Produced by Avinash Kothare Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamHASTE AND WASTEORTHE YOUNG PILOT OF LAKE CHAMPLAINA STORY FOR YOUNG PEOPLEBYOLIVER OPTICBIOGRAPHY AND BIBLIOGRAPHYWilliam Taylor Adams American author better known and loved byboys and girls through his pseudonym Oliver Optic was born July30 1822 in the town of Medway Norfolk County Massachusetts abouttwentyfive miles from Boston For twenty years he was a teacher inthe Public Schools of Boston where he came in close contact with boylife These twenty years taught him how to reach the boys heart andinterest as the popularity of his books attestHis story writing began in 1850 when he was twentyeight years oldand his first book was published in 1853 He also edited The OliverOptic Magazine The Student and Schoolmate Our Little OnesMr Adams died at the age of seventyfive years in Boston March27 1897He was a prolific writer and his stories are most attractive andunobjectionable Most of his books were published in series Probablythe most famous of these is The Boat Club Series which comprisesthe following titlesThe Boat Club All Aboard Now or Never Try Again Poorand Proud Little by Little All of these titles will be found inthis editionOther wellknown series are his Soldier Boy Series Sailor BoySeries Woodville Stories The Woodville Stories will also befound in this editionCHAPTER ITHE SQUALL ON THE LAKEStand by Captain John shouted Lawry Wilford a stout boy offourteen as he stood at the helm of a sloop which was going beforethe wind up Lake ChamplainWhats the matter Lawry demanded the captainWere going to have a squall continued the young pilot as heglanced at the tall peaks of the AdirondacksThere was a squall in those clouds in the judgment of LawryWilford but having duly notified the captain of the impending dangerto his craft he did not assume any further responsibility in themanagement of the sloop It was very quiet on the lake the water wassmooth and the tiny waves sparkled in the bright sunshine There wasno roll of distant thunder to admonish the voyagers and the youth atthe helm was so much accustomed to squalls and tempests which are offrequent occurrence on the lake that they had no terrors to him Itwas dinnertime and the young pilot fearful that the unexpectedguest might reduce the rations to a low ebb for the second table wasmore concerned about this matter than about the squallCaptain John as he was familiarly called on board the_Missisque_ which was the name of the sloop was not a man tobe cheated out of any portion of his dinner by the approach of asquall and though his jaws may have moved more rapidly after theannouncement of the young pilot he did not neglect even the greenapplepies the first of the season prepared with care and skill byMrs Captain John who resided on board and did doctors duty atthe galley Captain John did not abate a single mouthful of the mealthough he knew how rapidly the mountain showers and squalls travelover the lake The sloop did not usually make more than four or fivemiles an hour being deeply laden with lumber which was piled up sohigh on the deck that the mainsail had to be reefed to make room foritThe passenger Mr Randall was a director of a country bankjourneying to Shoreham about twenty miles above the point where hehad embarked in the _Missisque_ He had crossed the lake in theferry intending to take the steamer at Westport for his destinationBeing a man who was always in a hurry but never in season he hadreached the steamboat landing just in time to see the boat movingoff Procuring a wherry and a boy to row it he had boarded the_Missisque_ as she passed up the lake and though the sloop wasnot a passengerboat Captain John had consented to land him atShorehamMr Randall was a landsman and had a proper respect for squalls andtempests even on a freshwater lake He heard the announcement ofLawry Wilford with a feeling of dread and apprehension andstraightway began to conjure up visions of a terrible shipwreck andof sole survivors clinging with the madness of desperation to brokenspars in the midst of the stormtossed waters But Mr Randall was adirector of a country bank and a certain amount of dignity wasexpected and required of him His official position before the peopleof Vermont demanded that he should not give way to idle fears IfCaptain Jones who was not a bank director could keep cool it wasMr Randalls solemn duty to remain unmoved or at least to appear toremain soThe passenger finished the first course of the dinner which MrsCaptain John had made a little more elaborate than usual in honor ofthe distinguished guest but he complained of the smallness of hisappetite and it was evident that he did not enjoy the meal after thebrief colloquy between the skipper and the pilot He was nervous hisdignity was a bore to him and was maintained at an immensesacrifice of personal ease but he persevered until a piece of thedainty greenapple pie was placed before him when he lacerated thetender feelings of Mrs Captain John by abruptly leaving the tableand rushing on deckThis hurried movement was hardly to be regarded as a sacrifice ofhis dignity for it was made with what even the skippers lady wascompelled to allow was a reasonable excuseGracious exclaimed Mr Randall as the tempting piece of greenapplepie reeking with indigenous juices was placed before himAt the same moment the bank director further indicated hisastonishment and horror by slapping both hands upon his breast in astyle worthy of Brutus when Rome was in perilWhats the matter squire demanded Captain John dropping hisknife and fork and suspending the operation of his vigorous jawstill an explanation could be obtainedIve left my coat on deck replied Mr Randall rising from hischairIts just as safe there as twould be on your back squire addedthe skipperTheres six thousand dollars in the pocket of that coat said thebank director with a gasp of apprehension Wheres my coatdemanded heThere it is replied Lawry