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

taste for it, and he gave his whole heart and soul to the performance of his duties.

When the students were gathered on board the Young America, they were mostly strangers to him, though he had communicated personally or by letter with the parents of all of them. He had read and listened to the stories of their pranks and peccadilloes, but when they came together, he hardly knew one from another, and was not prejudiced against any individual by the terrible accounts of him related by parents, guardians, or teachers. He purposed to give {45} them the opportunity to select their own officers at first, in order to win a more cheerful obedience from them, and because the students knew each other better than he knew them.

After the announcement of the principal that the voting would commence on the following morning, nothing else was talked of on board. The qualifications of various members of the school were discussed by groups of excited voters; and we must do them the justice to say that most of them considered the matter unselfishly and with a single eye to the public good. Perhaps it is a little remarkable that not a single student, outside of the little group of wire-pullers that gathered in the steerage, thought of Shuffles for the position of captain; and the "log-rollers" were likely to have up-hill work in electing themselves to the six principal offices. But they went to work, and labored very diligently till bed-time in carrying their point.

While none thought of Shuffles in connection with the highest position, many mentioned the dignified young gentleman, who had made one voyage up the Mediterranean—Richard Carnes. He had been on board a fortnight, and had won and retained the respect of all his companions.

Before the little band of wire-pullers in the steerage had made up the "slate" to suit their minds, the crowd on deck had agreed upon Richard Carnes for captain, and were busy in discussing the qualifications of others for the subordinate offices, when the log-rollers separated, and went to work upon their mission.{46}

"How are you going to vote for captain, Kendall?" said Wilton, stopping up to the young gentleman who had proposed so many questions to the principal, and who had been so honest in confessing his ignorance of nautical matters.

"For Carnes, of course."

"Humph! I wouldn't vote for him," sneered the wire-puller.

"Why not?"

"He's too stiff; he'll put on airs, and be a tyrant over us."

"No, he won't."

"You see if he don't. I say, Kendall, are you up for any office?" continued Wilton, with a certain appearance of slyness which the straightforward young gentleman did not exactly like.

"Am I?"

"Yes, you. Wouldn't you like a room in the after cabin?"

"Perhaps I would," answered Kendall, thoughtfully; and the place was certainly very inviting to him.

"They say the after cabin is a perfect little palace."

"I dare say it is."

"You can just as well go in there, if you like."

"I don't see how that can be. I don't think I'm fit to be an officer. I am from Cincinnati, and I never saw a ship till I came east three weeks ago."

"None of the fellows know anything about a ship. All of us will have to learn."

"Carnes knows all about one."

"No, he don't. He made one voyage, and knows {47} just enough to talk salt. He's a good fellow enough, but he isn't fit for captain. If you want to be an officer, Kendall, and have a berth in the after cabin, you can, just as well as not."

"Well, I would like such a place; I can't deny it; but I don't think the fellows will go for me."

"They will, if you say so."

"If I say so! I'm not going to ask them to vote for me," replied Kendall, warmly; for he was no politician and had a vein of modesty in his composition.

"You needn't say a word to any one. If you will go for our ticket, it will be all right. Half a dozen of us have talked this matter over, and we have concluded that you would be the best fellow for second master."

"Have you?" asked Kendall, who could not help being gratified to learn that even half a dozen of his companions had thought him worthy to be an officer of so high a rank as second master. "I'm very much obliged to you."

"All you have to do, is to go for our ticket."

"What do you mean by your ticket?" demanded Kendall, who was rather confused by the technical terms of the wire-puller.

Wilton explained that his little party had selected a candidate for each of the offices; and if all the fellows agreed to it, there would be fifteen votes for their ticket, to begin with.

"Well, what is your ticket?" demanded Kendall, impatiently. "If they are all good fellows, I will go for them. Of course you mean to vote for Carnes for captain."

"Not exactly," replied Wilton, with evident dis {48}gust. "We shall put up a better fellow than he is for captain."

"Why, all the boys are going for him," added Kendall, astonished to find there were any who did not believe in Carnes.

"No, they are not."

"I thought they were."

"He will not be elected, and you need not throw your vote away upon him, because, if you don't want a place in the after cabin, there are plenty of fellows who do," added the wire-puller, with apparent indifference.

"But I do want it."

"Then all you have to do, is to go for our ticket."

"I think Carnes will make the best captain."

"Very well; if you think so, you have a right to your own opinion. I haven't any mortgage on it."

"Whom are you going to run for captain?"

"It's no use to talk any more about it, if you are going for Carnes," replied Wilton, as he turned to move away.

The wire-puller was playing a part. Paul Kendall was a noble little fellow, and was already a great favorite on board, not only with the boys, but with the principal and the professors. Wilton knew that he had a great deal of influence, and it was important to secure him for their ticket. If he could tell others that Kendall was going for their men, it would induce many to join their party. The "favorite," though he was an honest, noble-hearted fellow, was still human, and a berth in the after cabin was a strong temptation to him.{49}

"I'm not going to say I'll vote for a fellow till I know who he is," added Kendall. "If he's the right person, perhaps I'll go for him, though I wanted to see Carnes captain."

"Carnes can't be elected, I tell you. We are going against him."

"Whom are you going for, then?"

"For Bob Shuffles," replied Wilton, desperately, for he did not wish to mention his candidate till he had won the assent of his companion.

"Shuffles!" exclaimed Kendall, with something like horror mingled with his astonishment; "I shall not go for him, anyhow."

"Why not?"

"I don't think he is the right person for the place."

"I do; he's a first-rate fellow—none of your milk and water chaps, that swallow camels and strain at gnats."

Kendall had some decided objections to Shuffles, and he positively refused to vote for him, even to obtain the coveted position in the after cabin. Wilton argued the matter with much skill and cunning; but his logic and his eloquence were both wasted.

"Well, if you won't go for Shuffles, you must be content with your place in the steerage," added Wilton.

"I won't go for him, any how," said Kendall, firmly.

"You are making a mistake."

"I don't think so. I'm bound to vote for the best fellow, and I'm sure Shuffles isn't the right one."

"See here, Kendall; don't say a word to the others {50} that I spoke to you of this little matter. I thought you would go with us, or I shouldn't have said anything to you."

"Not say anything? Why not?"

"Because it will be better to keep still."

"I shall not do anything of the kind. You have got up a plan to defeat Carnes, by giving the offices to fellows who will vote against him. You wish me to keep still, while you carry out your plan. I can see through a cord of wood, when there's a hole big enough."

"I mentioned this thing to you in confidence."

"You didn't say a word about confidence; and I didn't promise to keep still. I won't keep still. I think it is a mean trick to buy up the votes of the fellows, and I'll blow the whole thing higher than a kite."

"You'll catch it if you do," said Wilton, in a threatening tone.

"Catch what?" demanded Kendall, with a very pretty exhibition of dignity.

"Bob Shuffles will give it to you."

"Give what to me?"

"Give you the biggest licking you ever had in your life," answered Wilton, angrily, "You are so stupid, you can't understand anything."

"I think I can understand the licking, when if comes. That's a game that two can play at."

"What do you mean, you little bantam? Do you think you can whip Bob Shuffles?"

"I had no idea of whipping him; and I have no idea of his whipping me, either." {51}

Kendall was spunky. Wilton could make nothing of him by threats or persuasion; and he turned away from him to seek a more promising field of labor. Kendall took off his cap, scratched his head as he reflected upon the event which had just transpired, and made up his mind that it was an insult to an independent elector to attempt to buy his vote with the paltry consideration of an office. He was sorry that he had been even tempted by the proposition of the wire-pullers, and thankful that his sense of honor and decency had prompted him to decline it when asked to vote for an improper person. True to his promise, he made all haste to expose the conspiracy, as he regarded it, against Carnes.

When the students turned in that night, the wire-pullers had found a sufficient number of candidates for all the offices on the terms set forth in the compact, each of whom had promised to use his influence for the entire ticket. Shuffles had made a very pretty calculation, to the effect that each of the fifteen candidates could influence at least two votes besides his own for the ticket, which would inevitably elect it. But during all this time Paul Kendall had been laboring like a Trojan for Carnes, and had induced his friends to do the same.

At nine-o'clock in the morning, the polls were opened for the election of officers. A box was placed on the fife-rail, at the mainmast, in which the ballots were deposited, under the inspection of Professor Mapps.

"Have all the students voted?" called the professor, {52} when the voting was suspended. "If so, I declare the poll closed."

It was a moment of intense excitement on the spar deck of the Young America when Mr. Lowington stood up on the hatch to announce the vote. There was a pleasant smile upon his face, which indicated that it would not be his painful duty to veto the choice of the independent electors.

"Young gentlemen, your balloting appears to have been conducted with entire fairness," said he, "and I will proceed to declare the result. Whole number of votes, eighty-seven; necessary to a choice, forty-four. Paul Kendall has five; Charles Gordon has seven; Robert Shuffles has twenty-two; Richard Carnes has fifty-three, and is elected captain of the Young America for the succeeding three months."

The party who had worked and voted for Carnes applauded the result most lustily, and gave three cheers for the new captain, which, on this exciting occasion, were not objected to by the principal. Shuffles's jaw dropped down, and his lip quivered with angry emotion.

"That little whipper-snapper of a Kendall did that," said Wilton, in a low tone, to the disappointed candidate. "I was afraid of this when I saw him blowing about the deck."

"I'll settle it with him when I get a good chance," growled Shuffles, as he went to the rail and looked over into the water, in order to conceal his disappointment and chagrin.

"Young gentlemen will bring in their votes for first {53} lieutenant," said Professor Mapps, as he placed the box on the fife-rail again.

The boys marched around the mainmast, and deposited their ballots for the second officer, as they had done before. The friends of Shuffles rallied again, hoping that something might yet come of the compact they had made with him, and gave him their votes for first lieutenant, though, in his chagrin, he declared that he would not accept the position. Fortunately for him, he was not called upon to do so; for Charles Gordon was elected by a very large majority. As the election proceeded, it became evident that there was no office for Shuffles. Paul Kendall was elected fourth lieutenant and the announcement of the vote was greeted by even more hearty applause than had been bestowed upon the captain.

At the conclusion of the balloting, Shuffles found that not a single one of the wire-pullers,