CHAPTER II
A CRY FOR HELP
Owing to the time he had spent talking to the young man whose boat hesaved, Nat lost a chance of getting work in helping to unload thesteamer. Still he did help to carry some freight to the waiting trucksand drays, and for this he received fifty cents. But as he had fivedollars, he did not mind the small sum paid him by the freight agent.
"You weren't around as early as usual," remarked that official as heobserved Nat. "You usually make more than this."
"I know it, but I had a job that paid me better," and our hero toldabout the boat incident.
"Another steamer'll be in day after to-morrow," went on the agent."Better be around early."
"I will, thanks."
Then, as there was no further opportunity for work on the pier thatday, Nat started for the place he called home. It was in a poortenement, in one of the most congested districts of Chicago.
But if there were dirt and squalor all about, Mrs. Miller did herbest to keep her apartment clean. So though the way up to it was byrather dirty stairs, the rooms were neat and comfortable.
"Well, Nat, you're home early, aren't you?" asked the woman, who, withher husband, had befriended the orphan lad.
"Yes, Mrs. Miller."
"I suppose you couldn't get any work?"
"Oh, yes, I got some."
"What's the matter, then? Don't you feel well?"
She could not understand any one coming away so early from a placewhere there was work, for work, to the poor, means life itself.
"Oh, I did so well I thought I'd take a vacation," and Nat related theincident of the day.
The boy's liking for the water seemed to have been born in him. Soonafter his mother had died his father placed him in the care of afamily in an inland city. The child seemed to pine away, and an oldwoman suggested he might want to be near the water, as his father hadfollowed all his life a calling that kept him aboard boats. Though hedid not believe much in that theory, Mr. Morton finally consented toplace his son to board in Chicago. Nat at once picked up and became astrong, healthy lad.
As he grew older his father took him on short trips with him, so Natgrew to know and love the Great Lakes, as a sailor learns to know andlove the ocean.
Soon Nat began asking questions about ships and how they were sailed.His father was a good instructor, and between his terms at school Natlearned much about navigation in an amateur sort of way.
Best of all he loved to stand in the pilot-house, where he wasadmitted because many navigators knew and liked Mr. Morton. There theboy learned something of the mysteries of steering a boat by thecompass and by the lights on shore. He learned navigating terms, and,on one or two occasions, was even allowed to take the spokes of thegreat wheel in his own small hands.
In this way Nat gained a good practical knowledge of boats. Then camethe sad day when he received the news of the death of his father.Though up to that time he had lived in comparative comfort, he nowfound himself very poor.
For though, as he told John Scanlon, his father had said somethingabout financial matters being better after the delivery of the bigload that was on the lumber barge on which he met his death, the boywas too young to understand it.
All he knew was that he had to leave his pleasant boarding place andgo to live with a poor family--the Millers--who took compassion on thehomeless lad.
Mr. Miller had made an effort to see if Mr. Morton had not left somelittle money, but his investigation resulted in nothing.
For about two years Nat had lived with the Millers, doing what oddjobs he could find. His liking for the water kept him near the lake,and he had never given up his early ambition to become a pilot someday, though that time seemed very far off.
Every chance Nat got he went aboard the steamers that tied up at theriver wharves. In this way he got to know many captains and officers.Some were kind to him and allowed him the run of their ships while atdock. Others were surly, and ordered the boy off.
In this way he became quite a familiar figure about the lake front,and was more or less known to those who had business there.
When Mr. Miller came home the night of Nat's adventure hecongratulated the lad on what he had done in the matter of saving therowboat.
"And I got well paid for it," added Nat as he finished his story andshowed the five-dollar bill. "There, Mrs. Miller, we'll have a gooddinner Sunday."
"But I can't take your money, Nat," objected the woman.
"Of course you will," he insisted. "That's what it's for. I owe you alot of back board, anyhow. I didn't get hardly any work last week."
"I hope business will be better next week," said Mr. Miller. "I didn'tearn much myself these last few days."
There was little to do at the pier the next day, and the following dayquite a severe storm swept over the lake. The boats were late gettingto the docks, and the longshoremen and freight handlers had to laborfar into the night.
"I don't believe I'll be able to get home to supper, Nat," said Mr.Miller to the lad as they were working near each other on the docklate in the afternoon. "Could you spare time to go up and tell mywife?"
"Sure. I'm almost done with taking out the light stuff. I'll go inabout half an hour. Shall I bring you back some lunch?"
"Yes, that would be a good idea, and then I'll not have to stop, and Ican earn more."
As Nat was about to leave, the freight agent called to him:
"Where you going, Nat?"
"Home to get some supper for Mr. Miller."
"All right. See me when you come back. I have an errand for you, andI'll give you a quarter if you do it."
"Sure I will. What is it?"
"I want to send a message and some papers to a firm uptown. It'sabout some freight they're expecting, and the office is keeping openlate on account of it. Now hurry home and come back, and I'll have themessage ready for you."
Nat was soon back at the pier, with a lunch for Mr. Miller. Then, withthe note and papers which the freight agent had ready for him, hestarted off uptown.
As he was on his way back from the errand, he walked slowly along thewater front. He decided he would call at the pier and see if he couldhelp Mr. Miller, so that his benefactor might get through earlier.
Nat reached a wharf some distance away from the one where he had beenemployed during the day. It seemed to be deserted, though there was alarge vessel tied up on one side of it, and two barges on the other.
"I'd like to be a pilot on that big steamer," thought Nat as hecontemplated the craft in the glare of an electric light. "That wouldbe a fine job. Well, maybe I'll be on one like her some day."
He was about to walk on, when suddenly the stillness of the night wasbroken by a cry. It was a shout, and it seemed to come from near thebig freight barges.
"Help! help!" cried the voice. "I'm drowning! I'm in the water and Ican't get out! Help! help!"