“All’s fair in war,” replied the consul’s clerk.
“The doctor, who is one of the four, is not in the plot,” continued Archie. “He was aboard when these men surprised and captured the vessel, and Waters wouldn’t let him go ashore.”
“Of course not,” said the convict. “We ain’t going to starve. There’s plenty of good grub on board, and we need a cook to serve it up in shape. Mind you now, captain, no fooling with these men. We won’t stand that.”
“You need not borrow any trouble on that score,” answered Frank, hastily. “I shall not speak to them if I can avoid it. I want nothing to do with such people.”
“We couldn’t help it,” said Waters. “We couldn’t undertake so long a voyage with a crew of landsmen, for we needed somebody to steer the vessel and go aloft. These men wanted money, and were ready to join with us, so we took them. If you’re satisfied with everything, captain, you might as well go on deck and take charge.”
“Of course I am not satisfied,” answered Frank, “but I don’t see that anything better can be done under the circumstances. What shall I do if my crew refuse to obey my orders?”
“Oh, they’ll obey your orders. Just show me the man that don’t start when he’s spoke to, and I’ll show you somebody who will hurt himself against these bones,” said Waters, doubling up his huge fist and flourishing it above his head. “I ain’t a sailor, but I’m a bully overseer, and I’ll keep the men straight, I bet you. Me and Bob, one of us, will be on deck all the time, to see that things go on smooth and easy, like they had oughter do. We are working for liberty, mind you, and we can’t have no foolishness from nobody. Everything depends on you, captain, and it may comfort you to know that we’ll have our eyes on you night and day. You can’t make a move that we won’t see.”
“I am glad you told me,” said Frank. “I always like to know what I have to expect. Let’s go on deck and set the watch, Archie.”
The captain and his mate ascended the ladder closely followed by Waters. As Frank stepped upon the deck he looked about him with some curiosity. He wanted to see the men who were so lost to all sense of honor, that they could be induced to betray their trust for money. He glanced toward the wheel, and saw that it was in the hands of one who, next to Freas and Barton, Uncle Dick had always regarded as his most faithful and trusty hand. This proved to Frank’s satisfaction the truth of the old adage, that you must summer and winter a man before you know him; in other words, you must see him in all manners of situations, and in all sorts of temptations, before you can say that you are really acquainted with him. It proved, too, that Uncle Dick knew what he was talking about when he said that a sailor was never satisfied. Give him a brownstone front to live in, and a hundred dollars a month to spend, and he will grumble because he doesn’t live in a palace and get two hundred. The man hung his head when Frank looked at him. He could not meet the young captain’s gaze.
Having satisfied his curiosity on this point, Frank looked about him to note the position of the schooner. He told himself that he must have slept very soundly indeed, for she had probably been under way an hour or more before he awoke. She was already a long distance from the shore, and the lighthouse at the entrance of the harbor was fast disappearing in the darkness. The only thing he could do that night was to make an offing, and the next day, as soon as he could take an observation, he would work out a course and fill away for the States. He would do the best he could, too. He would perform his duty as faithfully as though the schooner was his own property, and he and the rest of her company were bound on a pleasure excursion. This much he had made up his mind to, and he had done it simply because Archie was on board. Of course, if Waters and the rest should relax their vigilance after a few days, and give him an opportunity to assume control of the vessel, he would promptly seize upon it, provided he was satisfied that his efforts would result in complete success; but he would take no chance whatever. He had seen what the giant was when he became fairly aroused, and he would be very careful not to incur his displeasure. Waters knew that Archie was his cousin; he had been on board the Stranger long enough to learn a good deal of the history of the occupants of the cabin, and if he became angry at Frank, Archie would be sure to suffer. The young captain wished most heartily that his cousin was safe ashore with the rest of the Club. He would have felt much more at his ease.