The latter, in his momentary anger, made a step down as if for the purpose of rescuing Nanny, but he thought better of it.
“They can’t do much harm to the youngster,” he murmured, “and if I interfere now it’ll spoil our scheme. It’s a good chance to teach those brutes another lesson. They have had more than one from us, but it seems they need more.”
He bent over the hatch and listened again. The berth deck was as quiet as the tossing and mumbling and snoring of several hundred sleeping lads could permit, and Clif heard plainly the conversation being carried on below.
“He’s fixed now, the measly plebe,” growled a voice which Clif easily recognized as Crane’s. “He’s number one, and the smallest of the gang. I only wish it was Faraday.”
“You do, eh?” muttered the unseen listener, grimly. “Well, you’ll have me pretty soon, but not in the way you think.”
“I say, Crane,” spoke up another muffled voice, “don’t you think your scheme a little too risky? It’ll stir up the whole ship and raise Cain generally. You know what the first luff said about hazers before we sailed.”
“Oh, bother the first luff. He’s an old woman. He forgets what he did in his second year. I’ve heard that he made a plebe eat tallow candles until he nearly died. Why, my plan is mild. What does varnishing and painting a few measly plebes amount to, anyway. If you don’t like to take chances skip back to bed.”
“I’m not afraid, but I wouldn’t care to get fired this early in the course. What if Faraday or some of his chums split on us?”
“No fear of that,” quickly exclaimed the Georgia cadet. “Faraday may be fresh, but he’s not carrying tales.”
“Thanks,” murmured Clif, starting to leave the hatch. “I’m glad to see that I have one virtue. I’ll bear that remark in mind, masters. Humph! so they intend to make living oil paintings of us, eh? Well, we’ll see who comes out best in the—— Gorry!”