of danger to him, though it was entirely harmless. He saw the two members of his crew leap ashore, and this step on their part contributed to complete his demoralization. "What are you about, Ash Burton?" demanded Tom, as he saw his late companions seat themselves on the grass.
- 30. "About to quitthat trip," replied Ash. "I have had enough of it if you are not going to the wharf as we agreed in the beginning." "I am ready to go to the wharf, but the boat would not sail that way," the skipper explained. "She would sail that way as well as the other; but you don't know how to handle her, and you have made a mess of the whole thing," continued the mutineer. "Perhaps you think you can sail her up to the wharf?" added Tom, with a withering sneer. "I know I could before she got aground." "No, you couldn't! What's the use of talking? You couldn't do it, for no boat will go where the wind won't take 'em. I'll bet two cents against a leather cabbage you can't do it!" continued Tom, who seemed suddenly to have recovered his usual tone. "Of course I can't now that the boat is aground, with her bottom buried in the mud." "We can shove her out of this in two minutes, and then I will give you a chance to see what you can do," added Tom, who thought this was a good way of getting out of the scrape without confessing his own incompetency. "All right; we will help you," replied Ash, who felt that he was gaining his point. "I will sail the boat to the wharf if you will make me captain, for I can't handle the sloop unless I have full power." "All right; you shall be captain till we get to the wharf," replied Tom. "Throw the painter ashore, and perhaps we can pull her off," continued Ash. Sam and he manned the line; and while those on board pushed with the oars and boat-hook, they dragged the Goldwing into deep water, for only her bow was in the mud. Ash and Sam returned to the boat. With an oar the new skipper swung the boat about, and filled the sail on the port tack. Greatly to the surprise of Tom, the Goldwing started
- 31. off on hernew course at a lively rate, and a moment later was in the lake, and headed for the wharf.
- 32. T CHAPTER V. A QUESTIONOF AUTHORITY. here was no difficulty in sailing the Goldwing up the lake, any more than there had been down the lake. Though Ash Burton had never steered with a wheel before, he had observed Tom Topover while he was at the helm, and he was soon familiar with its management. The late captain was greatly annoyed to see the sloop going along so well in the direction in which she would not go before; but Ash was too much delighted with his occupation to think of indulging in any triumphant expressions, and he said nothing. Like most boys who live near the water, he was ambitious to become a boatman, though his experience had been very limited. "The wind is better now than it was when I had her," said Tom, after he had watched the motion of the sloop for a time. "She goes along very well now." "The wind is exactly the same now as it was before," added Sam Spottwood, when he saw that the new skipper made no reply to this remark. "You can see the vane on Captain Gildrock's stable, and it points exactly to the west as it has all day." "I don't care nothin' about the vane, I say the wind is better than it was when I was steering her," returned Tom rather sharply. "You could see for yourself that she wouldn't go this way when I had her." "That was only because you did not know how to handle her, and Ash does," added Sam; and one of the original Topovers would hardly have ventured to make such a remark.
- 33. "If you saythat again, I will bat you over the head, Sam Spottwood," retorted Tom, shaking his head. "I have said it once, and that is enough," continued Sam, who had not yet been subdued by a thrashing. "We are almost over to the wharf," interposed Ash, who wished to prevent a quarrel. "The only way to get to the grounds from the pier is through the boat-house, and the doors are all locked. I did not think of it before, but we can't land there." "We don't want to land there or anywhere else yet a while," growled Tom, for the success of Ash in handling the sloop had reduced him to a very bad humor. "You don't mean to use this boat any longer, do you?" asked the new skipper. "If you can make her go, I can," answered the Topover sourly; "and I'm going to do it." "We can land at the old wharf," continued Ash, as he looked about him without heeding the remark of the leader of the gang. "We don't land at the old wharf or any other," added Tom. "I'm going to sail this boat for an hour or two before I go on shore." "You can't sail her: you don't know any more about a boat than a goose!" exclaimed Sam imprudently, though he spoke the literal truth. "Say that again, Sam Spottwood!" blustered Tom, doubling his right fist, and looking very savagely at the speaker. "You are not deaf, and you heard what I said. It's no use for me to say it again," replied Sam. "You dassent say it again!" "We took this boat to get ashore in after we had been cast away, and I don't believe in using her any more than is necessary," said Sam, deeming it wise to change the subject.
- 34. "I don't letany fellow tell me that I can't handle a boat," replied Tom. "I said it, and I shall not take it back, for it is true; and you proved it, Tom Topover," returned Sam boldly, for neither he nor Ash had ever submitted to the bullying of the bravo, though they had thus far escaped a fight. But Tom had a feeling that either of them would fight, and he had always been obliging enough to stop short of a blow. Ash Burton was delighted with the occupation of steering the boat, she worked so prettily; and he was sorry when she approached the landing. He had been on the point of proposing another turn around the lake, when his predecessor in office announced his determination to sail the boat himself. This put a new aspect upon the business of using a boat borrowed without leave. All his manly virtue came back to him, and he resolved not to remain any longer in the boat if Tom was to sail her. By this time the Goldwing was not more than a hundred feet from the wharf, and it was time to decide what should be done. If he went to the wharf, the party would be no better off than on board of the sloop, for they could not get away from it without climbing over the boat-house. On the other hand, if the present skipper came about, Tom Topover would insist upon taking the helm. But the course of the yacht must be changed at once, or she would run into the wharf. Ash Burton put the helm hard down at a venture, and without waiting to decide the main question. Things looked stormy ahead to him. The sloop promptly came up to the wind, and the boom went over in readiness for the other tack. It would not take more than a minute or two for the lively craft to reach the old wharf. Ash realized that he was still the captain, and by the consent of Tom. He headed for the landing-place he had chosen. The wind was blowing squarely upon the old wharf, which made it very difficult for an inexperienced skipper to bring the boat alongside
- 35. of it. Thestructure was low enough to allow the boom to swing out over it, and thus spill the sail as the craft came up to it; but the manœuvre requires skill, and the new skipper was not confident enough in his own powers to undertake it. He chose a safer way; and when he came up with the wharf, he threw the sloop up into the wind, intending to lower the sail and let her fall off till she came to the landing-place. He called Sam Spottwood, and pointed out to him the halyards. Tom was busy about something else just then, and did not notice what the skipper was saying. At the right moment, Ash put the helm down, and when the sail began to shake, he shouted to Sam, who had returned to the forecastle. "Let go!" was his order, and the hand addressed understood him. The halyards were both cast off; and the sail came down, aided by Sam, with a rush. "What are you about, Ash Burton?" demanded Tom Topover, as the canvas came down on his head, and filled him with consternation, for he thought something had broken. "What's the matter now?" "Nothing at all," replied the skipper pleasantly. "Stand by with the boat-hook, Sam." "What do you want with a boat-hook?" asked Tom, who had been studying the situation with a view to sailing the boat himself again. "Fend off, Sam," added the captain. "We don't want to strike the wharf too hard: it might injure the boat." "We don't want to strike it at all!" blustered Tom, springing to his feet, and taking in the new order of things at a glance. "Is the sail broke, that made it come down?" "Nothing is the matter with it, so far as I know," replied Ash. "What made it come down, then?" "Because I ordered Sam to let go the halyards, and he did as I told him."
- 36. "You told himto let down the sail?" demanded Tom. "Of course I did: if I hadn't, the boat might have been smashed against the wharf," Ash explained. "What did you come near the wharf for?" growled Tom. "Fend off, Sam," added the skipper. By this time the Goldwing was so near that the wharf could be reached with the boat-hook, and Sam fastened to it. He eased off the boat so that she came alongside without any crash. The sail was in the standing-room, and there was no pressure on her, so that she behaved like a lamb. Ash Burton, seeing that his mission on board was completed, went forward to join his friend and crony. "You did this on purpose!" stormed Tom, when he realized the situation. "Of course I did," replied Ash, with abundant good-nature, as he had carried his point. "What did you bring us in here for? Who told you to do it?" demanded Tom. "As I was the captain of this craft, I did not take any orders from any one. Wasn't I the skipper, with your consent, till we came to the wharf?" asked Ash. "Didn't I say I wanted to sail her myself?" "I don't care what you said: I was the captain, and I have brought the boat to the wharf." It looked as though there were going to be a storm, and Ash, without hurrying himself, stepped on the wharf. He was followed by Sam, the four original Topovers remaining in the standing-room. Their leader, though no process of reason could convince him against his inclination, was nonplussed at the argument of the retiring skipper. Just at that moment the sound of a sharp whistle came across the little lake. It was followed by a succession of shouts, and all the
- 37. party looked inthe direction from which the sounds came. On the opposite shore stood half a dozen boys, who proved to be the rest of the Topover gang. Some of them were among the new recruits to the group who ran together, and were inclined to think more of Ash and Sam than of the veritable leader. Others were original associates of those in the boat, though of a milder type of rascality. "There's the rest of our fellows!" exclaimed Tom, willing to dodge the question of authority which had just come up. "Come over here, and give us a sail!" yelled one of the party over in the grove, loud enough to be understood. "Where are you going now, Ash?" asked Tom, in the mildest tone he could command. "The fun for to-day is all over, and we may as well go home," replied the last skipper. "We are going to take a little sail in this boat now that we have her, and there is plenty of fun ahead," continued Tom. "Won't you go with us?" "You don't know how to handle the boat, and I won't go in her with you for skipper," interposed Sam Spottwood, before Ash had time to reply. "You came very near upsetting us once or twice, and I don't risk my head with you." "I can handle the boat as well as Ash can," answered Tom, but his manner was now adapted to carrying his point. "We might as well have a sail as go home without one. Captain Gildrock is away in the Sylph, and he won't be back till dark. Before that time we will put the boat back where we found her, and no one will be the wiser for the fun we have had." "You are more likely to leave her on the bottom of the lake than you are to put her back at her moorings," returned Sam. Nim Splugger and Kidd Digfield then began to talk in a low tone to their leader. They had sense enough to see that Tom could not
- 38. handle the boat,and very likely they feared that the prediction of Sam Spottwood would be verified.
- 39. "I CHAPTER VI. A ROWON BOARD THE GOLDWING. don't care who is captain of the boat," said Tom Topover, after his companions had talked him into something. "Come on board again, Ash Burton, and you shall be captain." "That's so; come back, we want you to be captain," added Kidd Digfield, who knew more than his companions about a boat, though that was saying very little. "What do you say, Sam?" added Ash, turning to his crony. "I don't believe in it," replied the other decidedly. "You can't depend upon Tom Topover. If you are the skipper, he will insist upon your obeying his orders as he did a little while ago." "I will give it all up to Ash Burton," interposed Tom, who had heard a part of Sam's remarks. Ash was strongly tempted; for if there was any one thing in the world that he liked better than any thing else, it was boating. At Westport he had sometimes sailed in the Silver Moon, and had learned a little about the management of such a craft, though he was very far from being a skilful boatman. "Tom will get the helm, and then the boat will go to the bottom if they go out on the lake," argued Sam. "I don't believe in using the boat, myself," replied Ash faintly; for he was sighing for the delight of holding the wheel of the Goldwing
- 40. while she dashedat her lively pace over the water. He could hardly refuse the invitation of the Topovers. "Tom don't know any thing at all about the boat, and that fact makes him reckless. In my opinion, he will sink the boat, and there will be an awful row in Genverres about this evening when the Sylph returns," continued Sam, seeing that his friend was inclined to yield. "Ash Burton shall have the full command, and I won't interfere with him," said Tom; but the two boys on the wharf did not see the wink he gave to Nim Splugger when he uttered the gracious words. "Some of them will be drowned," reasoned Sam. "Then I think I ought to go with them!" exclaimed Ash, suddenly crushing his scruples. "I don't know much about a boat, but I know more than any of the rest of the fellows; and I can keep the Goldwing on the top of the water, if nothing more." "We had better keep out of the scrape," added Sam, but more weakly than before, for he was almost as fond of sailing as his friend. "The rest of the fellows are on the other side of the water, and we shall have to take them in. If things don't work right when we get across the lake, we can jump out of the boat again; and we shall be nearer home there than we are here," said Ash, almost vanquished by his own logic. He wanted to go so much, that it was easy for him to persuade himself that it was his duty to do so in order to prevent Tom from drowning himself and his companions. The conflict in his mind ended by his going on board of the sloop, followed, more reluctantly, by his crony. "I want this thing understood before I go," said Ash, as he walked aft to the standing-room. "The wind has breezed up a good deal while we have been talking about it, and it would be as easy as putting your fingers in the fire to tip the sloop over."
- 41. "We understand itwell enough: you are to be captain, and all the rest of us will obey your orders—as long as we like," replied Tom impatiently, and uttering the last words so that they were heard only by Nim Splugger. "But I want it made as clear as day that I am to handle the boat. I know enough about a sailboat to keep her right side up, and I don't want to be spilled into the lake by any fellow that don't know as much about the business as I do." "We all agree to it," interposed Kidd Digfield. "It's no use to talk all day about it." The last speaker knew the halyards from the boat-hook; and he proceeded to hoist the sail, assisted by Pell Sankland. Ash considered it understood that he was to be skipper till the end of the cruise, which he did not intend should last for more than an hour or two. He took his place at the wheel, and gave the necessary orders for getting the sloop under way. The fresh breeze took the sail, and in a couple of minutes she was across the lake. With the wind off the shore, he had no difficulty in making a landing at the little stage which served as a landing-place for boats from the other side. "Where is the Thunderer, Tom?" asked Chick Penny, as he stepped on board. "She came to grief," replied Tom. "She dropped to pieces, and tipped us all into the lake." "That's just what I supposed she would do," replied Chick. "I wouldn't trust my old boots in her, to say nothing of my precious carcass." Hop Cabright wanted to know how they had got hold of the Goldwing, and the story of the morning's adventures had to be told. But Ash did not wait for it to be finished. He got under way again, and stood towards the outlet. More than half of the recruits, making the whole party a dozen, were fellows like Sam and himself; and he felt more at home in the Goldwing than he had before. But five of them were original Topovers; which meant that they did not scruple
- 42. to steal aboat when they got a chance, or to rob an orchard, or to break all the windows in the side of a building for simple fun. The other seven of the party were very fond of fun, and could be easily led into mischief, though they had a better idea of the rights of property. In the dozen who filled the standing-room of the sloop were all shades of moral obliquity, from Tom Topover, who respected no person's rights except his own, up to Sam Spottwood, whose greatest failing was the weakness which did not always induce him to do what he knew was right. The narrow limits of Beechwater did not satisfy the desire of the skipper for a sail, and he stood boldly into the outlet. Possibly, if the sloop had not been aground a little before at the first sharp turn in the stream, he would have sailed her into the mud which the current deposited there. But he was forewarned by the former accident, and he tacked before the keel touched bottom. More by good chance than by the possession of any skill in navigating this difficult stream, Ash got the boat through the bend, and it was then plain sailing to the river. It was wide enough here to beat, and in half an hour more the Goldwing was in the great lake. Ash enjoyed his occupation more than ever before, and he was in a state of exuberant delight. "I guess I'll take that wheel now, Ash Burton," said Tom Topover, with a broad grin on his ugly face, when the boat was fairly out of the river. "That wasn't the trade," replied Ash. "I don't care whether it was the trade or not: I am going to steer now," added Tom very decidedly. "Didn't you agree that I should be captain on this cruise?" demanded Ash, keeping down his indignation as well as he could. "That was only to get you to come along," replied Tom, with the most barefaced effrontery. "I had a point to carry, and I carried it. Get out of my way, Ash Burton, and I will take the thing."
- 43. "You don't knowhow to handle the boat, and I object," interposed Sam Spottwood. "Shut up, Sam!" said Tom, turning a savage glance at the last speaker. "I shall not shut up! You made a fair agreement that Ash should be captain, or I would not have come," retorted Sam boldly. "I should not either," added Ash. "It's no use of jawing about it. I am going to steer this boat the rest of the cruise, and"— "No, you are not! You have tried to cheat us, and we will stick to the trade we made fairly!" insisted Sam. "Shut up, Sam Spottwood, or I'll bat you over the head!" said Tom fiercely, and he turned towards Sam with his fists in fighting condition. "You don't know how to handle a boat, and I for one won't submit to have the bargain broken," protested Sam, his blood heated up to fever temperature. "Don't hit him, Tom!" interposed Kidd Digfield. "Ash is captain, and he ought to steer," shouted Chick Penny from the forecastle. "Ash must keep the wheel," added Hop Cabright; and so said several of the others. Tom Topover looked at them, and then he was mad in good earnest. He declared that he was going to take the wheel, and he wanted any fellow that objected to step out into the standing-room, and he would "polish him off" in the twinkling of an eye. "I object, and I shall stick to it. A trade's a trade, and I don't think any fellow has a right to back out of it," Sam responded. Tom was furious at this remark; and he made a pass at Sam, who was seated by the side of the skipper, with his fist.
- 44. "None of that,Tom!" interposed Ash, stepping between the bully and his intended victim. "What are you going to do about it, Ash Burton?" yelled Tom, and he aimed a blow at the skipper, which was intended to annihilate him. Ash warded off the blow; but when another was aimed at him, he struck back. The original Topovers attempted to interfere, but the fury of Tom could brook no opposition from friend or foe. The result was a general row. The recruits to the gang took sides with Ash and Sam, and they did their best to support him; but before the affair could be decided either way, about a hogs-head of water rolled into the standing-room over the washboard. The cooling effects of this inundation were immediately perceptible. Tom had been thrown down by the skipper, and the wave had nearly drowned him. All the others were wet through, and the sloop was rolling as though she intended to do the same thing again. Ash was boatman enough to understand the situation. He had put the helm up when he was attacked, for the boat had a tendency to broach to; and she had fallen off till she presented the broad side of her mainsail to the stiff breeze. The boat had come up headed the other way. With the water splashing about in the standing-room, the skipper came about again, and headed the sloop on her former course. The cold water had cooled off Tom, and just now he was wringing out his coat. He appeared to submit to the situation for the present. Sam desired to return, but Ash wanted to fight the battle out if it was renewed again. The Goldwing had dipped up the water when she was off the mouth of Porter's Bay. Ash set his companions to baling out the standing- room, and with all the vessels on board, the work was soon finished. Before she was up with the point beyond the bay, the sun had dried the floor and seats, and she was the cleaner for her bath. "Boat ahoy!" shouted some one from the point, which was covered with trees.
- 45. A glance inthe direction from which the hail came informed the boys that there was a picnic on the point.
- 46. "O CHAPTER VII. AN UNEXPECTEDAPPEARANCE. n shore!" replied Ash Burton, to the hail. "We should like to hire your boat for a while: can we do it if we pay well for her?" continued the speaker on the point. "She is not to let," replied the skipper. "We will give you two dollars an hour for her, with the person to manage her," continued the gentleman on the shore. "We have to go home to dinner pretty soon," added Ash. "We will give you all a dinner into the bargain," persisted the stranger. "Take him up!" said Tom Topover very decidedly. "Take him up!" repeated several others. "We shall get home too late for dinner." "We have no business to let her," added Sam Spottwood earnestly. "We have just as much right to let her as we have to use her at all," added Ash. "Two dollars an hour is a big price." The last speaker became less earnest when he saw that his friend was inclined to favor the proposition. Doubtless the promise of the dinner was quite as tempting as the money that was offered, though not one of the crew of the Goldwing did not think himself rich when he had a dime.
- 47. "Will you allstay on shore while I take the party out?" asked Ash Burton, turning to his companions, when his crony weakened. The party replied in the affirmative to the question, not even Tom Topover making any objection to the plan. Ash ran for a small staging which answered for a wharf, and the Topovers all went on shore peaceably. The picnickers were having a grand time; for they had music and dancing, and there seemed to be at least a hundred of them. Farther back from the lake were half a dozen long furniture-wagons and other vehicles, while a great number of horses were picketed near them. It was evident that the party had come from some distance back in the country, and were not likely to know any thing about the ownership of the Goldwing. About a dozen ladies and only two gentlemen were embarked in the boat, and Ash got under way. There was just breeze enough to make it lively and pleasant sailing. The sea was regular and moderate, so that there was nothing to call for any extra skill on the part of the skipper. The wind being west, he ran down the lake as far as Split Rock, and then returned. He did not get her best speed out of the sloop, and by the time he reached the wharf the hour had expired. The party were landed; and Ash supposed the contract had been completed, especially as the gentleman in charge handed him four half-dollars, of which he seemed to have an abundant supply. But the excursionists were hardly on shore before another gentleman appeared, followed by a dozen more ladies, and took the boat for another trip. Ash did not object, and he was gone the same time with the second party. On his return to the wharf he found another party ready for him, with the Topovers assembled on the wharf. The gentleman who had paid him before gave him four more half-dollars, and he spoke for the boat for the third trip. Ash mildly suggested that he had had no dinner. Though he had for the last two hours been the undisputed skipper of the Goldwing, he
- 48. had not yetbecome so ethereal as to lose his boyish tendency to be hungry. The gentleman said they were in no hurry, and they would wait for the skipper to take his dinner. "I'll take this party out, Ash Burton," interposed Tom Topover, with cheek enough to fit out a lightning-rod agent. "You can get your dinner while I am gone." "That won't do," replied Ash, in the mildest of tones. "What's the reason it won't do?" demanded Tom, beginning to bluster. "I can handle the boat as well as you can." "You don't know any thing at all about a sailboat," added Sam Spottwood, more for the benefit of the gentleman in charge of the party than to irritate Tom. "Say that again, and I'll knock you into the middle of last week," bullied Tom. "I am going with this party, and Ash can get his dinner." "We prefer the one who has managed the boat before," interposed the gentleman, who measured Tom at a glance. "I didn't nearly tip the boat over, and fill her half full of water, as Ash Burton did," added Tom. "It was you that made the row, so that the captain had to leave the wheel," retorted Sam, who did not seem to scare at all at the bluster of the leader. "I am going to sail this party, or the boat don't go again," said Tom decidedly. "No, you are not, for Ash is the skipper, and we all agreed to obey his orders," added Sam, retiring from the wharf in order to make room for the ladies. The rest of the party, with the exception of Tom, had done this before; and he followed Sam. The gentleman began to assist the ladies to their seats in the standing-room, for he thought the skipper could settle the dispute.
- 49. "What's the reasonI'm not going to sail that party if I want to?" demanded Tom, following up Sam Spottwood. "Because you don't know how to manage the boat, and I don't believe they would go with you," replied Sam fearlessly. This was too much for Tom; and he made a pass at Sam with his fist, which the latter parried, and saved himself from harm. "None of that here!" shouted several of the Topovers. "Sam Spottwood thinks he is my boss, and I will show him what he is and what I am," continued Tom, rushing upon the plain-spoken boy. Sam did not run: he hit back, and after a brief struggle the bruiser went over on his back. He jumped up, and began to declare that Sam did not fight fair; when the other Topovers crowded around him, and prevented him from renewing the battle if he was disposed to do so, though it generally was the case with him, that he did not follow up a contest when the other party "meant business." The others talked to him of the impropriety of getting up a quarrel in the presence of the ladies. "I don't care nothing about that," replied Tom; and he rushed back to the wharf, where the gentleman was just going on board of the sloop. "Stop, Ash Burton! I tell you I'm going to sail the boat this time." "Stop where you are, young man," interposed the gentleman, as he took Tom by the collar. "You want to make a row; if you don't get out of the way, I will duck you in the lake." "Let me alone!" howled Tom, as the man hurled him away. Ash shoved off the bow of the Goldwing, and the gentleman stepped on board as the stern swung in. Ash was disgusted with the conduct of the leader of the Topovers, and he decided then and there to have nothing to do with him after that time. He sailed the party for the hour, though he did it on a growling stomach. On his return, he received four more half-dollars, making twelve in all which his pocket
- 50. now contained. Hisemployer conducted him to the tables, and he proceeded to partake of the collation. While he was thus pleasantly occupied, the rest of the Topovers, seeing the return of the sloop, hastened to the wharf. No other party wished to sail, and Tom proposed that they should start on their way back to Beechwater. The others were ready, and most of them seated themselves in the standing-room. "Ash Burton is the captain, and he is at his dinner," said Sam Spottwood. "We can get along without him," replied Tom with a coarse grin. "I am going to sail the boat back." At these words Chick Penny and Hop Cabright jumped on the wharf again, declaring they would not go in the boat if Tom was to be the skipper. The bruiser insisted on his point, and that the boat should leave at once. Then Con Binker and Syl Peckman followed the example of Chick and Hop. Even Kidd Digfield and Nim Splugger had some doubts about trusting themselves with Tom, and they began to reason with him. There was no reason in him, and in spite of them he shoved off the boat. Taking the wind on the starboard tack, the usurping skipper headed the sloop to the southward. Tom had his own way this time. "Hold on, Tom!" shouted Pell Sankland. "Ash Burton has all the money he has taken for the boat. Is he to have the whole of it?" "Six dollars," added Nim Splugger. "He ought to make a divvy." "He is not going to keep the whole of it anyhow," said Kidd Digfield. "There he is, coming down to the wharf," continued Pell. "We have as much right to some of the money as he has. The boat don't belong to him." "We can get it out of him the next time we see him," said Tom, who did not like the idea of returning to the shore, for he was afraid of losing his position at the wheel.
- 51. "He will spendit all, and I won't trust him," replied Pell. The original Topovers were in a majority of the present crew, and perhaps Tom was tempted by the prospect of putting some money in his pocket. At any rate, he attempted to put the boat about. The sloop was far enough out from behind the point to feel the force of the wind. If there was any wrong way to take, Tom Topover always took it; and he put the helm up instead of down. The effect was to gybe the boat, and nearly upset her. However, she did not ship any water this time, but Tom was bewildered by the behavior of the boat. She was about two hundred feet from the shore. "There comes the Sylph!" shouted Nim Splugger, as the sharp bow of the steam-yacht appeared beyond Porter's Bay. This cry filled the Topovers with consternation. They realized that Tom at the wheel was utterly powerless to get them out of the scrape, and it looked as though he would tip them over before he got the boat under way again. The Sylph seldom if ever returned from her excursions in the summer till night, and she was not expected at three o'clock in the afternoon. "Start her up, Tom!" yelled Kidd, almost frantic at the idea of being caught in possession of the Goldwing by the yacht's people. "She don't behave right," replied Tom, who had made several attempts to get the boat under way. "Run her ashore, and let us get out of the way." "I tell you she won't start for me," added Tom, as the boom banged over from one side to the other as it had done half a dozen times before. It was clear enough to the culprits, that the captain of the Sylph, who was also the owner of the Goldwing, had recognized the craft; for the steamer was headed directly for the point. If she were going down the lake, she would have headed for the other side of Diamond Island.
- 52. At last, bysome accident, Tom got the sail filled, and the boat under way; but she had caught the wind on the starboard tack, upon which it was not possible to reach the nearest land. The Topovers growled and yelled to Tom that he was going the wrong way. The bungling skipper put the helm down; but he met her too soon, and she missed stays. The Sylph was close aboard of her, and placed herself between the yacht and the shore.
- 53. W CHAPTER VIII. A STARTLINGEVENT ON THE ROAD. hen the Sylph had secured a position between the Goldwing and the shore, so that the party on board of the latter could not escape, she stopped her screw, and backed until she rested motionless on the water. The appearance of the steamer so near the point created a sensation in the picnic-party, and the whole crowd on the shore hastened to the water-side. Before the steamer lost her headway, her starboard quarter-boat was dropping into the water. The yacht was not heavily manned, as she was when the school was in session, and there were not hands enough on board for any brilliant manœuvres. Captain Gildrock, Bates, the old quartermaster, Paul Bristol, and Oscar Chester got into the boat, and pulled to the Goldwing. Dory Dornwood and Mr. Bristol, the acting engineer, remained on board with the ladies to take charge of the steamer. When Tom Topover and his companions saw the boat approaching them, they abandoned all hope of escape, and gave up in despair. They wished they were ashore, with those who had been left. "What are you doing with this sloop?" demanded Captain Gildrock sternly, when the quarter-boat came alongside of the Goldwing. "I can't do any thing with her," replied Tom. "You have stolen her, as you have tried to do before," added the principal; "and we will make short work with you."
- 54. Paul Bristol wasdirected to take the painter of the sloop on board, and the Goldwing was towed to the Sylph. The six culprits on board of her were ordered to the deck, and they knew Captain Gildrock well enough not to disobey him. The quarter-boat was hoisted up to the davits; and the yacht came about and stood away from the shore without communicating with the picnic-party. She headed up the lake, and in a few minutes disappeared in the river. Ash Burton and his companions observed the proceedings of the people of the yacht with almost as much consternation as though they had been captured with their late associates. They could hardly hope to escape the consequences of their conduct, for Tom and the rest of the Topovers would be sure to betray them. They looked upon it as a bad scrape; for the principal of the Beech Hill Industrial School was one who obeyed the laws, and went to them for redress when he was injured instead of administering justice on his own account. Sam Spottwood was sorry he had not followed his own impulse to do right, instead of allowing himself to be led into error by his friend. But he did not reproach Ash, for he felt that he was the victim of his own weakness. The whole six of them were quite as repentant as the half-dozen who had been captured in the sloop. No doubt they made big resolutions, which are good things to make if they are only remembered in the hour of temptation. The picnic-party seemed to be very much astonished at the proceedings of the people on board of the yacht, which was now approaching the river with the sloop in tow. Ash saw that they wanted some explanation; and when he saw the gentleman who had paid him the dozen half-dollars, he felt that he had business elsewhere. He beat a hasty retreat, followed by his companions. He did not care to appear before his late passengers as a culprit, and he was not inclined to tell any lies about the matter. "We are in for it now," said Hop Cabright, as they walked with hasty steps away from the point, in the direction of the road to Genverres.
- 55. "No doubt ofthat," replied Sam Spottwood. "It is a bad scrape, and the worst of it is being associated with such fellows as Tom Topover." "As Captain Gildrock did not catch us in the boat, perhaps he will not meddle with us," suggested Syl Peckman. "Those fellows will blow on us, after all that happened this afternoon," added Chick Penny. "Of course they will, and we are just as guilty as they are," added Sam Spottwood. "You don't catch me having any thing to do with Tom Topover, and the fellows like him again: they are a hard crowd." "We never did any thing very bad with them before," said Ash Burton. "I am sure we have done something towards making them better fellows, for we have tried to improve their manners and their morals." "I don't think they are much better, though I know of three or four instances where we have prevented them from stealing. But we ought to have prevented them from using the Goldwing, instead of taking part with them in the wrong," said Sam. "You know how it happened, and how we were led into it," pleaded Ash. "We were wrecked, and out in the middle of Beechwater, without any way to get ashore except in the sloop." "I understand all about that; but we were weak to get into the boat again after we got ashore," argued Sam. "I don't believe I should have done so if it had not been to convince Tom Topover that the boat could be sailed either way. It is all up with us now, and we must take the consequences, whatever they may be." "Do you suppose the captain will prosecute us?" asked Sam. "Probably he will, though he may let up on us when he finds that we did not go out to the sloop with the intention of taking her. The Topovers have tried to steal the boats before, and he may think it is necessary in order to protect himself from them," replied Ash.
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