Up The Baltic Part 11

"Pull, starboard; back, port. Give way!" continued the c.o.xswains; and the effect of this evolution was to turn the boats as on a pivot.

"Oars!" and the crew ceased pulling, with their oars all on a level, and the blades feathered.

The boats had been turned half round, and each c.o.xswain aligned his own by the barge on the right. In this position three cheers were given in compliment to the people on the sh.o.r.e, though the Norwegians seemed to be too dull and heavy to comprehend the nature of the movement. The boats swung again, and continued on their way, in single line, through the narrow pa.s.sage between Oddero and the main land.

Under the direction of the native pilot, the barge led the way among the islands, affording the students an opportunity to see the sh.o.r.es.

When the fleet came into the broad channel, the order was resumed, as at first, and after various manoeuvres, it was dismissed, each boat returning to the vessel to which it belonged.

The appearance of the fleet, including the two beautiful yachts, and the evolutions of the boats, had created a decided sensation on board of the Orlando, which was crowded with pa.s.sengers, most of them tourists on their way to the interior of Norway. The crews of the several vessels piped to dinner as soon as they returned from the excursion; but the meal was hardly finished before visitors from the steamer began to arrive, and the boatmen in the harbor made a good harvest on the occasion. Among those who came to the ship was an elegantly dressed lady, with her son and daughter, attended by a servant man in livery. Mrs. Garberry Blacklock was duly presented to the princ.i.p.al by one of the gentlemen who had introduced himself. She was evidently a very fine lady; for she was "distinguished" in her manners as well as in her dress. And her son, Clyde Blacklock, was as evidently a very fine young gentleman, though he was only fourteen years of age. It is doubtful whether Miss Celia Blacklock could be regarded as a very fine young lady, for she appeared to be very pretty, and very modest and retiring, with but a very moderate estimate of her own importance.

For the tenth time Mr. Lowington briefly explained the nature of the inst.i.tution over which he presided; and the fine lady listened with languishing _ennui_.

"But it is a very rough life for young gentlemen," suggested Mrs.

Blacklock. "I should fancy they would become very, _very_ rude."

"Not necessarily," replied the princ.i.p.al. "We intend that the students shall behave like gentlemen, and we think the discipline of the ship has a tendency to promote good manners."

"They must live like sailors, and sailors are very, _very_ rude."

"Not necessarily, madam. There is nothing in the occupation itself that--"

"But I wish to know what the fellows do," interposed Mr. Clyde Blacklock.

"There is nothing in the occupation itself that begets rudeness,"

added Mr. Lowington, giving no attention to the young gentleman, who had so impolitely broken in upon the conversation of his elders. "I see no reason why a young man cannot be a gentleman in a ship as well as on sh.o.r.e."

"I dare say you have sailors to do the dirty work."

"No, madam; our students do all the work."

"Do they put their own fingers into the pitch and the tar?" inquired the lady, with a curl of the lip which indicated her horror.

"Certainly; but we think pitch and tar are not half so defiling as evil thoughts and bad manners."

"They are very, _very_ disagreeable. The odor of tar and pitch is intolerable."

"We do not find it so, for--"

"I say, I wish to know what the fellows do."

"We are accustomed to the odor of them," continued the princ.i.p.al. "To some people the scent of musk, and even otto of roses, is not pleasant; and, for my part, I rather enjoy that of tar and pitch."

"That is very, _very_ singular. But Clyde desires to know what the young gentlemen do," added the lady, glancing at her son, behind whom stood the man in livery, as though he were the boy's exclusive property.

"They have a regular routine of study," replied Mr. Lowington, addressing the lady, and declining even to glance at the original inquirer, for the rudeness of Mr. Clyde in interrupting the conversation seemed to merit a rebuke. "They attend to the studies usually pursued in the highest cla.s.s of academies, including the modern languages and navigation, the latter being a speciality in the course."

"I don't care what they study," said Clyde. "What do they do in the ship?"

"We prepare boys for college, and beyond that pursue a regular college course, so far as our facilities will permit. Our students have the advantage of travel; for, in the present cruise, we shall visit all the princ.i.p.al nations of Europe."

"What do they do in the ship?"

"Clyde desires to know what the boys do in the ship," added the lady.

"They learn good manners, for the first thing, madam. There are fifteen officers in this vessel, and nine in each of the others. They are all students, who take their rank according to their merit. The best scholar in each is the captain, and so on."

"Does the captain manage the ship?" asked Clyde.

"Certainly."

"I should like to be the captain," exclaimed the young gentleman.

"Do you think you could manage the ship?" asked his mother, with a smile which expressed the pride she felt in the towering ambition of her son.

"I could, if any fellow could."

"Clyde is very fond of the sea; indeed, he worries me sadly by his adventurous spirit," said his mother.

"I think it would do him good to go to sea," added the princ.i.p.al, rather dryly.

"The students made a beautiful appearance in their boats to-day,"

continued Mrs. Blacklock. "It was really very, _very_ wonderful."

"They handle the boats very well indeed, but their skill was only acquired by long and careful training. As we have a considerable number of visitors on board, madam, we will show you a little seamanship. Captain c.u.mberland," he added, turning to the young commander, who had been making himself agreeable to Miss Celia Blacklock.

The captain asked the young lady to excuse him, and stepping up to the princ.i.p.al, bowed gracefully, and raised his cap.

"He's a regular swell," said Clyde to his man.

"He's a young gentleman as is highly polished, which these naval officers is generally," replied Jeems.

Mr. Lowington directed the captain to call all hands, and go through the evolutions of loosing and furling, for the gratification of the guests of the ship. Captain c.u.mberland bowed and raised his cap again as he retired, and the princ.i.p.al hoped that Clyde would take a lesson in good manners from him.

"Will you walk to the quarter-deck, Miss Blacklock," said the captain, touching his cap to the young lady, to whom he had been formally introduced by the princ.i.p.al. "We are going to loose and furl, and you can see better there than here."

"With pleasure," replied Miss Celia. "But what did you say you were going to do?"

"Loose and furl the sails," replied the captain, as he conducted the fair miss to the quarter-deck, where they were followed by Mr.

Lowington and the rest of the party.

"Mr. Judson," said the commander.

"Here, sir," replied the first lieutenant.

"Call all hands to loose and furl."

"All hands, sir," responded Judson, touching his cap to his superior, as all on board were required to do.

"They are all swells," said Clyde to his man.

"All hands, loose sails!" shouted the boatswain, as he blew the proper blast on his whistle.