IN WHICH ERNEST TAKES THE WHEEL OF THE ADIENO.
We watched with intense interest the proceedings of the men who came
off in the steamer. After the exhibition of meanness on the part of
Mr. Parasyte, it seemed that the rebellion was more serious than any
of us had supposed. We made up our minds, with Bob Hale, that it would
be impossible for us ever to be reconciled to him again. We felt as
though the Rubicon had been passed, and what had commenced as a mere
frolic was likely to end as a very grave affair. Though the boys
talked solemnly at first about their rights, and had "struck" to
vindicate a principle, they had no idea of the seriousness of their
proceedings.
I shall not pretend to justify all that was done by our boys, or even
to acknowledge that "breaking away," under any circumstances, is
justifiable; but I do say, that such a man as the principal of the
Parkville Liberal Institute was not a fit person to instruct and
discipline young men. He was grossly unjust and partial; he was a
tyrant at heart, though for policy's sake he veiled his purposes; he
was low-minded and narrow in his views; and I am happy to say that he
was not a fair specimen of the teachers of our land.
If the boys were wrong, he was so to a much greater degree, and his
position and his influence made him responsible for the mischief he
had driven the boys to perpetrate. It would have been better for them,
as a body, to submit until redress could be obtained in a better
way--as by the circular addressed to their parents, which was even
then in the hands of the printer. I palliate, I do not justify, the
conduct of the students.
Matters had begun to assume a graver aspect. Mr. Parasyte had come
with a steamer, and with about a dozen men, as nearly as we could
judge, to accomplish some purpose not yet apparent to us. We were
curious to know whether we were to be driven like sheep on board of
the Adieno, or whether our persecutor intended to resort to strategy.
He had sent off his toadies to take our boats away; but he had started
them while we were upon Cleaver Island, and before we had laid in our
stock of provisions. This plan had failed. We were not long left in
doubt.
Mr. Parasyte stepped on shore, followed by nine men, and then by the
ten deserters from our camp. The men had sticks, bits of rope, and
other articles in their hands. This looked like force, and we could
not help glancing anxiously at Vallington, to ascertain, if we might,
whether he intended to fight or to run away. We had no clubs or other
weapons, but the pile of sticks which we had gathered for fuel was
near. I saw the general glance at it; but I concluded that he did not
intend to give battle, unless it was in self-defence.
As soon as the party under the lead of Mr. Parasyte had landed, the
man who was left on board as boat-keeper hauled in the plank, by Mr.
Parasyte's order, apparently to prevent the students from going on her
deck. I could not but smile at this precaution, for the Adieno lay in
such a position that the removal of the plank was no hinderance to
agile boys like the students, and we could go on board when we chose.
Vallington stood on a stump near the path leading from the pier to the
interior of the island, and his forces were gathered behind him,
leaving the road open for the passage of the invaders.
Mr. Parasyte marched solemnly up the path, closely followed by the men
and boys of his party. He looked uglier than I had ever seen him look
before. By this time he must have been convinced that the Institute
was ruined; that such a host of rebels could never be reduced to
subjection; and he appeared to be acting out of the malice of his
heart. But even then something was due to appearances, and he halted
opposite the stump on which our general stood.
"Vallington!" said he, sharply and crustily.
"Sir."
"If you choose to go on board of that steamer, return to the
Institute, and submit to the punishment you deserve, it is not too
late for you to do so," continued Mr. Parasyte.
"Do you allude to me alone?"
"To all of you. I understand you to speak for the whole party."
"We shall be happy to do so," replied our general; and I am sure he
spoke the sentiment of all the students.
"I am glad to see you are returning to reason," added the principal;
but there was a look upon his face which showed how much pleasure he
expected to derive from the proposed punishment.
"May I ask whether we are to be punished equally?" asked Vallington.
"You are to be punished in proportion to your offences--the
ringleaders more, of course, than those who were simply led away by
the influence of their leaders."
"And we are to be punished only for this breaking away?"
Mr. Parasyte bit his lips. It is possible he had a hope of restoring
the Institute to its former condition.
"I don't understand you," said he.
"Is Thornton to be regarded as guilty only of breaking away, with the
rest of us?"
"Thornton's affair is to be settled by itself," replied Mr. Parasyte.
"Then I have nothing more to say, sir," added Vallington, with
becoming dignity.
I interposed, and begged him not to consider me, but to make terms if
he could, and permit me to settle my own affair. Bob Hale and Tom Rush
protested; but no protest was needed to keep Vallington true to his
purpose.
"You reject my terms, Vallington," said Mr. Parasyte.
"I do, sir."
"I wish to do what I can to end this unhappy disturbance, and I am
willing to say that the punishment shall be very mild--if you will
return to your duty."
"You have treated one of our number with shameful injustice, Mr.
Parasyte. We can prove, and have proved, that he was not guilty of the
charge brought against him. If you will do him justice, and through
him all the rest of us, we will submit to such punishment as you think
proper for breaking away."
"Thornton!" exclaimed Mr. Parasyte, with a malignant sneer. "Do you
expect me to receive the forced confession of Poodles and Pearl?"
"The confession was not forced, sir."
"Come here, Poodles," said the principal, sharply.
Poodles stepped forward.
"Did you make this confession?" demanded Mr. Parasyte, sternly.
"I did--but I was afraid the fellows would kill me if I didn't do it,"
whined the toady.
"Do you hear that?"
"I hear it, and do not wonder at anything he says," replied
Vallington.
Pearl told the same story; but our general protested that no
compulsion had been used by the students; that two boys who were
charged with deception were not to be believed in preference to eighty
others. Vallington proposed that the case should be heard over again,
and Poodles required to perform the examples. The principal was
indignant, and refused all compromise.
"Thornton is not only guilty, but this very day he attempted to drown
me in the lake," said he. "Do you think I can forgive him, without--"
"We don't ask you to forgive him, and he does not ask it. We only wish
you to give him a fair trial."
"I will hear no more about it!" replied Mr. Parasyte, impatiently.
"Will you return or not?"
"We will not."
"Very well. I wish every one here to understand that I have given you
an opportunity to return to your duty. You will not, and the
consequences be upon yourselves."
Mr. Parasyte walked up the path, followed by his party. As Pearl and
Poodles passed us, a suggestion was made that we seize upon them, and
punish them for the falsehoods they had uttered, and the meanness of
which they had been guilty; but this proposition was promptly
negatived by Vallington. We wondered what the invaders intended to do,
and whether our general purposed to let them proceed without
opposition. He stood calm and apparently unmoved on the stump,
watching the enemy.
The principal halted his forces at the point where our provisions and
cooking utensils were kept. Every eatable, and every utensil, even to
the wooden forks and spoons we had made, were seized and conveyed to
the steamer. It was now clear that the enemy did not mean to use
force, unless we attacked them. Mr. Parasyte intended to deprive us of
our food, and starve us into subjection. But he was not satisfied yet;
and when his party had deposited their burden on the deck of the
steamer, and the plank had again been hauled in, he marched them by us
once more.
"We shall soon see how long you will be willing to stay here," said
our tyrant, as he walked by the stump. "As Thornton said to the man in
charge of the boats at Cannondale, this morning, I suppose I have a
right to my own property, wherever I find it."
"We paid for the provisions with our own money," replied Vallington.
Mr. Parasyte made no reply, but continued on his way up the hill
towards the tents. These also he meant to take from us; and then, or
in the course of the day, he probably expected us to surrender,
without conditions. The prospect did not look pleasant, for we were to
be without food or shelter on the island. I was thinking how to save
the Splash from capture, and I was about to suggest to Vallington that
it would be better for me to put off in her, when our general spoke
for himself.
The invaders were busily employed in striking the tents, and rolling
up the canvas, about forty rods from where we stood. In a few moments
they would be ready to put them on board of the steamer.
"Fellows," said Vallington, in a low and decided tone, "our time has
come! We will take possession of that steamer. I have no idea of being
starved into subjection. When I give the word, rush on board the best
way you can."
"There's a man on her deck," said one of the boys; and we were all
appalled at the boldness of the venture.
"Never mind him. Commodore Thornton, you will go to the wheel-house at
once, and take the helm."
"Who will be engineer?" asked Tom Rush.
"I will be that myself. Bob Hale, you will run the Splash out from
the shore, and come on board when we are clear of the pier; take two
good fellows with you. Are you all ready?"
"All ready!" replied the boys; and the voices of some trembled.
"Forward then!" shouted Vallington; and he leaped from the stump, and
ran down to the wharf, followed by the whole company.
Bob Hale got into the Splash with two boys, and pushed her off. The
rest of us leaped over the bulwarks, scrambled up to the hurricane
deck, or rushed in at the gangway. Vallington cast off the bow-line
himself, just as I reached the wheel-house.
"Back her!" I shouted; and the word was passed through the boys to
Vallington, who had now gone to the engine-room.
We were not a moment too quick, for just as the steamer began to back
from the pier, the invaders, laden with canvas and poles, appeared on
the wharf.
[Illustration: THE CAPTURE OF THE ADIENO.--Page 232.]