Plane and Plank; or, The Mishaps of a Mechanic

y as soon as the baggage of the passengers had been put on shore. They followed Captain Davis

ou?" was the first question which the cap

ick, and not quite able to come down i

" I ex

e. She caught a cold coming down

e is

e town; I don't k

ady sick?" I inq

was fir

e you at Del

n Davis," replied the spokesman of th

help it?" sa

d not. The curren

sent a couple of hands in the boat with those

s well as any men could; the gentlem

at was the matter?" demand

e the man that owned the island used it to haul his batea

other man, by way of fortifyin

said th

he stern, and wet the lady who sat farthest aft. I sprang forward to trim the boat, for I did not know what the matter was then. In my hurry I lo

ther man. "They were sc

ow, where there was a break in the iron shoe. I put the end of the oar on the line, and crowded it down so that the boat could slide over it. But the blade of the oar was split, and the li

the oar fast

I couldn'

u couldn't;

p one of the thwarts, to use as a paddle, but we couldn't start them. It was very dark and foggy, as you know, captai

n't you

heard us; at any rate no one came to help us. The poor lady who had got wet in the cut-off was shivering with cold, and

the captain, finding that the spokesman was d

ng about two hours-Was

t less th

erposed the captain, who did not care t

f us. We made fast to him, and he pulled us to the shore. He told us we were on the other side of the river from Delaware City. Mr. Gracewood made a tra

y go then?" as

nd had chills and fever that night; but they thought she was b

as very sic

say so. He thought she

go then?" ask

the levee. Mr. Gracewood gav

runk," suggest

n't say we didn't take som

enworth, where you knew the b

rt down the river before we could tramp up to the place. Besides, we wanted to know how the lady was, so as to let yo

e till the Fawn came down," said Dick. "We

ing; and then we saw the Fawn coming; but she stood off from the levee, and went down the river at full speed. I ha

is th

d the Da

od when you left Dela

ut the doctor thought she might be able to ta

the boat," add

for a week," said I

't tell much about it fro

hink they to

have returned to Leavenworth. Probably they have stretched the story a litt

he boat, and took

ppose

ured that no calamity had overtaken them. I would have gone to them at once i

. "If the lady is sick, you can do them no good.

be willing to waste i

hil. What do you mean to do here in St. Loui

one," I answered, perhaps with a little

you inten

he carpenter's trade,

d to be a gentleman, as most of the boys do who come from the country,"

chance to learn the carpenter's tr

a quiet street in one of the humbler sections

ked Captain Davis of the wo

t come in from his wo

r, where Mr. Clinch soon appeared. He was clothed in coarse garments,

carpenter, grasping the hand of my

is young man is Phil Farringford, and he comes from the uppe

the hand, and gave m

n as we get a boy so that he can drive a nail without pounding his fingers,

ir, I shall stick to

an, but I can't take apprentices

ptain. "He is handy with tools, and is as tough as an oak knot.

continued Mr. Clinch; "I haven't room, an

somewhere else,"

I like the loo

him, I shall regard it as a

tain Davis. I want more help, but a boy

teen,

lder. What

ilar work. He seemed to be very sceptical, but finally agreed to give me three dollars a week, which he thought would board and cl