“You are late, Mr. Chester,” said the principal.
“I came on board against my will, sir. In fact, I was brought down to the wharf,” replied Oscar.
“Indeed? Who brought you to the wharf?” asked the captain with a half-suppressed chuckle.
“I wasn’t introduced to him, but he said he was a constable.”
“You ought to have been introduced to him,” laughed the captain. “I can’t go through the ceremony now, because the constable is not here; but his name is Peppers. Dory knows him, and he will introduce you if I don’t happen to be present when you meet again. Am I to understand from what you say that you did not intend to return to the steamer?”
“I did not intend to return: on the contrary, I meant to run away; for I suppose that is what you would call it,” replied Oscar.
“If I remember rightly, you promised this morning to behave as well as you knew how, if I released you from the brig,” added the captain.
“I meant what I said at the time, and intended to keep my promise; but something happened on shore that prevented me from doing so,” replied Oscar rather sheepishly for him.
“What is the matter with your face, Mr. Chester? Your nose is swelled, and you have a mouse under each eye. I should say that both of your eyes would be in mourning for the next week,” added Captain Gildrock.
“The black eyes are in consequence of something