Outward Bound Part 40

"It was before it came on to blow very hard," replied Pelham, seating himself on a stool, and bracing his feet against the front of the berth to prevent being thrown down.

"What did he do?"

"He snubbed me, told me I knew the rule, and was as overbearing as though I had been his servant, instead of an officer of the ship."

"But what did you do? He wouldn't have done anything of the kind if you hadn't given him some provocation."

"I told the quartermaster, when the wind was heading off the ship, to alter the course."

"Didn't you tell the captain beforehand?"

"Not I."

"Then I don't blame him for snubbing you. What's the use of being captain if the officers don't obey you?"

"If he had anything to say to me, he might have been a little more gentle about it."

Pelham neglected to say that he was not particularly gentle himself.

"Put that light out, Pelham, for my sake, if not for your own," said Goodwin, when he found that his companion was too much out of sorts to be reasonable.

"Neither for yours nor my own will I put it out," replied Pelham, as he took a cigar from its hiding-place, under the lower berth.

"What are you going to do, Pelham?" demanded Goodwin, filled with astonishment, as he observed the conduct of his fellow-officer.

"I'm going to have a smoke."

"But you know that smoking is positively prohibited either on ship or sh.o.r.e."

"I haven't had a smoke since vacation," replied Pelham, as he lighted the cigar.

"See here, Pelham; I won't stand this!" exclaimed the third lieutenant, rising up in his bed, in which act he was nearly pitched out of his berth by a heavy roll of the ship. "The companion-way is closed."

"That's the very reason why I'm going to smoke," replied the malcontent, coolly.

"But I shall be stifled here."

"Can't help it."

"I can," retorted Goodwin, as he leaped out on the floor.

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to inform Mr. Lowington what you are doing."

"Are you such a fellow as that?" asked Pelham, indignantly.

"I am, if you are such a fellow as to attempt to stifle me with cigar smoke in my own room. It would make me as sick as a horse in five minutes."

"Seasick, you mean," sneered Pelham. "I'm going to have my smoke, if there is a row about it."

Goodwin put on his pea-jacket, and left the room.

CHAPTER XV.

AFTER THE GALE.

One of the most singular traits observable in the character of some boys is the willingness, and even the desire, under certain circ.u.mstances, to get into trouble. A young gentleman, feeling that he has been slighted, or his merit overlooked, permits himself to fall into a mental condition in which he feels no responsibility for his conduct; in which he recklessly breaks through all regulations, places himself in an att.i.tude of opposition to const.i.tuted authority, and seems to court the heaviest penalty which can be inflicted upon him for disobedience, impudence, and rebellion.

The fourth lieutenant of the Young America had worked himself up to this disagreeable pitch. He was not only disposed to a.s.sume an att.i.tude of opposition to the princ.i.p.al, who had made the obnoxious regulation which was the immediate cause of his rebellious condition, but to all who supported his authority, or willingly submitted to it.

Smoking was a high crime on board the Young America--not in the relation of the practice to the ship, but to the student. It was condemned, not simply because it would be offensive in the cabins and steerage, and on deck, but because it was a bad habit for a boy to acquire. The adult forward officers, the cooks and the stewards, were allowed to smoke on the forecastle at certain prescribed hours; but it was a punishable offence for a student to smoke at any time or in any place, whether on board or on sh.o.r.e.

Goodwin was indignant at the conduct of his room-mate, for the third lieutenant was not only opposed to smoking on principle, but the fumes of tobacco were intensely offensive to him; and there was no doubt that, in the confined s.p.a.ce of the state room, insufficiently ventilated, while all the openings in the deck were closed during the gale, the smoke would make him "as sick as a horse." He was a n.o.ble-minded, manly youth, and had all a boy's detestation for tattling and tale-bearing. He did not like to go on deck and inform the princ.i.p.al of the conduct of Pelham, but he could not submit to the indignity cast upon him. He went out into the cabin, and threw himself upon the cushioned divan, under the stern ports of the ship.

This would have been a very satisfactory place to sleep under ordinary circ.u.mstances; but Goodwin had hardly secured a comfortable position, before the heavy rolling and pitching of the vessel tumbled him off, and he measured his length on the cabin floor--a very undignified situation for a third lieutenant. He picked himself up in the darkness, and tried it again, but with no better success than before. He had fully intended to go on deck and inform the princ.i.p.al of the misconduct of Pelham, which had driven him from his room; but he shrank from the task.

What Goodwin was attempting to do on the divan many of the officers were striving to do in their berths, though with better success than attended his efforts. It was not an easy matter to stay in the berths; and this done, the situation was far from comfortable. Avoiding the rude fall on the one side, the occupant was rolled over against the part.i.tion on the other side. Sleep, in anything more than "cat naps," was utterly impracticable, for as soon as the tired officer began to lose himself in slumber, he was thumped violently against the pine boards, or was roused by the fear of being tumbled out of his berth.

Mr. Lowington comprehended the situation of the students, and when the topsails and courses had been reefed, he called up all the stewards, and sent them through the after cabin and steerage, to ascertain the condition of the boys, and to give them the benefit of certain expedients known to old voyagers for such occasions. Jacobs, the steward of the after cabin, entered to perform his duty. He had no light, not even a lantern; for fire is so terrible a calamity at sea, that every lamp was extinguished by the stewards at ten o'clock, and no light was allowed, except in the binnacle, without the special permission of the princ.i.p.al Even the captain could not allow a lamp to be lighted after hours.

Jacobs went to all the state rooms on the port side first, and pulled up the berth sacks above the front of the bunks, so as to form a kind of wall, to keep the occupant from rolling out. A bundle of clothing was placed on the inside of the berth, and the body was thus wedged in, so as to afford some relief to the unstable form. Pelham's room was the second one on the starboard side, and Jacobs came to it at last, in his humane mission. He opened the door, and started back with unfeigned astonishment to see the lamp lighted, and the fourth lieutenant puffing his cigar as leisurely as the violent motion of the ship would permit.

"Contrary to regulation, sir," said Jacobs, respectfully as he touched his cap to the reckless officer.

"Take yourself off, Jacobs," replied Pelham, coa.r.s.ely and rudely.

"Yes, sir."

Jacobs did take himself off, and hastened on deck to inform Mr.

Lowington of the conduct of the infatuated officer.

The princ.i.p.al immediately presented himself. Pelham had fully believed, in his self-willed obstinacy, that he could look Mr. Lowington full in the face, and impudently defy him. He found that he was mistaken. The experience of Shuffles in the hands of the boatswain and carpenter would intrude itself upon him, and he quailed when the princ.i.p.al opened the door and gazed sternly into his face.

"Smoking, Mr. Pelham?"

"Yes, sir," replied the rebel, with an attempt to be cool and impudent, which, however, was a signal failure.

"You will put out that cigar, and throw it away."

"I will; I've smoked enough," answered Pelham.

"Your light is burning, contrary to regulation."

"The ship rolls so, I should break my neck without one," replied Pelham, sourly.