CHAPTER XXVIII.

STEALING A MARCH UPON THE LEADER.

Bent Fillwing took the roll of bills from his pocket as he halted on the forecastle. He had possessed himself of the principal secret of Tom Topover, and he felt that he was in condition to dictate to his superior if he was disposed to do so. He realized that Tom was not competent to manage the schooner, and he had his doubts about his own ability.

He opened the roll of bills. The first one he saw was a ten. So was the next one, and it soon appeared that the roll of bills were all of this denomination. There were six of them, and the amount was sixty dollars. It was a large sum of money for a boy to have, and he wondered where Tom had obtained it. But it did not much matter to him, so far as the moral question was concerned. The Topover must have stolen the money, for he had no way to obtain it honestly.

But Tom had not been off the estate except in the boats; and, so far as Bent had seen, there was no money left there so that it could be stolen.

It was possible that he had robbed the room of some teacher or other person. When the loss was discovered, there would be a tremendous tempest at Beech Hill. The absence of the Lily would be discovered about the same time, and the roll would be called. They were sure to be caught. There was no end of circus and theatre in the sum of sixty dollars, to say nothing of what might be bought at the stores, or obtained at the hotels.

But the risk was tremendous. Captain Gildrock would be up by this time. It would be natural enough for him to discover the loss of the Lily, when he took his first look at Beechwater. Taking the boat was one thing, but stealing the sixty dollars was another thing, and the principal might resort to a court to settle the matter. The schooner was within four miles of Beech Hill, and many hours of the night had been wasted.

Bent was full of doubts, and he cast anxious glances up and down the lake to see if the Sylph or the Goldwing was not in pursuit of them. The wind was fresh, but not as strong as it had been on Saturday. He could not expect to escape the steamer, and hardly the Goldwing, with her skilful skipper at the helm. He wished he was out of the scrape, not on moral considerations, but because the risk was so great. Putting the money in his pocket, he went aft, and seated himself in the standing-room.

He looked at Kidd and Pell. They did not appear at all as though they were having a good time. When he thought of the promised fun ahead, the theatre and the circus, he could not help seeing that any enjoyment, if there was any ahead, was to be purchased at the price of submission to Tom Topover. He was carrying it with a lordly sway, and sailed under "sealed orders."

"Do you think there is any fun ahead for us, Kidd?" he asked, after he had thought of the situation for a while.

"I don't see any. I supposed we should be off Plattsburgh, or a good way farther north than we are; and it looks more as though we should be caught than that we should have a time," replied Kidd.

"We have nothing to eat on board," added Pell. "There may be some crackers, or something of that sort; but we shall get no breakfast unless we land at Burlington."

"How do you know Tom will let us land at Burlington?" asked Kidd. "I know he didn't mean to stop there, for we are all too well known in the city."

"If we want to land there, we can do so; for we are half of the party, and we are as good as the other half," replied Bent.

"We haven't any money to get a breakfast, if we should land while Tom is asleep," added Pell. "It will be a starving time, and I am sick of it. I didn't want to come, and I am sorry now that Tom beat me into it."

"I have been sorry I came, ever since I got into the skiff. Tom never used to be so topping, and now he treats us as though we were his slaves."

"Precisely so; and, as you say, I have had about enough of it," said Bent. "I expect to see the Sylph or the Goldwing after us before we can get to Burlington, if we are going there;" and Bent looked up the lake again.

"We can't get any thing to eat short of Burlington, and, after that, nothing till we can get to Plattsburgh," continued Pell. "I know Tom won't let us go ashore at Burlington; so that we are not likely to get any thing to eat till noon, if we are not caught before that time. Tom has the money, and he can starve us if we don't mind him."

Bent Fillwing pulled the roll of bills from his pocket, and held it up before his companions. He explained how he had obtained it; and, for some little time, they wondered where Tom got the money.

"Now, fellows, there are only two things that we can do," said Bent, who had evidently come to a conclusion. "We have money enough to buy a breakfast in Burlington; but we wear a uniform, and everybody will know us as soon as we show our coats and caps. Captain Gildrock has found out before this time that the Lily is gone. It is about six o'clock now, and he can ascertain who have taken her by looking out for the absent students. It would be like him to telegraph to Burlington to have us arrested, or to have the boat captured if we don't go on shore. It will be hot water ahead, whatever we do."

"I am in favor of going back to Beech Hill," said Kidd Digfield. "If I had known the Lily was at anchor, I should have taken one of the boats and gone ashore, or pulled back to the school."

"I was ready to go with him," added Pell Sankland. "We have been well used at the school; and there is ten times as much fun there as there is going off on a time as the slaves of Tom Topover."

"Shall we put about, and go to Beech Hill?" asked Bent.

"I am in favor of it," replied Kidd, and Pell agreed with him.

Kidd was the best sailor of the three; and he was allowed to retain the wheel, and direct the movements of the others. Without any difficulty, he brought the Lily on her course to the southward. The wind was freshening all the time, and the sea was beginning to look very rough in the broad lake ahead of them.

"We shall have a sweet row as soon as Tom Topover wakes up," said Bent, when they had all resumed their places in the standing-room. "But I don't care for that. Don't say a word about the money; and, as soon as we get to Beech Hill, I will hand it over to Captain Gildrock."

"Not a word," replied Kidd. "Tom is sure to pitch into us as soon as he finds that we are headed for Beech Hill."

"He will take the schooner away from us, and head her the other way," added Pell.

"I don't believe he will," replied Bent, shaking his head as though he meant business. "There are three of us; and I will agree to take care of Tom, if you will take care of the others. One of us ought to take the lead; and you may as well do so, Kidd."

"I would rather have you do that; though I will handle the schooner as well as I can, if you will prevent Tom from interfering with me," answered Kidd.

"I will do that," Bent assented; and he did not seem to think he had taken a large contract.

"Tom Topover could lick any fellow in Genverres, and all of us used to be afraid of him," said Pell.

"Since Dory Dornwood knocked him out, and Paul Bristol gave him more than he could stomach, the fellows have not been afraid of him. Ash Burton and Sam Spottwood were ready to stand up before him."

"I am not afraid of him," added Bent, who had been another such fellow as Tom, in the town where he lived.

All these boys had been greatly influenced, and their characters modified, by their residence at Beech Hill. Now that the three on deck had taken the first step towards putting themselves right, they found a certain strength which had not belonged to them before. They had taken their position, and they were ready to carry it out in spite of the blows and the ridicule of Tom. The two original Topovers were beginning to understand why they had yielded to their old leader, but the fear of his sharp sarcasm had been overcome.

The Lily sailed like a bird, having the wind nearly on the beam. It was only four miles to the mouth of the river, with a leading wind all the way up to the moorings. While they were talking, they heard a distant church-clock strike six. They had got under way before five, and now they were close to the mouth of the river.

Tom still slept; for he had been very tired, and he had been up till a very late hour for him. The motion of the schooner was very easy, and Bent had closed the doors of the cabin so that the conversation could not be heard if any one waked below. After the Lily had come about, she had held a straight course to the river. Not a sheet had been disturbed, and not much change would be required until she reached the bend in the outlet of Beechwater. Kidd had advised that no noise should be made, for he wished to postpone as long as possible the row with Tom Topover.

The result of his cautionary measures resulted much better than he could have anticipated. The Lily went into the river, and the increasing breeze went with her. With a south-west wind, there was no difficulty at the bend; though it was necessary to gybe her there. The wind was not strong enough yet to make this a very dangerous manœuvre; and she came about handsomely, and the mainsail was eased off so that it made but little noise.

"Here we are!" exclaimed Bent in a low tone, when the schooner shot into Beechwater. "There will be no row after all; or, if there is, the principal can settle it. I hope we shall be able to get ashore before Tom wakes."

"Then, if you will get the anchor ready, we will ease it into the water, and haul the jib down without noise," added Kidd.

"We have stolen a march upon Tom, and I hope we shall get ashore without waking him," said Pell, as he went forward with Bent.

At the right time Kidd luffed her up, and went forward to assist in the work there. He hauled down the jib while his companions were easing the anchor into the water. In a moment she was fast to the bottom. Tom had not yet put in an appearance, and the rebels had succeeded beyond their expectations.

"Don't go aft again," said Kidd, as he hauled the skiff up to the bow of the schooner. He had preferred to anchor, lest the noise of mooring should disturb the sleepers.

Bent got into the skiff, and was followed by the others. They paddled to the shore, and left the Lily with her fore and main sail set. They landed at the old wharf. As they had supposed, the principal was wide awake, and had discovered the loss of the Lily. He had called the students together, and had only just taken the names of the absent ones. When he saw the Lily come into Beechwater, he walked at once to the old wharf.

"Good-morning, Digfield! Good-morning, Fillwing! You have been taking an early sail," said the principal in his usual tones.

Bent replied to the salutation, and then handed the roll of bills to Captain Gildrock, who received them with astonishment, not to say wonder.