Another fourth of the students were reckless and unprincipled, with no respect for authority, except so far as it was purchased by fear of punishment or hope of reward. Occasionally one of this class worked his way into the cabin by superior natural ability, and a spasmodic attempt to better his condition on board.
The rest of the ship's company belonged to the indefinite, undecided class, floating more or less distant from the positive elements of good or evil. They were not bad boys, for, with proper influences, they could be, and were, kept from evil ways. They were not good boys on principle, for they could be led away in paths of error.
"Our fellows" were the positively bad boys of the floating academy; and they existed in no greater pro portion in the ship's company than in the communities of the great world. To this class belonged Shuffles, Wilton, Monroe, and others. To the positively good boys belonged Gordon, Kendall, Martyn, and others—not all of them in the after cabin, by any means.
Shuffles and Wilton walked forward to find some of these kindred spirits. They seemed to know just where to look for them, for they turned in at Gangway D. Over each of the six passages from which the mess rooms opened, a lantern was suspended, besides four more in the middle of the steerage. It was light enough, therefore, in the rooms for their occupants to read coarse print.
In the lower berths of mess room No. 8 lay two students, while another sat on a stool between them. Their occupation was sufficient evidence that they belonged to "our fellows," for they were shaking props for money, on a stool between the bunks. As Shuffles and Wilton approached, they picked up the props and the stakes, and drew back into their beds.
"It's Shuffles," said Philip Sanborn. "How did you get out?"
"Worked out," replied Shuffles, gayly.
"You don't mean to say you broke jail?"
"No; that would have been too much trouble. There was an easier way, and I took that."
"How was it?"