The new captain, believing that every one on board was satisfied with the change, now took charge of the vessel; and, after a short consultation with some of his friends, he surprised Rich by offering him the position of third mate. He did this, not because he believed the late captain to be more worthy of it than any other boy on board, but because he wanted to show him that he appreciated the manner in which Rich had accepted the verdict of his companions.
“I’ll take it,” said the latter, “on the condition that if, at any time, you get tired of me, you will tell me so. I want some fun before I go back to the academy to be put into the guard-house, and I don’t care who is captain.”
This made Johnny hope that, if Rich had ever cherished any ill-will toward any of the crew, he had forgotten it.
But the truth of the matter was, the old captain and his friends were not as well satisfied as they pretended to be. Rich’s pride had been sorely wounded, and he could not bear the thought of taking a subordinate position after once serving as captain. He believed that he was as competent to fill the position as any boy on board, and he determined to make an effort to regain it. Tom was angry because he could not forget that the votes of a majority of the crew had defeated his aspirations for the captaincy; and he hoped that he might find an opportunity to revenge himself on them. Miller, and a few of the foremast hands, were displeased because the claims of their favorites had been disregarded, and they, too, set themselves at work to study up some plan to “get even” with those who had voted to relieve Rich of the command, and make Johnny captain. But the discontented ones were all “deep.” They knew that if they refused to do duty, they would be so closely watched that they could have no opportunity of talking the matter over among themselves; so they concluded that it was best to appear to give way to the majority. This would allay suspicion, and Johnny’s friends, believing that they were satisfied with the change, would take no notice of their movements. This was the way Rich and his friends looked at the matter, and subsequent events proved that they had not been mistaken.
As soon as Captain Harding took command of the Swallow, he put her about, and give out a course which, he imagined, would take them much nearer to Nantucket than the one Rich had given. Every thing appeared to be going on smoothly, the boys all seemed to be enjoying themselves; and when any of them laughed at the idea of finding Nantucket by sailing exactly south from Buzzard’s Bay, Rich always made some good-natured reply, that was very far from being an index of his feelings. The port watch went on at six o’clock in the evening, (the routine on the Swallow was six hours on duty and six hours off,) and when all the starboard watch had gone below, Rich and Tom met in the waist to talk over their plans.
“This is a good joke on me, isn’t it?” asked Rich. “They gave me the captaincy without my asking them for it, and now they kick me out, giving the office to Harding, who knows no more about navigation than I do, and making me third mate. I wonder if they suppose that I am going to stand any such work as that? Not if I know it.”
“I’ve got an idea!” said Tom.
“Out with, it then! I’m listening with all my ears.”
“It is this,” continued the first mate: “I propose that when we get into port, we think up some plan to get Harding and all his friends to leave the boat, and then we’ll take her and go to sea on our own hook.”
“Newcombe, you’re a brick!” exclaimed Rich. “That’s a capital idea. I told them they wouldn’t make any thing by putting Harding in my place, and I think they will find that I told the truth. I hope that we shall reach port soon, for I am anxious to pay these fellows off in their own coin. But, Newcombe, I’ll make a prediction. In less than two days you’ll see trouble on this vessel. I was right, and Johnny is wrong. He is holding her straight out to sea. Before long the provision and water will all be gone, and then we’ll be in a nice fix. They’ll see then who knows the most about navigation.”