CHAPTER XVII.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE.
When Sam and the band went out of the cave, it was to listen to the report of Jack Spaniard and Friday, who, it will be remembered, were the ones selected by the chief to ascertain whether or not a post had been established on board the Storm King, and, if so, how many students composed the guard. They had performed their duty faithfully, and the conclusion at which they arrived was, that the yacht could be easily captured. The majority of the band agreed with them, and was in favor of making an immediate attack. They had heard enough during the day to satisfy them that the fisher-boy's mysterious disappearance was causing a great deal of talk about the village, and the sooner they got ready to start upon their cruise, the more likely they would be to escape questioning. Some of the timid ones, however—among whom, of course, was Tom Newcombe—remembering the bayonets with which the students were armed, felt their courage rapidly giving way, and strongly objected to an attack being made upon the vessel. It was a very easy matter for them to sit in their cave and talk about it, and boast of the bravery they would exhibit when the time for action arrived—as some of the band had done—but now, that there was a probability that they would soon be called upon to make a display of their valor, they were ready to back out.
"Suppose we give up the idea of capturing the yacht," said Tom. "It's dangerous; and, besides, your yawl will answer our purpose just as well."
"Why, Muley! what has got into you all of a sudden?" demanded the chief. "You seem to be monstrous glum about something. You want us to take the vessel away from them fellers, don't you? Well, how are we goin' to get it? They won't give it up without a fuss."
Just then the new member would have found it exceedingly difficult to tell exactly what he wanted. He was as anxious as ever to punish his father and the principal, by taking the Storm King, but he was not brave enough to face the weapons of the guard; for he knew that all the students were very expert in the bayonet exercise, and, as they were not wanting in courage, they would very likely give Crusoe and his men a warm reception. Perhaps if he had been the captain of the band, with the same authority Sam was permitted to assume, and the members had all treated him with the respect due the son of the richest man in the village, and the fisher-boy had been out of the way, and he had positive evidence that his band exceeded the guard of the Storm King in numbers, so that her capture could be effected without danger to himself—in short, if he could have arranged every thing to his liking, he might have taken more interest in the affairs of the society. Or, even if he had been second in command, and it had been understood that he was to be the captain of the vessel during the voyage, he might have kept up some show of allegiance. But the members all treated him as an equal rather than superior; he had placed himself in the power of a tyrant, who ruled him with a rod of iron, who never deferred to him, or asked his advice in regard to the manner in which the affairs of the band ought to be conducted, and, who being utterly ignorant of seamanship and navigation, would certainly get himself and crew into serious trouble during the voyage.
Tom had thought of all these things during the day, and he had got another idea into his head. If the governor had known it, and had been as well acquainted with him as were some other boys about the village, the new member would have been a prisoner as well as the fisher-boy.
The chief, for a wonder, listened patiently to what the members of the band had to say, but, being unable to decide the matter, he ordered them into the yawl, and put off to make personal observations. Being favored by the darkness, he ran so close to the vessel that he could hear the footsteps of the sentinel as he paced the deck. According to the report of the spies, the guard consisted of four students, only one of whom was on duty at a time. The chief was very soon satisfied of the correctness of one part of this statement, for, had there been more than one boy on guard, he would have heard more footsteps, and very likely, some conversation.
The night was so dark that Sam could not possibly make any accurate observations, and the most of the conclusions at which he arrived were the result of guess-work. But he was satisfied with them, and after he had rowed entirely around the vessel, he had decided upon his plans, and was ready to issue his orders.
"You an' Jack were right, Friday," said he, addressing himself to the spies. "That little craft is our'n, an' by sunrise, day after to-morrow, we'll be miles on our way toward our island. We'll go back to the cave now, an'—"