CHAPTER X
THE LURE OF GOLD
It was borne in upon Gideon Landon when he rounded the half century markthat he must let up in his intense application to his vast moneyedinterests or break down. He hated to think of stopping, even for a briefseason, but nature gave her unerring warning and the specialist whom heconsulted spoke tersely and to the point:
"Take a vacation every year or die."
The capitalist recalled the habit of Bismarck, the great GermanChancellor, who when worn out by the crushing cares of office hied awayto his cabin in the pine woods, and gave orders to the sentinels at thegate to shoot all visitors unless they came directly from the King. SoLandon built him a palatial bungalow, as he called it, near the southernend of Southport Island. The logs, all with their bark on, were a footin diameter. From the outside, the structure looked rough and rugged,and little more than a good imitation of the dwellings of the NewEngland pioneers; but you had only to peep through the windows to noteits splendid furnishings. The finest of oriental rugs covered the floor;chairs, tables and lounges were of the richest make, and the hundreds ofchoice books in their mahogany cases cost twice as many dollars. Amodern machine furnished the acetylene light, the broad fireplace couldtake in a half cord of wood when the weather was too cool for comfortwithout it, and the beds on the upper floors were as soft and invitingas those in the banker's city residence. In short, everything thatwealth could provide and for which there was a wish was at the serviceof the inmates. He offered to send a Chickering piano, but his wife didnot think it worth while, as she had no daughter and neither she nor herhusband played. Alvin had been taking lessons, for several years, but heobjected to keeping up practice during vacation and his parents decidedthat his views were well founded.
"Here I shall loaf and rest for six weeks!" exclaimed the owner, whenthe chauffeur carried him, his wife and two servants from the town ofSouthport to the new home.
Alvin had gone thither the week before, and was looked after by PatMurphy, the caretaker, and his wife, who had been long in the service ofthe banker.
One cause of Landon taking this step was the example of his old friendFranklin Haynes, who had only one child--Chester, with whom you havebecome acquainted. His enthusiastic accounts of the tonic effect of theair, confirmed by his own renewed vigor and tanned skin, decided theelder in his course. The Haynes bungalow was smaller and more modestthan Landon's, the two being separated by a half mile of woods and opencountry. This, however, was of no account, for the Landon auto skimmedover the interval in a few minutes and the interchange of visits went onday and night. The two families played bridge, dined, automobiled andcruised with each other, while the boys were inseparable.
This went on for a fortnight, when a break came. Landon and Haynes wereinterested in a large financial deal, in which the latter believed hewas wronged. There was a sharp quarrel and the friendly relationsbetween the two, including their wives, snapped apart. All bridgeplaying ceased, and the long summer hours became so deadly dull for Mrs.Landon that she gladly accepted the invitation of a friend, hurried toNew York and sailed with her for England and the continent. Haynes spenthis time mainly in fishing and reading, but kept away from the home ofhis rich neighbor, who was equally careful not to approach the other'sresidence.
Both men, however, were too sensible to let their quarrel affect theirsons. Not the slightest shadow could come between those chums, whovisited back and forth, just as they had always done, stopping overnight wherever convenient, and as happy as two clean-minded, healthyyoungsters ought to be. The Landon auto was at the disposal of the ladswhenever they cared for it, but the youths had become interested inmotor boating and gave little attention to the land vehicle.
The unpleasant break to which I have referred occurred about a fortnightbefore my introduction of the two lads to you. Landon never had anyliking for athletics or sport. Every favorable morning his chauffeurtook him to the little cluster of houses called Southport, at the headof the island, where he got his letters, New York newspapers and suchsupplies as happened to be needed at the house. This used up most of thefirst half of the day. After lunch he read, slept and loafed, neverusing the auto and caring nothing for the motor launch which wascontinually cruising over the water.
This went well enough for ten days or so, by which time the banker grewrestless. Sleeping so much robbed him of rest at night. Classic workslost their charm and the "best sellers" bored him. He yawned, strolledabout his place, and pitied every man who was doomed to spend his lifein the Pine Tree State. True, he was gaining weight and his appetitebecame keen, but he smoked too much and was discontented. The lure ofWall Street was drawing him more powerfully every day. He longed toplunge into the excitement with his old time zest, and to enjoy thethrill that came when success ended a financial battle.
He was lolling in his hammock at the front of the bungalow oneafternoon, trying to read and to smoke one of his heavy black cigars,and succeeding in neither task, when Davis Dunning, his chauffeur,glummer than usual because there was no excuse for his taking any morejoy rides, halted the machine at the side of the roadway. Throwing outthe clutch, he hurried up the walk and handed his employer a telegramthat had been 'phoned over from Boothbay Harbor to Southport, where thechauffeur found it awaiting him when he made his daily run thither, thistime unaccompanied by his employer.
No message could have been more welcome. It told the banker that therecent stir in steel and other stocks made it necessary for him toreturn to New York as soon as possible and to stay "a few days." He wasalert on the instant. If he could reach Portland that evening he wouldboard the express and be in New York the next morning.
"It must be done!" he exclaimed, aware that there was no necessity forsuch haste. Consultation with Dunning, however, convinced him that thecourse for an automobile was too roundabout and there was too muchferrying to make the hurried journey feasible. He decided to go to Bathby steamer, and then by rail on the morrow, easily reaching Portland intime for the ride by night to the metropolis.
This gave him opportunity to explain matters to Alvin, who was told toremain at Southport until the time came for him to re-enter school. Theson was sorry to lose the company of his father, whose affection hereturned, but it is not in boy nature to mourn for one from whom he didnot expect to be parted long. The only thing in creation in which hefelt pleasure and interest just then was in sailing his motor boat.
At the time of leaving Southport, Mr. Landon expected to return in thecourse of a week and said so to his son, but the call of business wasstronger than that of the fine woods and salt water of Maine. He easilyfound the necessity for staying in New York until the time remaining forhis vacation was so brief that he wrote Alvin it was not worth while torejoin him.
So it came about that his son remained in the big bungalow, looked afterby two servants, not to mention Pat Murphy the caretaker and his wife.Chester Haynes stayed with his parents in their modest home a mile tothe southward, while the irrepressible Mike was at both homes more thanhis own. He had become as fond of boating as his two friends and set outto learn all about the craft. It did not take him long to become a goodsteersman and by and by he could start and stop the _Deerfoot_, thoughhe shrank from attempting to bring her beside a wharf or float. Inthreading through the shipping at the different harbors, either Alvin orChester took the wheel, one boy being almost equal in expertness to theother, both in handling the launch and taking care of the machinery.
There seemed no end to the romantic excursions that tempted the youngnavigators forth. Sometimes they fished, but preferred to glide throughthe smooth inland waters, where every scene was new and seemingly moreromantic than the others. They landed at Pemaquid Beach and listened tothe story of the old fort as told by the local historian, who provedthat the date was correct which is painted on the stone wall and says asettlement was made there before the one at Jamestown. They passed upthe short wide inlet known as John's River, and turning round cut acrossto the Damariscotta, which they
ascended to Newcastle, with picturesquescenery all the way.
The boys were somewhat late in starting one morning and the sky wasthreatening, but with the folding top as a protection if needed, and theopportunity to halt when and wherever they choose, the agreement wasunanimous that they should go up the Sheepscot to Wiscasset, eat dinnerthere and return at their leisure.
"It is well worth the trip," said Alvin, whose eyes sparkled with thememory of the passage which he had made more than once. Chester wasequally enthusiastic.
"I'm riddy to sarve as a sacrifice," replied Mike, "as me friend TerryMcGarrity remarked whin he entered the strife that was to prove whichcould ate the most mince pie inside of half an hour."