CHAPTER XIII.

THE BEGINNING OF THE TROUBLE.

Captain Gildrock drew from his pocket a paper he had drawn up for the widow to sign. He read it to her, explaining its meaning as he proceeded. It was a contract by which, in consideration of her son's board, clothing, and tuition, she surrendered to the principal the entire charge of the boy for three years. Mrs. Sankland was entirely satisfied with the document, and signed it without any hesitation.

"He shall be as well treated as the rest of the boys in the institution, but he must obey orders; and he will have no time to roam about the streets and fields," said the principal. "It is necessary that he should be subjected to strict discipline; and no violence will be used unless he shows fight, or refuses to obey an order."

"He needs a good whipping more than any thing else," added his mother, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "He has done nothing for me; and I cannot afford to support a great fellow like him in idleness, when he will not even take care of the children while I am at my work."

"I shall try to make a man of him, Mrs. Sankland; and, if no one interferes with me, I think I shall succeed," added Captain Gildrock, as he moved towards the door.

"There is no one on earth to interfere with you, sir, except me; and I am too glad to have him taken care of to meddle with any one who is so kind as to take care of him," replied the poor widow.

The principal and his sister returned to the carriage, and the captain drove to the house of Tom Topover's father. He was a laboring man, who worked very hard to support a large family; and Tom was the oldest of the children. But they lived in comfort and plenty compared with the Widow Sankland. Neither the father nor the mother was a person of much force, though they got along very well in the world.

"I called to see you, Mr. Topover, in regard to your son Thomas," the captain began, when the introduction had been disposed of.

"He is a bad boy, Captain Gildrock; and I know that he has given you a deal of trouble at one time and another," said the father, who felt that he was very unfortunate in having such a son; though he closed his eyes to the fact that he had spoiled the boy by indulgence years before.

"I am afraid you are not far from right, Mr. Topover," replied the captain.

"What has he been doing now, sir? I am sorry he was not sent to the house of correction when he was taken up on the other side of the lake. Has he been troubling you again?" asked the man.

The principal explained what Tom had been doing, relating the events of the day in connection with the Goldwing.

"I am sorry for it, sir; but I can't do any thing with the boy. I have talked with him, and I have thrashed him till I am tired of it. What can I do with him?" asked the poor father, puzzled by the situation.

"I intended to prosecute the boys the next time they stole any of the boats," continued the principal.

"Do it, sir. I shall not object to any thing you do with my boy, for he deserves the worst he is likely to get for his bad behavior," replied the father.

"He will be condemned to a fine, and you will have to pay it," suggested Captain Gildrock.

"I will not pay it! I have done that twice, and I shall not do it again," protested Mr. Topover.

"Then he will stand committed till the fine is paid."

"So much the better!" exclaimed the desperate parent. "I have no money to waste on a boy who treats me as Tom does. He won't do a thing about the house; and, when he is out late, he makes his mother get his supper for him when he comes in. He is a bad boy, sir; and, if they keep him in jail for six months, I will not say a word."

"He needs a little sharp discipline."

"That he does! He hasn't been near the house since morning, and we may not see him to-night till nine or ten o'clock. Then he will want his supper, and a piece of bread and butter and some pie will not be enough for him. He makes such a row, that his mother has to cook something for him, even if the fires are all out."

"He seems to be a perfect tyrant in the house," added the principal with a smile, as he realized that the boy had been spoiled by his parents.

"That's just what he is. If he don't get what he wants, he makes such a row that he wakes all the children, and we have trouble half the night."

"He will not come home to-night, unless you wish to have him do so," said Captain Gildrock, coming nearer to his point.

"I don't care if he never comes into the house again," protested Mr. Topover.

"You don't mean that, Richard," mildly interposed his wife. "I wish the boy could be taken care of, but I don't want him to come to any harm."

The principal took a paper like that he had read at the Widow Sankland's, adapted to the case of Tom Topover. He read it, after he had proposed that the vagrant boy should be admitted to the Beech-Hill Industrial School. He explained its meaning fully.

"We shall make him obey orders, but we shall use him as well as he will allow us to do," continued Captain Gildrock. "If both of you will sign this paper, I will keep him at the institution until the term begins. He will be fed, clothed, and instructed, and taught to work at some trade. I think we should make a machinist of him, for he seems to have a taste for working with tools upon iron."

"But Tom won't agree to it," replied Mr. Topover.

"I haven't asked him to agree to it, and I don't intend to do any thing of the sort. You are his father, and his legal guardian: you can do any thing you please with him, so long as you don't abuse him," continued Captain Gildrock, sharply; for he did not like the disposition to temporize with a serious case.

"I should be very glad to have him go to your school, Captain Gildrock," added the father.

"So should I, and I should be easy about him all the time if he were only there," said Mrs. Topover.

"Then all you have to do is to sign this paper. His father's name would be enough to stand the law, but I prefer to have his mother's also."

"When he comes home he will make a terrible row, and"—

"He won't come home till he is in a frame of mind to be decent and respectful to both of you," interposed the captain.

"I will sign the paper," said Mr. Topover, after some hesitation. "I can't do any thing with him; and, to tell the truth, Captain Gildrock, I don't believe you can."

"Perhaps I can't: I don't know. I am willing to try; and I believe the boy can be saved, though he will need sharp discipline."

Both the father and the mother seemed to be afraid of the tyrant son, and this was the trouble with them. But they signed the paper after a good deal of delay; though the principal did not urge them to do so, and took no means to conceal the fact that the boy would be subjected to severe discipline.

The captain left the house, promising to report to the parents upon the conduct of the son. In the same manner he visited the homes of Kidd Digfield and Nim Splugger. The father of the former was a blacksmith: and he had done his best to get his son into his shop to blow and strike for him, but he had utterly failed. The boy would promise any thing, but he did not keep his promises. He was much pleased with the idea of having his son admitted to the school, and signed the paper presented to him, as did his wife, without any objection or hesitation.

The father of Nimrod Splugger was a German shoemaker, who had married a Vermont woman. Both the father and mother seemed to be totally indifferent in regard to the welfare of the boy, and they were willing to sign any thing that relieved them from the burden of feeding and clothing him. The principal's business at the home of the German was soon finished; and he drove back to the mansion, leaving two more cases to be disposed of in the morning.

The six captured young rascals had been left on board of the Sylph, in charge of Mr. Bristol and Bates. After the party on board had taken supper in the forward cabin, the young ruffians were marched in, and they had satisfied their appetites with the good things set before them; and their imprisonment did not seem to impair their ability to eat and drink.

After the meal they had been taken back to the forecastle. Tom and the bolder of the vagrants growled, and threatened evil things to those who detained them; but they made no attempt to escape, for they saw that it would be useless. When the captain appeared, at about nine o'clock in the evening, he called out Raglan Spinner and Benjamin Sinker, whose parents he had not been able to see for the want of time, and dismissed them. They were not quite as enterprising as Tom and Kidd; but they were not a whit better, and no more disposed to obey their parents.

Captain Gildrock made no explanations to the two he discharged, and the young ruffians concluded that they had fully atoned for their offence by the imprisonment they had suffered. They were to take a different view of the matter the next day.

The principal went to the forecastle, where the four ruffians were to be seen under the awning, by the light of a lantern which hung over their heads. Neither of their custodians had said any thing to them, and did not encourage any talk on their part. They asked questions about what was to be done with them; but Bates did not know, and would not have answered if he had known. When they saw the captain, they had worked themselves up to the height of discontent. They were accustomed to have their own way; and any restraint was a burden to them, even if it subjected them to no discomfort.

"I want to go home," growled Tom Topover as soon as he saw the principal. "I'm not going to stay here all night."

"You will not stay here all night," answered Captain Gildrock, in his mild tones. "Bates, you will take them to the dormitory, and give them four rooms at the farther end on the left."

"On the left, sir; I understand," replied the old quartermaster.

On the outside of the windows of these rooms was an iron grating like that used in banks to cover the operations of the cashier or teller. They had been fitted up for those who were disposed to run away. Besides the locks on the doors, there were crossbars across each of them, secured by padlocks, so that they could not be removed.

"Mr. Bristol and I will assist you," added the captain, when he saw that four of the young ruffians might be more than a handful for the old man, though he was still strong and active.

"I want to go home," growled Tom again, when he found that no notice had been taken of his complaint.

"You will not go home, and you will come with me," continued the principal.

The trouble began then.