CHAPTER XIII.
PIPING TO MISCHIEF.
After the offensive announcement that the students were to deliver uptheir money to the principal, and take his receipt for it, the crew weredismissed from muster, after being informed that the business ofreceiving the funds would be immediately commenced in the steerage. Thethree gamblers were not punished, except by the mortification of theexposure, even by the loss of their marks, though Wilton was confined inthe brig one hour for each falsehood he had uttered. Mr. Lowington knewthat at least a dozen of the boys were guilty of gambling; and as thematter now came up for the first time, he did not deem it expedient topunish those who had been discovered hoping that the preventive measureshe had adopted would effectually suppress the evil.
Many of the students regarded the taking of their money as an indignity.Only a few of them, comparatively, had engaged in gambling, though manyof the occupants of the steerage knew of the existence of the practiceon board the ship. They were willing to believe, and did believe, afterthe impressive addresses to which they had listened, that games ofchance were a perilous amusement, but they were not quite willing toacknowledge the justice of Mr. Lowington's measures.
Most of the officers, and many of the crew, cheerfully complied with thenew regulation. They handed their money to the pursers, and received areceipt for the amount, signed by the principal. Others emptied thecontents of their exchequer sullenly, and under protest; while not a fewopenly grumbled in the presence of Mr. Lowington. Some of "our fellows"attempted to keep back a portion of their funds, and perhaps a fewsucceeded, though the tact of the principal exposed the deceit inseveral instances. Whatever may be thought of the justice or theexpediency of depriving the students of their money, it was evidently anexceedingly unpopular step.
In the second dog watch, when Shuffles and Paul Kendall were off duty,they happened to meet in the waist; and the exciting topic of the daycame up for discussion, as it had in every little group that collectedthat afternoon. Shuffles had accomplished his purpose; he hadaccomplished far more than he intended. He had expected nothing morethan a general onslaught upon gambling, followed by increased stringencyin the regulations, and a closer watch over the students in their rooms,which would produce sufficient irritation among the boys to suit hispurposes. Now the crew, and even some of the officers, were in a fermentof indignation, and ripe for a demonstration of any kind.
"The business is done," said Paul Kendall, as he met the conspirator.
"I'm afraid it's overdone," answered Shuffles, seriously, though he wasactually in a state of exultation over the effect which had beenproduced by the new regulation.
"I hope not. I did not mention your name to the principal in connectionwith the matter," added Paul.
"Didn't he ask you?"
"He did? but when I stated the case to him, and told him the person whohad given me the information had let it out accidentally, and did notwish to be known, he asked no more questions."
"Thank you, Mr. Kendall. This last measure is so unpopular that I shouldhave been cast out like an unclean bird, if it were known that I gavethe hint."
"No one shall know anything about it from me, Shuffles. You did a goodthing for the ship, and for every fellow in it."
"They wouldn't be willing to believe that just now," said Shuffles,laughing.
"Perhaps not? but it is a fact, none the less."
"I didn't think Mr. Lowington would go it quite so strong. If I had, Ishouldn't have told you what I did."
"Why, are you not satisfied with what has been done?" asked Kendall,with some astonishment.
"No, I am not. I am glad enough to see the gambling stopped, but I don'tthink the principal had any more right to take my money away from methan he had to take my head off," replied Shuffles, earnestly.
"Don't you think it will be better for the fellows to be without moneythan with it?"
"Perhaps it will; I don't know about that. Your neighbor might be abetter man if he were poor than if he were rich: does that make it thatyou have any right to take his property from him?"
"I don't think it does," replied Paul.
"The State of Massachusetts, for instance, or the State of Ohio, makeslaws against games of chance. Why not make a law, if a man gambles, thatall his money shall be taken from him?"
"The state has no right to make such a law, I suppose."
"But the principal goes a long reach beyond that. He takes every man'smoney away from him, whether he is accused of gambling or not. Do youthink he had any right to do that?"
"He hasn't made any law; but if you want law, I'll give you some!"laughed Paul, who was disposed to treat the subject very good-naturedly,especially as there was so much loose indignation floating about thedecks.
"I don't mean law alone, but justice," added Shuffles. "I call ithigh-handed injustice to take the fellows' money away from them."
"Let me give you a little law, then," persisted Paul. "How old are you,Shuffles?"
"Eighteen."
"Good! You are an infant."
"In law, I am."
"Suppose your uncle, or somebody else, should die to-day, and leave youfifty thousand dollars: wouldn't you have a good time with it?"
"I should, as soon as I got hold of it, you had better believe," repliedShuffles.
"As soon as you got hold of it!" exclaimed Paul.
"I suppose I should have a guardian till I became of age."
"Who would appoint your guardian?"
"The court, I believe."
"Exactly so! The law! What, take your money away from you, or not letyou touch it!"
"That's law, certainly."
"Well, wouldn't the law have just as much right to take off a fellow'shead, as to take his money?" demanded Paul, triumphantly.
"Mr. Lowington is not our guardian."
"Yes, he is, for the time being; and I hold that he has just as muchright to take your money from you as your father would have."
"I don't see it; I don't believe it. The money was given us by ourfathers to spend in Europe when we get there."
"Mr. Lowington is to pay all our expenses on shore, by the terms of thecontract. Besides, the regulations of the Academy Ship, to which all theparents assented, require that the control of the boys shall be whollygiven up to the principal. It's a plain case, Shuffles."
Mr. Lowington and his policy had an able and zealous defender in theperson of Paul Kendall, who, by his arguments, as well as his influence,had already reconciled several of the students to the new regulation.
"If I were willing to grant the right of the principal to take thefellows' money from them--which I am not--I think it is treating themlike babies to do so. It is punishing the innocent with the guilty."
"Mr. Lowington said, in so many words, that the measure was notintended as a punishment; that it was purely a matter of discipline,intended to meet certain evils which must appear when we landed inEurope, as well as to prevent gambling."
Paul certainly had the best of the argument; but Shuffles was notconvinced, because he did not wish to be convinced.
At eight bells, when the first part of the port watch went on duty, thewind had shifted from west to north; the studding-sails had been takenin, the spanker, main spencer, and all the staysails had been set, andthe ship, close-hauled, was barely laying her course. The wind wasfresh, and she was heeled over on the starboard side, so that her decksformed a pretty steep inclined plane. Under these circumstances, itrequired a great deal of skill and watchfulness on the part of thewheelmen to keep the sails full, and at the same time to lay the course.As the ship's head met the heavy seas, a great deal of spray was dashedon deck, and the position of the lookout-men on the top-gallantforecastle was not as comfortable as if the weather had been warmer.There was no dodging; every student was obliged to stand at his post,wet or dry, blow high or blow low.
Wilton had been discharged from confinement in the brig, where Mr.Agneau had visited him, giving him good advice and religiousinstructio
n, as he did to all who were punished in any manner, and wasnow with his watch on deck. The new regulation was particularly odiousto "our fellows," and Wilton regarded himself as a martyr to the popularcause, forgetting that he had been punished for the lies he had told.He and twenty others were forward to say they "wouldn't stand it;" andthe indignation seemed to be increasing rather than subsiding.
"Well, Wilton, how do you like the inside of the brig?" asked Shuffles,when they met in the maintop, having been sent aloft to clear away thebowline bridle on the main-topsail.
"I like it well enough," replied Wilton. "I wasn't going to blow on thefellows; I would stay in there a month first."
"Did you give up your money?"
"Of course I did; I couldn't help myself."
"How do you like the new regulation?"
"I don't like it any better than the rest of the fellows do," answeredWilton, in surly tones. "I won't stand it, either."
"O, I guess you will," laughed Shuffles. "I told you Lowington was atyrant, but you wouldn't believe me."
"Yes, I would; and I did."
"The fellows will find out what he is before they are many days older."
"I think they have found out now, I say, Shuffles, was this the row youspoke about last night?"
"Yes; only there's more of it than I expected."
"How did you know anything about it beforehand?"
"I have a way of finding out these things," replied the artfulconspirator, mysteriously. "I have one or two friends at court."
"Is Paul Kendall one of them?"
"No; he is a simpleton. He don't know which side his bread is buttered.If Lowington takes snuff, Kendall sneezes."
"I have seen you talking with him two or three times to-day."
"I was only pumping him."
"Well, there is a jolly row on board now, anyhow," added Wilton, as heprepared to descend over the cat-harpings.
"Hold on; don't let's go on deck yet," interposed Shuffles. "I want toknow what our fellows are going to do."
"They will call us down, if we stop here."
"When they do, we will go down, then," replied Shuffles, as he seatedhimself in the top, with his legs through the lubber's-hole. "What areour fellows going to do? Do they mean to stand this thing?"
"They can't help themselves; they are mad enough to do anything; butwhat's the use?" added Wilton, as he seated himself by the side of hiscompanion.
"Don't you think they will join the League now?"
"They would join anything that would give them their rights. I'll joinnow; but I don't want to be toggled in such a way as you said lastnight."
"Then you can't be toggled at all."
"I haven't any idea of falling overboard accidentally. I'd rather losemy money than do that."
"It's nothing but a form, Wilton. Between you and me, it's only abugbear, intended to work upon the nerves and the imagination. Of coursewe shouldn't help any fellow overboard; no one would dare to do any suchthing."
"I don't like the sound of the thing."
"If you really mean to expose the secrets which are intrusted to you, Iadvise you not to join."
"I don't mean any such thing," added Wilton, indignantly.
"If you didn't, you wouldn't be afraid of the penalty."
"Toggle me, then; and see what I mean."
"I don't want you to go in if you don't believe in it."
"But I do believe in it; so go ahead."
Shuffles pronounced the ridiculous obligation again, and Wilton repeatedit after him.
"Now you are toggled," said the leader.
"What are we going to do?"
"Bring in the rest of our fellows; that is the first job. In my opinionwe can get over fifty of them now."
"I don't know about that," answered Wilton, doubtfully.
"I'm very sure we can. If we get enough to take the ship, we can haveall the rest as soon as we have done the job."
"Take the ship!" exclaimed Wilton, appalled at the idea.
"That's what we mean."
"I don't believe you can do it," replied the doubtful "link in theChain."
"It's the easiest thing in the world. The affair will come off at suppertime, when the professors are all in their cabin. All we have to do isto clap the hatch on the after companion-way, and secure the doorsleading from the main cabin into the steerage. Then we have them, andthey can't help themselves."
"But the boatswain, carpenter, and sailmaker will be loose."
"No, they won't. At the right time, we will pass the word for them, andsay that Lowington wants to see them in the main cabin. As soon as theygo below we will put the hatch on."
"The cooks and stewards will still be at large."
"We can lock them up in the kitchen. If they make trouble, I have arevolver," whispered Shuffles.
"A revolver! I won't have anything to do with it if you are going to usepistols," said the alarmed confederate.
"It's only to look at; there will be no occasion to use it," answeredShuffles, soothingly.
"There will be twelve men, besides the stewards, locked up in the maincabin."
"That's so."
"How long do you suppose it would take them to break down the bulkheadbetween the cabin and the steerage, or to climb up through theskylight?"
"If they attempt anything of that kind, we can show them the revolver;that will quiet them."
"You might frighten the parson in that way; but do you suppose men likeMr. Lowington, Mr. Fluxion, and Peaks, who have been in the navy solong, will be afraid of a pistol?"
"They won't want to be shot, if they have been in the navy all theirlives."
"Then you mean to shoot them?"
"They will think we do, and it will be all the same."
"I don't know about this business. I'm afraid the pistol might go off,and hurt somebody."
"I suppose you could raise objections all night," added Shuffles,contemptuously. "I'm not going to have any man tyrannize over me,Wilton. I suppose if Lowington wants to pull every fellow's teeth out,you won't object."
"I'm as much opposed to his tyranny as you are, and I will do anythingthat is reasonable; but I want to know whether the water is hot or coldbefore I put my fingers into it. What's the use of blundering into anenterprise, and making a failure of it?"
"I have no idea of making a failure of it. Did you ever know me to makea failure of anything that I attempted?"
"Yes, I have."
"What?"
"You failed to get elected captain when we first came aboard of theship."
"That was only because we had just come on board? the fellows didn'tknow me, and I didn't know them. We are better acquainted now, and I amjust as sure of success as though we had already won it," addedShuffles, confidently. "I don't believe in making failures."
"I don't believe there is more than one chance in ten for you tosucceed," continued the sceptic.
"There isn't more than one chance in ten for us to fail. You are a birdof evil omen. You have no faith in anything; and if you are going tocroak like this, I don't want you in the Chain," added Shuffles,petulantly.
"I'm in for it, already; and when I can see my way clearly, I shall beas strong as you are."
"Then don't croak any more. We must go to work while the fever is on thefellows, and make up----"
"In the maintop, ahoy!" shouted the master, from the waist.
"On deck!" replied Shuffles.
"Lay down from aloft!"
"Yes, sir."
The conspirators descended, after Shuffles had admonished his shakycompanion to be discreet.
"What are you doing in the top so long?" demanded Foster, the firstmaster, as the truants reached the sheer-pole.
"Watching the sea, sir," replied Shuffles. "It looks fine from the top."
"When you have done what you are sent aloft for, it is your duty to comedown and report it," added the officer.
Shuffles made no reply, as he probably would have done if he had not hada hea
vy operation on his hands, which prevented him from indulging inany side quarrels.
Except the wheelmen and the lookout, the watch on deck was divided intolittle groups, who were quartered in the most comfortable places theycould find, telling stones, or discussing the exciting topic of the day.
"Shuffles, some of our fellows want to see you and Wilton," said Adler,as the first master went below, to inspect the steerage, at two bells.
"What's up?" demanded the conspirator.
"Don't say anything," added the messenger, as he led the way to thesteerage skylight, under the lee of which Sanborn and Grimme had stowedthemselves away, out of the reach of the stream that was flowing alongthe water-ways, and of the spray which was dashing over the weatherbows.
The party from aloft, with the messenger, increased the group to five,which was the total number of "our fellows" that could be mustered inthe first part of the port watch.
"What's up?" demanded Shuffles, when he had seated himself by theskylight.
"We intend to pipe to mischief, to-night, Shuffles and we want some helpfrom you," said Sanborn, in reply.
"We have been robbed of our money, and we are going to havesatisfaction, somehow or other," added Grimme, in explanation. "We arenot going to stand this sort of thing. We must teach Lowington and theprofessors that they can't put our noses to the grindstone."
"Exactly so!" exclaimed Shuffles. "And you intend to put them thereyourselves. In other words, you mean to get into some scrape, and bepunished for it, as I was."
"No, we don't. We are going to work man-of-war style. Old Peaks told ushow to do it, when we were on watch last night," replied Grimme.
"Peaks?"
"Yes, he spun us a yarn about man-of-war life, and told us how the menserve out the officers when they don't behave themselves."
"Peaks told you this--did he?" demanded Shuffles.
"Of course he didn't mean to have us do anything of the kind."
"Well, how did he tell you to serve out the officers?"
"Make them uncomfortable; keep them in a hornet's nest all the time."
"How? How?" asked Shuffles, impatiently.
"Why, if the unpopular officer went forward, a belaying pin was sure todrop on his head or his feet; a tar can or a paint pot would be upset onhis back; or, if he went below, a cannon ball was liable to roll out ofa shot case upon him. Of course no one ever knew the author of thismischief."
"Do you propose to play off any of these tricks on Lowington?" demandedShuffles.
"We have got a rod in pickle for him," replied Grimme, chuckling.
"What is it?"
"We intend to give him a dose of kerosene oil, to begin with," laughedSanborn.
"One of the stewards left his oil can on the fore scuttle ladder, afterthe hatch was put on to keep the spray out, and I took possession ofit," added Grimme, hardly able to keep his mirth within the limits ofprudence.
"What are you going to do with it?" asked Shuffles.
"We are going to give Lowington the contents of the can, and then throwit overboard."
"Indeed! Who is the fellow that has boldness enough to do this thing?"
"I have; and I have volunteered to do the job," answered Grimme, with adegree of assurance which astonished even Shuffles.
"You dare not do it!"
"I dare, and I will, if the fellows will stand by me. Lowington issitting at the table in the professors' cabin, right under the skylight,reading. One section of the skylight is open, and you can see him, asplain as day. It's as dark as a pocket on deck, and the officers can'tsee you twenty feet off. All I have to do is to pop the oil through theopening, and get out of the way."
"What then?"
"Why, he will come on deck, and try to find out who did it; but hecan't."
"Perhaps he can."
"No, he can't; only half a dozen of the fellows will know anything aboutit, and of course they won't let on."
"Suppose he don't find out. What good will this trick do?"
"The second part of the port watch must follow up the game. Lowingtonwill come on deck at eight bells, and Monroe, in the starboard watch,will give him another dose."
"What will that be?"
"Slush the first step of the ladder at the after companion-way, and lethim tumble down stairs," chuckled Grimme.
"Then Lynch will give him some more," said Adler.
"Well, you may break his neck when he tumbles down the ladder. I'll havenothing to do with any of those tricks," added Shuffles, decidedly. "Ifyou want to pipe to mischief, I'm with you, but in no such way as that.Those are little, mean, dirty tricks."
"But they will keep him in hot water all the time, and he will get sickof being a tyrant over the fellows in less than a week. There are twentythings we might do to annoy him, which would help to bring him to hissenses. For instance, when the steward carries the coffee into theprofessors' cabin, one fellow might engage his attention, while anotherdrops a lump of salt, a handful of pepper, or a piece of tobacco intothe urn."
"I don't want to hear any more of such low-lived tricks," interposed themagnificent conspirator. "If you want to pipe to mischief, let us do itlike men."
"What would you do? Fifty of the fellows, at least, will go intoanything to punish Lowington for his tyranny."
"Join the Chain, then," said Shuffles, in a whisper, and with a suitableparade of mystery.
"The what?"
"The Chain."
The object of the League was duly explained; and before the second partof the port watch came on deck, three new members had been "toggled."Greatly to the satisfaction of Shuffles, and to the astonishment ofWilton, they did not hesitate at the penalty of the obligation, andseemed to be entirely willing to "fall overboard accidentally" if theyfailed to make strong and faithful "links in the Chain."