CHAPTER XV.

FIRST LESSONS IN DISCIPLINE.

Captain Gildrock had business in Burlington; and it was more convenient for him to go by the Sylph than by rail, as then he could return when he pleased. Besides, the cool air of the lake was very enjoyable in the hot weather. It required at least three persons to manage her, which took the greater part of the home force; and the principal did not care to leave the prisoners in the dormitory when so many of them were absent.

He expected to have a great deal of trouble with them; and he thought that the sooner he brought them into a state of subjection, the better it would be for the new pupils, and the better for the school. When the family went with him, the cook, and one or two of the domestics, who enjoyed these excursions, were taken, and housekeeping was carried on aboard the yacht.

Tom Topover had passed a very uncomfortable night in the brig, with nothing but a sheet-iron floor to sleep upon. When he was brought out of his dungeon by Bates, who was the turnkey on such occasions, he looked a good deal the worse for the wear. The other three had been more sensible, and had slept very well. The uniform of the steamer had been carried into their rooms, and three of them had put it on; but Tom refused to do so. They had all been supplied with a good breakfast; and, taken separately, all but Tom were disposed to submit. They walked quietly to the yacht when Bates told them what they were to do. Tom did not make any forcible resistance, but he was still stubborn and sullen.

The principal was on the forecastle when they arrived. He looked at them, and saw that three of them had put on the uniform, which indicated that they were in a better frame of mind. He spoke to these three, and told them they were to be part of the ship's company, and would do duty as deck-hands. If they were willing and tractable, they would be treated as well as any students of the school. They said nothing, and the principal did not ask them to make any promises. He preferred to judge them by what they did, rather than by what they said.

"I see that you have not yet put on the new uniform, Thomas Topover," said the principal, approaching the chief of the ruffians.

"I ain't going to put on any uniform!" growled Tom in reply. "I don't belong to the school, and I ain't going to join it."

"If you want to knock your head against solid walls of stone and iron, you will have the privilege of doing so until you are tired of it; for you will not hurt the walls, and you will hurt your head—Bates," called the captain.

The old salt presented himself; and the principal directed him to tie the hands of Tom behind him, and confine him to a stanchion.

"I ain't going to be tied up any more!" protested Tom.

But Bates proceeded to obey the order just as though he had said nothing. The prisoner had lost a great deal of the pluck he exhibited the night before, and his opposition was very feeble. His three companions looked on while he was secured: they did not say he was a fool to kick when it did no good, but they thought so.

"When you are ready to put on your uniform, and act like a reasonable being, you will be released, and be allowed to join your companions," said the principal curtly.

"You haven't any right to tie me up in this way, and I won't stand it," grumbled Tom.

"I will take care of that part of the business, and will settle the question of my right with any one who disputes it," added Captain Gildrock. "As long as you choose to be obstinate, and refuse to put on your uniform, you will remain in your present condition. When you want to put on your uniform and do your duty, you have only to say so, and you will be set at liberty, as your companions are."

Perhaps these last words were said quite as much for the benefit of Spinner and Sinker, the fathers of the two missing boys, who had just come on board. They saw three of the four prisoners on duty, for they were sweeping up the deck. They hardly knew them in their new uniform.

"That's the right way to serve them," said Spinner to the principal. "I hope you will make my boy mind, for I don't have time to look out for him when I have work."

"The one thing required of the boys, above all others, is, that they shall obey orders," replied Captain Gildrock. "If they do that, and try to discharge their duty, they will be all right here; for I give them plenty of recreation, and provide them with the means to be happy and contented."

The steamer backed away from the wharf, and commenced her trip down Beechwater. Bates remained on the forecastle; and when he found that the three boys were willing to obey, or that they did obey, whether they were willing or not, he did not give them any hard work to do. He limbered up his tongue, and began to explain their duties to them. In spite of themselves, they were interested.

He took them to all parts of the steamer, and pointed out the lines they were to handle in making fast to a wharf. He showed them how the boats were lowered into the water, and manned, and gave them all the instruction they could digest. Kidd Digfield was not willing to confess it, but he found that he rather liked life on board of a steamer.

When he had finished his lesson, the quartermaster went on deck to report to Captain Gildrock, that the three boys were as tame as kittens, and he did not think there would be any trouble with them. The captain was not at all confident that this would be the case, and asked Bates if he had left them alone; suggesting that they might release Tom, and take to one of the boats, which he had instructed them how to put into the water.

"I want Kidd Digfield and Nim Splugger to say a word or two to Tom, and I have given them a chance to do so," replied Bates. "They will tell him that he is a fool to resist."

"Perhaps they will," added the principal, with a smile.

"I know they will, and Tom will ask to put on the uniform in less than half an hour," persisted Bates.

And he was right. The old man had had a great deal of experience, and could form some idea of what the young ruffians were thinking about. He went to the ladder, and looked down to the forecastle, without allowing them to see him. As he supposed they would, they went to Tom as soon as they saw that they were alone. But Tom had been the first to speak.

"You are the three biggest fools I ever saw!" he muttered, as they walked towards him. "What did you cave in for? You are acting like so many spring chickens."

"What would you have us do?" asked Kidd, with a broad grin; for he felt that he ought to apologize for his submission, when his chief had resisted to the utmost.

"If you would do as I do, they would soon get sick of it, and let us go," replied Tom.

"It's no use to buck your head against a stone wall. You don't hurt the wall any, as the captain says; and you do hurt your head," replied Nim Splugger. "We are going to take things easy till we have a good chance to do something, and then we are going to do it."

"That's the best way," added Kidd. "They think we have given in, and treat us very well."

"We had a good bed last night, and every thing was nice. If we had done as you did, we should have had to sleep on the floor," argued Nim.

"But I won't stand it."

"You can't help yourself, Tom."

The chief had begun to weaken. Even if he wanted to escape, the best way was to do as his companions had done. When Bates had allowed them time enough to consider the matter, he came below. Tom at once asked him for the uniform. He was released, and taken to a stateroom, from which he soon came out dressed like his companions. His duties were explained to him, and he listened in sullen silence.

The day was very pleasant, with scarcely any wind; and, when the Sylph had passed Split Rock, Dory discovered a sailboat trying to get ahead in the light breeze. With the glass, he discovered that it contained a man and two boys. Paul Bristol was doing duty as wheelman, and he was sent to the principal to report the fact.

The boat had scarcely a particle of wind, and had not yet made half the distance to Burlington. The two boys, Rag Spinner and Ben Sinker, had been broiling in the hot sun all the forenoon; and they were willing enough to accept the invitation to go on board of the steamer, though without understanding the reason for the request. The man in the boat asked to be taken in tow; but Captain Gildrock ordered the Sylph to go ahead, without heeding the request.

Raglan Spinner was not a little astonished to find his father on board of the steamer, and Ben Sinker was hardly less surprised. At the next glance they saw their companions of the day before dressed in the uniform of the Industrial School, and this was a still greater surprise. They began to see why they had been invited to go on board of the Sylph.

"So you were going to run away, Raglan, were you?" said Mr. Spinner sternly, as he confronted his son. "Why didn't you come home last night?"

"I didn't like to after the scrape we got into yesterday," pleaded Rag, with a laugh; and it was apparent that he did not stand in awe of his father.

"I have put you where I can find you when I want you," continued the carpenter. "You will spend the next three years in the care of Captain Gildrock."

"All right: we shall have plenty of boating," replied the boy.

The two boys were immediately supplied with a uniform, and took their places with the other Topovers on the forecastle. Bates proceeded to go over his instructions for deck-hands again, for the benefit of the new-comers.

Before they reached Burlington the principal shot a duck on the wing, and the bird dropped into the water. The steamer was stopped, and the captain gave the order for the port-quarter boat to be put into the water, and the bird secured. Under the direction of Bates, the deck-hands had an opportunity to apply the knowledge they had gained. The original Topovers were ordered to the thwarts, and Bates acted as coxswain. The bird was dead, and not likely to escape; so that the officer in charge of the boat did not hurry himself. He took time to instruct his pupils in pulling a man-of-war stroke; and, before they reached the duck, they did tolerably well, for they had learned to row before.

When the steamer reached her destination, she did not go up to a wharf as usual; but the order was given to let go the anchor just outside of the breakwater. The principal, with a smile, said it would be cooler here than at the wharf, while those on board were waiting for him. The boat was dropped into the water again, and the same crew pulled the captain to the shore. While he was attending to the business of the bank, of which he was a director, Bates gave his pupils a lesson in managing the boat, and handling the oars. In an hour the principal was ready to go on board, and the steamer returned to Genverres.