American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

Louis Belgrave did not take kindly to the suggestion of Uncle Moses to call the little steamer, which had now come into the possession of the party, the Don Quixote. He had read Don Quichotte, as the book is called in French, twice with Professor Seveignien, his instructor at Von Blonk Park, in that language. He was therefore quite familiar with the career of the knight of La Mancha, which Cervantes wrote as a sort of burlesque on knight-errantry.

The young millionaire's alleged fondness for adventure had been the reason why Uncle Moses had playfully given him the name of "Sir Louis; " but of the four young Americans afloat on the present cruise, he was no more inclined to erratic enterprises than the others. The average boy delights in adventure, at least in the contemplation and narration; and he was no exception to the rule, though he had always been devoted to his studies.

But the average boy had not the ingenuity, pluck, and enterprise of Louis; and perhaps he made his adventures more exciting than another might have done. The nearest approach to him in the big four appeared to be Scott, who had fully developed himself in the recapture of the Salihé, though his intended cruise in the Seahound in the West Indies stamped the metal of which he was made.

Louis did not like the name of Don Quixote, a crack-brained and absurd adventurer, whose career Cervantes had written and made as ridiculous as possible for the purpose of bringing knight-errantry into disrepute; and he succeeded admirably. In dubbing his ward a knight, Uncle Moses simply intended to ridicule adventures in general.

"I don't like the name of Don Quixote, which my trustee suggests, and that is the only name that has been mentioned," said Louis, when the big four had assembled to talk over the organization of the ship's company, after he had informed them of the purchase of the little steamer.

The young millionaire had explained to them the use to which it was intended to apply her, with some enlargement of the idea to suit his own fancy, and had reported some of the conversation between the captain, Uncle Moses, and the magnate of the Fifth Avenue.

"Don Quixote isn't a bad name for a boat," added Scott. "I don't know much about the fellow who bore it, and I am not competent to give an opinion as to its fitness."

It then appeared that Louis was the only one of the four who had read the book; and he gave some description of the Spanish knight-errant, and related some of his adventures with windmills, wine sacks, and galley slaves.

"The Don is not the fellow for our craft," added Scott. "But I suppose you own the steam-yacht, Louis, as you do the Guardian-Mother, and you ought to name her to suit yourself."

"Morris's father is as much an owner of her as I am, for he pays half her cost. The name was referred to me; but I think Morris ought to have as much to say about that as I have," replied Louis.

"I don't care what her name is," said Morris, laughing. "There will be just as much fun in her under one name as any other. If you have thought of anything, Louis, I will agree to it."

"What shall her name be, Louis? " demanded Scott.

"I thought of calling her the Maud," answered Louis.

"The only objiction in loife I have to that name is that it was what they called the shtaymer of John Schoble," added Felix.

"But that was not her name, and it was only stuck on over 'Viking."

"Maud is a tip-top name! " exclaimed Scott.

"I like it; and it is your mother's name, Louis, which makes me like it all the more," said Morris.

"Maud it is, then; and no fellow must say Salihé after this," added Scott.

As a matter of form the question was put to vote, and Maud was unanimously adopted as the name of the steamer.

"The next thing is to make out a list of officers and crew," suggested Louis. "But we can't have a great many officers, for we have not fellows enough to fill the places. First we want a captain, and we will vote for him by ballot."