"You know all about them bayonets, Muley," said he. "Can they reach as fur with them as we can with these spears?"
"O, now, how can I tell?" drawled Tom.
"I'm sartin you know all about it, Muley, 'cause you've had a heap better chance to learn them things than I have. An' you know all about them winds an' currents Bobby was talkin' about, don't you?"
"Do you suppose I've been to sea for nothing?"
"No I don't; an' that's why I am goin' to make you captain of the yacht, when we get her. Will you take it, Muley?"
If the governor could have read the thoughts that were passing through the mind of the new member at that moment, he never would have offered him the position of captain of the vessel. Tom had concluded that he had seen enough of the Crusoe band; that he would have nothing more to do with boys who could not appreciate the honor he conferred upon them by becoming a member of their society; and the last idea that had taken possession of him was, that he ought to contrive some way to punish Sam Barton. The latter almost invariably addressed him in an imperious tone, as if he regarded it as his right to command, and Tom's duty to obey, and that was something the new member could not endure. He first thought he would turn traitor to the society, and expose every thing to Mr. Grimes, the constable. That would undoubtedly be a good way to punish the chief, but the latter would, very likely, be revenged by disclosing the fact that Tom was a member of his band, and that he had tried to induce him to run away in the Storm King. That was something the new member wanted to keep secret. If his father heard of it, there was no knowing what might happen; and if it got to the ears of the village boys, they never would cease to torment him about it. Besides, if he took this way of punishing the governor, it would defeat the very object for which Tom joined the Crusoe band. Sam would no doubt be put in jail, to be tried for stealing the skiff, and that would leave the yacht in the hands of the principal of the academy.
He very soon saw that this plan would not work, and the next resolve he made was, that he would visit the fisher-boy after the band had gone home, and offer to release him if he would promise that he would not say a word about Tom's being a member of the society, and that he would put no obstacles in the way of the governor to prevent him from seizing the yacht and leaving the village. By this arrangement, he could be revenged upon the teachers of the academy, and upon the new officers of the Storm King, and no one would suspect that he had had any thing to do with the matter. It was by no means certain that this plan would have worked, had it been put to the test, but still the new member had decided to try it, when the chief's offer drove all these ideas out of his head.
"What do you say, Muley?" asked Sam. "Will you take it?"
"I will," replied Tom, eagerly. "I am glad to see that you have come to your senses. I didn't think you would be foolish enough to try to take the vessel to sea yourself. You would very soon have got us into trouble, for it needs somebody who understands the winds and currents to fill so responsible a position. I'll take it, if you will call me captain hereafter. I never did like that other name."