“I can’t take off my cap to these young squirts of officers, and be ordered around by them. It isn’t in an Englishman to do anything of the sort.”
“Upon my word, I think it is in them. They make first-rate sailors, and always obey their officers.”
“Common sailors do; but I’m a gentleman.”
“So am I; but I always obey orders,” replied the democratic Peaks, warmly. “The officers of this ship are required to behave like gentlemen, and give their orders in a gentlemanly manner. If they don’t do it, they are liable to be reduced. Do your duty, and you may be an officer yourself.”
Peaks continued for some time to give the prisoner good advice, assuring him that he was no better than the rest of the crew, and that it would not hurt him any more than others to obey the orders of the officers. But it was sowing seed in stony ground, and Clyde, finding he could make nothing out of the honest boatswain, decided to await his time with what patience he could command, which, however, was not much. Peaks was permitted to follow Peter Simple in his stirring career during the rest of the afternoon. The crew returned from Tivoli at eleven in the evening, and soon the ship was quiet, with only an anchor watch, consisting of an officer on the quarter-deck, and two seamen on the forecastle.
Clyde’s supper was given to him in his prison, and a bed made up for his use. He kept awake till all the students came on board, and while he was waiting for the crew to slumber, he dropped asleep himself, and did not wake till all hands were called in the morning. He was vexed with himself for his neglect, and afraid that the carpenter would miss the saw, and remember where he had left it. He was determined to keep awake the next night, and make his escape, even if he was obliged to swim to the land.
After breakfast, all the students went on shore for an excursion to Klampenborg and Elsinore. In the custom-house enclosure, a procession of four in a rank was formed, to march to the railroad station, which was near the Tivoli Garden. The students were generally rather fond of processions, not at home, but in the streets of foreign cities. The parade was quite imposing, when every officer and seaman wore his best uniform. They had been carefully taught to march, and Professor Badois had organized a band of eight pieces, which performed a few tunes very well. Unfortunately, on the present occasion, the band was not available, for Stockwell, the cornet player, and Boyden, the bass drummer, belonged to the absent crew of the second cutter, and the procession moved to the sterling notes of the drum and fife.
On parades of this kind, the first and second pursers acted as the fleet staff of the commodore, who would otherwise have been “alone in his glory,” and these two useful officers seemed like “odds and ends” in any other position. As this procession was frequently formed, and marched through the streets of various cities, the order is given to satisfy the reasonable curiosity of the reader.
Music.
The Commodore,
And Staff of the Fleet.
The Captain of the Young America.
The Four Masters.
The Four Midshipmen.
The First Lieutenant.
The First Part of the Starboard Watch,
Consisting of Eighteen Seamen.
The Second Lieutenant.
The Second Part of the Starboard Watch.
The Third Lieutenant.
The First Part of the Port Watch.
The Fourth Lieutenant.
The Second Part of the Port Watch.
The Captain of the Josephine.
The Four Masters.
The First Lieutenant.
The First Part of the Starboard Watch,
Consisting of Eight Seamen.
The Second Lieutenant.
The Second Part of the Starboard Watch.
The Third Lieutenant.
The First Part of the Port Watch.
The Fourth Lieutenant.
The Second Part of the Port Watch.
The Captain of the Tritonia.
The Four Masters.
The First Lieutenant.
The First Part of the Starboard Watch,
Consisting of Eight Seamen.
The Second Lieutenant.
The Second Part of the Starboard Watch.
The Third Lieutenant.
The First Part of the Port Watch.
The Fourth Lieutenant.
The Second Part of the Port Watch.
Sometimes the order was varied by placing all the officers at the head of the procession, except the lieutenants in command of sections, as,—