first, and neither was willing to
yield. Both boats were near the lock, their head-lights shining as
bright as day, and the spirit of antagonism reached and affected the
crews of both.

Captain Letcher felt called upon to interfere lest there should be
serious trouble.

He beckoned to his bowman.

"Were you here first?" he asked.

"It is hard to tell," answered the bowman, "but I'm bound to have the
lock, anyhow."

The captain was not wholly unaffected by the spirit of antagonism which
his bowman displayed.

"All right; just as you say," he answered, and it seemed likely that
conflict was inevitable.

James Garfield had been an attentive observer, and an attentive
listener to what had been said. He had formed his own ideas of what was
right to be done.

"Look here, captain," he said, tapping Captain Letcher on the arm, "does
this lock belong to us?"

"I really suppose, according to law, it does not; but we will have it,
anyhow."

"No, we will not," replied the boy.

"And why not?" asked the captain, naturally surprised at such a speech
from his young driver.

"Because it does not belong to us."

The captain was privately of opinion that the boy was right, yet but for
his remonstrance he would have stood out against the claims of the rival
boat. He took but brief time for considerations, and announced his
decision.

"Boys," he said to his men, "Jim is right. Let them have the lock."

Of course there was no more trouble, but the bowman, and the others
connected with the _Evening Star_, were angry. It irritated them to be
obliged to give up the point, and wait humbly till the other boat had
passed through the lock.

The steersman was George Lee. When breakfast was called, he sat down by
James.

"What is the matter with you, Jim?" he asked.

"Nothing at all."

"What made you so for giving up the lock last night?"

"Because it wasn't ours. The other boat had it by right."

"Jim, you are a coward," said Lee contemptuously. "You aint fit for a
boatman. You'd better go back to the farm and chop wood or milk cows,
for a man or boy isn't fit for this business that isn't ready to fight
for his rights."

James did not answer. Probably he saw that it would be of no use. George
Lee was for his own boat, right or wrong; but James had already begun to
reflect upon the immutable principles of right or wrong, and he did not
suffer his reason to be influenced by any considerations touching his
own interes