Outward Bound Part 9

The little tars who belonged on the topsail and top-gallant yards sprang up the rigging like so many cats, excited beyond measure by the scene of activity around them.

"Lower yardmen in the chains!" continued Gordon and his order was pa.s.sed, along by the officers. "Aloft, lower yardmen!"

In a moment the crew were in their places; the studding-sail booms were triced up with the usual system, so that the sails could be reached.

"Lay out!" continued the first lieutenant; and the boys walked out on the foot-ropes to their stations on the yards. "Loose!"

The ropes by which the sails were secured to the yards were removed at this order, and the topmen held the sails in their places.

"All ready on the forecastle, sir," reported Foster, who was captain of that part of the s.h.i.+p.

"All ready in the foretop."

"All ready in the maintop."

"All ready in the mizzentop," reported the several captains of the tops, in their proper order.

These reports were pa.s.sed to the first lieutenant in charge of the deck, by his subordinates.

"Let fall!" shouted Gordon, highly excited; and the sails dropped from the yard. "Overhaul your rigging aloft! Man sheets and halyards! Sheets home, and hoist away!"

These orders were pa.s.sed from mouth to mouth among the officers, and return reports made, according to the strict discipline of the navy.

They were promptly executed by the crew, though of course not without some blunders; and the Young America was covered with her cloud of canvas. Mr. Lowington commended the officers and crew for the promptness and skill they had displayed in their first concerted attempt at making sail. He then directed Captain Carnes to furl. Both evolutions were then repeated, until a proficiency satisfactory for one day was attained.

"Not going to sea, after all," said Shuffles, when the crew were dismissed from muster.

"No," replied Wilton. "I'm tired of lying here, and if we don't go to sea soon, I shall take myself off."

"I'm with you."

"I thought we were going to have some fun on board, but we don't do anything but study and shake out topsails."

"Do you know how you stand on marks, Wilton?" asked Shuffles.

"No; not very high, though."

"Don't you think you shall get into the cabin next term?"

"I know I shall not. I haven't tried for anything."

"On the first of next month, you know, new officers will be appointed, and I suppose the crew will be messed over again."

"I don't care, I'm getting tired of this thing, I had a better time at the Academy before we came on board."

"There isn't much chance for any sport. Hardly a fellow has been allowed to go on sh.o.r.e since we joined the s.h.i.+p."

"Well get up a mutiny, if things don't improve."

"I was thinking of that very thing myself," said Shuffles, in a low tone.

"A mutiny!" exclaimed Wilton, who had used the word in jest.

"Just for fum, you know," laughed Shuffles.

"You don't mean any such thing?"

"Not yet, of course."

"Do you at any time?"

"We want something more exciting than this kind of a life. Here we are, kept down and treated like common sailors. We have to touch our caps and make our manners to d.i.c.k Carnes and the rest of the flunkies in the after cabin. My father pays as much for me as d.i.c.k Carnes' father does for him, and I don't think it is fair that he should live in the cabin and I in the steerage."

"If you get marks enough, you can have a berth in the cabin," replied Wilton.

"Marks! Confound the marks! I'm not a baby. Do you think a fellow seventeen years old is going to be put up or put down by marks?" said Shuffles.

"I thought you had been working for a place in the cabin."

"So I have, but I don't expect to get it. I never studied so hard in my life, and I believe I haven't had a bad mark since I came on board, Lowington thinks I have reformed," laughed Shuffles. "And so I have."

"What do you want to get up a mutiny for, then?"

"I shall not, if I get a decent position; if I don't, I'm going in for some fun."

"But do you really think of getting up a mutiny?" asked Wilton, curiously.

"I was thinking the other day what a fine thing it would be if our fellows had the s.h.i.+p all to themselves."

"What could we do with her?"

"Go on a cruise in her."

"We couldn't handle her; there is hardly a fellow on board that knows anything about navigation."

"Of course, I don't mean to do anything yet a while; not this year, perhaps. One of these days, if we stay on board, we shall know all about a s.h.i.+p. Fifteen or twenty of the fellows are studying navigation. We are going to Europe some time or other. When we do, we can take the s.h.i.+p, and go it on our own hook."

"I don't believe you mean anything of the kind, Bob Shuffles."

"I've been thinking about it, anyhow. We can lock Lowington and the rest of the old folks into their cabin while they are at dinner; and there are enough of us to handle Peaks and Bitts."

"I think you are crazy, Shuffles."

"We should have a high old time if we could get possession of the s.h.i.+p.

We wont say a word about it yet."

"I think you had better not."

"We might go round Cape Horn into the Pacific, and have a splendid time among the beautiful islands of the South Sea."