NEVER before had the gallant little sloop been manned by such an excited and delighted crew as the runaways were at that moment. They had escaped the examination, and instead of remaining at the academy, under arrest, while their companions were enjoying themselves in camp, they would soon be miles at sea, and beyond the control of the principal. The danger, they imagined, was over, at least until morning, when their absence would be discovered, and the pursuit commenced. That they would be followed, none of them, for a moment, doubted; for they knew that the principal was not the man to permit his authority to be set at defiance with impunity. He would make every effort to capture them, and his former exploits in this line had shown that he was very expert at catching deserters. Besides, although they had paid the captain of the Swallow for the use of his boat for two weeks, they did not expect that he would be altogether satisfied with the arrangement. Tom and Johnny had assured their companions that he “wouldn’t grumble,” but they had said that merely to silence the fears of the timid members of the society, for they knew that the captain, unless he was different from most men, would be very angry when he discovered that a “lot of green boys” had run away with his sloop; and he, also, would leave no stone unturned to insure their speedy capture. In addition to this, there were seven boys on board who lived in the village; and, when their parents learned that they were among the runaways, it was very probable that they, too, would make every exertion to bring the cruise to an end as soon as possible. In short, as soon as their escape became known, the whole village would be aroused, and Captain Rich would be given ample opportunity to prove himself worthy of the confidence his friends had reposed in him. The deserters realized the fact that their chances for continuing their cruise for two weeks, were very slim indeed; but there were very few among them who were troubled with any gloomy forebodings. True, some of them thought of the guard-house, with extra duty at night, but the majority of them did not look so far into the future. They thought only of the fine time they expected to enjoy during their cruise, and laughed when they pictured to themselves the consternation that would prevail at the academy when their absence was first discovered. Tom, especially, was in the best of spirits. He had been the projector and manager of the most daring exploit ever attempted by the village boys, and he felt proud of it. There was one thing that was beginning to trouble him, however, and that was, he was sorry that he had used his influence to make Rich the captain of the vessel. He ought to have had that position himself. He had done most of the work, run all the risk, and he certainly ought to have been given a higher office than that of first mate. But it was too late to remedy the matter, and Tom was obliged to be satisfied with the glory he had already won.
When the sloop had cleared the harbor, and got well out into the bay, the first mate walked to the head of the companion-way and called out, “All right, now, fellows. You may come on deck;” whereupon, the boys who had been sent into the cabin, clambered up the ladder, and, unable longer to restrain their enthusiasm, gave vent to their jubilant feelings in terrific whoops and yells.
“Silence!” commanded Johnny. “Are you tired of your cruise already? Wait until you know that we are safe from pursuit before you begin your dancing and shouting.”
“Why, I thought that if we once got outside the harbor, we were all right,” said one of the “landlubbers.”
The boys who had never been to sea were called “landlubbers,” and this name clung to them during the voyage.
“That’s by no means certain,” replied the third mate. “The Philistines will be after us as soon as our escape is discovered, and our only chance is to get well out to sea before daylight. If we are followed by sailing vessels, we can show a clean pair of heels; but if our pursuers come in a steamer, you academy fellows may begin to prepare yourselves for the guard-house. So you see—”
“Swallow, ahoy!” came a hail, in stentorian tones, interrupting Johnny’s speech, and filling the runaways with dismay.
The astonished deserters looked toward the light-house, which they were at that moment passing, and whence the hail came, and saw a man standing on the pier, waving his hat to them, while two others were hoisting the sails of a small schooner, evidently with the intention of following them. A third had got into a skiff, and was pulling toward the village with all possible speed. In the excitement of getting safely out of the harbor, they had not thought of looking for enemies on the light-house pier, and a hasty glance at the men in the schooner showed them that the pursuit was to commence much sooner than they had expected.
“O, now, we’re caught already!” drawled Tom. “It’s all up with us. I knew all the while just how it would turn out.”
“What shall we do, fellows?” asked Captain Rich, coming aft, rather hurriedly, to consult his officers.
“Do nothing!” replied the third mate, who did not seem to be at all concerned. “They don’t know that any thing is wrong yet. No doubt it is one of the crew of the Swallow, who thinks his captain is going to sea without him.”
“If that’s so, then what is that man pulling back to the village for?” asked Miller. “He handles those oars as if he is in a great hurry. And, then, what are those two men doing with that schooner?”
“Why, one of them probably belongs on board here,” answered Johnny. “If they hail us again, I’ll answer them. Keep out of sight as much as possible, fellows.”
“Swallow ahoy!” came the hail, in louder tones.
“Ay, ay, sir!” replied the third mate.
“Hold on!” shouted one of the men in the schooner, which was now starting out from the pier, “I want to come on board.”
This served to convince some of the runaways that Johnny’s idea of the situation was the correct one. One of the men in the schooner belonged to the Swallow, and was afraid his captain was going to sea without him.
“I can’t stop!” shouted the third mate, in reply. “Wait at the village until I come back.”
The runaways were astonished at this answer, and they all held their breath in suspense, wondering what would be the result. The men in the schooner evidently did not understand it, for one of them, after a moment’s hesitation, called out—
“Do what?”
“I’m in a great hurry, and I can’t wait for you!” repeated Johnny. “Stay at the village till I come back.”
“Hold on with that sloop, I say!” shouted the man, “or it will be worse for you.”
“There!” exclaimed Miller; “that shows that I was right. We’re discovered, and we must run for it now. Crowd her, Harry!”
The second mate was right in his suspicions. One of the men in the schooner was the lawful captain of the Swallow. He had been visiting his brother, the keeper of the light-house, and was on the point of returning to the village, when he discovered his vessel putting out to sea. Of course he did not know who had taken her; but, being well aware of the fact that she was in the hands of some one who had no business with her, he had got the schooner under-way, and commenced the pursuit.
“Swallow ahoy!” came the hail again. “Hold on with that boat!”
The deserters made no reply, and, in fact, they scarcely heard the hail, for their attention was wholly occupied with something else. They had not imagined that they were in any danger; but now they noticed that the schooner was following in their wake at a rate of speed that would soon bring her along-side. She had the advantage of being under the control of men who understood their business. The third mate, being now fully satisfied that the Philistines were really after them, and that there was nothing left them now but to “run for it,” sprang down from the sail, and, seeing that the schooner was gaining rapidly, took the wheel into his own hands. Johnny, although he was the lowest officer, was the best sailor on board, and he had not been long at the helm, before it became apparent to the Swallow’s crew that their pursuers were gradually falling behind. This reassured the boys, some of whom had begun to fear that the sloop was not as swift a sailor as Johnny had led them to believe. A few of them had made up their minds that a fight for their liberties was not far distant, for not one of the deserters had any idea of allowing their cruise to be brought to an end so speedily. They had started out with the intention of enjoying a two-weeks’ cruise, and they did not propose to return to the village until they got ready, or were taken back by a superior force. Some of the more determined ones had secured handspikes, which they flourished above their heads, and shook at their pursuers, to warn them that, if overtaken, it was their intention to make a desperate resistance.
“Slack up a little, Rich, and let them come along-side,” said one of the crew—the same who had proposed to knock down the sentinels at the academy, and who went by the name of the fighting member—“two men can’t capture eighteen fellows.”
But Captain Rich didn’t believe in “slacking up;” his only desire was to leave their pursuers as far behind as possible; and, just then, there was no probability that the deserters would be called upon to use their handspikes; for, under Johnny’s skillful management, the swift little sloop was running away from the schooner as rapidly as though the latter had been at anchor. The deserters were for a long time interested in the race, and some of them even expressed their regret that the schooner was not a faster boat, it would have made the chase so much more exciting. But the novelty at last wore off, and they began to hope that the rightful captain of the Swallow would soon become discouraged, and abandon the pursuit. Block Island was now near at hand; but, while the schooner was so close to them, it was, of course, out of the question to think of landing for their cargo, and they might as well surrender at once as to attempt to continue the voyage without a supply of provisions. The captain, however, seemed to have no idea of giving up the chase. He held steadily after the Swallow, thinking, no doubt, that the man who had gone to the village would soon return with assistance; and, in the meantime, he was resolved not to lose sight of his vessel.
“This won’t do, fellows,” exclaimed Captain Rich. “Crowd her heavy, Johnny.”
“She’s doing her very best now,” was the reply. “If you’ll make the breeze blow stronger, I’ll agree to make the sloop go faster.”
“We’re beating them badly,” continued the captain “but that don’t help us much, for as long as they are in sight, we can’t stop for our provisions.”
“Two men can’t capture us,” said the fighting member, who seemed to think that the only thing wanting to make their expedition a complete success, was a conflict with the schooner’s crew. “If you want to land on the island, why do it! Half a dozen of us will guard the vessel, while the others bring the cargo on board.”
“O, now, I’m not going to fight!” drawled Tom. “I never had a fight in my life.”
“You fellows ought to remember that we must go back to the village again, some time or another,” said Miller. “I don’t go in for a fight; for we have done mischief enough already, and much more than we shall want to stand punishment for. But, perhaps, we can fool those fellows some way.”
“That’s just what I was thinking of,” said Johnny. “The moon is going down, and it will be as dark as pitch in fifteen minutes; then we’ll see what we can do. Just leave this business to me, and I’ll insure our escape for a sixpence.”
Captain Rich had no objections to make to this arrangement, for he was quite willing that Johnny should assume the management of affairs. In fact, the third mate was the only one who seemed to know what ought to be done under the circumstances. Rich, Miller, and Tom, were officers only in name.
Thus far, the deserters had been congratulating themselves on having a bright moonlight night for their expedition; but now they were impatient for the moon to go down, and for darkness to hide them from their pursuers. In order to deceive the schooner’s crew, Johnny held on toward the island, gradually veering round as the sloop approached it, as if it was his intention to keep on out to sea; but, as soon as the darkness concealed their movements, he put the sloop about, and shaped her course toward the village. As the third mate had predicted, it was “pitch dark,” the only thing visible being the light which was now hoisted at the mast-head of the schooner, by which the deserters were enabled to judge pretty nearly what their pursuers were doing. Believing that the runaways had kept on around the island, they held on their course, and, in a few moments, the Swallow met and passed the schooner, going so close to her, that the runaways could hear the two men talking to each other. The deserters held their breath in suspense as they glided by, fearful that the noise of the waves washing against the Swallow’s sides would betray them. But their pursuers did not hear it, for they kept on around the island, and, when the light at the schooner’s mast-head disappeared in the darkness, every boy on board drew a long breath of relief. Their pursuers had been completely deceived as to their intended movements, and the coast was clear, so that they could land for their provisions.
“Hurrah for Harding!” exclaimed one of the crew. “If he hadn’t been here, we should have been in a nice fix.”
This opened the eyes of Captain Rich, who began to be suspicious that the deserters had more confidence in the third mate than they had in himself—a state of affairs that troubled him exceedingly. He saw that he had made a mistake in permitting Johnny to manage the vessel during the pursuit, and he resolved that thereafter he would, under all circumstances, assert his authority as commander of the vessel.
“Now, Harding,” said he, “take us to the place where you stowed our provisions.”
In obedience to the order, the third mate turned the sloop’s bow in the direction he imagined the island to be, and Tom stationed one of the crew on the forecastle, to act as lookout. The Swallow moved silently through the water, every boy on board straining his eyes to catch the first glimpse of the island; and presently the lookout exclaimed:
“Land ho!”
“Where away?” asked Captain Rich.
“Dead ahead,” was the answer.
Upon hearing this, Johnny called a boy to take his place at the wheel; and after stationing Tom, with two others, in the mast, to attend to any orders he might find it necessary to give, he took his stand on the forecastle, to watch for the landing place. The island could be dimly seen looming up through the darkness, and, shortly afterward, the Swallow passed a long, high point, that stretched out into the bay. Then Johnny knew where they were. The farmer’s house was just behind that point.
“Helm hard a port!” said the third mate. “Stand by to let go that main sheet. Let go all!”
These orders being obeyed, the sloop rounded the point, and, in five minutes more, was made fast at the farmer’s wharf. Johnny then conducted the crew toward the barn, where their provisions were stowed; and, on the way there, he stopped at the house to arouse the farmer, who, after a delay that seemed an age to the impatient runaways, appeared at the door, with a lantern in his hand. He seemed surprised to see so many boys in the party, but, still believing that they were about to start off on a hunting and fishing excursion, he assisted them in getting their provisions on board the sloop, and amused the deserters by expressing the wish that they might enjoy themselves, and have the best of luck.
“Thank you, sir,” said Captain Rich; “we hope so, too. All aboard, fellows.”
The deserters sprang over the rail, the line was cast off, the third mate took his stand at the wheel, and the Swallow again began her voyage. As she rounded the point, the runaways strained their eyes in every direction, and were delighted to discover that the schooner was not in sight. But their joy was of short duration, for Tom pointed out something in the direction of the village, that instantly destroyed all their hopes of a long and pleasant cruise, and caused Johnny Harding to say, “Now, fellows, the chase begins in earnest.” Away off in the direction of the light-house pier, they saw a red light dancing over the little waves, and heard the loud puffing of a steamer. The man who had gone to the village had procured assistance in the shape of one of Mr. Newcombe’s fast tugs.
“What shall we do now, Johnny?” asked the deserters, crowding around the third mate. “Do you suppose she is after us?”
“Of course she is!” said one of the “landlubbers.” “We might as well surrender. We can’t beat that tug; and, besides, I don’t much like the idea of going to sea in this little boat. I am far enough from shore already.”
“Nonsense,” exclaimed Johnny. “We won’t talk of surrender yet, for there may be a chance for escape. As for this ‘little boat,’ she is perfectly safe; I wouldn’t be afraid to cross the Atlantic in her. Now, keep still, and let us see what those fellows intend to do.”
As the lights on the tug showed that she was going toward the upper end of the island, Johnny, without waiting to consult Captain Rich, brought the sloop about, and shaped her course toward the village again, in hopes they might pass her as they had passed the schooner. For ten minutes the excitement on board the sloop was intense. The tug, going at a rate of speed that would have rendered escape impossible had the deserters been discovered, kept on toward the head of the island; and, although the runaways sometimes thought she was coming directly toward them, finally passed the sloop, which was now moving slowly down the island, as close to the beach as the third mate dared to go. Their pursuers had been evaded, and the runaways were free to continue their cruise.