He was thinking, not what plan he ought to adopt to extricate himself and companions from their unpleasant situation, but how he might avoid punishment when he returned to the academy.
“We are not in the guard-house yet,” replied Miller; “and I, for one, don’t intend to go there until we have had our cruise. Johnny, did you mail that letter to ’Squire Thompson, as you intended?”
“Of course not; what was the use of paying for his boat until we were certain that we could get her? I’ve got the letter in my pocket now, with fourteen dollars in it. By the way, you academy fellows owe us a quarter of a dollar apiece. You didn’t give us money enough to settle all the bills.”
“We’ll pay you, Johnny,” said Tom, who, from some cause or another, seemed in a fair way to recover his usual spirits. “But do you know where the Swallow is?”
“That’s so!” exclaimed Johnny, excitedly. “Where is she? She’s at your father’s wharf, that’s where she is. I saw her there this evening. I have been so upset by losing the Sweepstakes that I didn’t think we could capture some other vessel just as well.”
“The captain of the Swallow doesn’t generally leave a watch on board his vessel when he’s in port, does he?” inquired Tom.
“No, he don’t; we’re all right yet. All hands stand by to get ship under way. Come ahead, boys.”
“Hold on!” exclaimed Tom, who, now that he saw a way out of the difficulty, was quite willing to resume the management of affairs; “we must separate. No more than two of us ought to go together, for we may be seen, you know, even at this hour. Pair off, and meet again on my father’s wharf as soon as possible.”
In obedience to these orders, the boys separated, and in a few moments Tom, accompanied by Johnny Harding, arrived at the wharf, where the Night-hawks were all assembled. The Swallow was moored at the wharf, and the boys were encouraged when they saw that her deck was deserted.