Up The Baltic Part 20

"I saw her first at Christiansand, and went on board of her with my mother and sister. I liked the looks of her, and fancied the young chaps on board of her were having a nice time. I wanted to ship in her, and I did so; but I was never among such a set of tyrants in the whole course of my life."

"Then you joined the ship," replied Paul, who had heard of the new addition to the Young America's crew, but had not seen him.

"I'm blamed if I didn't; but before my mother left the ship, a big bully of a boatswain insulted me, and I changed my mind. Yet the head master persuaded my mother to let him keep me in the ship, and I'm blamed if she didn't leave me there."

"Left you there," added Paul, when Clyde paused, apparently to give his auditor the opportunity to express his sympathy for his unfortunate situation.

"Yes, sir; she left me there, and she won't hear the last of it for one year," replied Clyde, shaking his head. "It was a mean trick, and I'll pay her for it."

"Probably she did it for the best," suggested Paul, disgusted with the a.s.surance, and especially with the want of respect for his mother which the youth manifested, though he was anxious to hear the conclusion of his story.

"I don't care what she did it for; it was a scurvy trick. I told her I wouldn't stay in the ship, any how, and she permitted the big boatswain to hold me while she went ash.o.r.e in a boat. But I knew myself, if my mother didn't know me, and I determined not to stay in her three days; and I didn't," chuckled Clyde, as he thought of what he called his own cleverness.

"What did you do?" asked Paul, deeply interested.

"I was willing to bide my time, and so I hauled sheets, and luffed, and tacked, and all that sort of thing, till we got to Christiania.

When I was pulling the main boom, or something of that kind,--I don't just know what it was now,--one of the fellows in gold bands insulted me."

"What did he say to you?"

"He ordered me to be silent, and another n.o.b did the same thing. I offered to fight them both, and I would have liked to show them what an English boy's fist is made of; but the cowards set the boatswain on me again. I would have licked him if he had fought fair; but he caught me foul, and I could do nothing. I meant to be even with that big boatswain, and I think I am," said Clyde, rubbing his hands again with delight, and laughing heartily when he thought of his brilliant achievement.

"Well, what did you do?"

"I just waited till the ship got to Christiania; and then, when all the students were at dinner, I found the big boatswain sitting on a beam that runs out over the water--I forget what they call the beam, but it's at the bow of the ship."

"The bowsprit," suggested Paul.

"No; I know the bowsprit. It wasn't that. There was another beam like it on the other side."

"O, the cat-head!"

"That's just it. Well, I went up to the big boatswain, and asked him to look at a ship,--or a 'mofferdite brig, he called it. He looked, and I just gave him a push, which dropped him off the cat's head into the bay," continued Clyde, who told his story with many a chuckle and many a laugh, seeming to enjoy it hugely himself, in spite of the want of sympathy on the part of his listener.

"You pushed him overboard!" exclaimed Paul.

"That I did, and did it handsomely, too. He never knew what hurt him till he struck the water. He swam for the bow, and I dropped into a boat, and came ash.o.r.e. I saw him climb up to the deck, but I was out of his way then. Wasn't that cleverly done?"

"Rather," replied Paul, concealing his indignation.

"I think it was very cleverly done," added Clyde, annoyed at the coolness of his companion. "You couldn't have done it better yourself, sir."

"I don't think I could," replied Paul, dryly. "And you expect your mother this evening."

"Yes; and she shall take my name off the books of the ship."

"Perhaps she will not."

"O, but she will. Then the two n.o.bs that insulted me on the ship shall hear from me."

"What do you intend to do with them?"

"I'll whip them both; if I don't my name isn't Clyde Blacklock!"

"But they will take you back to the ship before your mother arrives."

"I dare say they will, if they see me; but I don't intend to go out of the hotel till my mother comes. I shall stay in my room, or near it, the rest of the day."

The conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Mrs. Kendall, who had been preparing for a ride about the city. Paul conducted her to the carriage, satisfied that the new scholar could be found when wanted. During their excursion he told his wife the adventures of Clyde.

"But what a simpleton he was to tell you these things!" added Grace.

"He did not suspect me of knowing anything about the ship. He is one of those fellows, who, having done what he regards as a good thing, cannot help boasting of it. He considers himself a first-cla.s.s hero."

When Paul returned from the ride, he found Clyde still walking about the hall, as uneasy as a fish out of water.

"Did you see anything of the Academy ship, sir?" asked he, after Mrs.

Kendall had gone to her room.

"I saw her at anchor in the harbor, and all her people are walking about the town," replied Paul.

"I've kept clear of them so far; but I want to catch the two fellows with the gold bands."

"Perhaps some of them will catch you."

"Not they! I'm too cunning for clumsy fellows like them."

"I see you are," laughed Paul, amused at the a.s.surance of the young Briton.

"If I see them, I'll settle the Alabama claims with them on my own account. But you ought to have seen the big boatswain floundering in the water, sir."

"No doubt it was very funny."

"It was, indeed," added Clyde, as the waiter appeared, and handed a card to Captain Kendall.

"In the court yard, sir," said the servant; and Paul followed the man to the place where the visitors were waiting.

Peaks, as dry, clean, and good-natured as ever, was talking to Mr.

Lowington. Paul could not help laughing as he thought of the confidence which Clyde had reposed in him, and that the fugitive had voluntarily, and without any precautions, told his adventures to one who really belonged to the fleet.

"He has told me all about it," said Paul.

"Told you?" exclaimed Mr. Lowington.

"Yes, sir; how he pushed Peaks overboard, and then ran away," laughed Paul. "I don't often wear my uniform on sh.o.r.e, for my wife thinks it attracts too much attention; so that he did not suspect me of any connection with the fleet."

"But where is he now?" asked the princ.i.p.al.