THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SHIP’s COMPANY.
Oscar Chester was taken to the house, and provided with a good
breakfast. His appetite was not spoiled, though dry bread had no
attractions for him. He ate heartily, and then walked down to the
landing on the lake where the steamer lay.
Captain Gildrock had gone down before. He had called the boys together
on the forward deck, where, as usual, they had greeted him with a
cheer, which assured him so far that every thing was satisfactory to
the pupils.
“Hereafter, my lads, I think we had better dispense with the cheers,
except on extraordinary occasions. By and by something will occur that
will not meet your approbation; and then you will want to make a
demonstration of another kind,” said the captain.
“Can’t we make it?” asked Ben Ludlow.
“If what I do, and what the instructors do, is not right, I should
like to have you express your opinions in a proper manner,” replied
the principal of the school. “But, if any thing don’t suit you, I
don’t wish you to manifest your disapprobation by hissing. Don’t
pretend to like what you don’t like. Don’t be hypocrites. But, if you
are dissatisfied with any thing about the school, come to me, and
express your minds in a proper manner; and we will calmly discuss the
matter. If I am wrong, I shall make haste to set myself right; and I
hope you will do the same.”
This remark was greeted with a rousing cheer, for the boys were
delighted with the discipline so far.
“I thought we were to dispense with the cheering,” said the captain
with a pleasant smile.
“That was an extraordinary occasion, Captain Gildrock,” added Bob
Swanton. “We never heard of a schoolmaster before who believed it
possible for anybody to be right but himself.”
The boys laughed and clapped their hands at this reply, and were ready
to give Bob Swanton a medal for hitting the nail on the head at the
right moment.
“The instructors here will try to be in the right. If they don’t, they
won’t be here long. But you and I may not always be able to agree, and
I may have to insist on my own way. Then you must submit. But here
comes Chester. I wish you all to refrain from saying any thing about
what happened yesterday to him. We will all treat him handsomely, and
it will be his own fault if he don’t get along without any trouble.”
Oscar came on board with the carpenter. He seemed to be much agitated,
and probably he expected some sort of a greeting from his
fellow-pupils. As they were not to say any thing to him about the
past, they avoided even glancing at him, lest he might put a wrong
construction upon their looks. Captain Gildrock appeared not to see
him, and he took his place in the rear of the other boys. Possibly he
was astonished to find that he had become a person of so little
consequence.
“Now, my lads, we are to organize the ship’s company,” said the
captain.
“Is this a ship?” asked Dave Windsor.
“This is simply a steamer; properly, a steam-yacht, being used mainly
as a pleasure-craft. She is not a ship; but it is customary to speak
of the ship’s company, whatever the size or rig of the vessel. You read
in the New Testament, speaking of Jesus, that he ‘entered into a
ship.’ Have you an idea that the craft was a vessel with three masts,
square rigged?”
“I did not know any thing about it,” replied Will Orwell.
“That ship was nothing but a boat, not as big as the Goldwing
probably. I repeat, that we are to organize the ship’s company; and I
assure you that the expression is quite correct.”
“Of course it is,” added Dave Windsor. “I only wanted to know about
it.”
“That’s right: ask all the sensible things you can think of, and I
shall be glad to answer you. You can’t all be captains or even
officers.”
“We don’t expect to be,” added Ben Ludlow, when the captain paused to
note the effect of his statement.
“It is necessary to have some privates on board; but one position is
just as honorable as another if it is well filled,” continued the
captain. “There is to be no favoritism on board or in the school. Now,
we must have firemen, deck-hands, cooks, and waiters; and it is just
as important for you to learn the duties of these positions as those
of officers.”
“Are we to learn to cook?” asked Jim Alburgh, laughing.
“You are; and I consider this one of the most important parts to
learn. I served as cook on board of a brig during one voyage to the
West Indies; and I took as much pride in performing my duties
correctly, as ever I did when commanding an East Indiaman,” replied
the principal with energy.
“I know something about cooking, and I like the business,” added Jim
Alburgh.
“Ah, here comes two recruits!” exclaimed Captain Gildrock, as
Pemberton and Bolingbroke Millweed came on board. “I am particularly
glad to see you, boys.”
“Thank you, sir,” replied Pemberton politely; and the principal was
delighted to see that there was no appearance of compulsion in their
coming.
“We have twenty-two of the pupils I want: four of them will join us at
Burlington, and two more at Plattsburgh. I hope the other two will
arrive before we begin the school.”
“Are we going to Plattsburgh to-day, sir?” asked Bob Swanton.
“We are; and it is time we were moving, though we have considerable
to do before we can leave. I have concluded to be captain myself for
the present, until I find a pupil who is competent to fill the place.”
“Dory!” exclaimed several of the boys.
“Dory will not be captain, though I think he is competent. I want him
in another place. He is my nephew, but he shall not be favored on that
account. I have places for the twenty-four pupils of the school, and I
will name them to you. Next to the captain will be the first and
second officers, sometimes called mates, and, in men-of-war,
lieutenants.”
“But none of our crowd know any thing about steamers or boats, and are
not fit for officers.”
“The officers will learn their duties; and after a while, when you
have all had a chance to know what is required of you, these positions
will be given to those who are the most competent to fill them. The
next in rank will be the first and second pilot. As Dory is the only
one of you who is fitted to pilot a steamer, I shall appoint him first
pilot. This is the only one I shall select for any place. All the
others will be drawn by lot as soon as we leave Burlington.”
A few of the pupils were disposed to applaud the appointment; but
others hushed them up, and there was no demonstration.
“The third in rank are the engineers. As I am captain, Mr. Jepson will
be the chief-engineer. We shall have a first and second
assistant-engineer. Next come the first and second cook. Following
this department is the steward’s. The first, or chief, steward, the
second, third, and fourth stewards, are the names of the places. Then
come the firemen, of whom there will be four, and lastly the crew, or
deck-hands as they are sometimes called. When we have twenty-four
scholars, there will be eight of them.”
The boys then asked a score of questions, which the captain answered
with great good-nature, though some of them were trivial.
“Now, my lads, you wear the clothes in which you came from your homes.
I have provided uniforms for you, which you will put on before we get
under way.”
Mr. Sheers, a tailor from the town, was in attendance to assist the
boys in fitting themselves to the uniforms. This dress consisted of
woollen shirts, blue sailor-pants, and short jackets. A white cap was
given to each, and in half an hour all hands were on deck in their new
rig. They looked very salt for a fresh-water lake, but the uniform was
very neat and appropriate.
While the captain was talking to the pupils, Bates had brought on
board a quantity of provisions and stores, which he had put in their
proper places. The ice-house had received a supply, and every thing
was ready for a start. Dory was directed to get under way, and he went
to the pilot-house. Bates was on duty, and cast off the fasts when the
signal was given. The bells rang, and the Sylph was soon moving out of
the lake. In an hour and forty minutes she touched the wharf at
Burlington. The Goldwing Club were on the pier, as they had been
notified to be by Dory. Additional provisions were taken on board, and
again the steamer was under way.
Captain Gildrock called all the students to the hurricane deck, where
Dory could see what was going on. The boys were greatly excited, for
they were curious to know what positions they would obtain. Captain
Gildrock produced a number of white cards, and then stood up before
the scholars. Taking a box which Bates brought to him, he dropped the
cards into it, and then shook them up.
“Now, my lads, you will soon know who is cook and who is first
officer,” said the captain, as he placed the box on the shelf in the
pilot-house, where the boys could reach it through one of the windows.
“On each of the cards is written one of the positions of which I spoke
to you. You will walk up to this window, reach into the box, and draw
out one of the cards. You will not look into the box.”
The captain drew the curtain over the window, so that it was
impossible for any boy to see the interior of the box, as he had to
thrust his arm through the folds of the curtain.
“If there is any thing unfair about this method of assigning the
places, I want you to say so now,” added the captain, when the
preparations were completed.
“It is all as fair as any thing can be,” added Dave Windsor; and all
the others expressed their satisfaction.
“As fast as you draw your cards you will go down to the main deck. As
you take the card from the box, you will give me your name; and I shall
write it down in a book I have prepared for the purpose, against the
name of the position. Now, one at a time.”
Bob Swanton was the first to come forward. He drew a card, and held it
up so that the captain could read what was on it.
“First steward,” said the captain, reading it, and writing the
position against the name in his book.
The next one was Tom Ridley, one of the Genverres boys. He drew
“fourth fireman.”
Dick Short was “starboard watch, No. 1.”
“All the starboard watch have odd numbers, and the port even numbers,”
explained the captain.
Thad Glovering, of the Goldwing Club, drew “first officer.” Corny
Minkfield was first assistant-engineer. Pemberton Millweed was first
cook. When Oscar Chester walked up to the pilot-house, there was a
sensation among the boys that could not be wholly concealed. When he
drew “second pilot” the sensation was more decided, though no one
spoke; but all knew that he was to be associated intimately with Dory
Dornwood.