Outward Bound Or, Young America Afloat: A Story of Travel and Adventure, Optic [best non fiction books of all time txt] 📗

you, Kendall; but you must keep still about it for the present."

"It looks to me, on the face of it, like a dishonest trick. It seems that Shuffles lied to us when he made us believe that we were playing a game. I like a joke well enough, but I don't believe in a fellow's lying for the sake of any fun."

"You are right, Kendall. It was not only a dishonest trick, but it was a mean one."

"What was the position?" repeated Paul.

"Some of the fellows are going to make Mr. Lowington a present of a silver pitcher as soon as we get to some port where we can obtain one."

"Why didn't you tell of it?" demanded Paul. "I should like to join in the presentation, for I don't think there is a fellow on board who likes Mr. Lowington better than I do."

"Yes; but, you see, there's something peculiar about this thing. The contribution is to be confined {301} to those fellows who have been disciplined in one way or another. A good many of us, you know, were mad when Mr. Lowington took our money away; we are satisfied now that he was right. We made him feel rather uncomfortable by our looks and actions, and some of us were positively impudent to him. We purpose to show that our feelings are all right."

"Precisely so!" replied Paul, with enthusiasm. "That's splendid! Mr. Lowington will appreciate the gift when he sees the names of the subscribers."

"Certainly he will."

"But you have no money," laughed the second lieutenant.

"We have put our names down for ten shillings apiece—about thirty of us. When we get into port, we shall tell Mr. Lowington that we wish to present a silver pitcher to a gentleman on board, in token of our appreciation of his kindness, &c., and ask him for half a sovereign each from our funds."

"He will wish to know who the gentleman is."

"We can ask to be excused from telling him."

"I can manage that part of the business for you. Each of the fellows shall give me an order on the principal for ten shillings, to be paid to Dr. Winstock, who will buy the pitcher for you, if you like. He is acquainted in Cork. I will give all the orders to the doctor, and he will get the present without saying a word to Mr. Lowington until after the presentation. Then he will have no chance to object, on the suspicion that the gift is intended for him—don't you see?"

Paul Kendall entered into the project with a degree {302} of enthusiasm which was rather embarrassing to the conspirator.

"The fellows have been very secret about the thing," added Pelham.

"They must have been, or I should have heard something about it," replied Paul, innocently.

"No one but ourselves has known a thing about it till now. They have formed a kind of secret society, and know each other by certain signs."

"But what was the voting for?"

"For orator of the day."

"For the fellow who is to present the pitcher and make the speech?" added Paul.

"Yes."

"And Shuffles was chosen?"

"Yes, by a trick."

"You mean that no one but subscribers ought to have voted?"

"Precisely so."

"It was a mean trick."

"It was a sort of practical joke upon me, I suppose"

"I don't believe in practical jokes which need a lie to carry them through."

"Well, Shuffles has the position, unless some of you fellows will help me out. I wanted to make the speech, and without the nine votes which you and other outsiders put in, I should have been chosen."

"What can we do?"

"I have a right to consider all the fellows that voted as members of the society. The fact of their voting makes them members." {303}

"I don't know anything about that."

"It's clear enough to me, and in a talk I had with Shuffles just now, he didn't pretend to deny the correctness of my position."

"If he agrees, it must be all right," laughed Paul.

"If you had understood the matter, for whom should you have voted?"

"I don't know? but after the trick Shuffles played off upon you, I should not vote for him."

"Very well; then you can change your vote."

"How shall I change it?"

"Go to Shuffles; and the other eight fellows who voted in the dark must do the same."

"What shall I say to him?"

"You must go to him as a member of the society, and salute him as such."

"I don't know how."

"I'll tell you. When you meet him, scratch the tip end of your nose with the nail of your second finger on the right hand; in this manner," continued Pelham giving the first sign.

"That's it—is it?" said Paul, as he imitated the action of Pelham.

"Yes; that's right He will reply by taking the lower part of his left ear between the thumb and first finger of the left hand—so," added Pelham.

"I have it," answered Paul, as he made the motions.

"Then you will scratch your chin with the thumb nail of the left hand, and he will reply by blowing his nose."

"Let's see if I can do all that," laughed Paul, very {304} much amused at the mystic indications of membership In the secret association.

He made the signs to Pelham, who replied to them, several times, until he was perfect in his part.

"All right. I will remember them," said Paul.

"But you haven't got the whole of it yet. When you have made the signs, and he has answered them, he will say, 'Is that so?' with strong emphasis on the first word."

"Is that so?" repeated Paul.

"Then you will reply, 'That is so,' with the stress on that."

"That is so," added Paul.

"Then you must place yourself so as to look directly forward or aft. If you look forward, he must look aft."

"I understand you."

"Now I want to know who the other fellows were that played 'Don't know Beans' that day."

"Captain Gordon was one."

"Will you post him up in what I have told you?"

"I will, and the other fellows who voted for Shuffles, if you say so."

"Thank you. I wish you would. Let them all tell him they desire to change their votes; but have them do it one at a time."

Paul Kendall promised to do what was required of him; and in the course of the following forenoon he initiated "the outsiders who had voted for Shuffles" in the secret machinery of the supposed society, but in fact of the Chain League. Being off duty during {305} the second part of the afternoon watch, he encountered Shuffles in the lee side of the waist.

"Well, Shuffles, we are almost up with the coast of Ireland," said Paul, as he scratched the tip of his nose with the second finger of his right hand, agreeably to the instructions given him by Pelham.

"Yes; and I suppose by Saturday, if the wind holds fair, we shall be off Cape Clear," replied the captain-elect, as he took the lower part of his left ear between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.

Shuffles did not suppose that the second lieutenant was a member of the league, and pledged to assist in the capture of the ship; but as he had made the sign, probably accidentally, he replied to it.

"There is a prospect of fair weather for some days to come," continued Paul, as he scratched his chin with his left hand, which was the second step towards a recognition in the "Chain."

Shuffles was duly and properly astonished at this exhibition of intelligence on the part of the officer; and it was now quite certain that Paul had joined the league, or that he had obtained its tremendous secrets.

"I hope it will be good weather now during the rest of the passage," added the captain-elect, as he took his handkerchief from his breast pocket and blew his nose, for he was determined to satisfy himself whether or not the second lieutenant was a member of the League.

"Is that so?" demanded Shuffles.

"That is so," answered Paul.

Shuffles was almost overwhelmed with astonish {306}ment to find that one who was a model of fidelity and propriety had actually joined the Chain.

"Shuffles, I voted for you the other day," added Paul.

"I know you did."

"I wish to change my vote."

"Change it!" exclaimed Shuffles.

"Yes? I voted in the dark. I wish now to vote for the other candidate."

"For whom?"

"For Pelham, of course."

"You are too late."

"I think, under the circumstances, that my vote ought to be counted on the other side, even if it reverses the result," said Paul, earnestly.

"Why do you wish to vote for Pelham?" demanded Shuffles, rather because he had nothing else to say than because he was interested in the anticipated reply.

"I don't think it was quite fair for you to obtain my vote as you did."

"No matter for that. Do you think Pelham would make a better captain than I should?"

"A better what?"

"Do you think he will command the ship any better than I shall."

"Command the ship!" repeated Paul, bewildered by this extraordinary question. "I wasn't aware that either of you were to command the ship."

Shuffles, in his turn, was confounded when he found that the second lieutenant was a member of the "Chain" without any knowledge of its objects. {307} Though he had used all the precautions required by the League, a hint had unwittingly been given to Paul, whose simple integrity rendered him the most dangerous person on board to the interests of such an institution as the Chain.

"Mr. Kendall, may I ask what you now suppose you were voting for?" asked Shuffles, with easy assurance.

"For the orator of the day, of course," replied Paul, who was too free from wiles or arts to make any use of the advantage gained.

Indeed, he was so true himself that he was not suspicious of others; and he did not even perceive that he had obtained an advantage.

"Exactly so," added Shuffles; "for orator of the day? but we don't speak the idea out loud, or call it by its proper name."

"What did you mean by commanding the ship, Shuffles?" laughed Kendall.

"I meant orator of the day. We keep this thing to ourselves," added Shuffles, who had no idea what was meant by his companion.

"Of course; I understand all about that," said Paul, knowingly. "I don't think I had any right to vote; and in my opinion the trick you played on Pelham was decidedly wrong."

"It was merely a joke," answered Shuffles.

"But do you intend to use the advantage you gained by this trick?"

"Certainly not."

"I'm very glad of that." {308}

"It was only for the fun of the thing," added Shuffles at a venture.

"It may have been funny; but I don't think it was honest."

"I didn't intend to make any use of it," continued Shuffles. "What did Mr. Pelham say to you, Mr. Kendall?"

"He told me all about it," replied Paul.

"Did he, indeed?"

"He said that you, by causing me to vote, had made me a member."

"Just so."

Shuffles did not dare to say much, though it was evident, from the words and the manner of the second lieutenant, that Pelham had not yet betrayed the real object of the Chain. If he had, the captain elect was satisfied he would have been in irons, confined in the brig, before that time.

"I told Mr. Pelham I fully approved the purpose, and would help him out with it."

"What purpose?" asked Shuffles, anxious to know what Paul meant.

"Why, don't you know?"

"Of course I do; but I wish to know precisely what Mr. Pelham told you."

"He will tell you himself," laughed Paul, as he walked aft, in order to afford the other "outsiders" who had voted an opportunity to communicate with Shuffles, for he perceived that they were waiting their turns.

As the second lieutenant went aft, the captain went forward on the lee side of the deck. {309}

"Shuffles!" called Captain Gordon, as the chief conspirator was going forward.

The captain elect turned and walked towards the commander, and touched his cap with becoming respect.

"What do you think of the weather?" demanded Captain Gordon, scratching the tip of his nose.

Paul had instructed the "outsiders" to talk about the weather while they went through with the mystic routine of the signs.

"I think we shall have good weather," replied Shuffles, who, though he was confounded and amazed to be saluted from this quarter with the language of the "Chain," dared not refuse to give the signs, after he had done so with the second lieutenant.

"I wish to change my vote? for I don't think it was fairly given before," said the captain, when he had gone through all the forms of the recognition.

"Certainly, Captain Gordon, if you desire to do so."

Fortunately for Shuffles, the captain did not prolong the conversation; for others were waiting an opportunity to make themselves known to the conspirator. One after another, they saluted Shuffles in the waist, inquiring about the weather, and making the requisite signs. The captain elect was filled with indignation and rage against Pelham, who had played off this trick upon him; but he was compelled to meet all who came,