Four Afloat Part 4

"I'll tell you a way you can do it," said Dan soberly, and Tom, looking suspicious, asked how.

"Why, you set the can on the stove and get it good and hot all through, and just as soon as it begins to boil hard the lid comes off."

"Huh! And everything else, I guess," said Tom.

"And we spend the rest of the cruise picking Boston baked beans off the cabin walls," supplemented Nelson. "No explosions for me, if you please.

I don't see why we should bother ourselves about the can, anyhow; it's the cook's funeral."

"Well, it's your luncheon," Tom replied.

"It's a job for the ship's carpenter," said Bob. "Call the carpenter."

"I guess I'm it," said Dan. "Come on, Tommy, and we'll get the old thing open."

They disappeared together and for a minute or two the sound of merry laughter floated up from below, and the two on deck smiled in sympathy.

Then there was a loud and triumphant chorus of "Ah-h-h!" and Dan emerged.

"I want to try steering," he announced. "Get out of there, Bob."

"All right, but don't get gay," was the response. Dan tried to wither Bob with a glance as he took his place at the wheel. Then--

"Gosh! Don't she turn easy? Who-oa! Come back here, Mr. _Vagabond_! Say, Nel, how much does a tub like this cost?"

"Thirty-four hundred, this one. But there's been a lot of extras since then."

"Honest? Say, that's a whole lot, isn't it? I suppose you could get one cheaper if you didn't have so much foolish mahogany and so many velvet cushions, eh?"

"Maybe. You thinking of buying a launch?"

"I'd like to. I'm dead stuck on this one, all right. A sailor's life for me, fellows!" And Dan tried to do a few steps of the hornpipe without letting go of the wheel. Nelson, laughing, disappeared to look after the engine, and with him, when he reappeared, came an appetizing odor of cooking.

"Tommy's laying the tablecloth," he announced. "When grub's ready, you fellows go down and I'll take a turn at the wheel."

"Get out!" said Dan. "I'm helmsman or steersman, or whatever you call it. You run along and eat; I'm not hungry yet."

"How about it, Bob?" asked Nelson. Bob looked doubtful.

"I'm afraid he'll run us against the rocks over there just for a joke."

"Honest, I won't," exclaimed Dan earnestly. "If I see a rock coming, I'll call you."

"All right," laughed Nelson. "See that you do."

At that moment there came eight silvery chimes from the clock in the engine room.

"'Sixteen bells on the Waterbury watch! Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho!'" sang Dan. "Say, what time is that, anyhow?"

"Twelve," answered Bob.

"Twelve! Well, that's the craziest way of telling time I ever heard of!

What's it do when it gets to be one?"

"Strikes two bells."

"Yes, indeed! Isn't it simple?" asked Dan sarcastically.

"When you get the hang of it," Nelson answered. "All you have to do is to remember that it's eight bells at twelve, four and eight. Then one bell is half-past, two bells one hour later, three bells half-past again, and--"

"That'll do for you," interrupted Dan. "I don't want to learn it all the first lesson. But, look here, now; suppose I wake up in the night and hear the silly thing strike eight. How do I know whether it's midnight or four in the morning?"

"Why," said Bob, "all you have to do is to lie awake awhile. If the sun comes up it was four, and if it doesn't it was twelve."

"Huh! I guess I'll go by my watch. The chap who invented the ship's clock must have been crazy!"

"Lunch is ready!" called Tom.

"Go ahead, you fellows," said Dan. "But don't eat it all up."

"And you keep a watch where you're going," cautioned Nelson. "If you get near a boat or anything, sing out; hear?"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Bet you he runs into something," muttered Bob as they went in.

"No, he won't," said Nelson, "because he knows that if he does we won't let him do any more steering. I've got to wash my hands; they're all over engine grease. You and Tommy sit down."

The table, which when not in use was stored against the stateroom roof, was set up between the berths and was covered with a clean linen cloth, adorned in one corner with the club flag and the private signal crossed.

The napkins were similarly marked, as was the neat china service and the silverware.

"Say, aren't we swell?" asked Tom admiringly. "And I found a whole bunch of writing paper and envelopes in that locker over there, with the crossed flags and the boat's name on them. I'm going to write letters to everyone I know after lunch."

The menu this noon wasn't elaborate, but there was plenty to eat. A big dish of smoking baked beans, a pot of fragrant coffee, a jar of preserves, and the better part of a loaf of bread graced the board. And there was plenty of fresh b.u.t.ter and a can of evaporated cream.

"This is swell!" muttered Tom with his mouth full.

"Tom, if I ever said you couldn't cook I retract," said Nelson. "I apologize humbly. Pa.s.s the bread, please."

"Oh, don't ask me to pa.s.s anything," begged Bob. "I'm starving. I suppose we'll have to leave a little for Dan, but I hate to do it!"

"Wonder how Dan's getting on," said Nelson presently, after a sustained but busy silence. "I should think he'd be hungry by this time." He raised himself and glanced out of one of the open port lights. Then he flung down his napkin and hurried through the engine room to the c.o.c.kpit.

"What the d.i.c.kens!" exclaimed Bob, following.

When Nelson reached the wheel the boat's head was pointed straight for Boston. But Dan had heard him coming, and was now turning hard on the wheel.

"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Nelson.

"Who, me? Why, Gloucester."