“I AM happy to inform you that I have done all my part of the work, according to orders. The provisions have been purchased, and are now safely stowed away in a farmer’s barn, on Block Island. The Sweepstakes is ready for the cruise; and I will see that every thing is kept in order, so that when you are ready to start, we can put to sea with the least possible trouble. No one in the village has the slightest suspicion that any thing is in the wind. I hope you will be as fortunate as I have been.”
So ran a note which Tom received from Johnny Harding, on Tuesday afternoon, and which he showed to his friends on the ball-ground. It is needless to say that the Night-hawks were delighted with the success of their plans; and the new members looked upon Tom and Johnny as the two smartest boys in existence.
Attempts to desert the academy were very uncommon, and, as all the boys well knew, had failed more frequently than they had proved successful; and so great an undertaking as Tom had suggested, had never before entered into the head of the most reckless student. The conspirators, with but very few exceptions, had never imagined that the grand commander’s scheme could be successfully carried out. They had given their consent to it, not because they hoped to be able to escape the examination, but because they wanted something exciting with which to occupy their minds; and even Rich and Miller, who had long been acquainted with Tom, and who knew pretty nearly what he could do, had often predicted that the grand commander’s plan would prove to be but a sure way of bringing every member of the society to certain and speedy punishment. The colonel, they said, would certainly “snuff something,” and the first thing they knew, they would all find themselves in the guard-house, living on bread and water. This was the reason why they had kept in the background as much as possible, and allowed Tom to do all the work. If they were discovered, he, being the leader, would be the most severely punished. But when Tom showed these two worthies the note he had just received from the fifth captain, they found that they had been mistaken. The outside work had all been accomplished without giving any one a hint of what was going on, and they began to believe that Tom was in earnest, and that, perhaps, he might, after all, manage affairs so that they could avoid the examination, and have a “jolly time on their own hook.” But still there was chance for failure; and, although they took a prominent part in all the “business meetings”—which were held as often as the Night-hawks could get together—they always endeavored to have it understood that Tom was the leader of the conspiracy.
Monday, the day on which the examination was to commence, was still a long way off. Five days of lessons and drills must be endured before the time for action arrived, and the excited Night-hawks hardly believed that they should be able to live through them. Time moved on laggard wings; but the boys survived, in spite of hard lessons and extra guard-duty at night, and, finally, the eventful day arrived. The examination commenced that morning, and, as the Night-hawks had made no preparation for it, they fell sadly behindhand in all their lessons. The result had shown them exactly what they might have expected; and, when dress parade was over, and the members of the society met in an unfrequented part of the grounds, to hold their last council at the academy, they were very much excited, and they were ready to risk almost any thing to escape the remaining six days of examination.
“I tell you what it is, fellows,” said one of the new members, “I never did like this business; but I’m in for it now. I couldn’t live through a week’s work such as we had to-day.”
“We’re in a bad fix,” chimed in another. “If we stay here, we are certain to be placed under arrest, while the other fellows are in camp enjoying themselves; and if we are caught in our attempt to take French leave, of course we shall be put into the guard-house.”
“Are you going to back out?” asked Rich.
“O, no; I’m going to stick to you. But I can’t help thinking that we are in a very unpleasant situation.”
“We can’t help it,” said Tom. “We are not going to stay here, and be put under arrest; that’s settled. Of course, we run something of a risk in trying to escape; but we can’t help that, either. I hope you didn’t think that, when we got ready to go, the colonel would give us all a furlough for two or three weeks? At any rate it’s too late to back out. Now for business! I hope that you have all concluded that my plan is the best.”