PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE.
When Sam and the band went out of the cave, it was to listen to the
report of Jack Spaniard and Friday, who, it will be remembered, were
the ones selected by the chief to ascertain whether or not a post had
been established on board the Storm King, and, if so, how many students
composed the guard. They had performed their duty faithfully, and the
conclusion at which they arrived was, that the yacht could be easily
captured. The majority of the band agreed with them, and was in favor
of making an immediate attack. They had heard enough during the day to
satisfy them that the fisher-boy's mysterious disappearance was causing
a great deal of talk about the village, and the sooner they got ready
to start upon their cruise, the more likely they would be to escape
questioning. Some of the timid ones, however--among whom, of course,
was Tom Newcombe--remembering the bayonets with which the students were
armed, felt their courage rapidly giving way, and strongly objected to
an attack being made upon the vessel. It was a very easy matter for
them to sit in their cave and talk about it, and boast of the bravery
they would exhibit when the time for action arrived--as some of the
band had done--but now, that there was a probability that they would
soon be called upon to make a display of their valor, they were ready
to back out.
"Suppose we give up the idea of capturing the yacht," said Tom. "It's
dangerous; and, besides, your yawl will answer our purpose just as
well."
"Why, Muley! what has got into you all of a sudden?" demanded the
chief. "You seem to be monstrous glum about something. You want us to
take the vessel away from them fellers, don't you? Well, how are we
goin' to get it? They won't give it up without a fuss."
Just then the new member would have found it exceedingly difficult to
tell exactly what he wanted. He was as anxious as ever to punish his
father and the principal, by taking the Storm King, but he was not
brave enough to face the weapons of the guard; for he knew that all
the students were very expert in the bayonet exercise, and, as they
were not wanting in courage, they would very likely give Crusoe and his
men a warm reception. Perhaps if he had been the captain of the band,
with the same authority Sam was permitted to assume, and the members
had all treated him with the respect due the son of the richest man in
the village, and the fisher-boy had been out of the way, and he had
positive evidence that his band exceeded the guard of the Storm King
in numbers, so that her capture could be effected without danger to
himself--in short, if he could have arranged every thing to his liking,
he might have taken more interest in the affairs of the society. Or,
even if he had been second in command, and it had been understood that
he was to be the captain of the vessel during the voyage, he might
have kept up some show of allegiance. But the members all treated him
as an equal rather than superior; he had placed himself in the power
of a tyrant, who ruled him with a rod of iron, who never deferred to
him, or asked his advice in regard to the manner in which the affairs
of the band ought to be conducted, and, who being utterly ignorant of
seamanship and navigation, would certainly get himself and crew into
serious trouble during the voyage.
Tom had thought of all these things during the day, and he had got
another idea into his head. If the governor had known it, and had been
as well acquainted with him as were some other boys about the village,
the new member would have been a prisoner as well as the fisher-boy.
The chief, for a wonder, listened patiently to what the members of the
band had to say, but, being unable to decide the matter, he ordered
them into the yawl, and put off to make personal observations. Being
favored by the darkness, he ran so close to the vessel that he could
hear the footsteps of the sentinel as he paced the deck. According to
the report of the spies, the guard consisted of four students, only one
of whom was on duty at a time. The chief was very soon satisfied of the
correctness of one part of this statement, for, had there been more
than one boy on guard, he would have heard more footsteps, and very
likely, some conversation.
The night was so dark that Sam could not possibly make any accurate
observations, and the most of the conclusions at which he arrived were
the result of guess-work. But he was satisfied with them, and after he
had rowed entirely around the vessel, he had decided upon his plans,
and was ready to issue his orders.
"You an' Jack were right, Friday," said he, addressing himself to
the spies. "That little craft is our'n, an' by sunrise, day after
to-morrow, we'll be miles on our way toward our island. We'll go back
to the cave now, an'--"
"Boat ahoy!" came the hail from the deck of the Storm King.
"O, now, let's get away from here!" drawled Tom. "We're discovered."
"Boat ahoy!" shouted the sentinel again. "Better keep off, if you don't
want to get into trouble!"
"Don't you be any ways oneasy," replied the chief, who, seeing that
they were detected, thought it best to put a bold face on the matter.
"We're honest people, an' we're goin' home!"
"Well, you don't live around here," replied the student, "and I tell
you that you had better keep away."
"I'd like to know if this yere harbor has got to be private property
since you 'cademy fellers brought that boat here," said the governor.
"Corporal of the guard!" shouted the sentinel.
"O, now, we'd better leave, I tell you," drawled Tom. "He's calling the
corporal, and the first thing we know we'll get into trouble. We might
be captured."
"Not easy. They can't crowd swells enough into that craft to take us,"
said the chief; but, although he talked very boldly, he evidently
thought it best to get a little farther away from the Storm King, for
he dropped his oar into the water and sculled from the spot. The crew
of the yawl heard a hurrying of feet on the deck of the vessel, as
if the students were taking their stations, in readiness to repel an
attack; but that soon died away in the distance, and then the governor
pulled in his oar and sat down.
"Friday," said he, "you an' that ar Jack Spaniard had oughter be
chucked into the harbor."
"What fur?" asked both the spies at once. "What have we been a doin'
now?"
"What did you do to-day, when you came up here to find out how many
fellers there was on board that vessel?" demanded the chief.
"Why, we jest pulled round," answered Friday. "We didn't raise no fuss."
"Didn't them soldiers speak to you?"
"Yes; an' we told 'em that we was jest lookin' round."
"I was sartin of it!" said the governor. "You've knocked our expedition
higher'n the top of Mr. Newcombe's warehouse. Them 'cademy swells are
on the watch now, an' I reckon we'll see some hot times before we can
call ourselves the masters of that craft. But that sha'n't stop me. I
said I'd sail to our island in her, an' I'm goin' to keep my promise."
The members of the Crusoe band were astonished, and not a little
alarmed, at what had just transpired. To the chief it was as plain as
daylight, that something had happened to arouse the suspicions of the
students, and he imagined it was the careless manner in which the two
spies had executed his orders. In this he was mistaken; for the blame
rested entirely with Tom Newcombe. During the day he had accidentally
run against some of the students on the street, and they, having been
made acquainted with the history of the yacht, could not resist the
temptation to talk to Tom about it.
"Newcombe," exclaimed Harry Green, who acted as spokesman for the
party, "you don't know what you are missing by being shut up in that
office all day. Why don't you ask your father to let you come back to
the institute? We are having high old times there."
"O, I don't care if you are!" drawled Tom.
"And just see here!" continued Harry, pulling an official envelope, out
of his pocket. "Here's my appointment as first lieutenant in our navy."
"I don't care," exclaimed Tom. "I don't want to see it. I can't stop to
talk to you, either, for I am in a great hurry."
"O, we'll not detain you," said Harry. "We'll walk with you. Did you
ever hear of a man being an officer in both the army and navy at the
same time? Well, I am. I am captain of company A, and executive officer
of the yacht. I wanted to be commander of her; but Bill Steele passed a
better examination than I did. The students who are studying navigation
are to act as her crew, and, in a few days, the colonel is going to
put her into commission. He is going to send to Boston for a couple
of small cannon for her, and as soon as they arrive, we're going on a
cruise."
"O, now, I don't know whether you are or not," roared Tom, who had
made several unsuccessful attempts to interrupt Harry. "I'll show you
something before you are many days older. I've got an idea."
"Whew!" whistled the first lieutenant of the Storm King, opening his
eyes in amazement. "Have you organized another society, Newcombe, and
do you intend to go to sea in the yacht as we did in the Swallow?"
Harry, as we know, had formerly been a member of the Night-hawks, and
had taken an active part in Tom's runaway scheme; but the one month
extra duty adjudged by the court-martial had opened his eyes, and as
soon as he had worked out the sentence, he turned over a new leaf. The
result was now apparent. He was the ranking captain at the academy, and
the second in command of the Storm King. He was well acquainted with
Tom, and it was a favorite saying of his that, when he got an idea into
his head, he was dangerous.
"I didn't tell you what I intend to do, did I?" drawled Tom.
"No," replied the lieutenant, "but you have said enough to put me on
my guard. Now, Newcombe, if you want to see some fun, bring on your
society and make an attempt to capture the Storm King. We'll take every
one of you to the academy as prisoners of war."
If any other boy in the village had hinted that it was his intention
to capture the yacht, Harry would have thought it a capital joke; but
coming from the source it did, and knowing that Tom had accomplished
wonders in this line, he deemed it best to be prepared for any
emergency. He returned to the academy immediately, and reported the
matter to the lieutenant-colonel, who, just before dark, sent a guard
of twelve students on board the yacht. It was fortunate for the members
of the Crusoe band that they did not attempt to capture her.
The chief did not relinquish his hopes of being able to take the
vessel, as soon as he was ready to start on his cruise, but he did not
then arrange any plan of attack, nor did he have much to say about
the business in hand, until he once more found himself safe under Mr.
Newcombe's wharf. He guided the yawl to the landing, in front of their
hiding-place, and was about to issue some orders to the band, when
Friday intimated to him in a whisper that there was something unusual
going on in the cave. The chief held his breath and listened intently;
but the noise, whatever it was, had ceased.
"Do you reckon that ar Bobby Jennings has got loose?" he asked,
anxiously.
"If he has, we'd best look out," said Jack Spaniard. "He won't be
ketched as easy as he was before. But I didn't hear nothing."
"Well, I did," said Friday. "I heered the rattlin' of a chain, an' the
dog a growlin' like he was fightin' something."
The chief waited to hear no more, but, stepping cautiously out of the
yawl, he took his stand in front of the door and listened.
There was not a boy in the band who did not believe that their prisoner
had succeeded in freeing himself, and that he was at that very moment
on the point of leaving the cave. We ought, perhaps, to except Tom
Newcombe, who now took no interest whatever in what was going on. He
did not care a straw whether the fisher-boy escaped or remained a
prisoner, as he had come to the conclusion that he could not belong to
a society unless he was allowed to have a hand in the management of
its affairs. The other members, however, preferred that Bob should not
regain his liberty just then; but, although they well knew what would
be the result if he succeeded in getting away from them, there was not
one in the band, no, nor two, who would have dared to go into the cave
to attempt his recapture. Sam Barton did not feel exactly safe, even on
the outside of the door; for, after he had listened a moment, he said,
in a whisper:
"Come up around me, fellers, and stick together. If he comes out, don't
give an inch."
The words were scarcely out of the governor's mouth when the board that
concealed the door was removed, and the fisher-boy crawled slowly out
of the cave, only to fall into the arms of his rival.
"Hold him down, lads," said the chief, as Bob struggled furiously with
his captors. "What's this yere he's got in his hand? A hatchet? Friday,
take it away from him! An' you, Xury, go into the cave an' fetch out
that rope. You were tryin' to get away, were you, Bobby Jennings? We'll
fix you this time. It beats all the world how he got by that ar dog."
"Why, he's killed him," exclaimed Xury, who, on going into the cave
after the rope, stumbled over the body of Sam's favorite. "If he aint
as teetolly dead as a smoked herring, I hope I may never take another
passenger across this harbor."
This announcement created great consternation among the band, and some
of the members were undecided whether to retain their hold upon the
prisoner, or to jump up and take to their heels. From some cause or
other, they seemed to believe that a boy who was brave enough to use a
hatchet, even on a bull-dog, was a dangerous fellow to have about.
"Killed!" repeated the governor, in astonishment. "Be you sartin an'
sure he's dead?"
Xury struck a match in order to satisfy himself on that point; and as
soon as the lantern was lighted, Tom, who was the only one, besides
the boy in the cave, not employed in holding the prisoner, drawled out--
"O yes, he's as dead as a door-nail. If there's going to be so much
quarreling and fighting goin' on, I don't want any thing more to do
with your society."
"There haint been no quarrelin' an' fightin' yet, that I know of," said
the chief, as he held Bob's arms behind him, while Friday tied them
with the rope Xury threw out to them. "I don't allow no such work among
my men. Pick him up an' carry him in, lads," he added, as soon as he
had satisfied himself that his prisoner was once more secure. "Now,
Bobby Jennings, I reckon you'll stay here fur awhile."
The first thought that passed through the fisher-boy's mind, when he
again found himself a prisoner, was, that the governor would revenge
the death of the dog by giving him a thrashing; but, to his surprise,
he had very little to say about it. After seeing his prisoner disposed
of, he examined the oar which had been broken during the fight, looked
at the hatchet Bob had used, and finally, he glanced at the dog. "He
wasn't much account, no how," said he. "Any animal that'll let such a
lookin' feller as Friday whip him in a fair fight, with nothin' but a
boat-hook, wouldn't do much good huntin' goats. Ketch hold of the chain
an' haul him out, lads."
Every member of the band lent prompt and cheerful assistance in
carrying out this order. The dog had not been a favorite with them, and
they were not sorry to get rid of him.
"Now, then," continued the governor, "it's understood that to-morrow
night we'll capture that yacht an' be off fur our island. I don't mind
sayin' this before you, Bobby Jennings, 'cause it aint no ways likely
that I'll be dunce enough to give you another chance to get away from
us."
"But what are we goin' to do with him, governor?" asked Will Atkins.
"If we leave him tied up here in the cave, he'll starve to death; an'
if we let him go when we get ready to start, he'll be sartin to tell
Mr. Grimes of every thing that has been goin' on here."
"Now, you jest let me alone fur takin' care of all such things as
that," replied the chief. "If I haint got sense enough to know what had
oughter be done with him, I aint fit to be the leader of this band.
We'll take him with us, of course, an' land him on some island; an' by
the time he gets back here, we'll be miles an' miles at sea."
"But, perhaps he can't find his way back," drawled Tom.
"That's his lookout, an' not mine. He hadn't no business to go spyin'
round here. If he had minded his own affairs, he wouldn't have been in
this trouble. Atkins, how much money have you got?"
"A trifle over twenty dollars," answered the treasurer.
"You're sure you didn't spent none of it fur candy or pea-nuts!" said
the chief, looking at him very sharply.
"Honor bright, I haint," replied Atkins, who had not forgotten the
whipping he once received for being unfaithful to his trust.
"Twenty dollars aint much to brag on," said the governor, thoughtfully.
"We'd had more if it hadn't been for you, Bobby Jennings."
"How would you have got it?" inquired the fisher-boy, who was greatly
interested in all the proceedings of the Crusoe band, even though he
was held as a prisoner.
"Why, we wouldn't have started on our voyage until next week. That
would have give us time to paint this boat over, an' sell her to
somebody. You've jest cheated us out of fifteen or twenty dollars, by
your spyin' round, 'cause I know I could have sold the skiff fur that.
Now, we'll have to be off at once; 'cause your mother is makin' a
monstrous fuss about you."
"And we'll certainly be found out," drawled Tom. "If I was governor I
would set him at liberty immediately."
"Now, Muley, who asked you fur any advice?" demanded the chief,
angrily. "I am the head man of this band, an' I don't need no mates an'
lieutenants, like they have up to the 'cademy."
"We had oughter have some more grub," said Jack Spaniard, who was
commissary of the band. "We haint got nothing but a few crackers, an'
mebbe they won't last till we find our island."
"Well, it aint best to buy none here," said the chief. "We'll stop at
some city an' lay in a supply. I wonder if we'll go by Boston! Will we,
Muley?"
"O, how do I know!" drawled Tom.
"You had oughter know. You've been to sea, an that's one reason why I
wanted you in the band. What do you say about it, Bobby? Will we see
Boston?"
"I think not," answered the prisoner.
"I wonder where Crusoe's island is, anyhow," said Xury. "Mebbe we'll
find it, if we look around. Do you know where it is, Bobby?"
"The book says it was somewhere near South America," replied the
fisher-boy, who was astonished at the ignorance of the members of the
band, and desirous of learning all their ideas on the subject.
"Is that fur from here?"
"Yes, it is a very nice little journey. You'll be tired of life on
ship-board before you get there."
"But what makes you think that we won't see Boston, Bobby?" inquired
the governor.
"Because you don't know how to sail to get there; and, besides, if you
succeed in capturing the Storm King, you'll be wrecked before you get
out of Buzzard's Bay."
"I'd like to know what's the reason! Didn't them 'cademy swells run
away in the Swallow, an' didn't they go miles an' miles out of sight of
land, an' never got wrecked?"
"They did," replied Bob; "but then, you must remember that there were
some excellent sailors among the students."
"That's so!" said Tom. "I was first-mate of the Swallow during that
cruise."
"Do you know any thing about navigation, Sam?" asked the fisher-boy.
"What's that?"
"It is something every sea captain has to understand. It is the science
that teaches you what course to sail to reach the port you want to go
to, and how to take advantage of the winds and currents."
The governor backed toward his seat beside the flour barrel, and made
no reply. He did not quite understand what his prisoner had said to
him, but he could not help seeing that an obstacle had suddenly arisen
in his path.
"The book don't say that Crusoe knew any thing about that," said Will
Atkins, coming to the assistance of the chief.
"Of course it don't," said the governor, immensely relieved. "But don't
it say something about currents? When Crusoe tried to sail around his
island in his boat, he came near bein' carried out to sea an' lost. If
we don't look out, we might get in as much danger as he was."
"Very likely you'll get in more danger, if you ever go to sea in the
Storm King," said the fisher-boy. "Crusoe never was in any danger, for
no such man ever lived."
"Bobby Jennings!" exclaimed the governor, springing to his feet and
catching up the boat-hook, "if you say that again I'll rap you over
the head. I know better! I know there was such a man, 'cause don't
this book tell all about him? He had a jolly time there on his island,
huntin' goats an' watchin' fur injuns, an' that's the way we're goin'
to live. But we've talked long enough! Get to work, all of you, an'
pack up them things. While you're doin' that, I'll make some spears.
You know," he went on to explain, "that every one of them 'cademy
fellers has a gun with a bayonet on it! Them guns aint loaded, be they,
Muley?"
Tom replied that they were not.
"That's all right!" continued the chief. "I've just thought up a way to
whip 'em easy. I'll have to spile these oars, though."
Bob leaned back against his skiff and watched the preparations for
departure with a good deal of interest. Several small dry goods boxes
had been provided for this very event, and while the band was busy
packing away the outfit in them, the chief employed himself in making
the spears, which he did by cutting down the blades of the oars with
a hatchet. When the first one was completed, he handed it to Tom, and
asked his opinion of it.
"You know all about them bayonets, Muley," said he. "Can they reach as
fur with them as we can with these spears?"
"O, now, how can I tell?" drawled Tom.
"I'm sartin you know all about it, Muley, 'cause you've had a heap
better chance to learn them things than I have. An' you know all about
them winds an' currents Bobby was talkin' about, don't you?"
"Do you suppose I've been to sea for nothing?"
"No I don't; an' that's why I am goin' to make you captain of the
yacht, when we get her. Will you take it, Muley?"
If the governor could have read the thoughts that were passing through
the mind of the new member at that moment, he never would have offered
him the position of captain of the vessel. Tom had concluded that he
had seen enough of the Crusoe band; that he would have nothing more to
do with boys who could not appreciate the honor he conferred upon them
by becoming a member of their society; and the last idea that had taken
possession of him was, that he ought to contrive some way to punish
Sam Barton. The latter almost invariably addressed him in an imperious
tone, as if he regarded it as his right to command, and Tom's duty to
obey, and that was something the new member could not endure. He first
thought he would turn traitor to the society, and expose every thing
to Mr. Grimes, the constable. That would undoubtedly be a good way to
punish the chief, but the latter would, very likely, be revenged by
disclosing the fact that Tom was a member of his band, and that he had
tried to induce him to run away in the Storm King. That was something
the new member wanted to keep secret. If his father heard of it, there
was no knowing what might happen; and if it got to the ears of the
village boys, they never would cease to torment him about it. Besides,
if he took this way of punishing the governor, it would defeat the very
object for which Tom joined the Crusoe band. Sam would no doubt be put
in jail, to be tried for stealing the skiff, and that would leave the
yacht in the hands of the principal of the academy.
He very soon saw that this plan would not work, and the next resolve he
made was, that he would visit the fisher-boy after the band had gone
home, and offer to release him if he would promise that he would not
say a word about Tom's being a member of the society, and that he would
put no obstacles in the way of the governor to prevent him from seizing
the yacht and leaving the village. By this arrangement, he could be
revenged upon the teachers of the academy, and upon the new officers
of the Storm King, and no one would suspect that he had had any thing
to do with the matter. It was by no means certain that this plan would
have worked, had it been put to the test, but still the new member had
decided to try it, when the chief's offer drove all these ideas out of
his head.
"What do you say, Muley?" asked Sam. "Will you take it?"
"I will," replied Tom, eagerly. "I am glad to see that you have come
to your senses. I didn't think you would be foolish enough to try to
take the vessel to sea yourself. You would very soon have got us into
trouble, for it needs somebody who understands the winds and currents
to fill so responsible a position. I'll take it, if you will call me
captain hereafter. I never did like that other name."
"It's a bargain," said the governor. "Now, listen, men," he added,
turning to the band. "Muley's name is changed to cap'n. He is to be
master of the vessel when we get her, an' he is the second officer in
the band till we reach our island."
The boys raised no objections to this arrangement; in fact, they were
delighted with it; for they had been convinced, by what their prisoner
had said, that they could not proceed very far on the journey toward
their island without some competent person to take command of the
vessel; and as they knew that Tom had been on a six months' voyage, and
that he had been second in command of the sloop, during the cruise of
the Night-hawks, they thought he was just the very man they wanted.
"Now, then," said the chief, after all the articles that comprised
their outfit, except the guns, had been packed away in the dry goods
boxes, "that's all we can do to-night. We'll keep the guns out, to
scare them 'cademy fellers. When we board the yacht we'll have a gun,
cocked an' capped, in one hand, an' a spear in the other, an' we'll
make 'em believe that if they raise any fuss, or show fight, we'll
shoot 'em down. But the spears are what we'll have to depend on. The
meetin's out, now."
The governor then carefully examined the ropes with which the prisoner
was confined; after which he ordered the band into the boat, and Bob
was once more left to his meditations.