“That’s very true; but if she had been here, the captain wouldn’t have gone on shore, and they would have bundled me on board of her before this time,” growled Gregory, utterly dissatisfied with the present situation of his affairs. “Don’t you see that I can get off twice as well now that the captain and his boat’s crew have left the ship?”
“Upon my word, I believe you are more than half right, Dave!” exclaimed the Briton.
“Your plan wouldn’t have worked at all, if the fleet had been in the harbor. Don’t you see that Fluxion would have been alongside the steamer as soon as the health officer would let him do so? He would miss me at once, for I am one of his officers, and would ask for me. That would bring out the captain’s story, and I should be looked up at once. We are in luck as it is; and I am in favor of attending to the business at this very moment, and before the captain gets back.”
“All right! and to oblige you, Dave, I will give up the idea of making a longer cruise in the Ville d’Angers,” replied Sir Philip. “I will go on deck, and hail a boat.”
He had hardly gone before Clinch joined Gregory. They had a conference in regard to Clinch’s prospect of getting off if his companion succeeded; and Gregory assured him he was almost sure that the plan relating to his friend would work even better than the one for his own escape. Clinch was satisfied with this answer, and was confident that his companion would stand by him.
On deck Sir Philip found only Speers, the second officer, and four seamen. Capt. O’Hara had taken Raymond with him for the reason that the latter could speak the Portuguese language. The engineers were all busy with the machinery. Speers was studying his lessons in the pilot-house, as he did every moment of the time when he was not on duty. O’Hara, as has been stated before, had spoken of a new method of making the promotions, which had come to his knowledge. The captain and the other officers of the steamer were intensely interested in this information, and they wished to be prepared for it, whatever it proved to be; for they had no knowledge of the nature of the new method.
O’Hara and Speers had been studying with all their might, in order to be ready for any thing. What the new method was, the students had the privilege of guessing; and they could not well help using it. The captain thought it must be a new system of marking the value of the students’ work; but the second officer felt very confident that the promotions were to be made by the results of a monthly examination. Each argued for his own view, and each continued to struggle to put himself in condition for any thing.
Sir Philip and Lord Fillgrove ventured to interrupt the studies of the officer of the deck long enough to say good-by to him. Tom shook hands with them, responding to their expressions of good-will, and then resumed his study; for he was in the middle of a difficult problem in navigation, and he did not wish to lose the run of it.
The two sprigs bade farewell to the Prince and the ladies, who were making their preparations to go on shore. They took leave of Capt. Fairfield and the officers of the starboard watch in a body, and then hastened out of the cabin. Calling a boat to the gangway, the steward put their luggage into it; and then Sir Philip hastened below to carry out the more difficult part of the programme. All things worked perfectly, and he did not find it necessary at present to act the farce of being sick or having the ague. The day was quite cool; and this was a good reason for putting on an overcoat, especially as there was considerable sea in the harbor.
“Now we are all ready!” exclaimed the Baronet, in a low tone, as he joined his cousin in the smoking-room, an apartment which had been used during the voyage only by the Britons.