by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER V.
IN WHICH ERNEST DECLINES A PROPOSITION.
The battle had been fought and lost to me. Mr. Parasyte, roused to thehighest pitch of anger and excitement, seemed to be determined tooverwhelm me. He was reckless and desperate. He had smashed my boatapparently with as little compunction as he would snap a dead stick inhis fingers. He was thoroughly in earnest now; and it was fullydemonstrated that he intended to protect the discipline of theParkville Liberal Institute, even if it cost a human life for him todo so.
I was then "lying round loose" in the lake. I had no idea that I wasin any personal peril from the water; all that disturbed me was thefact that I could not swim fast enough to keep out of the principal'sway. The treacherous breeze had deserted me in the midst of mytriumph, and consigned me to the tender mercies of my persecutor.
I swam away from the boat which had been pursuing me, as though froman instinct which prompted me to escape my oppressor; but Mr.Parasyte, without giving any attention to my sinking craft, orderedhis men to pull again; and he steered towards me. Of course a fewstrokes enabled him to overtake me. If I had had the means, I wouldhave resisted even then, and avoided capture; for I could easily haveswum ashore. But it would have been childish for me to hold out anylonger; and when one of the men held out his oar to me, I grasped it,and was assisted into the boat.
"Are you satisfied, Thornton?" said Mr. Parasyte, with a sneer, as Ishook myself like a water dog, and took my seat in the boat.
"No, sir; I am not satisfied," I replied.
"What are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know about that; I will see in due time."
"You will see in due time, I trust, that the discipline of theParkville Liberal Institute is not to be set at defiance withimpunity."
"I have not set the discipline at defiance. I submitted myself, anddid what I could to make others do so. You can't say that I didanything wrong while I was a member of the academy. You turned me out,and I was going quietly and in order, when you began to browbeat me."
"I ordered you to come to me, and you did not come. That was downrightdisobedience."
"It was after you had turned me out; and all I had to do was to go."
"You were still on my premises, and were subject to my orders."
"I don't think I was."
"I shall not argue the matter with you. I am going to teach you theduty of obedience."
"Perhaps you will; but I don't believe you will," I replied, in a toneof defiance.
"We'll see."
"There's another thing we'll see, while we are about it; and that is,you will pay for smashing my boat."
"Pay for it!" exclaimed he.
"I think so."
"I think not."
"You will, if there is any law in the land."
"Law!" ejaculated he; but his lips actually quivered with anger at theidea of such an outrage upon his magnificent dignity, as being sued,and compelled in a court of justice to pay for the boat he haddestroyed.
"You had no right to run into my boat--no more right than I had to setyour house on fire."
"We will see."
He relapsed into a dignified silence; but he was thinking, I fancy,how very pleasant it would be for him to pay three or four hundreddollars for the Splash; not that he would care much for the money, butit would make him appear so ridiculous in the eyes of the students.
The men were pulling for the shore; but I observed that Mr. Parasytedid not head the boat towards the pier, where the boys were waitingour return. Probably he feared that they would attempt to resist hismighty will, and deliver me from his hands. He intended, therefore, toland farther down the lake, and convey me to the Institute buildingsby some unfrequented way.
For my own part, I was not much disturbed by Mr. Parasyte's intentionsor movements. The only thing that really distressed me was the loss ofmy boat; for the Splash had been one of my best and dearest friends. Iwas a little sentimental in regard to her; and her destruction gave mea pang of keen regret akin to anguish. I had cruised all over the lakein her; had eaten and slept in her for a week at a time, and Iactually loved her. She was worthy to be loved, for she had served mefaithfully in storm and sunshine. It is quite likely that I had somefeelings of revenge towards the tyrant who had crushed her, and I wasthinking how he could be compelled to pay for the damage he had done.
As soon as I had, in a measure, recovered my equanimity, I tried toobtain the bearings of the spot where the Splash had disappearedbeneath the waters, so that, if I failed to obtain justice, I mightpossibly recover my boat. If raised, she was in very bad condition;for her side was stove in, and I feared she could not be repaired soas to be as good as she was before.
As the row-boat neared the shore, I made my preparations to escapefrom my captor; for it was not my intention to be borne back intriumph to the Institute, as a sacrifice to the violated discipline ofthe establishment. When the boat touched the beach, I meant to jumpinto the water, and thus pass the men, who were too powerful for me. Ichanged my position so as to favor my purpose; but Mr. Parasyte hadbeen a schoolmaster too many years not to comprehend the thought whichwas passing through my mind. He picked up the boat-hook, and it wasclear to me that he intended with this instrument to prevent myescape.
The boat was beached; but I saw no good chance to execute my purpose,and was forced to wait till circumstances favored me. The spot wherewe had put in was over two miles distant from the Institute by theroad, though not more than one by water. Mr. Parasyte directed one ofthe men to go to a stable, near the shore, and procure a coveredcarriage, compelling me to keep my seat in the stern of the boat nearhim, while the messenger was absent. He still held the boat-hook inhis hand, with which he could fasten to me if I made any movement.
When the vehicle came, the principal placed me on the back seat, andtook position himself at my side. One of the men was to drive, whilethe other was directed to await his return, and then pull the boatback. I was forced to acknowledge to myself that Mr. Parasyte'sstrategy was excellent, and that I was completely baffled by it; butas I was satisfied that my time would soon come, I was content tosubmit, with what patience I could command, to the captivity fromwhich I could not escape.
The vehicle was driven to the front door of the Institute; and theboys, who were still on the shore of the lake, watching for the returnof the boat, did not have any notice of the arrival of the prisoner. Iwas conducted to the hall of the principal's apartments first, andthen to a vacant chamber on the third floor. Mr. Parasyte performedthis duty himself, being unwilling to intrust my person to the care ofone his subordinate teachers. A suit of clothes belonging to a boy ofmy own size was sent to me, and I was directed to put it on, while myown dress was dried at the laundry fire. This was proper and humane,and I did not object.
When I had changed my clothing, Mr. Parasyte presented himself. Bythis time he had thoroughly cooled off. He looked solemn and dignifiedas he entered the little room, and seated himself in one of the twochairs, which, with the bed, formed the furniture of the apartment. Hehad probably considered the whole subject of his relations with me,and was now prepared to give his final decision, to which I was alsoprepared to listen.
"Thornton," said he, with a kind of jerk in his voice.
"Sir."
"You have made more trouble in the Parkville Liberal Institute to-daythan all the other boys together have made since the establishment wasfounded."
"I didn't make it," I replied, promptly, intending to give him anearly assurance that I would not recede from the position I hadtaken.
"Yes, you did. You provoked a quarrel, and refused to apologize--avery mild penalty for the offence you had committed."
"I deny that I provoked a quarrel, sir."
"That question has been settled, and we will not open it again. I haveshown the students, by my prompt pursuit of you when you set myauthority at defiance, that I intended to maintain the discipline ofthis institution. I have taken you and brought you back. So far
I amsatisfied, Thornton."
"I am not. You have smashed my boat, and you must pay for her," Iadded, calmly, but in the most uncompromising manner.
"This is not a matter of dollars and cents with me. I would ratherhave given a thousand dollars than had this trouble occur; and I wouldgive half that sum now to have it satisfactorily settled."
Mr. Parasyte wiped his brow, for he was thrown into a violentperspiration by the mental effort which this acknowledgment causedhim. It looked like "backing out."
"Thornton, you are a very popular young man among the students; itwould be useless to deny it, if I were disposed to do so. You havethe sympathies of your companions, because Poodles is not popular."
"The boys don't like Poodles simply because he is not a good fellow.He is a liar and a cheat, and--"
"Nothing more of that kind need be said. What I have done cannot beundone."
"Very well, sir; I have been expelled. Let me go; that's all I ask."
"In due time you will have permission to go. I think I am,technically, legally liable for the destruction of your boat," headded, wiping his brow again; for it was hard work for him to say somuch. "But you have defied me, and the well-being of this institutionrequired that I should act promptly. I wish to make a proposition toyou."
He paused and looked at me. I intimated that I was ready to hear him.
"In about an hour the boys will assemble for evening prayers," hecontinued, after rising from his chair and consulting his watch. "Ifat that time you will apologize to me for your conduct, in theirpresence, and before that time to Poodles, privately, I will restoreyou to your rank and privileges in the Parkville Liberal Institute,and--and pay you for your boat."
"I will not do it, sir," I replied, without an instant's hesitation.
Mr. Parasyte gave me a glance of mingled anger and mortification, andturning on his heel, left the room, locking the door upon me.