TOM TOPOVER'S RECEPTION.
"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the
roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing. "Why do you give this money
to me?"
"Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest
expression he could find among his resources.
"I am not aware that it does. I have not lost any money," added the
principal.
"Has any one about the school lost any, sir?" inquired Bent, who began
to think he had proceeded too rapidly.
"I have not heard of any one who has lost any money. Perhaps you had
better explain where you got it, as you seem to be anxious to get rid of
it," suggested the captain.
"We went on a little lark in the Lily, but some of us concluded to bring
her back," replied Bent, fixing his gaze upon the ground, which is the
proper thing for a penitent to do.
"Where is Tom Topover, who went with you?" asked the principal, as he
looked at the three excursionists who had presented themselves before
him. "Where are Splugger and Dumper?"
"We left them asleep on board of the Lily," replied Bent, with a smile,
as he watched the expression of the principal. "As they don't show
themselves, I suppose they are still asleep."
Bent Fillwing chuckled when he thought of the trick he had played on Tom
Topover. He had expected a fight with him, and he had even been ready
for that; for he did not believe so much in the pugilistic prowess of
the bully as most of the students, and he was at home in that sort of
business. He thought he knew how to manage the principal: and he was
acting all the time, as much as though he had been the leading card in a
show.
The story of Ash Burton and Sam Spottwood, who had escaped the
consequences of the stealing of the Goldwing, was well known; and the
principal seemed to have a weakness in the direction of penitents, if he
had one in any direction. It was evident that he knew all about the
scrape as far as it could be ascertained at Beech Hill, for he had
mentioned all the names of the party not before him.
"You seem to be amused at something, Fillwing," continued Captain
Gildrock, smiling himself.
"We have concluded to tell the whole truth, and keep nothing back, not
even the money," said Bent; though he had a sort of suspicion that he
had been a little premature in disposing so suddenly of the sixty
dollars.
"That is a wise plan. It seems that you have voluntarily returned, in
spite of Tom Topover, Splugger, and Dumper," replied the principal
encouragingly.
"Yes, sir, we were sure we should be captured; and, while Tom was
asleep, we brought him back to Beech Hill, and we are very sorry we took
any part in the enterprise," added Bent, acting his part very well;
though the principal understood him as well as though he had said he was
playing the penitent.
"Perhaps it is fortunate for you that he was asleep, if you decided to
retrace your steps."
"I think we should have come back all the same if he had been awake,
though it might have cost us a fight in that case; and we had agreed to
take things as they came," replied Bent, with a modest display of
virtue.
"That is, you had resolved to fight for the privilege of doing your
duty," added Captain Gildrock. "Don't be over modest about it. Duty
presented herself before you; and, though peril and suffering lay
between you and her, you were determined to follow her at all hazards."
This raillery took all the starch out of Bent Fillwing. The principal
saw through his parade of confession, and took no stock in his
penitence.
"I said we came back because we were sure we should be caught, though we
all agreed that the scrape was a bad egg," replied Bent, switching off
to a new track.
"What was the scrape?" asked the captain, looking from one to another of
the delinquents.
"That is more than we know. Tom Topover sailed under sealed orders; and
he would not tell us what we were going to do, or where we were going.
He promised us that we should go to the theatre, and live at the hotels;
and he did not mean to come back to Beech Hill. We couldn't get any
thing out of him in regard to his plan. He said he would pay the bills,
but he would not tell us any thing," Bent explained.
"And you went with him on these terms?"
"I was willing enough to go, until he put on as many airs as though he
had been the principal of the Beech-Hill Industrial School. He was
always under sealed orders, and gave off his commands as though he
expected them to be obeyed, and no questions asked."
"That is the proper way to obey orders," added the principal, with a
smile.
"Kidd and Pell did not want to go, but Tom blackguarded them into
joining; and they were ready enough to come back as soon as the way was
open. I don't know but they would have had a fight in order to follow
that lady you spoke of," continued Bent, who was himself now.
"What lady? I have spoken of no lady."
"Duty—Miss Duty; but she was not as good-looking as Miss Lily Bristol.
In our case she seemed to be pointing to the door of the brig."
The principal thought he might get the truth out of Kidd Digfield and
Pell Sankland, who had not yet spoken a word. He questioned them; and
they told him without any attempt at concealment or palliation, and with
no mock humility, all that had occurred since they went to their rooms
the night before. They were genuine penitents, and there was no fraud
about them.
"You were weak to allow the blackguard talk of a fellow like Tom Topover
to turn you aside, but you will know better next time," added Captain
Gildrock very mildly. "Do you know any thing about this money?"
"Nothing at all, sir: I did not know Tom had it, except from what he
said," replied Kidd.
"You don't know where he got it?"
Not one of them had the remotest idea.
"I came to the conclusion that he had robbed some teacher's room, or had
been exploring your strong-box, sir," interposed Bent. "At any rate, I
was sure that he had not come honestly by it; and, when I saw it
sticking out of his pocket, I took possession of it, for it was the
sinews of war."
"And, when you got it, you decided to return?" asked the principal, with
a smile.
Bent winced under the glance bestowed upon him; for he realized that the
principal understood him, and that any more humility or pretence of duty
would do him no good.
"I did not decide to return because I had got the money, but because Tom
had deserted his post, and instead of being up at Plattsburgh, or some
point miles nearer the foot of the lake, we were not four miles from the
mouth of Beaver River."
"That sounds quite reasonable. Tom had spoiled the enterprise he had
undertaken to manage," added the captain.
"That was exactly it. He was sleepy, and then he anchored the schooner
and turned in. I knew we couldn't get away after he had lost three or
four hours. There was no chance for us, and I gave it up as soon as I
had looked over the ground. The moment I said a word, Kidd and Pell were
eager to come back."
"You may come over to the boat-house with me," continued the principal,
leading the way.
The boat-house was open, and they found all the students assembled
there. The smoke was pouring out of the smoke-stack of the Sylph, and
the runaways concluded that they were getting her ready to go in search
of the Lily. No one seemed to be stirring yet on board of the schooner;
and it was evident that Tom Topover and his two companions had not yet
finished their nap. It was only seven o'clock, and they had not turned
in till one; so that they had not yet made up the eight hours of sleep
to which they were accustomed.
Dory Dornwood and Paul Bristol were called by Captain Gildrock, and
directed to go out to the Lily, buoy the cable without waiting to get up
the anchor, and to bring her to the wharf without waking those in the
cabin.
Dory laughed heartily when he had learned enough of the absence of the
schooner to comprehend the situation; and he and Paul executed the order
with which they were charged, to the letter. The Lily was brought
alongside of the wharf, and made fast. The sleepers in the cabin were
entering on their seventh hour of slumber, and the movements of the boat
had not disturbed them.
"Now, boys, form a line," said the principal. "Keep step; and, when I
give the word, I want you to put your feet down in earnest."
The students formed the line; and, when Bent and his two associates held
back, they were required to take their places in the line. The boys had
been trained a little in a few military movements for marching purposes,
and they knew how to place themselves. Dory was directed to lead them to
the deck of the Lily; and the students were required to step lightly,
until the word was given for a change.
The students filed upon the deck of the schooner, in good order, and
without making any noise. When the last one was on the deck, and Dory
had marched the head of the column around the standing-room, Captain
Gildrock gave the word, "Attention! march!" The file was closed up, so
that the students stood touching each other. All as one, they began to
put their feet down on the planks in a very heavy step. All hands were
intensely amused, for they had been told the situation of things on
board, and were laughing as though they enjoyed the affair in which they
were engaged. Tom and his fellow-rebels would have no reason to suppose
they were not at anchor off Cannon's Point.
The tramp of their feet could be heard half a mile from the wharf, for
Mrs. Bristol and Lily soon came to the scene to ascertain what the
matter was. The boys kept up the step with all the vigor of those
interested in the business. The cabin-doors were closed; but, if the
runaways were still alive, they could not help waking, with such a
tremendous noise over their heads.
"On deck there! what are you doing?" shouted Tom Topover, at the top of
his lungs. "What's all that noise for?"
The principal, who still stood on the wharf, where he could overlook the
operations, raised his hand; and all the students became as statues at
once. Silence reigned supreme. In a low tone, he told Dory to be ready
to give three cheers; and the word was passed along the line.
"Why don't you answer me, Bent Fillwing?" shouted Tom again, when no
attention was paid to his first call.
The silence was not broken, and Tom was evidently getting mad. A moment
later he pushed open the cabin-doors, and tumbled out into the
standing-room.
"Three cheers!" exclaimed Dory, prompted by his uncle.
The cheers were lustily given, and Tom opened his eyes very wide.
[Illustration:
"THE PRINCIPAL STOOD ON THE WHARF, WHERE HE COULD
OVERLOOK THE OPERATIONS."—PAGE 326.
]