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109 pages

English

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After gaining a measure of renown for their courageous exploits, the Outdoor Chums set sail on a new adventure. This time, they've been asked to guide a houseboat down the Mississippi River so it can be reunited with its rightful owner in New Orleans. But as is typical with this crew, they encounter some trouble along the way. Will they still be able to deliver the boat on time -- and in one piece?

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Children's

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 mai 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776589258
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON A HOUSEBOAT
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CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN

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The Outdoor Chums on a Houseboat First published in 1913 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-925-8 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-926-5 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter I - Glorious Times Ahead Chapter II - Laying Plans Chapter III - Bluff Names the Boat Chapter IV - The Peril on the River Chapter V - The First Night Afloat Chapter VI - What Frank Found on Deck Chapter VII - Another Careless Pilot Chapter VIII - Face to Face at Last Chapter IX - The Game of Bluff Chapter X - A Call for Help Chapter XI - A Threatened Collision Chapter XII - A Red Glow in the Sky Chapter XIII - After the Storm Chapter XIV - The Runaway Houseboat Chapter XV - On Board the Pot Luck Again Chapter XVI - The Unwelcome Passenger Chapter XVII - The Fugitives of the Levee Chapter XVIII - What Jerry's Stick Brought Down Chapter XIX - A Bobcat on Board Chapter XX - The Floating Tree Chapter XXI - The New Owner of the Houseboat Chapter XXII - Who was Boss Chapter XXIII - Left in the Lurch Chapter XXIV - Rivals No Longer Chapter XXV - The Finish of the Voyage
Chapter I - Glorious Times Ahead
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"Own up, Will, you've got hold of some great news, and you're justkeeping it back to tease us! How about that, Bluff?"
"You're right, Frank, for I can see it in his face. His eyes are justdancing with a big secret. But wait up; here comes Jerry across thecampus. Now he'll just have to open the box, and show us."
The college boy, called Will by his comrades, and whose last name wasMilton, laughed good-naturedly, and then nodded his head.
"Why, fellows," he said, "I saw Jerry coming, and meant to wait for him.When all four members of the Rod, Gun and Camera Club, who callthemselves the Outdoor Chums, are present, I've got something to saythat is going to set you all just wild."
At that the young chap who went by the name of Bluff made franticgestures for a fourth lad, just then heading in their direction, tohurry along.
Evidently this freshman must have suspected that something unusual wasbrewing, for he started on a run, and came up almost panting for breath.
"What's in the wind, fellows?" he demanded, glancing from one eager faceto the others. "Don't tell me you've made up your minds where the clubis going to put in the vacation just ahead of us, because that would betoo good news. Who's going to take pity on me, and relieve my suspense?"
"Why, Will here has got something to tell us, and wanted to wait tillyou joined the crowd," said Frank Langdon, who was just a little taller,and more manly-looking than any other in the group; though they were allbright, able lads, who had seen considerable of life.
"Listen, boys," said Will, who was inclined to be less given to healthycolor than the rest, and who seemed to be not quite so sturdy in build;"I've had a letter from my Uncle Felix, down in New Orleans; and he madethe queerest offer you ever heard about. You see, through my mother hemust have learned about some of the adventures that came our way thelast two years; and, what do you think? he wants the Outdoor Chums totake a voyage all the way down the Mississippi, just as soon as schoolcloses."
"What!" ejaculated Jerry Wallington, as though rather staggered by thesudden outlook; "a voyage down the Mississippi? What on; a floatinglog?—because we don't happen to own any kind of a boat just now."
"Well, Uncle Felix does, you see," Will went on, coolly. "It's some sortof a houseboat, that he used to live aboard for several years. For somereason, that he doesn't take the trouble to explain, he wants it broughtdown to New Orleans, where he's recovering from a bad accident, so thathe just can't come up himself. And, boys, he enclosed a check for ahundred dollars in the letter."
"Wow! what was that for?" demanded Bluff Masters, who had a little habitof being impetuous, though at heart he was as true as steel to hischums, and always fair toward even his bitterest enemy.
"Why, to buy eats, of course!" declared Will. "You see, a houseboatdoesn't often have any way of moving along, only with the current, atleast this one doesn't, I know; and so it just has to wander down theriver. That takes a heap of time; and four healthy boys have to eatsometimes five times a day to keep from starving to death; anyhow, Bluffhere does, I happen to know."
"Well, a hundred dollars ought to buy a heap of grub," remarked Jerry,with a wide grin on his good-natured face. "But after we get there, howdo you suppose we're ever to get back home again, unless we draw some ofour little nest-egg out of bank, and foot the railroad bill?"
"Trust Uncle Felix for that," Will remarked. "He says he'll see that weall get back home safe in good time. And, as he's got bushels of money,and is a bachelor in the bargain, that part of the job needn't worryus."
"Where's the houseboat now?" asked Frank,
"Tied up in the boatyard of a man named James Whittaker in St. Paul.There was an order on him to deliver the boat to us with all thefixtures, whatever that may mean," Will continued.
"Oh! say, did you ever hear of such luck?" cried Bluff, throwing his capup in the air and catching it deftly again as it fell.
"Perhaps it's just like a palace, if a rich old bachelor has beenknocking around in it for some years," suggested Jerry.
Frank noticed that Will did not think to offer any information on thisscore, if he happened to possess the knowledge. Perhaps he was willingthat his three chums should live in expectation, and be surprised by thewonders of the houseboat upon which Uncle Felix seemed to set suchstore.
"By the way," continued Will, "there was one funny part to Uncle'sletter."
"Tell us about it. If we're going to make a cruise in the houseboat of amillionaire, we ought to know," remarked Bluff.
"He says," Will went on, "he's mighty particular about whom he allowsaboard his boat, and wants to impress upon us all that during the cruisewe must keep off all undesirable characters."
"Sure thing," remarked Bluff, with a wise nod. "I've always heard thatthe Mississippi is a tramp's paradise, and that they just swarm downthere. It's only right that a rich man would want us to keep suchcharacters off his fine houseboat."
"Hold on there," broke in Will, "I haven't said it was such a palace,have I, Frank? Here Bluff keeps on getting more and more extravagantwith his adjectives every time he mentions the boat."
"Oh! well," the other ventured, "it stands to reason that a rich oldchap who spends lots of his time on board a pet boat would have thingsjust scrumptious. Me for the first choice of bunks aboard! Wonder if hehas silk eiderdown quilts for covers. Yum! yum! we're just the luckiestlot of freshmen that ever squeezed through their first year at college;and, Will, I feel like giving you a bear's hug for bringing us thisgreat news."
"Please don't!" cried Will, half alarmed, for Bluff was a bit rough inhis way; "because I'm carrying a bunch of lantern slides in my pocket;and I'd hate to have them broken;" but the observing Frank detected whatseemed to be a gleam of suppressed amusement on Will's face, that gavehim an inkling as to the true state of affairs.
Will had always been the official photographer of the Rod, Gun andCamera Club, and was something of an expert at snapping pictures tocommemorate stirring and unusual events in the outdoor experiences ofthe chums.
"Was that all he said about not letting strangers aboard unless theybrought letters of introduction?" asked Jerry.
"He warned us to be particularly careful not to harbor a certain partynamed Marcus Stackpole, who seems to be some sort of particular enemy ofmy uncle, though just why he would want to get aboard the houseboat Ican't imagine."
"Say, that's queer, now," remarked Bluff.
"Guess he's had some reason for believing this Stackpole to be a thief,and he thinks he's run away with some of the things your uncle carriesaboard," Jerry suggested.
Will simply elevated his eyebrows as he replied, evasively:
"I don't know, and that's all I can say, fellows; but suppose we go overto my rooms, where we can read the letter again, and take a look at thecourse of the Mississippi River from St. Paul to New Orleans."
It happened that Will and Frank had rooms at some little distance fromthe college buildings, making quite a walk along the road that ranbeside the little river. And as they are trudging along, indulging inconsiderable excited talk, we can devote a few paragraphs to some of thepleasant things that in times past were experienced by these fourcomrades.
The organization of the club, and what happened to the boys shortlyafterward, has been detailed, at length, in the first book of thisseries, called: "The Outdoor Chums; Or, The First Tour of the Rod, Gunand Camera Club." In the second story are given some of the wonderfulhappenings that befell them while camping on an island in Camelot Lake,which had, up to that time, been shunned by most people, because of thefierce bobcats that were said to hold possession there. These excitingevents you will find narrated in "The Outdoor Chums on the Lake; Or,Lively Adventures on Wildcat Island."
During the Easter holidays another campaign was undertaken in search ofexcitement and pictures, as well as camping experiences. It had beenreported that a ghost roamed over a certain section of the country somemiles away from the town of Centerville; and the