by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER V.
OUR FELLOWS.
"I would like leave of absence for to-morrow, Mr. Pelham," said Wilton,as he touched his cap to the first lieutenant of the Young America, onthe day before the Fourth of July.
"I am sorry to inform you, Wilton, that no leave of absence will begranted to-morrow," replied Pelham in accordance with the instructionsgiven him by the captain, who, in turn, had received his orders from theprincipal.
"No leave!" exclaimed Wilton, his jaw dropping down.
"Such are the orders."
"I have always been in the habit of celebrating the Fourth of July,"replied Wilton. "Are we to stay on board the ship, and mope all day?"
"I presume the day will be celebrated on board in a proper manner,"added the first lieutenant.
"On board! What can a fellow do here? We might as well go to bed, andsleep off the day."
"No words are necessary, Wilton," replied Pelham as he turned and walkedaway.
"That's a good one!" added Wilton, to the group of boys who had comewith him to the mainmast, to request the same favor, if the spokesmanwas permitted to go on shore and celebrate the day.
"Not to celebrate!" exclaimed Monroe, with something like horror in histones and looks.
"Work on the Fourth of July!" chimed in Adler.
"I won't stand it, for one!" said Wilton.
"Nor I, for another," added Monroe.
So said half a dozen others.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" demanded Adler. "Here we are,and we can't get ashore."
"Perhaps we can," said Wilton, as he led the way to a retired part ofthe deck, where they could talk without being overheard. "Did any oneever hear of such a thing as keeping the fellows on board on the Fourthof July? Why, every little Greek in the city yonder has his liberty onthat day; and we are to be cooped up here like a parcel of sickchickens! I suppose we shall have to recite history and French, andshake out topsails, as usual."
"It's outrageous. I don't believe the fellows will stand it," addedAdler, who did not know how bad the case was, until it had beenrehearsed by Wilton, who, in the absence of Shuffles, had become theleader of a certain clique on board, given to taking opposite views.
"But I don't see what we can do," said Monroe.
"We will do something. I won't stand it. If I stay on board the shipto-morrow, it will be as a prisoner," answered Wilton.
"It's a hard case; but what can we do about it?" asked Sanborn.
"Suppose we go to Lowington, and state the case to him," suggestedAdler.
"What's the use of that? Of course the first lieutenant spoke by thecard. He had his orders to say what he did, and I'm sure they came fromLowington."
"There can be no doubt of that; but it would be better to have it fromhim."
"I'm willing to ask Lowington for the day, if the fellows want me to doso; but it won't do any more good than it would to bark at themainmast," continued Wilton. "I have an idea in my head, if the fellowswill stand by me," he added, in a lower tone, as he looked over the railat the swinging boom, to which the boats in constant use were made fast.
"What is it?" asked Monroe, eagerly.
"Keep shady, for a while. How many fellows can we muster?"
"I don't know."
"Well, don't stir the matter yet. Here comes Lowington and we will talkto him first. Come, fellows, let's make a dive at him."
Wilton, attended by his companions, walked up to the principal, as hewas going forward. Touching his cap respectfully, as the discipline ofthe ship required, he opened the case.
"Mr. Lowington, some of the students would like to go on shoreto-morrow, to celebrate the Fourth. Can't we have liberty?"
"You know the rule; you should apply to the first lieutenant for leaveof absence," replied Mr. Lowington.
"We have, sir, and been refused."
"Then there is nothing more to be said. The first lieutenant speaks withauthority."
"I beg your pardon, sir, but are we to stay on board all day to-morrow?"
"That is certainly the arrangement, Wilton."
"Some of us would like to celebrate the day, sir, and we think it israther hard to be obliged to do duty on the Fourth of July."
"I intend to have the day celebrated in a proper manner. I have madepreparations for a gala day on board."
"If you please, sir, we would rather go on shore."
"I am very sorry, for your sake, that I shall be unable to reverse theanswer of the first lieutenant. If I permit one or a dozen to go ashore,I cannot refuse any, and all must go. I think the boys will be satisfiedwith the arrangements I have made for the day."
"I never was kept in school on the Fourth of July before, sir," growledWilton.
"Then this will be a new event in your experience," answered Mr.Lowington, coldly, as he turned from the petitioners, and went forward.
There were a great many wild boys on board of the Young America, and itwas morally impossible for the whole crew to attend the celebration inthe city, without more or less of them getting into a scrape. They hadbeen kept on board for two months, and not allowed to go on shore,except under the supervision of one of the instructors; and to let anyconsiderable number of them loose on such a day as the Fourth of July,would only be courting trouble, for they would be all the moredisorderly after the long period of restraint.
Mr. Lowington did not willingly deprive the boys of any innocentgratification. He had faithfully considered the matter of celebratingthe day, and taken the advice of the instructors on the subject. It hadbeen proposed to procure a band of music, and visit the city in a body,under the usual discipline; but there were many difficulties attendingsuch a plan. The boys were all the sons of rich men, and most of themwere abundantly supplied with pocket money. As it would be impossible toprevent the escape of some of them from the procession, in the crowdedstreets, it was feared that their money would prove to be "the root ofall evil." The project had finally been abandoned; and, as a substitute,a programme for a celebration on board had been arranged, for there thestudents would be entirely under the control of the instructors, whowould check all excesses. It was anticipated that a few discontentedspirits would grumble, but no rebellion was expected.
Wilton and his companions were dissatisfied, and disposed to be rash.They felt that they had been harshly and cruelly denied a reasonableprivilege. The subject of celebrating the Fourth had been underconsideration for a long time among the boys, and it had been generallybelieved that all hands would be permitted to go on shore, with perfectliberty, on that day; and many of them had already arranged their plansfor the occasion.
"Well, what do you think now?" said Wilton, as Mr. Lowington walkedforward.
"I think it's too bad," replied Adler. "It is meaner than dirt to makeus stay on board on the Fourth of July."
"But I don't see how we are going to help ourselves," added Monroe,looking at Wilton for a solution of this difficult problem.
"I do."
"How?"
"Keep still; don't say a word here," continued Wilton. "Scatter, now,and I will be on the top-gallant forecastle in a few minutes."
Wilton strolled about the deck a short time, and then went to the placeof meeting, where he was soon joined by the rest of the discontentedpupils.
"How many fellows can we muster?" asked he, when his associates inmischief had again gathered around him.
"I know at least a dozen, who are up to anything," replied Monroe; "butsome of them are in the other watch. What are you going to do?"
"I'll tell you: There are the professors' barge and the third cutter atthe swinging boom. We will drop into them when the instructors go downto supper, and make for the shore. All the rest of the boats are at thedavits; and before they can get them into the water, we shall be out oftheir reach. What do you think of that for a plan!"
"I think it is a first-rate one. But hadn't we better wait till theinstructors turn in?" suggested Adler.
"No; the boats will all be hois
ted up to the davits at sunset. We mustdo it while the professors are at supper, or not at all. We want eightoars for the barge, and six for the third cutter; that makes fourteenfellows. Can we raise as many as that?"
"Yes, I think we can; we will try, at any rate."
"But you must look out, or some fellow will blow the whole thing," addedWilton. "Mind whom you speak to."
The trustworthiness of the various students was canvassed, and it wasdecided what ones should be invited to join the enterprise. Thediscontented boys separated, and went to work with great caution toobtain the needed recruits. Unfortunately, in such a crowd of young men,there are always enough to engage in any mischievous plot, and it isquite likely that twice as many as were wanted could have been obtainedto man the boats in the runaway expedition.
Wilton missed Shuffles very much in arranging the details of the presententerprise. While at the Brockway Academy, they had plotted mischief sooften that each seemed to be necessary to the other. But Shuffles hadreformed; he was now third lieutenant of the ship, and it was not safeto suggest a conspiracy to him, for he would attempt to gain favor withthe principal by exposing or defeating it.
Yet Shuffles was so bold in thought, and so daring in execution, thatWilton could hardly abandon the hope of obtaining his assistance;besides, the third lieutenant would be officer of the deck when theprofessors went to supper, and might wink at their departure in theboats, if he did not actually help them off.
"Would you say anything to Shuffles?" asked Wilton, still in doubt, ofMonroe, as they happened to meet again in the waist.
"To Shuffles!" exclaimed Monroe, in an energetic whisper.
"I mean so."
"Certainly not. I should as soon think of speaking to Lowingtonhimself."
"But Shuffles may join us. He is always in for a good time."
"Why, you ninny, he is third lieutenant of the ship."
"No matter if he is. I think Shuffles would like to join us."
"Nonsense! He has been in office only three days, and it would breakhim. He would be degraded to the steerage," replied Monroe, who couldnot help thinking that Wilton was beside himself in proposing such athing, and that the enterprise was doomed to failure in such incompetenthands.
"If he won't join us, perhaps he will help us off. He is officer of thedeck, you know, in the second dog watch."
"I know he is; but don't you open your mouth to him. If you do, I'llback out at once."
"Back out?"
"Yes, back out. I believe you are crazy. Why don't you go to CaptainCarnes, and done with it?" said Monroe, with energy.
"I haven't any hold on Carnes, and I have on Shuffles."
"What do you mean?" asked the prudent conspirator, curiously.
"If Shuffles won't join us, he won't blow on us, you may depend uponthat. He wouldn't dare to do it. I could break him before sundown, if Ichose," said Wilton, with conscious power.
"That alters the case."
"Of course, I shouldn't think of saying anything to him, if I did notknow what I was talking about. I have him where the hair is short, andhe knows it, as well as I do."
"What is it, Wilton?"
"No matter what it is. When a thing is told me in confidence, I keep itto myself; but if he turns traitor to his cronies, he must look out forbreakers. He knows what it is."
"Well, if you can get him, he will be a first-rate fellow to have."
"I think I can get him. Here he comes; you keep out of the way, and Iwill see how deep the water is."
Monroe went forward to find a student to whom he had been deputed tospeak in the interest of the enterprise leaving Wilton to grapple withthe old lion of mischief, whose teeth, however, seemed to have been wornout in the cause.
"What's up, Wilton?" demanded the third lieutenant who was now off duty,and therefore allowed to speak to the crew, though it was a privilege ofwhich the officers seldom availed themselves.
"Who said anything was up?" asked Wilton.
"You look as though you meant something. What were you and Ike Monroetalking about just now?" continued Shuffles. "About me, I'll be bound,for you kept looking at me, as though you meant something."
"What makes you think so? Have you heard anything?" asked Wilton,fearful that the plot had leaked out.
"Not a word? I only judged by your looks."
"I suppose if anything was up, you wouldn't have anything to do with itnow."
"Most decidedly, I should not. I like my present position too well tofall out of it. I'm going to be captain next term, if I can fetch it anyway in the world."
"You mean to be a flunky, just like the rest of them. You are not thesame fellow you used to be."
"Yes, I am."
"You are getting too big for your boots."
"You wrong me, Wilton. I'm just as good a fellow as I ever was. I thinkI'm the best fellow in the ship, and for that reason I want to becaptain. I'm ahead of Carnes so far on marks this month."
"Well, if you want to be the head flunky, I hope you'll get it. We arenot going ashore to-morrow, they say," added Wilton, changing the topicto get nearer to the business of the hour.
"So Pelham told me."
"Are you willing to stay on board and study, and do ship's duty, on theFourth of July?"
"We are going to celebrate."
"How?"
"I'm sure I don't know."
"We shall celebrate to-morrow just as we do every day--as closeprisoners on board the ship. I, for one, don't like it, and I won'tstand it."
"Won't you?" laughed Shuffles.
"When I say I won't, I mean so."
"O, you do--do you?"
"You better believe I do," added Wilton, shaking his head resolutely.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going ashore, by hook or by crook."
"Better not get into any scrape."
"You say that as one of the flunkies."
"Well, you had better not say anything to me, for I shall have to do myduty as an officer. Don't say anything to me, and then I shall not knowanything about it."
"Humph!" sneered Wilton, not pleased with this non-committal policy.
"I don't want to do anything mean with any of our fellows; so don't saya word to me. I shall do my duty as an officer, as I promised to do whenI was made third lieutenant."
"Do you mean to say you will stop me, Shuffles, if you see me going?"demanded Wilton.
"I do mean so; I promised faithfully to do my duty as an officer, and Ishall do it."
"See here, Bob Shuffles; you needn't talk to me in that manner. I knewthe ship's cable from a pint of milk, and you can't come the flunky overme."
"I'm going to do just as you would do if you were in my place. I won'thear a word about any of your plans."
"But will you interfere with them?"
"If it is my duty to do so, I shall. I intend to obey orders; and if Ihave the deck, I shall keep things straight, whatever happens."
"Lowington don't know you as well as I do."
"No matter if he don't; he shall have no fault to find with me thisterm, if I can help it."
"It's no use for me to mince the matter with you, Bob Shuffles. Weunderstand each other too well for that. Something's up."
Shuffles turned on his heel, and was about to walk away.
"Hold on a minute, Shuffles," continued Wilton. "I won't tell you what'sup, but I'll tell you this; if you interfere with what I do, or withwhat the fellows with me do, I'll tell Lowington about the mutiny--Iwill, as sure as your name is Bob Shuffles. Do you understand me?"
"Well, I do; and it seems to me that sounds very much like a threat."
"Call it what you like. If you turn traitor to our fellows, you muststand the racket of it. You are not a saint just yet, and those thatlive in glass houses musn't throw stones."
"I believe I haven't played false to any of our fellows. If I don'tchoose to get into any scrape with them, I have a right to keep out.That's all I've got to say."
"But wha
t are you going to do, Shuffles? Our fellows will want to know."
"I'm going to do my duty," replied the third lieutenant as he walkedaway, regardless of the efforts of his companion to detain him.
Shuffles was experiencing the truth of the old maxim, that honesty isthe best policy. It is to be regretted that his present devotion to dutyhad no higher incentive than mere policy; but it may be hoped of thosewho do their duty from low motives, that they may gather inspirationeven from their politic fidelity to obey its behests from highermotives. The third lieutenant of the Young America intended to keep thepromise he had made in accepting his office, simply because it would paybest.
Wilton and his confederates had no difficulty in making up the requirednumber of discontents and malcontents before six o'clock, which was thetime fixed for carrying out the enterprise they had planned. Some of therecruits joined because they anticipated a good time in the city incelebrating the Fourth, and others from a mere love of mischief andexcitement. The details of the scheme had been carefully elaborated byMonroe and Wilton, after the ranks of the conspirators were full. Havinglearned a valuable lesson from the daily discipline of the ship, themischief was certainly well planned. Each boy was assigned to aparticular position in the boats, and knew on what thwart he was to sit,and which oar he was to pull.
Wilton and Monroe, as the master spirits of the enterprise were to runout first on the swinging boom, and slide down the painters, each intothe boat he was to command. The others were to follow in the same way,descending from the boom, for it was not considered prudent to run theboats up to the gangway, where some enthusiastic officer might easilyinterfere with the plan, which was to depend for its success upon thecelerity of its execution.
When four bells struck, the professors went down to their evening meal,as usual, and the boatswain piped the port watch to supper, thestarboard watch having taken theirs at three bells, or half past five.Wilton gave a low whistle, when Shuffles, officer of the deck, was abaftthe mizzenmast, with his back to the runaways who had gathered in thewaist, and were waiting for the signal.
"Be lively, fellows," said the leader of the enterprise, as he sprangover the rail, and ran out on the boom, followed by Monroe.
The others, in the order in which they had been instructed, did thesame. About half of them were on the boom, when the movement wasreported to the officer of the deck by the midshipman on duty in thewaist. Shuffles rushed forward, now understanding, for the first time,the intentions of Wilton; and true to the inspiration of fidelity, heset about defeating the object of "our fellows."
The studding-sail boom, to which the boats were fastened, was supportedby a topping-lift from above, and kept in position, at right angles withthe side of the ship, by guys extending forward and aft.
"Stand by that fore guy!" shouted Shuffles, as he sprang upon the rail."Cast off!"
"Lively, fellows!" said Wilton, when he saw that the third lieutenantintended to swing in the boom to the ship's side.
"Stand by the after guy of the studding-sail boom!" continued Shuffles,with becoming energy.
Both his orders were promptly obeyed; but seeing that his movement wouldbe too late, he rushed to the topping-lift, and cast it off, causing theswinging boom to drop into the water, just as the last boy was about toslide down into the professors' boat. Of course the luckless fellow wentinto the water; but he was promptly picked up by his companions inmischief.
"If I'm caught, Bob Shuffles, you look out for breakers!" cried Wilton,as the third lieutenant appeared at the gangway again.
The tide was coming in, and the boats swung so far abaft the boom thatit had fallen clear of them when it dropped into the water. Wilton andMonroe were prompt to avail themselves of their present success, and theboys sat in the boats, with their oars up, ready to pull as soon as theorder was given.
"Let fall!" said Wilton; and the eight oars of the professors' bargedropped into the water, and the rowers placed them in readiness for thefirst stroke.
Monroe, in the third cutter, followed the example of his principal, andwas hardly a second behind him.
"Give way!" added Wilton.
"Give way!" repeated Monroe; and the two boats gathered way and dartedoff towards the nearest point of the shore.
Thus far the enterprise of "our fellows" was entirely successful, andShuffles stood on the gangway, chagrined at the defeat which hadattended his efforts to prevent the escape of the runaways.
"Stand by to clear away the first cutter!" shouted he, suddenly and withenergy, as he made his way to the davits, where the boat indicated wassuspended.
"Cast off the gripes, and man the falls!" he continued when the watchwere collected at the scene of action. "Mr. Kendall, you will informthe captain what has happened."
Within three minutes, the first cutter was in the water, for the crewhad been frequently exercised in the evolution of lowering boats, andperformed it with remarkable facility for boys. Before the first cuttertouched the water, the captain, the principal, and all the professors,came on deck.
Mr. Lowington was entirely cool, though everybody else appeared to beintensely excited. The crew of the first cutter were piped away, and atthe principal's suggestion, the third lieutenant was sent off in theboat to prevent the landing of the rebellious pupils.
"Up oars! Let fall! Give way!" said Shuffles, in the boat, deliveringhis orders in rapid succession; and the first cutter darted off in chaseof the runaways.