"I am not going to stay in this school any longer than I can help. As soon as I get a chance, I shall be among the missing, though all the rest of the fellows have deserted me," added Tom.
"I don't believe in kicking at nothing, Tom," argued Pell. "It only wrenches a fellow's foot. We have all had a good time since we were raked in, and I don't believe in making a row as long as things go well with us. You don't get such roast beef as we had for dinner to-day when you are at home, nor such puddings and pies."
"The grub is good enough, but I would rather be free than to be well fed. I must have my liberty."
"We have liberty enough for me on board of this steamer," said Pell, as in turn he, too, turned on his heel, and left the chief to his own reflections.
Tom Topover was restored to the room in which he had first been placed; and he had a good bed, though he was locked in, and the iron bars confronted him at the windows. As the recruits were not outwardly refractory, they were taken to the table in the house, with the others of the principal's family; for he regarded his students as a part of his family, and treated them as such.
Every day during the week the Sylph was moving about the lake. In conformity with his new idea, the principal was notifying the parents of the new pupils he had decided to accept for the term of the coming year. They were all the sons of poor people, and some of them were quite as hard boys as Tom Topover. In fact, he had selected them because they were not controllable by their parents and teachers. The Beech-Hill School was to assume the character, in part, of a reformatory institution.
The half of the school that remained over were in excellent discipline, and would give the principal no trouble. Three days before the term was to begin, there were still six vacancies in the roll, and the principal was in doubt. Just at this time he received a visit from the six young firemen, as he called them to distinguish them from the rest of the Topovers, with whom they had been associated. The principal was rather surprised to see them. He had learned from his sister, that they had been actively employed in rendering assistance to the Widow Sankland since the fire, not only in soliciting articles of clothing and food for them, but in sawing and splitting her wood, and doing other chores about the house. Two of them had even spent three days in taking care of the children when she was at work; for the fire, and the "advertising" it had given her, had brought her a considerable increase of customers.
"Well, boys, what can I do for you this time?" asked the principal, with a pleasant smile; for he was very kindly disposed towards them since he had heard of their good deeds.
"We are almost sorry that we were not captured with the rest of the Topovers, in the Goldwing," said Ash Burton, with a smile, to indicate that he did not quite mean what he said.
"If you had been, perhaps I should have prosecuted the whole of you," replied the captain, pleasantly. "But I don't quite understand the force of your remark."