Frank on a Gun-Boat Read online

  CHAPTER III.

  Squaring the Yards.

  By degrees the boys became accustomed to their new situation, and began tofeel much more contented. The only thing that troubled them was the foodthey received. It consisted, for the most part, of salt pork and beef, andhard crackers, with now and then a little flour and dried apples. Simpson,who had been in the navy nearly all his life, and had become wellacquainted with its rules and regulations, asserted that they did notreceive half their allowance, and promised that, if he could detect thepaymaster's steward in the act of cheating them, he would pay him back inhis own coin. Now Blinks, for that was the steward's name, was a notoriouscheat; he never gave the men their full rations. On the contrary, he oftenboasted that he cleared not less than a hundred pounds of provisions everyday. He was the caterer of the steerage mess, and many a pound of flourand apples, which should have been given to the men, found its way to histable, in the shape of pies and puddings. Blinks always rose early, and assoon as he was dressed, the steerage steward, every morning, brought tohis room a lunch, consisting of coffee and apple-pie. He was very fond ofpies, and had several made every day. Every time the men passed thegalley, they saw long rows of them set out to cool. Many a midnightplundering expedition had been planned against the galley, but withoutsuccess. The door and windows were securely fastened at sundown, and allattempts to effect an entrance were unavailing. It was also useless toattempt to bribe the cook, for Blinks, who was a strict accountant, alwaysknew how many pies were made every day, and if any of them were missing,the cook was sure to suffer. One evening, while Frank and Simpson wereengaged in washing up the supper-dishes, the latter inquired:

  "Would you like one of those pies we saw in the galley to-day?"

  "Yes," answered Frank; "they looked very tempting."

  "Well," said Simpson, lowering his voice to a whisper, "we'll have some ofthem to-night."

  "How will we get them?" inquired Frank.

  "Why, we'll steal them. We can't beg or buy them. Besides, the stuff theyare made of rightfully belongs to us. I don't care a snap for the pies, butI don't want to see that rascally steward growing fat off our grub."

  "I'm in for it," answered Frank, who had long wanted an opportunity torevenge himself on Blinks.

  "Will that cousin of yours lend us a hand?" inquired Simpson.

  "Yes, without any coaxing. He does not like the steward any better than Ido. But I'd like to know how we are going to work to get at the pies? Thedoors and windows are all fastened."

  "We will pry up the galley, so that one of us can crawl under it. I'veput a handspike where I can find it in a moment. We shall have no troubleat all."

  As soon as the dishes were washed and stowed away in the mess-chest, Frankwent to find his cousin, who was always ready for any mischief of thatkind, and readily agreed to the proposal. When bedtime came, the threeslung their hammocks together, and, to all appearances, were soon fastasleep. At nine o'clock the ship's corporal put out all the berth-decklights, which left the place shrouded in darkness. As soon as he had goneforward again, Simpson raised himself on his elbow, and whispered:

  "Turn out, lads. Now's our time."

  The boys crept noiselessly out of their hammocks, and followed the sailor,who led the way directly to the galley, which was, in fact, a small house,about ten feet square, built on the deck, to which it was insecurelyfastened. Simpson found his handspike without any difficulty, and placingone end of it under the galley, easily raised it from the deck, whileArchie threw himself on his hands and knees, and crawled in under it. Itwas as dark as pitch inside the galley, but he knew exactly where the pieswere kept, and had no difficulty in finding them. He handed three of themto his cousin, and then crawled out again, and the galley was lowered toits place. After stowing the pies safely away in their mess-chest, theyagain sought their hammocks. The next morning, when the steward enteredthe galley to prepare the usual lunch for Blinks, he was surprised, and agood deal terrified, to find that some of the pies were missing. Heimmediately went on deck, and reported it to Blinks, who furiously asked:

  "Where have they gone to, you rascal?"

  "I don't know, sir, I'm sure," answered the steward, while visions ofdouble-irons danced before his eyes. "There were eight pies in the galleywhen I locked it up last night."

  "I don't believe it, you scoundrel. You sold the pies, and think that, bytelling me they are missing, you can make me believe that they werestolen."

  "I have never done any thing of the kind since I have been your steward,Mr. Blinks," said the man, with some spirit. "I have always been ascareful of your interests as I would be of my own. Did you ever detect mein a mean or a dishonest act?"

  "No; but I have often caught the cook stealing things. I'll report you tothe executive officer, and have you punished. Go below."

  The man sullenly withdrew, and Blinks hurried to the executive officer'sroom and reported the affair.

  "Are you sure the steward stole the pies, Mr. Blinks?" inquired theofficer; "perhaps some one broke into the galley. It would be well for youto go down and see, before punishing the steward."

  Blinks hurried below, and commenced a thorough examination of the locksand window-fastenings, but all to no purpose; and he was still moresurprised when the steward affirmed that he had found all the doors andwindows closed, just as he had left them. This was also reported to theexecutive officer, who advised Blinks to say nothing about the affair, butto set a watch over the galley, and, if possible, discover the offender.

  Blinks resolved to act upon this suggestion; and, the following evening,he posted a sentry over lite galley, with instructions to arrest any onewho might be discovered prowling around. After fastening the doors andwindows himself, he put the keys in his pocket and walked away.

  At half-past nine o'clock our young sailors and Simpson were again onhand. After a careful reconnoissance, the sentry was discovered fastasleep at his post. They immediately set to work as before--the galley wasraised up, and three more pies secured. It was all done in a moment, andthe sentinel was not awakened; and as they retreated to their hammocks,they could scarcely refrain from laughing outright, when they thought hownicely the trick was performed.

  The next morning Blinks opened the galley at an early hour, and wassurprised and enraged to find that some of his pies were again missing. Hecarefully examined every nook and corner of the galley, but failed todiscover a place where any one could effect an entrance.

  For four nights more, in succession, Frank and his accomplices visited thegalley, each time taking pies enough to last them a whole day; and Blinks,in the mean time, was making unavailing efforts to discover the offenders.On the fifth night, Archie, who was the one that always went into thegalley, was much longer than usual in finding the pies. At length hewhispered,

  "I say, Simpson!"

  "Ay, ay, my hearty; what is it?"

  "I can't find but one pie."

  "You can't, hey?" said Simpson; "I smell a rat. Bring the pie out here."

  Archie accordingly handed it out, saying, as he did so--

  "I'm hungry as blazes; I believe I'll eat a piece of that pie to-night."

  "Not in a hurry," said Simpson, as they began to crawl back toward theirhammocks; "not in a hurry; I've been in such scrapes as this before, andcan't be fooled easy."

  "What do you mean?" inquired Frank.

  "Why, I mean that this pie was made on purpose for us," said Simpson; "ithas got some kind of medicine in it that will make a fellow sick. If weshould eat it, they would not be long in finding out who stole the pies."

  "I'll tell you what to do with it," said Frank, suddenly; "let's give itto Jenkins, the boatswain's mate; he's a mean fellow, and I shouldn't besorry to see him sick.'

  "That's just what I was going to do with it," said Simpson. "Now, you goback to your hammocks, and I'll carry him the pie."

  "As Simpson had taken particular notice of the place where Jenkins was inthe habit of slinging his hammock, he had no difficulty
whatever infinding it.

  "I say, shipmate," he whispered, shaking the mate by the shoulder.

  "What do you want?" he growled.

  "Wake up," said Simpson; "I've got a nice pie for you; do you want it?"

  "Of course I do," answered the mate, taking it from Simpson's hand. "Butwho are you?" he inquired, for it was so dark that he could not haverecognized the features of his most intimate friend.

  "I'm Jack Smith," answered Simpson; "but I can't stop to talk with you,for some one may discover me;" and before Jenkins could detain him, he hadslipped off quietly in the darkness.

  It was as Simpson had said--the pie had made "on purpose for them." WhenBlinks saw that it was impossible to discover the guilty party, he orderedhis steward to make a nice large pie, into which he put two doses ofjalap. It was his intention to make the offender sick; and he told thedoctor what he had done, and requested him to keep an eye on all who cameto him for medicine.

  The next morning Jenkins was not heard blowing his whistle, but was seenmoving slowly about the ship, with a pale, woe-begone countenance; and assoon as the doctor appeared, he made application to go on the "sick-list."

  "What's the matter with you?" inquired the doctor.

  Jenkins then explained how he had been suddenly taken very ill during thenight, and was afraid he was going to die. The doctor, who knew in amoment that it was the effect of the medicine contained in the pie,exclaimed:

  "Why, you're just the man Mr. Blinks has been wanting to see for the lastweek. Orderly, ask Mr. Blinks if he will have the kindness to come here amoment."

  The orderly disappeared, and Jenkins stood, looking the very picture ofdespair, too sick to know or care what was going on.

  "Mr. Blinks, I've found your man," said the doctor, when the paymaster'ssteward made his appearance.

  "Well, my fine fellow," said Blinks, turning to the mate, and smilinggrimly, "how do you feel by this time? Very pleasant morning, isn't it! Iknew I'd catch you, you scoundrel," he exclaimed, suddenly changing histune; "I'll teach you to steal my pies!"

  "I--I--don't know what you mean, sir!" said the mate, in surprise.

  "Don't talk to me, you villain," said Blinks savagely; "didn't you eat apie last night?"

  "Yes, sir," answered Jenkins, hesitatingly, "but"--

  "I knew you did, you rascal."

  "But the pie was given to me, sir," said the mate.

  "Oh, that story won't do at all. I'll fix you. Go below."

  In a short, time the mate, who was so weak that he was scarcely able tostand alone, was summoned before the captain, who gave him a severereprimand, and disrated him. He came down on deck, looking very forlornindeed; and as he passed by Simpson, who, with Frank and Archie, wasstanding in the starboard gangway, the former exclaimed:

  "That's what I call squaring the yards; I'm even with him now."

  As soon as Jenkins had recovered from the effects of the physic, he beganto make efforts to find Jack Smith. One day he approached Simpson who wasseated on a coil of rope, spinning one of his forecastle yarns to Frankand Archie, and said:

  "Shipmate, do you know any one aboard here named Jack Smith?"

  "No," answered Simpson, with the utmost gravity, "I don't know any one whogoes by that name."

  "Well, there _is_ a chap here by that name," said Jenkins, "and I wishI could find him. He got me into a bad scrape."

  But, it is needless to say, he never found Jack Smith.