"O, I didn't have any thing to do with the skiff," whined Tom, who was utterly amazed at the bully's impudence. "I didn't join the band until after."
"I said the meetin's out!" interrupted the governor. "If you have any thing to growl about you must keep it until we come here agin. Now, Bobby," he added, turning to the prisoner, "you've been ketched actin' the part of a spy; an' 'cordin' to law, you had oughter be chucked into the harbor. Howsomever, if you will behave yourself like a man had oughter do, we won't do you no harm. You have seed enough of this dog to know that he's mighty rough on strangers, an' if you know any thing you'll not try to get away from us. If you do—well, you'll find out what'll happen."
After spreading an old sail upon the floor of the cave for the fisher-boy to lie down upon, and tightening up the ropes with which his hands and feet were confined, Sam again informed the band that the "meeting was out," and ordered them to get ready to start for home. The chief, as usual brought up the rear, remaining after the others had gone, to see that every thing was right about the cave. He paused a moment at the door, to assure the fisher-boy that the best thing he could do was to remain quietly a prisoner, and then he pushed the board back to its place, and Bob was left to his meditations, and to the companionship of the bull-dog.
CHAPTER XVI.
BOB FIGHTS FOR HIS LIBERTY.
To say that the fisher-boy was astonished at what had taken place, would not half express his feelings. He had never imagined Sam to be so desperate a character, and never, until then, had he felt in the least afraid of him. He had always believed himself to be able to beat the bully at any of his games; but he now had learned that he had to deal with one who was quite as smart as himself. Being taken prisoner, and confined like a felon, were new chapters in his experience. There was no playing about it; it was a reality; and Sam and his band were in earnest. What would they do with him? was a question that the fisher-boy more than once asked himself, but without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion. In fact, he did not intend that the governor should have a chance to do any thing to him; for it was his intention to make some desperate attempts to effect his escape.
There was another thing that surprised Bob quite as much as his captors, and that was, that Tom Newcombe should condescend to become a member of the organization, especially as he was obliged to take a position in the ranks. But, after thinking the matter over, the fisher-boy saw through it all; and he imagined that he was quite as well posted in regard to the object Tom had in view as was the new member himself. The latter had repeatedly said that if he did not own and sail that yacht, no one about Newport should long enjoy it, and, finding that his father had no intention of giving it to him, he had resolved to do something desperate. He at first decided to sink the Storm King in the harbor; and afterward he determined to go to sea in her. She was the most beautiful little vessel that had ever been seen about the village, and he could not bear the thought of destroying her; and besides, by capturing her, and running her out to sea, he would "get even" with both his father and the principal at the same time. He would take revenge upon the professor by depriving him of his fine yacht; and upon his father, by never again showing his face in Newport as long as he lived. But Tom could not do this by himself; he must have help; for he knew that a guard-post would be established upon the vessel, which was to be kept in the bay, back of the academy, and that any attempt to capture her would be met with stubborn resistance. He knew, also, that there were a good many "old sailors" at the academy, who would very soon fall in love with their new boat, if they hadn't done so already, and that they would not hesitate to thrash any boy who might be caught prowling around her at night, especially if they had the slightest reason for supposing that he intended to do the yacht an injury. If the society of Night-hawks had still been in existence, Tom would have applied to its members for the help he needed, and, very likely, he would have got it; but the village boys having all deserted him, he was obliged to look elsewhere for friends. The first boy he thought of was Sam Barton. He knew him to be a very reckless fellow, and he believed that an expedition organized for the purpose of seizing the Storm King would suit him exactly. More than that, Sam had a great deal of influence with the ferry-boys, every one of whom would rush to his standard, and Tom would again find himself the honored leader of a secret organization. Tom and the governor talked this matter over while they were under the pier, and, although the bully was at first inclined to be suspicious of his visitor, who, he thought, was too much of a "swell" to associate with poor ferry-boys, he finally became convinced that he was in earnest, and entered heartily into all his plans, with one exception. He promised to raise a crew large enough to seize the yacht, and to take her to sea after they had captured her; but, as for getting up a new society, and making Tom captain of it, that was another thing. He was the leader of a band of fellows, who, for bravery and discipline, had never been equaled in the village, and if Tom would promise to keep every thing secret, and to obey all the laws, he would take him in as a member. This proposition, of course, did not exactly suit one who imagined that he was born to command, but it was his only chance to obtain the assistance he needed, and he finally consented; believing that, after he had become fairly settled as a member, he could induce the boys to break the chief, and appoint him in his stead. So Tom became one of the Crusoe band; and while Will Atkins was following up the fisher-boy to see that he went home, Sam and the rest of his friends were seated in the yawl, under the pier, initiating the new member into the mysteries of the society. As we have seen, he soon became heartily sick of the band. He had never before associated with such a rough, quarrelsome set of boys, and if he could have thought of any other plan to secure possession of the yacht, he never would have put his foot inside the cave again. Moreover, the bully, with an impudence and a disregard for truth that utterly confounded the new member, had accused him of theft. The fisher-boy, angry as he was, could not help laughing when he recalled to mind the expression of astonishment that passed over Tom's face, when the chief informed him that if Bob escaped he would be in danger of being sent to jail. Although he was not in very comfortable circumstances just then, he could not help thinking that Tom's situation was worse than his.
Bob, however, did not waste a great deal of time in thinking about Tom Newcombe. He was too much interested in his own affairs just then; and scarcely had Sam disappeared, when he straightened up, and began to test the strength of the rope with which his hands were bound. It proved to be much too strong for him to break, but the knot, having been loosely tied, slipped a little, and that gave him encouragement. The dog seemed to understand that he was placed at the door for the purpose of keeping an eye on the prisoner, for every time Bob moved, he would give him notice that he was still wide-awake, by growling savagely. The fisher-boy, however, was not very much afraid of him. Before the light was put out, he had taken pains to examine the chain, which he noticed was sufficiently large and heavy to hold a good sized vessel; and, until the dog became strong enough to break that chain, he was safe. He paid no heed to the warning growls, but devoted all his attention to the work of freeing his arms, which, for a long time, he had hopes of being able to accomplish. But the governor had tied the rope himself, and, although the knot slipped a little at every exertion of strength, he could not loosen it sufficiently to enable him to free his hands. Had he been fresh he might have succeeded; but, besides having done a hard day's work at his wood-pile, he was nearly exhausted by the efforts he had made to escape from the bully, and he began to feel the need of rest. Stretching himself out on the sail, he settled into as comfortable a position as it was possible for him to assume with his hands and feet securely bound, wondered whether his mother was waiting for him at home, and how long the governor intended to keep him a prisoner, and in a moment more was fast asleep. How long he slept he was unable to tell. He was aroused by the growling of the dog, and, after listening a moment, he heard a slight noise outside the cave. Then the board was removed, and he recognized the voice of Sam Barton, ordering the dog to keep silent.