by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER IX.
THE WATCH-BILL.
Shuffles struggled with the irons and with the stout men who held himuntil he had exhausted himself; and then, because his frame, rather thanhis spirit, was worn down, he was quiet. It was the first case of severediscipline that had occurred on board, and it created a tremendoussensation among the students.
Mr. Lowington stood with folded arms, watching the vain struggles of theculprit, until he was reduced to a state of comparative calmness. Helooked sad, rather than angry, and his dignity was not impaired by theassault upon his authority.
"Shuffles, I am sorry to see one who has been an officer of the shipreduced to your condition; but discipline must and shall be maintained,"said the principal. "We are on the high seas now, and disobedience isdangerous. You led me to believe that you had reformed your life andconduct."
"It isn't my fault," replied Shuffles, angrily.
"You had better not reply to me in that tone," added Mr. Lowington,mildly.
"Yes, I will!"
"Mr. Topliffe," continued the principal.
"Here, sir," replied the head steward.
"You will have the brig cleared out for use."
"Yes, sir;" and the head steward went below to obey the order.
There was not a boy on board who knew what the "brig" was, though theestablishment had existed in the steerage from the time when the boysfirst went on board the ship. It had never before been required for use,and Mr. Lowington had carefully veiled every disagreeable feature ofdiscipline, until it was necessary to exhibit it. The brig was theprison of the ship--the lock-up. It was located under and abaft the mainladder, in the steerage, being an apartment five feet in length by threefeet in width. The partitions which enclosed it were composed of uprightplanks, eight inches in width, with spaces between them for theadmission of light and air.
The brig had been used as a store room for bedding by the stewards, andthe students never suspected, till Shuffles' case came up, that it wasnot built for a closet. Mr. Topliffe and his assistants removed theblankets and comforters from this lock-up, and prepared it for thereception of the refractory pupil. When the room was ready he went ondeck, and reported the fact to the principal.
"Shuffles, our discipline has always been of the mildest character,"said Mr. Lowington, breaking the impressive silence which reigned ondeck. "I regret to be compelled to resort to force in any form; even nowI would avoid it."
"You needn't, on my account," replied Shuffles, shaking his head. "Youhave done your worst already."
"Mr. Peaks, take him below, lock him up in the brig, and bring the keyto me."
The manacled rebel made another effort to resist, but the stout sailorseasily handled him, and bore him down into the steerage. He was thrustinto the brig, ironed as he was, and the door locked upon him. Shufflesglanced at the interior of the prison, and broke out into a contemptuouslaugh. He then commenced kicking the pales of the partition? but hemight as well have attempted to break through the deck beneath.
"Shuffles," said Peaks, in a low tone, when he had locked the door, "bea man. You act like a spoiled child now."
"I have been insulted, and abused," replied Shuffles, fiercely.
"No, you haven't. Aboard almost any ship, you would have got a knock onthe head with a handspike before this time. Don't make a fool ofyourself. You are only making yourself ridiculous now--'pon my word asan old sailor, you are."
"I'll have satisfaction."
"No, you won't, unless you break your own head. I want to advise you, asa friend, not to make a fool of yourself. I'm sorry for you, my lad."
"Don't talk to me."
"I can forgive you for disobeying orders, but I can't forgive you forbeing a fool. Now, keep quiet, and be a man."
The well-meant effort of the boatswain to pacify the culprit was afailure, and Peaks, going on deck, delivered the key of the brig to Mr.Lowington. Shuffles kicked against the partition till he was tired ofthe exercise.
"Young gentlemen, to-day we enter upon a new experience on shipboard,"said the principal, without making any further allusion to Shuffles."Our short trips last season were so timed that we kept no regular nightwatches, and, with two or three exceptions, the ship was at anchor whenyou slept. Of course that is not practicable on a long voyage, and youmust all do duty by night as well as by day.
"This has been a difficult matter to arrange, for you are all too youngto be deprived of your regular sleep, though in heavy weather I amafraid you will lose your rest to some extent. At eight o'clock thisevening the starboard watch will be on duty. We have four times as manyhands on board the Young America as are usually employed in merchantships, so that a quarter watch will be able to handle the ship on allordinary occasions. We shall, therefore, keep a quarter watch on ship'sduty at all times through the twenty-four hours.
"During the night, including the time from eight in the evening untileight in the morning, each quarter watch will be on duty two hours, andthen off six hours; and each hand will obtain six consecutive hours'sleep every night. At eight this evening, the first part of thestarboard watch will have the ship in charge, and all others may turn inand sleep. At ten, the second part of the starboard watch will becalled, without disturbing any others. At twelve, the first part of theport watch will be summoned; at two, the second part; and so on tilleight in the morning.
"The first part of the starboard watch, which turned in at ten, willsleep till four, giving them six hours of rest all together, and theymay turn in again at six o'clock, when relieved by the second part, andsleep till half past seven, which is breakfast time for those off duty.
"During the daytime, from eight in the morning till eight in theevening, the same routine will be observed To-morrow, at eight in themorning, the first part of the port watch will take charge of the shiptill ten; the second part will be off duty, and the time will be theirown, to use as they think proper. At ten, the second part will be incharge, and the first will have their own time till twelve. All thestarboard watch, during these four hours, will study and recite. In theafternoon the same course will be pursued with the other watch. Do youunderstand it?"
"Yes, sir," replied the boys.
"By this arrangement you will average three hours of duty every night.To-night the port watch will be on deck two hours, and the starboardwatch, whose turn will come twice, four hours; but to-morrow night theoperation will be reversed, and the port will have the deck four hours,and the starboard but two. Two copies of the watch bill will be postedin the steerage, and one in the after cabin. Young gentlemen, Irecommend you to study it, until you are perfectly familiar with itsrequirements."
"How is it with the officers, Mr. Lowington?" asked Paul Kendall, whowas generally the spokesman for his companions.
"The officers are divided into watches in precisely the same manner asthe crew. To the starboard watch belong the first and third lieutenant,the second and fourth master, and the first and third midshipman, whichmakes one officer of each grade for each quarter watch," replied Mr.Lowington. "Their off-time and study-time correspond with those of thecrew."
It is quite possible that the officers and crew of the Young Americaunderstood the complicated arrangement of the principal. If they didnot, they could refer to the posted document; and, as we cannot depriveour readers of this privilege, we insert in full, the
WATCH BILL. FIRST DAY.
_First Watch, from 8 till 12 P.M._
From 8 till 10. 1st Lieut., 2d Master, 1st Mid. First Part of the Starboard Watch.
From 10 till 12. 3d Lieut., 4th Master, 3d Mid. Second Part of the Starboard Watch.
_Mid Watch, from 12 till 4 A.M._
From 12 till 2. 2d Lieut., 1st Master, 2d Mid. First Part of the Port Watch.
From 2 till 4. 4th Lieut., 3d Master, 4th Mid. Second Part of the Port Watch.
_Morning Watch, from 4 till 8 A.M._
From 4 till 6. 1st Lieut., 2d Master, 1st Mid. Firs
t Part of the Starboard Watch.
From 6 till 8. 3d Lieut., 4th Master, 3d Mid. Second Part of the Starboard Watch.
_Forenoon Watch, from 8 till 12 A.M._
From 8 till 10. 2d Lieut., 1st Master, 2d Mid. First Part of the Port Watch. Second Part of Port Watch off Duty. All the Starboard Watch study and recite till 12.
From 10 till 12. 4th Lieut., 3d Master, 4th Mid. Second Part of Port Watch. First Part of Port Watch off Duty.
_Afternoon Watch, from 12 till 4 P.M._
From 12 till 2. 1st Lieut., 2d Master, 1st Mid. First Part of Starboard Watch. Second Part of the Starboard Watch off Duty. All the Port Watch study and recite till 4.
From 2 till 4. 3d Lieut., 4th Master, 3d Mid. Second Part of the Starboard Watch. First Part of the Starboard Watch off Duty.
_First Dog Watch, from 4 till 6 P.M._
From 4 till 5. 2d Lieut., 1st Master, 2d Mid. First Part of the Port Watch. Second Part of the Port Watch off Duty. All the Starboard Watch study and recite till 6.
From 5 till 6. 4th Lieut., 3d Master, 4th Mid. Second Part of the Port Watch. First Part of the Port Watch off Duty.
_Second Dog Watch, from 6 till 8 P.M._
From 6 till 7. 1st Lieut., 2d Master, 1st Mid. First Part of the Starboard Watch. Second Part of the Starboard Watch off Duty. All the Port Watch study and recite till 8.
From 7 till 8. 3d Lieut., 4th Master, 3d Mid. Second Part of the Starboard Watch. First Part of the Starboard Watch off Duty.
_Breakfast._
Port Watch, 7-1/2 o'clock. Starboard Watch, 8 o'clock.
_Dinner._
Starboard Watch, 11-1/2 o'clock. Port Watch, 12 o'clock.
_Supper._
Starboard Watch, 5-1/2 o'clock. Port Watch, 6 o'clock.
The watch bill for the second day was the same, with the exception ofthe names of the watches and quarter watches. The entire programme wasreversed by the operation of the dog watches, which substituted "port"for "starboard," and "starboard" for "port," in the next day's routine.
When the boys were permitted to go below, they rushed to the watchbills, and studied them faithfully, till they fully understood theprogramme. Each student ascertained his duty for the night, and hisoff-time and study-hours for the next day, which were included in thefirst day's bill.
"I go on at twelve o'clock," said Paul Kendall, in the after cabin, whenhe had examined the bill.
"And I go on deck at eight o'clock," added Joseph Haven, the firstlieutenant. "I shall have a chance to sleep from ten till four in themorning, and an hour and a half, from six till half past seven."
"I shall have my watch below from two till breakfast time. I don't thinkwe need wear ourselves out under this arrangement."
"No; I thought we should be obliged to take four hours of duty at a timeon deck."
"How will it be when we have rough weather?" asked Paul.
"I don't know; I suppose we must take our chances then."
"What do you think of Shuffles' case?" added Paul.
"He will get the worst of it."
"I'm sorry for him. He behaved first rate last year, though they say heused to be a hard fellow."
"What's the use of a fellow doing as he has done?" said Haven, withpalpable disgust. "He can't make anything by it."
"Of course he can't."
"I would rather have him in the cabin than in the steerage, for he willnot obey orders; and when he is ugly, he is a perfect tiger. I wonderwhat Mr. Lowington is going to do with him. There is no such thing asexpelling a fellow in this institution now. If he means to becross-grained, he can keep us in hot water all the time."
The officers were too much excited by the fact that the ship was outwardbound to remain long in the cabin, and they returned to the deck towatch the progress of the vessel. At eight o'clock the Young America wasout of sight of land, though it would have been too dark to see it tenmiles distant. The quartermaster, at the helm, struck eight bells, whichwere repeated on the forecastle.
"All the first part of the starboard watch, ahoy!" shouted theboatswain, for it was now time to commence the programme of regular seaduty.
The first lieutenant took his place, as officer of the deck, near thehelm; the second master on the forecastle and the third midshipman inthe waist. The first part of the starboard watch were stationed invarious parts of the deck. Of the four quartermasters, one was attachedto each quarter watch. The wheel was given to two hands for the firsthour, and two were placed on the top-gallant forecastle, to act as thelookout men, to be relieved after one hour's service. The rest of theboys were required to keep awake, but no special duty was assigned tothem. There were hands enough on deck to "tack ship," or to take in thesails, one or two at a time.
Though the ship was nominally in the hands and under the direction ofher juvenile officers, who performed all the duties required in workingher, yet they were closely watched by the principal, who, if there wasanything wrong, informed the captain of the fact. The commander kept nowatch, but he was responsible for every manoeuvre, and for the regularroutine of duty. Mr. Lowington seldom spoke to any other officer inregard to ship's duty or the navigation.
When the watch was set, at eight bells, most of the boys who were offduty went into the steerage. Some of them turned in; but the novelty ofthe occasion was too great to permit them to sleep. They collected ingroups, to talk over the prospects of the voyage, and the dutiesrequired of them, as indicated by the watch bill.
Shuffles sat on a stool in the brig, still nursing his wrath. When hissupper was carried to him by the steward, his irons had been taken off.He refused to eat, and the food was removed. As he was now quiet, theirons were not replaced. The prisoner was far from penitent for hisoffence.
Mr. Agneau, the chaplain, was very much concerned about the prisoner. Hewas shocked by his disobedience, and pained to find that one who haddone so well could do so ill. The case had been fully considered in theprofessors' cabin; and Mr. Lowington declared that Shuffles should stayin the brig till he had repented of his folly, and promised obediencefor the future. The chaplain was a tender-hearted man, and he thoughtthat some gentle words might touch the feelings of the prisoner, andbring him to a sense of duty. With the principal's permission,therefore, he paid a visit to Shuffles in the evening.
"I am very sorry to find you here, Shuffles," said Mr. Agneau, when hehad locked the door behind him.
"Has Lowington sent you to torment me?" demanded the prisoner.
"Mr. Lowington, you mean," added the chaplain, gently.
"No, I mean Lowington. When a man has abused and insulted me, I can'tstop to put a handle to his name."
"I regret to find you in such an unhappy frame of mind, my young friend.I came here of my own accord, to do what I might to help you."
"Did you, indeed!" sneered Shuffles.
"That was my only object."
"Was it? Well, if you want to help me, you will induce Lowington to letme out of this crib, apologize for what he has done, and give me myplace in the after cabin."
"That is plainly impossible," replied the astonished chaplain.
"Then you can't do anything for me; and I think I can take care ofmyself."
"I entreat you, my young friend, to consider the error of your ways."
"There is no error in my ways, Mr. Agneau."
"You are unreasonable."
"No, I'm not. I only want what is fair and right."
"Was it right for you, Shuffles, to refuse obedience to the principal,when he told you to go aft?"
"I have always obeyed all proper orders; and under the circumstances, Ithink it was right for me to refuse."
"You fill me with amazement!" exclaimed the chaplain.
"You know it was not fair to give out the offices by last year's marks,"protested Shuffles.
"On the contrary, I think it was entirely fair."
&n
bsp; "I haven't anything more to say if it was," replied Shuffles, in surlytones.
The chaplain, finding the prisoner was not in a proper frame of mind foredifying conversation, left him, and returned to the professors' cabin.The boys had been forbidden to go near the brig, or to speak to theprisoner; and thus far no one had exhibited any disposition to disregardthe order. Many of them, as they passed near the brig, glanced curiouslyat him. After the departure of the chaplain, Wilton sat down on a stoolnear the lock-up.
"How are you. Shuffles?" said he, in a low tone.
"Come here, Wilton--will you?" replied the prisoner.
"I can't; we are not allowed to speak to you."
"What do you care for that? No one can see you."
"What do you want?"
"I want to talk with you."
"I shall be punished if I'm caught."
"You won't be caught. How are our fellows now?"
"First rate," replied Wilton, walking up and down the berth deck, risingand looking as though nothing was going on.
"You know what we were talking about just before the row," addedShuffles, drawing his stool up to the palings.
"You said you wouldn't trust me," answered Wilton, still pacing the deckin front of the brig.
"You told Lowington about something he had no business to know; but Iforgive you, Wilton."
"You are very willing to forgive me, now you are in a tight place."
"It was mean of you to do it, Wilton; you can't deny that. Lowington wason the best of terms with me when I was in the after cabin, and I mighthave told him a hundred things about you."
"Didn't you tell him anything?"
"Not a word."
"Well, you are a good fellow, and I always thought you were. I couldn'tsee why you turned traitor to us when we intended to spend the Fourth ofJuly on shore."
"I was obliged to do what I did. If I hadn't, I should have been turnedout of my office."
"Perhaps you were right, Shuffles, and we won't say anything more aboutthe past," replied Wilton, who was too willing to be on good terms withthe powerful malcontent, even while he was a prisoner and in disgrace.
"Wilton, I am going to be captain of this ship within ten days," saidShuffles, in a whisper. "Now you may go and tell Lowington of that."
"Of course I shall not tell him," added Wilton, indignantly.
"I told you merely to show you that I had full confidence in you--that'sall. You can betray me if you wish to do so."
"I don't wish to do anything of the kind. Of course we shall always gotogether, as we did before you were an officer."
"I shall be an officer again soon."
"What's the use of talking about such a thing?"
"I shall."
"Do you mean to get up the mutiny?"
"I do. I feel more like it now than I ever did before," repliedShuffles; and his low tones came from between his closed teeth.
"It's no use to think of such a thing. It's too wild."
"No matter if it is; it shall be carried out."
"The fellows won't go in for it; they won't dare to do it."
"Yes, they will. I know them better than you do, Wilton. It isn't quitetime yet; but in three or four days they will be ready for anything."
"You can't bring them up to what you mean."
"Yes, I can."
"What do you expect to do, locked up in that place?" demanded Wilton,incredulously.
"When I get ready to go out of this place, I shall go. I needn't stayhere any longer than I please."
"Do you really mean to get up a mutiny?"
"Hush! Don't call it by that name."
"What shall I call it?"
"Call it making a chain."
"I don't understand you," answered Wilton, puzzled by the expression.
"I know what I'm about, and I have got more friends in the ship thanLowington has. And I know exactly how to manage the whole thing," addedShuffles, confidently.
"But the fellows are all perfectly satisfied with their condition. Theywish to go to Europe, and are pleased with the prospect before them."
"Perhaps they are; and they shall all go to Europe, and travel aboutwithout being tied to Lowington's coat-tails. I shall come out of thisplace to-morrow, and we will work the thing up."
"I'm in for a time with any good fellow; but I don't think we can makethis thing go," said Wilton. "Hush! Don't say another word. There comesan officer."
One bell, indicating half past eight in the evening, struck on deck. Itwas the duty of the master and midshipman on deck, alternately, to passthrough the steerage every half hour during the watch, to see that therewas no disorder, and that the lights were all secure, so as to avoid anydanger from fire. Henry Martyn, the second master, performed this officeon the present occasion. He descended the main ladder, and Wilton, whoexpected the visit when he heard the stroke of the bell, retreated tohis mess room, and threw himself into his berth. Harry walked around thesteerage, and glanced into the gangways, from which the rooms opened.
"Harry," said Shuffles, in a low tone, as the master was about to returnto the deck.
"Did you speak to me?" asked Harry, stepping up to the bars of the cage.
"I did. Will you oblige me by telling the chaplain that I would like tosee him?" added the prisoner.
"I will;" and Harry knocked at the door of the professors' cabin.