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

principal, whose face wore an unusually pleasant smile, "a few days since you were all filled with admiration at the noble conduct of one of your number, who saved the life of another at the peril of his own."

"Want to go ashore, Shuffles?" whispered Pelham.

Shuffles was too much confused to make any reply; he did not know whether he was to be praised or blamed.

"I have received a petition, requesting me to appoint Robert Shuffles second lieutenant of the ship, in place of Paul Kendall, resigned," added Mr. Lowington.

Shuffles was overwhelmed with astonishment, and a large proportion of the students received the announcement with hearty applause.

"Young gentlemen, I have only to say that the {329} petition is granted. I ought to add, however, that no officer will lose his rank, except Mr. Kendall, who, at his own desire, will take the vacant number in the steerage, now belonging to Robert Shuffles, promoted. I take great pleasure in granting this petition, because the request is honorable to you, and shows a proper appreciation of the noble conduct of your shipmate. But let me add, that you should divide your admiration between the one who rescued his friend from death, and him who voluntarily resigned his honorable position in the after cabin, in order to make a place in which merit could be acknowledged and rewarded. Nothing but a matter of life and death could have induced me to vary the discipline of the ship. Young gentlemen, you are dismissed from muster."

"Three cheers for Paul Kendall!" shouted one of the boys.

They were given.

"Three cheers for Robert Shuffles!" added Paul; and they were given.

"Mr. Shuffles will repair to the after cabin, where he will be qualified, and take his position at once."

"Mr. Lowington, I must decline Mr. Kendall's generous offer," interposed Shuffles, who was actually choking with emotion.

"This matter has been well considered, Shuffles," replied the principal; "and as it is the desire of a large majority of your shipmates that you should accept the position, I think you had better do so."

"There isn't a student in the ship who desires it so much as I do," added Paul, with generous enthusiasm "You know I told you I would like {330} to be in the steerage, for I have always been an officer."

"Allow me till to-night, if you please, to consider it, Mr. Lowington," replied Shuffles, as he grasped the hand of Paul.

"Certainly, if you desire it."

Shuffles was overwhelmed by the magnanimity of Paul and the kindness of the principal. At that moment he would have given everything to be such a young man as the second lieutenant; to be as good and true, as free from evil thoughts and evil purposes, as he was. A light had dawned upon the rebel and the plotter which he had never seen before. Goodness and truth had vindicated themselves, and overwhelmed the guilty one.

"Mr. Shuffles, I congratulate you on your promotion," said the chaplain, extending his hand.

"I cannot accept it, sir," replied the repentant malcontent "I would like to speak with you alone, Mr. Agneau."

The chaplain took him to his state room in the main cabin? and there, Shuffles, conquered and subdued by the kindness of his friends, confessed the terrible crime he had committed—that he had pushed Pelham overboard.

The chaplain was confounded at this confession, but still more so when the self-convicted conspirator revealed all the secrets of "The Chain." Shuffles mentioned no names; he took all the guilt upon himself.

"I am astonished, my dear young friend," said the {331} chaplain. "Is it possible the life you saved was imperilled by your own violent passions?"

"It is true, sir," replied Shuffles, hardly able to control his feelings.

"Then I think you had better not accept the promotion that has been offered to you."

"I will not; I would jump overboard first. I am willing to be punished; I deserve it."

"Shuffles, you have almost atoned for your errors by confessing them; and your courageous conduct, after you had pushed Pelham into the sea, proves that you sincerely repented that act. Shall I tell Mr. Lowington what you have said?"

"Yes, sir; let him know me as I am; let him despise me as I deserve," replied Shuffles, wiping away a genuine tear of repentance.

Mr. Agneau talked to the penitent for two hours; and finally he prayed with him and for him. If never before, the moral condition of the culprit was now hopeful, and the chaplain labored earnestly and faithfully to give him right views of his relations to God and his fellow-beings.

"Paul," said Shuffles, when he met his generous and self-sacrificing friend in the waist, after the conference in the state room, "I am the meanest and vilest fellow on board."

"No, you are not!" exclaimed Paul.

"I would give the world to be like you."

"No, no! You wrong yourself, and overdo me."

"I have confessed all to the chaplain, and you will soon know me as I am, Paul. I will not take your place in the cabin. Your kindness and generosity {332} have overcome me. You have convinced me that doing right is always the best way."

Paul did not know what to make of this remarkable confession; but, after supper, all hands were piped to muster again, the ship being off Kinsale Head, nearly becalmed. The chaplain had informed the principal of the substance of Shuffles' confession. Mr. Lowington laughed at "The Chain League," the signs and the passwords, and regarded the mutiny as a matter of little consequence. He did not believe that Shuffles or his followers, had really intended to take the ship. The project was too monstrous to be credible. The fact that the conspirator had attempted the life of his companion was a grave matter, and it was treated as such. Mr. Agneau was entirely confident of the sincerity of the culprit's repentance. Shuffles had refused to take the proffered promotion, which was abundant evidence that he was in earnest.

The penitent was sent for, and repeated his confession to the principal. He did not ask to be exempted from punishment; but he did ask to be forgiven. He was forgiven; but when the crew were piped to muster all the particulars of the intended mutiny were exposed to the astonished "outsiders." Paul understood it now. Mr. Lowington ridiculed the mutiny; but he spoke very seriously of the consequences of insubordination.

"Young gentlemen, Shuffles has not mentioned the name of a single student in connection with this silly conspiracy; he has asked to be excused from doing so. I grant his request, and I hope that all who have engaged in the affair are as sincerely sorry for their {333} connection with it as he is. Under the circumstances, Shuffles will not be promoted. Young gentlemen, you are dismissed."

"Shuffles was a good fellow to keep us in the dark," whispered Sanborn to Wilton.

"Keep still," replied Wilton. "We are lucky to get out of the scrape on any terms."

So thought all of them; and it was certainly magnanimous on the part of the chief conspirator to be willing to assume all the guilt, and suffer all the punishment. There was enough of good in Shuffles to save him from the evil of his nature.

"Paul, there is one more thing I must tell you," said Shuffles, that evening, while the ship lay becalmed off Kinsale. "You remember when I told you about the gambling in the steerage?"

"I do."

"I was deceiving you then. I only exposed the fellows in order to make trouble. I knew that the students would be closely watched, and the rules more strictly enforced, which would make them mad."

"What did you want to make them mad for?"

"So that they would join the League."

"Well, you did a good thing for the ship and for the fellows, if your motives were not good," replied Paul. "It was good out of evil, any way."

"I don't think half so many fellows would have joined if Mr. Lowington hadn't taken their money from them."

"Have you seen any gambling since?"

"Not a bit of it, Paul." {334}

"I am glad to know that."

"One thing more; you know all the members of the League, Paul."

"I?"

"Yes? you have their names on the orders, for ten shillings each."

"So I have; but we will make a general affair of the presentation, and that will cover up the whole of them."

"Thank you, Paul. You despise me as much as I like and respect you."

"I don't despise you, Shuffles. You have done wrong, but I respect you for undoing the evil you had meditated. We are all weak and erring, and we can't afford to despise any one. On the contrary I like you," replied Paul, giving Shuffles his hand.

"You treat me better than I deserve, Paul; but if you are my friend, I shall be all the better for it; and I hope you will not be worse."

The end of the conspiracy had been reached. Before the ship came to anchor in the Cove, every boy on board had drawn his order on the principal for ten shillings, and the members of the League were veiled beneath the mass of names.

At sunrise, on Tuesday morning, the ship had a gentle breeze; and at three bells in the forenoon watch, she was off Roches Point, with the Union Jack at the foremast-head, as a signal for a pilot. On this exciting occasion, the studies and recitations were suspended to enable all the students to see the shores, and enjoy the scene. The pilot made his appearance, {335} gave Mr. Lowington the latest Cork papers, and took charge of the ship. The honest Irishman was not a little surprised to find the vessel manned "wid nothing in the wide wurld but by's;" but he found they were good seamen.

The Young America ran into the beautiful bay through the narrow opening, with Carlisle Fort on the starboard and Camden Fort on the port hand. The students were intensely excited by the near view of the land, of the odd little steamers that: went whisking about, and the distant view of Queenstown, on the slope of the hill at the head of the bay. They were in Europe now.

"All hands to bring ship to anchor!" said the first lieutenant, when the ship was approaching the town.

The light sails were furled, the port anchor cleared away, and every preparation made for the mooring Then the orders to let go the topsail sheets, clew up the topsails, and haul down the jib, were given.

"Port the helm! Stand clear of the cable! Let go the port anchor!"

The cable rattled through the hawse-hole, the anchor went to the bottom, the Young America swung round, and her voyage across the ocean was happily terminated. Three rousing cheers were given in honor of the auspicious event, and when the sails had been furled, the crew were piped to dinner.

And here, at the close of the voyage, we leave the Young America, with her officers and crew wiser and better, we trust, than when they sailed from the shores {336} of their native country. They were now to enter upon a new life in foreign lands; and what they saw and what they did, on sea and shore, during the following weeks, will be related in "SHAMROCK AND THISTLE, or Young America in Ireland and Scotland!"

THE END

Footnotes

1. These calculations are merely approximate, being intended only to illustrate the principle.

(Return to List of Footnotes)

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Outward Bound, by Oliver Optic