"None of your lip, Bent Fillwing. If you talk like that, I'll bat you over the head. I don't let any fellow talk to me like that," said Tom, doubling up his fists.
"You will let me tell you the truth; or I will tell you, whether you let me or not. If you want to bat me over the head, I will show you, in one second after you have done it, how long you are when you are spread out on the ground. I repeat, that you are a vain pup, and no fellow can trust you. When Kidd and Pell and I had the watch below, what did you do on deck? You gave up the battle, and went to sleep. In the morning, when we ought to have been below Burlington, and out of sight of people who know us, we were fast to the anchor, only four miles from the mouth of the river. I had no confidence in you, and I gave it up. I wouldn't trust you to lead a farrow hen to water."
"You and I will have to settle this business, Bent Fillwing," muttered Tom.
"Why don't you settle it now, if you want to. If you wish to know how long you are, I can make a plan of you on the ground in the twinkling of an eye. Then you acted as though you were the commander of a big man-of-war, when you were nothing but a sick puppy. No fellow could stand it when you began to lord it over him. If we had not brought the schooner back, the Sylph would have captured us; and then the fun would have been all over. It was no use to think of doing any thing, after you had lost four hours of the time we ought to have used in getting to a safe part of the lake."
"How did old Gildrock get that sixty dollars?" asked Tom, finding it was useless to bully Bent. He was too ready to be hit, and to return the compliment.
"Don't you suppose he went down to your berth after you came into Beechwater, and took it from your pocket?" asked Bent, laughing.
Tom did not believe he had done so. But he could get nothing out of him or the other penitents, and he had to give it up. Perhaps he will know some day, but it is still a great mystery to him.
Captain Gildrock said it was a great misfortune to Tom, that he had found that roll of bills. The money had, no doubt, tempted him to plan the excursion in the Lily, on the spur of the moment. He would not have thought of such a thing, if the "sinews" had not been obtained by accident.
Up to this time, Tom had been doing very well. He observed all the rules, and learned his lessons. In the shop he was particularly attentive to his work. For some time before the long vacation the students had been engaged in building the engine for the proposed steamer, which was to be about half the size of the Sylph. Tom was employed on this work, and his lessons related to the natural forces employed to obtain steam-power. He was interested in this subject, and he read with attention all his text-book contained in relation to it.
In a few weeks, when it was seen that Tom and his associates in the cruise of the Lily were doing as well as they knew how, the bars were removed from their windows, and the doors were not locked at night. All of them were allowed to visit their parents, and to spend Sunday with them; but they did not value the privilege very highly, and preferred to spend most of the time at Beech Hill.