So it was that Phil Lowry, the youngest of the party, and the most harum-scarum boy in all Vevay, was chosen captain of _The Last of the Flatboats_ by those who were to voyage with him, simply because they all believed him to be the one best fit for the place. CHAPTER IV A HURRY CALL Without theorizing about it, and, indeed, without knowing the fact, Phil began at once to rise to his responsibility. The success of the enterprise, he felt, depended in a large degree upon him, and he must think of everything necessary in advance. One night, late in September, he asked his comrades to meet him “on business” in Will Moreraud’s room over a store. When they were all gathered around the little pine table with a smoky lamp on it, Phil drew out a carefully prepared memorandum and laid it before him. Then he began:-- “As you’ve made me responsible in this business, I’ve been studying up a little. The river’s going to rise earlier than usual this year, and in two weeks at most there’ll be water enough to get the boat over the falls at Louisville.” “How do you know that?” broke in Constant Thiebaud, incredulously. “Because there has already been a smart rise all along, as you know, and heavy rains are falling in the West Virginia and Pennsylvania mountains. The Allegheny River is bank full; the Monongahela is over its banks; and the Muskingum and the Big Kanawha and the Little Kanawha are all rising fast. There’ll be lots of water here almost before we know it.” “Whew!” cried Irving Strong, rising,--for he could never sit still when anything interesting was under discussion,--“but how in the name of all the ’ologies do you know what’s going on in the Virginia mountains, and the rivers, and all that?” “I’ve been reading the Cincinnati papers every day since you made me ‘IT’; that’s all. Mr. Schenck lends them to me.” “Well, Gee Whillicks!” exclaimed Constant, “who’d ’a’ thought of that!” “No matter,” said Phil, a little abashed by the approbation of his foresight which he saw in all the boys’ eyes and heard in all their voices. “No matter about that; but I’ve more to say. The sooner we can get away with the flatboat, the better.” “Why? What difference does it make?” “Well, for most of the things we are taking as freight the prices are apt to be much higher in the fall than later, after the steamboats load up the market. That’s what Mr. Shaw says, and he knows. So we must get the boat loaded just as quickly as we can, and go out as soon as there is water enough to get her over the falls.” “But we can’t do that,” said Ed, “because most of the produce we are to take hasn’t been brought to town yet. The hay is here, of course, but apples have hardly begun to come in--”