“We don’t need any course yet,” replied Rich. “As long as the land is in plain view, we’ll use that for our compass. We will follow the shores of Newport Bay until we get into Buzzard’s Bay, and then we’ll steer exactly south.”
“But, perhaps, that won’t take us where we want to go!” said the third mate.
“I’d like to know what’s the reason!” exclaimed Captain Rich. “Haven’t you learned enough about geography to know that Nantucket is south of Massachusetts? Now, Newcombe, set the watch.”
So saying, the captain turned on his heel and walked down into the cabin, leaving his third mate standing silent and thoughtful.
“I expected this,” said he, unconsciously giving utterance to the thoughts that passed through his mind.
“Expected what?” asked one of the crew, who happened to overhear the remark.
“O, nothing!” replied Johnny, quickly.
“Now, see here, Harding,” said the boy, whose confidence in the captain had been considerably shaken by the latter’s conduct during the pursuit, “if you don’t believe that Rich is all right, you ought to say so before we get much farther from shore.”
“Who said he wasn’t all right?” asked Johnny. “He has made three or four voyages across the Atlantic, and he ought to know what he is about.”
But Captain Rich did not “know what he was about,” and the third mate was very well aware of the fact. Rich had been sent to sea because he could not be controlled at home, and, during his voyages, he had conducted himself exactly as Tom had behaved on his cruise on the Savannah. Being a lazy, good-for-nothing boy, he had allowed his opportunities to slip by him unimproved; and, when he was appointed captain of the Swallow, he knew but very little more about seamanship and navigation than he did when he first began his career as a sailor. Johnny knew this, and he was confident that, before long, there would be trouble on board the Swallow. Even the “landlubbers” would soon discover that Rich could not be depended upon, and then there would be a change of commanders. He, however, had “stood up” for the captain because he did not wish to be the first one to find fault.