Outward Bound Part 37

"You failed to get elected captain when we first came aboard of the ship."

"That was only because we had just come on board? the fellows didn't know me, and I didn't know them. We are better acquainted now, and I am just as sure of success as though we had already won it," added Shuffles, confidently. "I don't believe in making failures."

"I don't believe there is more than one chance in ten for you to succeed," continued the sceptic.

"There isn't more than one chance in ten for us to fail. You are a bird of evil omen. You have no faith in anything; and if you are going to croak 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 be as strong as you are."

"Then don't croak any more. We must go to work while the fever is on the fellows, 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 shaky companion to be discreet.

"What are you doing in the top so long?" demanded Foster, the first master, 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 come down and report it," added the officer.

Shuffles made no reply, as he probably would have done if he had not had a heavy operation on his hands, which prevented him from indulging in any side quarrels.

Except the wheelmen and the lookout, the watch on deck was divided into little groups, who were quartered in the most comfortable places they could 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 the steerage skylight, under the lee of which Sanborn and Grimme had stowed themselves away, out of the reach of the stream that was flowing along the water-ways, and of the spray which was dashing over the weather bows.

The party from aloft, with the messenger, increased the group to five, which was the total number of "our fellows" that could be mustered in the first part of the port watch.

"What's up?" demanded Shuffles, when he had seated himself by the skylight.

"We intend to pipe to mischief, to-night, Shuffles and we want some help from you," said Sanborn, in reply.

"We have been robbed of our money, and we are going to have satisfaction, somehow or other," added Grimme, in explanation. "We are not going to stand this sort of thing. We must teach Lowington and the professors that they can't put our noses to the grindstone."

"Exactly so!" exclaimed Shuffles. "And you intend to put them there yourselves. In other words, you mean to get into some sc.r.a.pe, and be punished for it, as I was."

"No, we don't. We are going to work man-of-war style. Old Peaks told us how 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 men serve 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 to drop on his head or his feet; a tar can or a paint pot would be upset on his back; or, if he went below, a cannon ball was liable to roll out of a shot case upon him. Of course no one ever knew the author of this mischief."

"Do you propose to play off any of these tricks on Lowington?" demanded Shuffles.

"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," laughed Sanborn.

"One of the stewards left his oil can on the fore scuttle ladder, after the hatch was put on to keep the spray out, and I took possession of it," added Grimme, hardly able to keep his mirth within the limits of prudence.

"What are you going to do with it?" asked Shuffles.

"We are going to give Lowington the contents of the can, and then throw it 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 a degree of a.s.surance which astonished even Shuffles.

"You dare not do it!"

"I dare, and I will, if the fellows will stand by me. Lowington is sitting at the table in the professors' cabin, right under the skylight, reading. One section of the skylight is open, and you can see him, as plain as day. It's as dark as a pocket on deck, and the officers can't see you twenty feet off. All I have to do is to pop the oil through the opening, and get out of the way."

"What then?"

"Why, he will come on deck, and try to find out who did it; but he can't."

"Perhaps he can."

"No, he can't; only half a dozen of the fellows will know anything about it, 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. Lowington will come on deck at eight bells, and Monroe, in the starboard watch, will give him another dose."