“That’s about the way I fixed it up in my own mind,” said Waters.
“If you intended to work on the paymaster’s feelings in that way, you ought to have captured his brother,” said Frank. “That would have been the surer way.”
“Never mind that. I know all about you and him too. You saved Eugene’s life, and helped Walter out of the worst scrape he ever got into, and they and their old uncle would give you the schooner if you asked for it. The paymaster would do anything before he would see harm come to you.”
By this time it was twelve o’clock. Frank called his cousin, and after he had seen the watch relieved, he went below and tumbled in bed. He was too excited to sleep much, and at the first peep of day he was up and dressed. The first object on which his eyes rested as he stepped out of his stateroom, was Waters’s burly form stretched out in front of the cabin door. “He meant that I shouldn’t go on deck without waking him,” thought Frank. “It is anything but agreeable to know that I can’t move unless this ruffian is at my side.”
Frank seized the man by the shoulder and shook him roughly, intending to tell him, when he awoke, that it was time he was going on deck to see how things were working there; but the giant only breathed the harder, and rolled from side to side on his mattress without once opening his eyes. After spending five minutes in the vain effort to arouse him, Frank opened the door, stepped over the prostrate figure and ascended to the deck. They were alone on the deep. The schooner was bowling along before a fine breeze, and there was not a sail in sight. Archie was walking up and down in the waist with his hands in his pockets, and the ticket-of-leave-man stood leaning against the rail close by, keeping guard over him.
“How long has that man been at the wheel?” asked the young captain.
“Since three o’clock,” answered Archie. “I stood there myself until I got so sleepy that I couldn’t hold her steady.”
Frank went aft to relieve the helmsman, who was one of the Stranger’s crew. As he laid his hand upon the wheel the sailor saluted him respectfully, but Frank paid no sort of attention to him. The man seemed hurt by this direct cut. He glanced toward the waist, and seeing that the eyes of Archie’s keeper were fastened upon him, he turned and pointed over the stern towards the horizon, where a faint cloud of smoke marked the path of a steamer.
“That may be a man-o’-war, sir,” said he, in a low tone, “but that ain’t what I want to say to you. I’d give everything that’s coming to me from this schooner if she was back where she belongs.”
“I wish she was there, too,” said Frank.