CHAPTER XXVIII.
STEALING A MARCH UPON THE LEADER.
Bent Fillwing took the roll of bills from his pocket as he halted on the forecastle. He had possessed himself of the principal secret of Tom Topover, and he felt that he was in condition to dictate to his superior if he was disposed to do so. He realized that Tom was not competent to manage the schooner, and he had his doubts about his own ability.
He opened the roll of bills. The first one he saw was a ten. So was the next one, and it soon appeared that the roll of bills were all of this denomination. There were six of them, and the amount was sixty dollars. It was a large sum of money for a boy to have, and he wondered where Tom had obtained it. But it did not much matter to him, so far as the moral question was concerned. The Topover must have stolen the money, for he had no way to obtain it honestly.
But Tom had not been off the estate except in the boats; and, so far as Bent had seen, there was no money left there so that it could be stolen.
It was possible that he had robbed the room of some teacher or other person. When the loss was discovered, there would be a tremendous tempest at Beech Hill. The absence of the Lily would be discovered about the same time, and the roll would be called. They were sure to be caught. There was no end of circus and theatre in the sum of sixty dollars, to say nothing of what might be bought at the stores, or obtained at the hotels.
But the risk was tremendous. Captain Gildrock would be up by this time. It would be natural enough for him to discover the loss of the Lily, when he took his first look at Beechwater. Taking the boat was one thing, but stealing the sixty dollars was another thing, and the principal might resort to a court to settle the matter. The schooner was within four miles of Beech Hill, and many hours of the night had been wasted.
Bent was full of doubts, and he cast anxious glances up and down the lake to see if the Sylph or the Goldwing was not in pursuit of them. The wind was fresh, but not as strong as it had been on Saturday. He could not expect to escape the steamer, and hardly the Goldwing, with her skilful skipper at the helm. He wished he was out of the scrape, not on moral considerations, but because the risk was so great. Putting the money in his pocket, he went aft, and seated himself in the standing-room.
He looked at Kidd and Pell. They did not appear at all as though they were having a good time. When he thought of the promised fun ahead, the theatre and the circus, he could not help seeing that any enjoyment, if there was any ahead, was to be purchased at the price of submission to Tom Topover. He was carrying it with a lordly sway, and sailed under "sealed orders."
"Do you think there is any fun ahead for us, Kidd?" he asked, after he had thought of the situation for a while.