The "Eb and Flo" had come through the falls at high tide, and was lying at one of the wharves above. Eben was in great spirits. He had taken the boat through the falls the day before, discharged the cargo, and had brought her safely back. He had made this call for Gabriel Grimsby, who had arranged with him early that morning to take him up river. As Eben sat upon deck, his hand at times slipped into the right pocket of his trousers and touched the crisp ten dollar bill Grimsby had paid him for his passage. It was more money than he had ever had in his life, so he felt quite rich and important. Just why Grimsby had given him that amount he did not know. Neither did he care. It was good to have so much, and he was happier than he had been for days. He thought of what he would buy with the money, and his mind turned naturally to a new coat, for his best Sunday one was old and worn. He wanted a new pair of boots, nice shiny ones, like city people wore, and not the rough clumsy kind such as his father had always bought. He pictured to himself the look of surprise and admiration upon Jess Randall's face should she see him so well dressed. His Sunday vest, collar and trousers were new, so the coat and boots were all he needed.
Grimsby was late in coming, and when he did at length arrive, it was almost noon. He carried a small grip in his hand, which he placed upon the deck, and went down into the cabin where Eben was preparing dinner.
"Hello," he accosted. "Thought I was never coming, I s'pose?"
Eben grinned as he turned from the frying-pan where several pieces of bacon were sizzling. He had always liked Grimsby, and the thought of the ten dollars made him more friendly than ever.
"Guess yer in time fer dinner, Gabe," he replied.
"Yer always on time fer that, eh?"
"Indeed I am. My! that bacon smells good. And what bread! Did your mother make it?"
"No, Flo cooked that. She certainly does know how to make bread. But, fall to, now, an' help yerself. This bacon's done."
A gentle breeze favoured the "Eb and Flo" as she left her wharf, ran up through the Narrows, and headed out into Grand Bay. It was a perfect summer afternoon, and Grimsby, seated on deck, with his back against the cabin, smoked a cigar to his heart's content. It was a Club Special he was smoking, a rare treat to him. But with so much money in his pocket, he had indulged himself that morning by buying a box of his favourite brand. He felt very prosperous, and contented with himself and the whole world.
"Did ye ever smoke?" he asked Eben, who was standing at the wheel.
"Naw. I tried it once, but it made me sick. Dad licked me fer it, too."
"My, ye miss a lot in life," and Grimsby gave a sigh of satisfaction as he blew a cloud of smoke into the air. "Smoking is a great soother of the nerves, it certainly is."
"Ma doesn't like terbaccer," Eben volunteered. "She says it smells up the house awful. Flo says she'll never marry a man who smokes."
"She won't, eh?" and Grimsby laughed outright. "I s'pose she'll make her husband buy her chocolates instead."
"Most likely. Flo's mighty fond of choc'lates. She'd eat 'em all the time if she could git 'em. She's allus beggin' me to bring her a box every time we come from the city."
"She's just like all girls; they like sweet things. That's the reason, I guess, they like me. I'm always sweet with the girls. It pays. Hand me that grip, will yon? I want to show you something I've got for a pretty girl."
Eben reached over, and handed the grip to Grimsby. The latter slowly opened it, and brought forth a box, wrapped up in paper. He untied the string, and held forth a box of chocolates for Eben's inspection.
"Like one, eh?"
"Y'bet. Me mouth's waterin'."
"Then, it'll have to water. These are for a prettier mouth than yours, let me tell you that. My! you should see her, 'specially when she's eating candy."
"Your wife?" Eben asked.
Grimsby shook with laughter, as he carefully placed the paper back upon the box, and returned it to the grip.
"No, no, no, not for my wife this time, Eben. It's for someone else, a special friend of mine. She's up river now, and I'm going to see her. She's in a class all by herself, though just now, poor girl, she's in trouble."
"She is?" Eben was becoming interested.
"Yes, she ran away from home, you see, and her folks don't know where she is. Why, what's wrong, boy? You look scared."
"D'ye mean Miss Randall?" Eben asked. "Are them choc'lates fer her?"
"Ah, you're a good hand at a guess, Eben," and Grimsby smiled. "Yes, I'm taking them to her. She'd never forgive me if I forgot them. Why, I've known Jess Randall ever since she was a baby," he lied. "She calls me 'Uncle Gabe.'"
"She does!" Eben was more impressed than ever with Grimsby.
"Oh, yes, she's a great friend of mine. She must be waiting for me now, so you can pull up and run me ashore when we get there. She phoned to me to come at once, as she wants to see me on special business."
"I'm goin' to stop, anyway," Eben replied. "Dad'll be waitin' fer me. He went ashore with ma."
It was only with difficulty that Grimsby repressed a chuckle of delight. He could hardly believe it possible that Eben had fallen so easily into his snare. But as he glanced at the boy he saw not the slightest sign of suspicion upon his face. Eben's hands were upon the wheel, and his eyes were fixed upon a steamer coming down river. Grimsby was certain now that Miss Randall was at Mrs. Hampton's. So far he had met with remarkable success. He wondered how much further he dare go.
"Guess it'll he some wedding," he ventured. "I'll have to get a brand new suit."
"What weddin'?" Eben asked.
"Why, don't you know? Miss Randall's, of course. She's going to marry Lord Donaster, that swell dude of a chap."
"She's not!" The words snapped, from Eben's lips, and his hands gripped hard upon the wheel as he swung the boat somewhat to the left, while the steamer surged by.
"What makes you say that?" Grimsby questioned. This was the first glimpse he had caught of the boy's feeling, and he surmised its meaning.
"D'ye think she'd marry a thing like Donaster?" Eben contemptuously asked. "She's got more sense."
"So you know her, then?" The question caught Eben off guard, and his face suddenly flushed. Grimsby smiled. "She came up with you, on your last trip, didn't she?"
"How d'ye know that?" Eben's hands let go of the wheel in his amazement.
"Oh, I know everything. But I guess you're right, Eben. Miss Randall will never marry Donaster. He's after her good and hard, though, so it's up to you and me to help her."
"In what way?"
"She and John Hampton are in love with each other, I understand. Can't we do something to keep Donaster away? He's a deep-dyed villain, that's what he is, and we must not let him bother Miss Randall. He thinks that I'm going to help him out."
"How?" Eben hardly knew that he had asked the question. He was thinking deeply, and wondering why he should help Grimsby. Had not Miss Randall left him for Hampton? The thought rankled in his soul. Why should another have her when she was so much to him? He was aroused by his companion.
"Say, lad, what's the matter with you? I've asked you two questions, and you seem to be stricken dumb. What are you thinking about? Not in love yourself, are you?"
Eben grinned sheepishly, and his face crimsoned a deeper hue than ever,
"What were ye askin' me, Gabe? Guess me mind must have been wanderin'. It goes off sometimes an' fergits to come back. It's bad havin' a mind lake that, isn't it?"
It certainly is, and a sure sign that a man's in love, so I've been told. Now, look here, Eben, are you in love with Miss Randall? There, now, don't get excited. It's only natural. I was young once meself."
"Why d'ye ask me that, Gabe? What makes ye think I'm in love with her?"
"From your actions, boy. And say, if you're in love with Jess Randall, then by the jumping moon, I'm going to help you to get her. I don't care a rap for Donaster or anyone else. I've known you ever since you were a kid, and I've a fancy for you, so there."
Eben made no reply, but stood staring straight before him. During the last few days a notable change had come over this awkward youth. The influence of a deep passion had transformed him from boyhood to manhood, and he was now able to view things in a different light. He did not want Donaster to have Jess Randall, so it was necessary for him to do all in his power to keep her out of his grasp. As for himself he knew there was not the slightest hope that she could ever care for him. And why should she? He had only known her for a brief space of time, and why should such a girl feel any stirring of the heart for such a clown as himself. He knew that he was tall, ungainly, roughly clad, and ignorant. His hands clutched hard upon the wheel as he thought of all this, and an expression of determination overspread his face. A vision of the girl, her beauty, the light in her eyes, and her gentle encouraging voice rose before him. She had been kind to him, and had been interested in his drawings. Between him and her there was a vast gulf, and he knew it. But she had been kind to him. That idea kept repeating itself over and over again in his mind. What could he do to repay her? "Keep Donaster from getting her," came the answer. Yes, but what else? "Help her in her love for Hampton." But in what way? Grimsby broke his reverie.
"Say, Eben, I was almost asleep. I didn't rest well last night."
"What was the trouble, Gabe? Why couldn't ye sleep?"
"Thoughts, boy, thoughts. I was thinking about Donaster."
"H'm, it's no wonder ye couldn't sleep with that skunk in yer mind. Couldn't ye find something better to think about?"
"I suppose so, but I didn't want to. Ye see, he's anxious for me to find Miss Randall for him. Then when she's found, to make a show of kidnapping her, or getting her into a dangerous place, so he can come along and rescue her. See?"
An amused expression shone in Eben's eyes as he turned them upon the face of the reclining man.
"Something like a movin'-picture show, eh?" he queried. "A pretty girl, villains, an' hero all made to order. Ho, ho, that's a good one."
"Seems so. And I guess he wants us to be the villains, Eben. Suppose we try it, boy. It'd be great fun, wouldn't it?"
Eben thought for a few minutes, and then he brought his right hand down upon his thigh with a resounding whack.
"I've got it!" he exclaimed, much excited. "It's jist the thing."
"What is it, lad?"
"An idea, an' we kin work it, too. It'll be great fun."
"Out with it, then."
"S'pose we give Donaster a big scare. I know a dandy place back in the hills where we kin take him. It's an island in a lake, an' there's a cabin there, too. It belongs to the Hamptons. John an' his mother often go out there to look after a coal mine Mr. Hampton found. Ye've heard of it, haven't ye?"
"Sure. I guess everybody knows about it. I understand it's good coal, too."
"Y' bet it, an' Mr. Hampton spent every cent he had in buyin' the land before he let on he had found the coal. John an' his mother hope to make a lot of money out of it. I know the place well."
"But what has this to do with Donaster?" Grimsby asked. "Keep to your story, Eben."
"I'm comin' to that if ye give me time. Now, s'pose we make Donaster think that Miss Randall is hidin' out there on that island with the Hamptons. Let's send fer him, take him there, give him the slip, an' do a few other things to scare him. I'd like to hear him yell fer a while. He can't git off the island till we go fer him. Oh, it'd be great fun."
"It certainly would," Grimsby replied. "But you'll have to do it, Eben. When could you go?"
"To-morrow, I guess. I'm goin' to stay home this trip, an' let dad take the boat to the quarry. You git Donaster, an' I'll take him out. But you'll have to come along, too, Gabe. I won't go without you. I might want help."
After some hesitation, Grimsby decided to go. He did not fancy the jaunt, but he favoured the idea, and if Eben would not go without him, there was nothing else for him to do but to go along. He could phone for Donaster in the morning, and he knew that the fellow would come at once.
This was what Grimsby told Eben, and he smiled to himself as he glanced at the unsuspecting lad at the wheel. He was playing into his hands, and he felt perfectly sure of him now. His next move was with Miss Randall and John Hampton. He was silent a long time as the boat glided on her way. Eben thought he was half asleep, but in reality he was very much awake, revolving in his mind a scheme which had been suggested by the mention of the coal mine near Island Lake. The more he thought it over, the more pleased he became, and by the time they came in sight of his house, he had the plan pretty well worked out.
"Guess you'd better let me off at my own shore," he remarked.
"Why, I thought ye was goin' home with me," Eben replied.
"I did intend to. But I'd like to visit my own family first. I haven't seen them for several days. I'll be on hand with Donaster to-morrow, so you be all ready."
In less than a half hour Eben rounded up the "Eb and Flo" near the shore in front of the Grimsby house, which was a poor, ramshackle affair. The water here was deep, so he was able to run close to the bank. A long-haired, ragged, dirty boy pushed off for his father in a leaky boat, and took him ashore. In a few minutes more the "Eb and Flo" was again under way, clipping along under the light breeze, bound for Beech Cove several miles beyond.