CHAPTER VI
MRS. HENDERSON'S DECISION
The minister, very much embarrassed, was doing his best to get ridof the chair. It was hard work, for if he turned around to one sideto grasp it, the chair, naturally, swung away from him. It wasseveral seconds before any one thought to aid him. Then CaptainSpark came to his relief.
"Guess I'll have to give you a hand, dominie," he said. "You'reanchored pretty hard and fast on a shoal, and you'll need help tobreak loose. How did it happen? Did you sit down on an egg?"
"Some one put glue in the chair. I did not notice it until I triedto get up."
"Glue, eh?"
The captain's eyes had a queer look in them.
"Yes. I suppose some of the boys did it for a joke."
"Pretty poor sort of a joke," remarked Mrs. Olney. "I could almostput my hand on the boy that did it, too."
She looked to see if Mrs. Henderson had heard her, but Bob's motherwas on the other side of the room and was not fully aware of whathad happened.
Captain Spark tried to pull the chair loose from the minister, butthe glue had taken a firm hold, and the only result of his effortswas to drag the reverend gentleman about the room.
"Captain Spark tried to pull the chair loose."]
All this while the people were trying hard not to laugh. But it wasimpossible. Men were chuckling and endeavoring to suppress theirmirth, and nearly all the women were red in the face from holding intheir laughter.
"Guess you'd better sit down, dominie," advised the captain.
"If I do, I'll stick faster than before."
"Well, if you do I'll put my feet on the rounds of the chair andhold it down while you get up. Maybe you can pull loose."
"I'm afraid," said Rev. Mr. Blackton.
"Afraid of what?"
"I might tear my trousers, and," he added in a whisper to thecaptain, "they're the best pair I have."
"Might as well be killed for a sheep as a goat," replied themariner. "They're spoiled anyhow, by this glue. Better try to pullloose. Go on. I'll hold your chair down."
Thus advised, the minister sat down. The crowd watched withanxiety, not unmixed with mirth. Even the clergyman himself couldnot help smiling, though it was quite an embarrassing position for adignified gentleman.
"Would you mind putting your feet on the rounds on the other side?"asked the captain of Mr. Henderson. "Between us both I guess we canhold him down."
The two men bore heavily on the chair-rounds, and Mr. Blacktonstrained to rise. There was a pulling, ripping sound, and hehesitated. Then, feeling that he must get loose no matter whathappened, he gave a mighty tug and was free. But his trousers,though only slightly torn, were covered with glue.
Now that it was over, and the excitement was beginning to cool down,the minister began to feel a little natural anger at the perpetratorof the "Joke." His best trousers were spoiled, and the donationsupper had been thrown into confusion.
"Who did it?" was the question asked on every side.
The boys came slowly down from the gallery and mingled unnoticedwith the throng. Bob was a little worried. He had not meant tohumiliate the minister, but had counted on Captain Spark gettingstuck to the chair. The captain, he knew, would make light of theprank. But it was no small matter to have done this thing to theclergyman.
"Going to supper?" asked Ted of Bob.
"No. I don't feel like eating. Guess I'll go home."
But Bob's plan was frustrated. His mother, who had been looking forher son, caught sight of him.
"Oh, Bob!" she exclaimed. "I hope none of the boys that you go withplayed that horrid trick on the minister! It was a very mean thingto do! But you had better have your supper. The table will soon beready again."
Bob did not have much appetite. He was afraid of being discovered.
The chair, with the glue on it, had been taken to the cellar, andthe minister had gone home to change his trousers. Captain Spark,who had begun to turn certain things over in his mind, approachedBob. He had a sharp eye, had the mariner, and, in looking closelyat his relative's son, he saw a bit of evidence that Bob had notcounted on. This was nothing more nor less than a big spot of glueon the lad's coat sleeve.
"What's this?" asked the seaman, pointing to the sticky place.
"I don't know. Glue--I guess," replied Bob, turning pale.
"Glue, eh? Seems to be about as sticky as that on the minister'schair."
At the mention of glue several persons about Bob and the captainlooked curiously at them. Mrs. Henderson, who was just thenpassing, carrying a big platter of baked beans, stopped to listen towhat the seaman was saying.
"Yes, it's glue," remarked the mariner. "Just like that on thechair. Bob," he asked suddenly, "did you put that glue there?"
Now, with all his faults, Bob would never tell a lie. He regardedthat as cowardly, and he was always willing to take whateverpunishment was coming to him for his "jokes."
"Yes, captain," he said in a low voice. "I did it."
"Ha! I thought so."
"Bob Henderson!" exclaimed his mother, her face flushing red withmortification. "Did you play that horrid joke on the minister?"
"Yes, but I didn't mean to."
"You didn't mean to?"
"No. I thought some one else was going to sit on that chair."
"You thought some one else was? Why, that's just as bad--almost.Who did you think would sit there?"
"Captain Spark!"
"You young rascal!" exclaimed the commander of the _Eagle_, but hedid not seem very angry. "So that was intended to anchor me down,eh? Well, I must look into this."
"I thought you'd sit there," went on Bob.
"So I was going to, but the minister made me change, as he's alittle deaf on one side, and he wanted to ask me some questionsabout the Fiji Islanders."
There was now quite a crowd around Bob, his mother, and the captain.Mrs. Henderson did not know what to do. Up to now Bob's pranks hadbeen bad enough, but to play this trick on the minister, and at theannual donation supper, where nearly every person in the village waspresent, was the climax. She felt that she had been much humiliated.
Bob's father heard what had happened, and came up to his son.
"Bob," he said, in a curiously quiet voice, "you must go home atonce. I shall have to punish you severely for this."
Bob knew what that meant. He wished, most heartily, that he had notplayed this last prank. But it was too late now.
"I told you I thought he was up to something," whispered the captainto Mrs. Henderson.
"Yes, you were right," she admitted. "Now my mind is made up.Captain, I wish you would take him to sea with you at once! I canstand his foolishness no longer!"
Bob was out of the room by this time and did not hear his mother'sdecision.
"Do you mean that, Lucy?" asked Captain Spark eagerly.
"Yes, I do. I am determined. Bob shall go to sea. Perhaps it willteach him a lesson, and he will mend his ways."
"It will be the making of him," declared the captain heartily. "I'mglad you decided this. I'll make arrangements at once."