Part 51 (1/2)

”You know our rule.”

”I do; it requires me to satisfy myself that the person to whom I speak is a member. I am entirely satisfied now that the captain and Paul Kendall belong; they would not have voted if they had not belonged.”

This was a ”clincher,” and even Shuffles had not wit enough to escape the conclusion of the dogmatic reasoner. The captain elect of the League knew very well that nine persons who were not members had voted--that he had secured his election by a gross fraud. He was afraid that Pelham, disappointed by his defeat, would do something to compromise the enterprise; but his own treachery had placed him in such a position that he could say nothing without exposing himself.

”Of course it's all right,” added Pelham, ”I find we have plenty of friends in the after cabin. As soon as you have any orders to give, Captain Shuffles, I am in a position to execute them to the best advantage.”

”When I am ready, I will give them to you.”

”It will be an easy matter now to obtain possession of the s.h.i.+p; in fact, all you have to do is to order Captain Gordon to turn the command over to you. He has been 'toggled,' and must obey his superiors--of course he has been toggled; he couldn't have voted if he hadn't been.”

Shuffles was terribly exercised by the repeated flings of his disconcerted rival. He was already satisfied that the enterprise had come to an end, unless Pelham could be quieted; and he was about to propose a new ballot, when he was ordered by the quartermaster on duty to take his trick at the wheel.

”What does all this mean?” demanded Pelham of the receivers, when the captain-elect had gone to his duty.

”I only know that the captain and all the officers of the first part of the port watch voted, and other fellows who would no more join this thing than they would jump overboard,” replied McKeon.

”How could they vote--how could the captain vote--without understanding the whole thing?” demanded Pelham, perplexed at the inconsistency of the facts.

”I think I know something about it,” added Grossbeck.

”What do you know?”

”Haven't you heard of the new game?”

”What new game?”

”'Don't know Beans.'”

”Shuffles said something about it, but I did not comprehend his meaning.”

Grossbeck explained the game, whose history had been circulated among ”our fellows.”

”And this game was played while the voting was going on?” said Pelham, who began to see the trick which his rival had put upon him.

”I didn't know anything about it till supper time,” answered Grossbeck.

”I see it all,” continued Pelham. ”The receivers were the 'b.u.t.ts,' and about a dozen fellows voted for Shuffles, including Gordon and Kendall, supposing they were simply playing 'Don't know Beans.'”

It did not require a great deal of penetration on the part of the fourth lieutenant to comprehend the trick of his rival. He was indignant and angry, and all the more so because he had been outwitted, even while he was attempting to outwit his unscrupulous compet.i.tor.

The next day, the quarter watches off duty played ”Don't know Beans” to their satisfaction. It was found, when everybody was watching the ”b.u.t.ts,” that very few could deposit their beans without detection. A few hours' trial of the new pastime convinced all except ”our fellows”

that it was a senseless game, and it was speedily abandoned.

On the nineteenth day of the voyage, the Young America encountered another gale, but it was not nearly so severe as the one through which she had pa.s.sed when off Cape Sable. The s.h.i.+p ran for twelve hours under close-reefed topsails; but as the gale came from the south-west, she laid her course during the whole of it, and behaved herself to the entire satisfaction of all on board. On the following day, the wind had hauled round to the north-west, and the sea subsided, so that the s.h.i.+p went along very comfortably.

Notwithstanding his doubts of the good faith of Pelham, who, however, nominally adhered to the terms of the compact, Shuffles arranged his plans for the capture of the s.h.i.+p. He had decided to defer the grand strike until the s.h.i.+p had come up with Cape Clear, so that the faculty, and all the students who would not take a part in the enterprise, might be put on sh.o.r.e immediately. In the course of three days, the land would probably be sighted. The rising was to take place in Pelham's watch, the officers of which were members of the League. All the details had been carefully arranged, and trusty ”links” appointed to perform the heavy work. As soon as the ”old folks” had been locked up in the cabin, and the new captain had taken the command, the s.h.i.+p was to be headed for the sh.o.r.e. The great event was to come off at six o'clock in the afternoon of the twenty-third or twenty-fifth day. The s.h.i.+p would be near the coast for at least a part of two days. If she was within six hours' sail of the land on the twenty-third day out, when Pelham would have the second part of the first dog watch, the rising was to take place then; if not, it was to be deferred till the twenty-fifth day, when the watches were again favorable.

Shuffles communicated with his discontented first officer as often as he could, and unfolded his plans without reserve. Pelham listened, and, still professing his willingness to obey his superior officer, promised to do all that was required of him.