Up The Baltic Part 41

"But who is that with him?" asked Norwood.

"It's one of the second cutter's crew, I suppose," replied De Forrest.

"I didn't think, when I went ash.o.r.e with them, that I shouldn't see any of them again for so long a time. I wonder where the rest of them are."

"That's not one of the second cutters," added Judson. "It is the English fellow."

"So it is."

Peaks came alongside, and directed Clyde Blacklock to mount the accommodation ladder, which he did without making any objection. They had arrived the day before. The prisoner seemed to have lost some portion of his stubborn spirit. The boatswain followed him to the deck, and touching his cap to the captain and other officers on the quarter-deck, went aft, where the princ.i.p.al was talking with the surgeon.

"We have come on board, sir," said the boatswain, as he took off his cap and pointed to Clyde.

"I see you have," replied Mr. Lowington. "I'm glad to see you again, Clyde."

The young Briton nodded his head with a jerk, but made no reply.

"Have you seen Mr. Blaine, Peaks?" asked the princ.i.p.al.

"Yes, sir; I met him on the wharf night before last at Gottenburg."

"But where are the crew of the second cutter? I expected you to bring them."

"They came back to Christiania on Friday, and took the steamer for Gottenburg the same evening; but Mr. Blaine had not seen them. Their steamer arrived in the forenoon, and the ship did not sail till night."

"I am afraid there is something wrong about it."

"I left Mr. Blaine in Gottenburg. I suppose he will find them."

Peaks reported in detail the result of his mission on sh.o.r.e. So far as Clyde was concerned it was entirely satisfactory; but the continued absence of the second cutter's crew was very annoying to the princ.i.p.al.

"How do you feel, Clyde?" asked Mr. Lowington, turning to the new student.

"I feel well enough," replied the runaway, roughly.

"I am glad you do. I hope you feel better than when you left the ship."

"I don't."

"While you were on board before, I neglected to explain to you the consequences of leaving the ship without permission."

"It wouldn't have made any difference. I should have gone just the same," answered Clyde, doggedly.

"The less trouble you make, the better it will be for you."

"Perhaps it will; but I don't intend to stay in this ship a great while."

"I intend that you shall stay here; and since you avow your purpose to run away again, I must see that you are put in a safe place. Peaks, the brig."

"The brig? What's that?" demanded Clyde, who was very suspicious of the calm, unmoved tones of the princ.i.p.al.

"Come with me, my lad, and I will show you," replied the boatswain.

The Briton knew by sad experience how useless it was to contend against this tyrant, who, however, always used him well when he behaved in a reasonable manner. He followed the boatswain into the steerage, and the door of the brig, which was a small prison formed of plank slats, set upright under the steps, about three inches apart, was opened.

"That's the brig, my boy," said Peaks. "It's a regular inst.i.tution on board a man-of-war; but this one has not been opened for months."

"Well, what's it for?" asked Clyde, who even yet did not seem to comprehend its use.

"Walk in, and I will make it all plain to you in a moment."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Sail in!" shouted a student, who, with others, was observing the treatment.

"On deck, sir!" said the boatswain, sternly, to the speaker. "Report yourself."

It was a principle in the discipline of the ship that no person should say or do anything to irritate a student undergoing punishment, and no one was permitted, on such occasions, to take part on either side, unless called upon by the officer or instructor to do so. In ordinary cases no boy was required, or permitted, to be a "tell-tale," and all were expected to remain neutral. The student who had spoken left the steerage, and went on deck, before Clyde had time to "open upon him,"

as he intended to do.

"Step in, my lad," added Peaks.

"What for?" asked the Briton, as he obeyed the order, but not without a suspicion that he was to step upon a red-hot gridiron, or be precipitated through some opening in the deck into the dark depths beneath.

No such calamity happened to him, and he was rather astonished to find that no harsher punishment was used for the flagrant offence he had committed. He had pushed the boatswain overboard, and then run away.

Peaks had never manifested any resentment towards him on account of his cowardly trick; but he antic.i.p.ated some severe discipline on board of the ship. The boatswain closed and locked the door of the brig, and then looked in at the prisoner through the slats.

"Do you understand what the brig is for now?" asked Peaks.

"You have locked me in--that's all."

"That's all, my lad."

"How long am I to stay here?"

"Till you make up your mind not to run away."

"This isn't a bad place, and I shall stay here till I grow gray before I promise not to be off when I get a chance."

"All right, my hearty. Think of it a few weeks."

To one who had expected some horrible punishment for his misdemeanors, the brig seemed like very mild discipline. Clyde seated himself on the stool in his prison, and leisurely surveyed the surroundings. He was an enterprising youth, and the bars of his cage looked small and weak.

At dinner time, the meal was handed in to him, and he ate with an excellent appet.i.te. Soon after, he heard the call for all hands, and then the waiter in the steerage told him they had gone on sh.o.r.e to see the city. Everything was quiet and still, and he devoted himself to a more particular examination of the bars of the brig. They were two inches thick, but the case looked hopeful. Pursuing his investigations still farther, he found, under the steps, a saw, a hammer, a chisel, and some other tools, which Bitts, the carpenter, had placed there a few days before, and forgotten to remove. Clyde took up the saw; but just then, Peaks, with a book in his hand, seated himself at a table near the brig, and began to read.

CHAPTER XV.