CHAPTER XI.
THE GAMBLERS IN NO. 8.
"It's coming on to blow," said Wilton, as the lookouts took theirstations on the top-gallant forecastle.
"I don't think it will blow much; it is only freshening a little,"replied Shuffles.
"Now, what about the mutiny?" demanded Wilton, impatiently, after he hadbecome more accustomed to the dash of the sea under the bows of theship.
"Don't call it by that name," replied Shuffles, earnestly. "Never usethat word again."
"That's what you mean--isn't it? You might as well call things by theirright names."
"It's an ugly word, and if any one should happen to hear it, theirattention would be attracted at once. We musn't get in the habit ofusing it."
"I don't know what you are going to do yet," added Wilton.
"It's a big job; but I mean to put it through, even if I am sure offailure."
"What's the use of doing that? Do you want to get the fellows into ascrape for nothing?"
"There will be no failure, Wilton; you may depend upon that. There willbe a row on board within a day or two, and, if I mistake not, nearlyall the fellows will be so mad that they will want to join us."
"What row?"
"Do you know the reason why I wouldn't shake props this evening?"
"I'm sure I don't."
"Lowington has found out what is going on in the rooms."
"He hasn't, though!"
"Yes, he has."
"How do you know?"
"What odds does it make how I know?" answered Shuffles, impatiently, forWilton was much too inquisitive to suit his purposes. "I talked with thechaplain half an hour to-night. When he went to my berth after the wine,I rather think he heard the rattle of the props. At any rate the wholething will be broken up to-morrow or next day."
"I don't see how that will make a row. Not more than a dozen fellowshave played any; and they won't think of making a row about that."
"You see!" added Shuffles, confidently.
"Ugh!" exclaimed Wilton, as a cloud of spray dashed over the bow, anddrenched the lookout; but they wore their pea-jackets, and such anoccurrence was to be expected at sea.
"Stand by to take in studding sails!" shouted Paul Kendall, who was theofficer of the deck; and the order was repeated by his subordinates inthe waist and on the forecastle.
"We must go," said Wilton; and they descended from their position.
The wind had continued to freshen, until the ship labored somewhat underher heavy press of canvas. It was the policy of the principal to go aseasily and comfortably as possible, and he had directed Mr. Fluxion, ifthe wind continued to increase, to have the sail reduced, though neitherthe safety of the ship nor of the spars absolutely required such a step.The quarter watch on deck was sufficient to perform this labor.
"Lay aloft, foretopmen!" said the second lieutenant; and those of thewatch who had their stations in the fore rigging sprang up the shrouds."Stand by the halyard of the top-gallant studding sails! Man the tacksand sheets!"
"All ready, sir," reported the second midshipman, who was in theforetop, superintending the operation.
"Lower on the halyards! Ease off the tacks, and haul on the sheet!"
The two top-gallant studding-sails were thus brought into the top, wherethey were made up. The fore-topmast and the lower studding sails weretaken in by a similar routine, and the Young America then moved alongless furiously through the water.
"Now about the chain," said Wilton, when the lookouts had returnedto their stations.
"Let me see; where did I leave off?" replied Shuffles.
"You said there was to be a row; which I don't believe."
"I may be mistaken about that; if I am, the job will be all the moredifficult. Lowington has got us out to sea now, and, in my opinion, hemeans to shake us up. He is a tyrant at heart, and he will carry itwith a high hand. I hate the man!" added Shuffles, with savageearnestness.
"You may, but the fellows don't generally."
"They will as soon as he begins to put the twisters on them. You won'thear him say, 'If you please, young gentlemen,' now that we are in bluewater. You know how savage he was with me."
"Well, but you were disobedient. You told him, up and down, you wouldn'tdo what he ordered you to do."
"No matter for that. You had a chance to see the spirit of the man. Hewas a perfect demon. He put me in irons!" exclaimed Shuffles, stillgroaning under this indignity. "I have been insulted and outraged, and Iwill teach him that Bob Shuffles is not to be treated in that manner! Iwill be revenged upon him, if it costs me my life."
"The fellows won't go into any such desperate game as that," repliedWilton, cautiously.
"But there will be fun in the thing," added the malcontent, softeninghis tone. "We shall have the ship all to ourselves. We needn't troubleourselves anything about Latin and Greek, and trigonometry and algebra.We shall go in for a good time generally."
"It is all moonshine; it can't be done. What's the use of talking aboutsuch a thing?" said Wilton.
"It can be done, and it shall be," replied Shuffles, stamping his footon the deck.
"How?"
"I am not quite ready to tell you yet."
"Very well; I don't want to know anything more about it," answered thetimid conspirator, who was almost disgusted at the foolhardiness of theplan.
"I can get along without you," added Shuffles, with assumedindifference.
"I would rather have you do so."
"All right; but you will want to come in when we have got along a littlefarther."
"Perhaps I shall; if I do, I suppose the door will be open to me."
"It may be open; but perhaps you can't walk into the cabin then."
"Why not?"
"Do you suppose the fellows who do the burden of the work are going tobe shut out of the cabin? If you join at the eleventh hour, you willhave to be what you are now--a foremast hand."
"What can I be if I join now?"
"Second or third officer."
"Who will be first."
"I can't mention his name yet. He belongs in the cabin now."
"You don't mean so!" said Wilton, astonished to learn that his boldcompanion expected to find friends among the present officers of theship.
"I know what I'm about," replied Shuffles, confidently.
With this information Wilton thought more favorably of the madenterprise. If it was to be a winning game, he wished to have a part init; if a losing one, he desired to avoid it. There was something in thedecided manner of the chief conspirator which made an impression uponthis doubting mind.
"I don't want to go in till I know more about it," said he, afterwalking two or three times across the top-gallant forecastle.
"You can't know anything more about it until you have been toggled,"replied Shuffles.
"Toggled?" repeated the sceptic, curiously.
"This thing is to be well managed, Wilton. We shall not use any hardwords, that outsiders can understand; and if any of them happen to hearanything that don't concern them, they will not know what it means. Willyou join, or not?"
"I will," replied Wilton, desperately.
The strange words which Shuffles used, and the confidence he manifestedin the success of his project, carried the hesitating lookout man. Hewas fascinated by the "clap-trap" which the leader of "our fellows" hadadopted to help along his scheme, for it promised to afford no littleexcitement during the voyage.
"Now you talk like a man, Wilton," replied Shuffles. "You shall be amember of the league at once."
"What's the league?"
"The Chain League."
"Upon my word, Shuffles, you have been reading yellow-covered novels tosome purpose."
"I didn't get this idea from a novel. I invented it myself."
"The Chain League!" repeated Wilton, who was pleased with the title ofthe conspirators.
"It will be called simply 'The Chain.' I am the first member, and youare the second; or you will be when you h
ave been toggled."
"Toggled again!" laughed Wilton. "What do you mean?"
"Initiated."
"Go ahead, then."
"Repeat after me."
"Go on," replied Wilton, deeply interested in the proceeding, even whilehe was amused at its formality.
"_I am a link of the chain_."
"I am a link of the chain," repeated Wilton.
"_I will obey my superior officers_."
"I will obey my superior officers."
"_And I will reveal none of its secrets_."
"And I will reveal none of its secrets."
"_This I promise_----"
"This I promise----"
"_On penalty of falling overboard accidentally_."
"On penalty of what?" demanded Wilton, both puzzled and terrified by themysterious words.
"Repeat the words after me. On penalty," said Shuffles, sternly.
"I know what the words are, but I'll be hanged if I will repeat them.'Falling overboard accidentally!' What does that mean?"
"It means that, if you betray the secrets of The Chain, you might falloverboard accidentally, some day."
"That is, you would push me over when no one was looking," added Wilton,involuntarily retreating from the conspirator, whom, for the moment, heregarded as a very dangerous companion.
"That's what the words mean," replied Shuffles, coolly.
"Have I been toggled?" demanded Wilton.
"No; you didn't repeat all the words."
"Then you needn't toggle me any more. I've got enough of this thing."
"All right; just as you say. But I can tell you this, my dear fellow? ifyou should whisper the first word of what has passed between usto-night, you might fall overboard," continued Shuffles, sharply, as helaid his hand on his companion's shoulder.
Wilton grasped the sheet of the fore-topmast staysail which was thenearest rope to him, and held on as though he was then in imminentdanger of "falling overboard accidentally."
"I won't say a word," protested he, vehemently; for he did not know butthat Shuffles was wicked enough to push him into the sea.
"Wilton, you are a fool!" added the disappointed conspirator, with deepdisgust. "Why didn't you say what I told you?"
"I don't want to be bound in any such way as that," replied theterrified student.
"Don't you see it is only a form?"
"No, I don't; or if it is, I don't want anything to do with such forms.You won't get any fellows to be toggled in that way."
"Yes, I shall? I shall get plenty of them. They are not babies, likeyou."
"I'm not a baby."
"Yes, you are--a great calf! What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid; I didn't think you meant to have any murder in yourChain."
"I don't; no fellow will think of such a thing as betraying one of thesecrets."
"Then what's the use of having such a penalty?"
"It will prevent any fellow from opening his mouth when he ought to keepit shut."
"I don't want anything to do with a concern that means murder. I'm notany better than I should be, but I'm too good for that."
"Suit yourself; but remember, if you should happen to say a word, youwill fall overboard accidentally, some night when you are on thelookout, or out on the yard-arm."
"Two bells," said Wilton, greatly relieved to hear them, for he did notlike to stand any longer on the top-gallant forecastle, where there wasno railing, with such a dangerous fellow as Shuffles proved to be.
Two other members of the watch were sent forward to take their places.Wilton and Shuffles went down and mingled with their shipmates, who weretalking about what they should do and what they should see in Ireland,where the ship would first make a harbor. Wilton breathed easier, andthe topic was a more agreeable one than the dark and terrible matterwhich had been under discussion on the top-gallant forecastle.
Shuffles was disappointed by the scruples of his generally unscrupulouscompanion. He regarded the machinery of the plot, the clap-trap of thesecret league, as decidedly attractive; and he depended largely upon itto influence his companions. Though he claimed that his plan wasoriginal, it was suggested by a secret political organization inEurope, of which he had read in a pamphlet; and the idea had doubtlessbeen modified by his more extensive readings in the department offiction, in which midnight juntos laid out robbery, treason, and murder;Venetian tales in which bravos, assassins, and decayed princes indisguise largely figured; in which mysterious passwords openedmysterious dungeons beneath ruined castles; in which bravo met bravo,and knew him by some mysterious sign, or cabalistic word.
Shuffles had a taste for these things, and out of his lively imaginationhe had coined a similar association to be recruited from the crew of theYoung America, which was to redress fancied wrongs, and even take theship out of the hands of the principal. He could think of nothing butthis brilliant enterprise; and while his shipmates were talking of thefuture, and indulging in the old salts' vocation of "spinning yarns," hewas busy maturing the details of "The Chain League." He did not, forreasons best known to himself attempt to make any more proselytes thatnight.
The ship continued to go along easily on her course till morning. It wasa clear night, and though the wind was fresh, the sea was not rough, andthe Young America behaved very handsomely. The programme for the watcheswas carried out to the letter, but on the first night out, the boys weretoo much excited by the novelty of the situation to be able to sleepmuch.
At eight bells in the morning, after the port watch had breakfasted, allthe students off duty attended prayers. Then the starboard watch hadtheir morning meal, after which all hands were piped to muster.
Mr. Lowington mounted the hatch, and it was understood that the case ofdiscipline which had come up the day before was to be settled now.
"Shuffles!" called the principal.
The culprit came forward.
"Are you still of the same mind as when I saw you last evening?"continued Mr. Lowington.
"I am, sir," replied Shuffles, with a becoming exhibition of meekness.
"You will step upon the hatch, then."
Shuffles took position by the side of the principal.
"You will repeat after me," added Mr. Lowington.
The culprit was startled at these words, and began to suspect thatWilton had betrayed him in spite of his fear of falling overboardaccidentally. It looked just then as though the principal intended to"toggle" him.
"I acknowledge that I have done wrong," Mr. Lowington continued.
Shuffles repeated the words, happy to find that he was not to take theobligation of "The Chain League."
"And I will hereafter endeavor to do my duty faithfully."
The promise was repeated with the lips, but of course it had no meaning,and did not reach the heart.
"That is all, Shuffles," added the principal.--"Young gentlemen, you aredismissed from muster."
This was certainly a very mild atonement for the grave offence whichShuffles had committed, and the lenity of the principal was generallycommented upon by the boys. The starboard watch was piped below tostudy and recite, while the port watch were to be off and on during theforenoon. The first part now had the deck, while the second was offduty, and the boys belonging to it were permitted to remain on deck orto spend their time in the mess rooms. They were not allowed to lingerin the steerage where the recitations were going on, but might passdirectly through on their way to their apartments.
At ten o'clock the first part of the port watch was relieved, and thesecond part went on duty. Shuffles and Wilton were at liberty now, butthere appeared to be a coldness between them, and Wilton sought anothercompanion for his leisure hours. Sanborn and Adler belonged to his partof the watch, and he soon joined them.
"There isn't much difference between being off duty and being on," saidAdler, as they seated themselves on the main hatch.
"There will be a difference when we have to make and take in sail everyhalf hour. We had a big job ta
king in the studding sails last night."
"They don't drive the ship," added Sanborn. "I suppose if we were amerchantman, they would crack on all the sail she would carry."
"She goes along beautifully," said Wilton.
"She was only making five knots the last time the log was heaved."
"And the sea is as smooth as a mill-pond. We shall not get to Queenstownfor two months at this rate."
"Stand by to set studding sails!" shouted Pelham, the officer of thedeck.
"I wondered why they didn't do that before," said Sanborn.
The fore and main studding sails were set, two at a time, by the part ofthe watch on duty, the wind still being well aft.
"What shall we do?" asked Wilton, with a long yawn, after they hadwatched the operation of setting the studding sails for a time. "This isstupid business, and I'm getting sleepy."
"Let us go below," suggested Sanborn.
"What for? The professors won't let you speak out loud while therecitations are going on," added Adler.
"We don't want to speak out loud. What do you say to shaking a little?"continued Wilton.
"I'm with you," replied Wilton. "Can either of you change me a halfsovereign?"
Neither of them could, but they were willing to take Wilton's due bills,till his indebtedness amounted to ten shillings. The boys had alreadybegun to talk the language of sterling currency, and many of them weresupplied with English silver coins as well as gold. The three boys wentdown at the fore hatch, and removing their caps as they entered thesteerage, walked silently to Gangway D, from which they went into messroom No. 8, which had thus far been the headquarters of the gamblers.Seating themselves on the stools, they used one of the beds as a table,and in a few moments were deeply absorbed in the exciting game. Theyspoke in whispers, and were careful not to rattle the props too loudly.
After they had played a few moments, Shuffles came in. They invited himto join them in the play, but he declined, and soon left the mess room,returning to the deck. In the waist he met Paul Kendall, who was theofficer of his watch, and, like him, was off duty. They had generallybeen on good terms while in the after cabin together, for then Shuffleswas on his best behavior.
"How do things go on in the after cabin now, Kendall--I beg yourpardon--Mr. Kendall?" said Shuffles, in his most gentlemanly tones.
"About as usual, Mr. Shuffles," replied Paul.
"I am not a 'mister' now," laughed Shuffles.
"Well, it's all the same to me. I am sorry you are not with us now."
"So am I," added Shuffles. "I did not expect to be on board this year,or I should have been there now."
"You can be, next term, if you like."
"This thing yesterday has ruined all my prospects."
"That was rather bad. I never was so sorry for anything in my lifebefore," answered Paul, warmly. "You and I were always good friendsafter we got well acquainted, though I did vote for another at theelection a year ago."
"You did what you thought was right, and I don't blame you for that. Ialways did my duty when I was an officer."
"That you did, Shuffles; and we always agreed first rate. Isn't it alittle strange that I have not lived in the steerage since the ship'scompany were organized?"
"That's because you were always a good boy, and a smart scholar. I thinkyou would not like it."
"If it wasn't for losing my rank, I should like to try it," repliedPaul. "I should like to get better acquainted with the fellows."
"You wouldn't like them in the steerage. You would see a great manythings there which you never see in the cabin; a great many things whichMr. Lowington and the professors know nothing about."
"Why, what do you mean, Shuffles?" demanded Paul, astonished at thisrevelation.
"I ought not to say anything about it; but I believe these things willbreak up the Academy Ship one of these days, for the boys are growingworse instead of better in her, and their folks will find it out sooneror later."
"You surprise me!" exclaimed Paul, sadly, for he held the honor of theship and her crew as the apple of his eye. "If there is anything wrongthere, you ought to make it known."
"I suppose I ought; but you know I'm not a tell-tale."
"You have told me, and I'm an officer."
"Well, I blundered into saying what I have. What you said about goinginto the steerage made me let it out. I am sorry I said anything."
"You have raised my curiosity."
"I will tell you; or rather I will put you in the way of seeing foryourself, if you will not mention my name in connection with thematter, even to Mr. Lowington, and certainly not to any one else."
"I will not, Shuffles."
"The fellows are gambling in the steerage at this very moment," addedShuffles, in a low tone. "Don't betray me."
"I will not. Gambling!" exclaimed Paul, with natural horror.
"You will find them in No. 8," continued Shuffles, walking away, andleaving the astonished officer to wonder how boys could gamble.