“Oh, excuse me, I forgot, sir. But really, the scheme is just the thing,” went on Darry, earnestly.
“Then let us have it by all means,” put in Frank. “I’m ready to do anything to get square with that man.”
“My scheme is this: Let us try to get on board of the Chester on the sly. Then, when he is congratulating himself on leaving us behind we can suddenly appear. I’ll wager that will knock him silly.”
“Hurrah; that’s a go!” shouted Frank.
“A splendid plan,” came from Sam.
“We’ll have a tough job of it, getting on board without being seen,” remarked Hockley, who was envious because he had not made the suggestion. “There is always somebody on deck, and that somebody will let the captain know of our coming.”
“We must watch our chance,” said Darry. “Anyway, it’s worth trying, isn’t it?”
All the boys agreed that it was, and Professor Strong could not help but smile at their enthusiasm. At once they made him promise to come into the plan, and he finally consented.
“But I am not going to sneak on board like a criminal,” he said.
Soon they were down at the docks and here they met January Jones, who had just completed his errand. They took the negro into their confidence and he promised to come on deck and wave his big red bandanna handkerchief when the coast was clear.