The movements of the students had been so sudden and so well arranged, that if any one saw them, there was not time to interfere1 before the boats were off. When the scow was fairly in motion, I saw Mr. Gaule, one of the teachers, and the two laborers2 on the estate, rushing down to the pier3, apparently4 intent upon doing something.[145]
"Come back, boys!" shouted Mr. Gaule.
No one made any reply, or took any notice of him.
"Come back, I say!" he cried again, but with no better result than before.
I was very glad that none of the boys made any insulting replies. They were as silent and dignified5 as so many judges. We all knew very well that Mr. Gaule had not force enough to attempt anything, and we did not expect to be molested6 until the return of Mr. Parasyte.
In something less than the two hours I had allowed for the passage, the procession of boats reached Cleaver7 Island. I was perfectly8 familiar with every foot of the shore, and I decided9 that the landing should be effected on the western side, at a point of land which extended out a short distance into the lake. The rowers landed and carried the painter of the scow on shore, by which they pulled the clumsy craft up to the bank.
The tents, cooking utensils10, and other camp furniture, were landed and conveyed to the high ground in the southerly portion of the island. As soon as[146] this work was done, Henry Vallington intimated that he wished all the boys to assemble near the point, for a "powwow," to consult upon the state of affairs. The word was passed from mouth to mouth, till all the rebels had gathered at the appointed place.
"Now, fellows, we want to make arrangements for doing this business in good order. When Mr. Parasyte gets back to the Institute, and finds that we are gone, he will not be likely to take it as quietly as he has all day. Our breaking away has really broken up the Parkville Liberal Institute, and I shouldn't be surprised if its principal took some decided steps. I haven't any idea what he will do, but in my opinion he will do something."
"What can he do?" asked Tom Rush.
"He can do a great many things, and especially a great many foolish things. I suppose, when we come down to the niceties of the matter, we hadn't any right to take the boats or the tents. In fact, Mr. Parasyte stands in loco parentis to us."
"In what?" asked one of the boys who did not study Latin.
"In the place of our parents; and therefore has[147] authority to do anything which parents might do. I can't help saying that I have no respect for Mr. Parasyte; that I despise him from the bottom of my heart. He knows, just as well as we do, that Bill Poodles made the trouble yesterday, and he persists in punishing Thornton for it. For such a man I can have no respect."
"So say we all!" shouted the boys.
"There is no safety for any of us, if we permit such injustice11. He may take a miff at any of us any time. I hope that something good will come out of this scrape; and I think that something will."
I learned then, for the first time, that Vallington had drawn12 up a paper, setting forth13 the grievances14 of the students, in which several instances of Mr. Parasyte's injustice and partiality were related, and concluding with a full history of the affair between Poodles and myself. This paper had been signed by eighty-one of the students, and the publisher of the Parkville Standard had engaged to print it on a letter sheet, to be sent to the parents of the rebel scholars.
"Mr. Hardy15 has been discharged. He was the[148] best man in the Institute—just and fair. I don't know anything about it; but I am satisfied that he was sent away because he condemned16 Mr. Parasyte's treatment of Thornton."
"That was the reason," added Bob Hale. "Mr. Hardy saw Ernest last night, after the row in the office."
"I think we have the right of the case," continued Vallington, "though I suppose we are wrong in breaking away; but, for one, I won't see a fellow like Ernest Thornton browbeaten17, and flogged, and ground down. If Mr. Parasyte wants to grind down one, he must grind down the whole."
"I am very much obliged to you," I interposed; "but I want you to understand that I don't ask any one to get himself into a scrape for me."
"When we protect you, Thornton, we protect ourselves. Your cause is our own. We won't say anything more about that matter. We are here now in a state of rebellion, and we must make the best of our situation. When Mr. Parasyte will give us fair play, we will return to the Institute."
"We will," replied some of the boys; but I am[149] free to say that they hoped he would not give them fair play until they had spent a week or more in camp.
"Now, fellows, we will see how we stand, and make arrangements for the future. We have boats and tents, and these are about all we have. We have provisions enough for supper and breakfast. We must get a supply of eatables to-night or in the morning. It will require money, but I suppose all of you have some; at any rate, I told you to bring your money with you, if you had any."
Most of the boys had some funds, which had been saved from their pocket money for a Fourth of July Celebration, planned months before.
"We need some officers, and as I don't believe in one-man power, I shall ask you to elect them. Please to nominate a treasurer18."
"George Weston!" shouted one of the students.
"George Weston is nominated. All in favor of his election will manifest it by raising the right hand."
It was a unanimous vote, and the nominee19 was declared elected.[150]
"Now we want to raise the money, we need to buy provisions, fairly. If any one will make a motion, it will be in order," added the chairman.
The Parkville Debating Society, an association connected with the Institute, had fully20 educated the students in parliamentary forms, and they were entirely21 "at home" in the business before them.
"I move you, Mr. Chairman, that each fellow be assessed fifty cents for expenses," said one of the students.
The motion was put and carried; and after Fred Mason had been elected clerk, the treasurer was instructed to collect the assessments22 forthwith. The next business was the selection of a commissary, and Tom Rush was chosen to this important office.
"Mr. Chairman, I nominate Ernest Thornton for commodore of our squadron," said Bob Hale; and, though the nomination23 created some merriment, on account of the high-sounding title of the officer, the vote was unanimous.
"I accept, Mr. Chairman; but I should prefer to be called simply the boatman," I replied.
"That won't do!" exclaimed Bob. "Ernest is to[151] have charge of all the boats, including the scow, and I am in favor of calling him commodore."
"We won't dispute about titles," laughed Vallington; "but the boats are all under Thornton's charge. I advise the commissary to consult with the commodore, immediately, in regard to procuring24 a supply of provisions for the company."
The rest of the business was soon completed. As an indication of the spirit of the boys, it was voted that the place should be called "Camp Fair Play." Vallington announced that six boys should be chosen each day to do the cooking and serve out the provision; that a watch should be kept around the camp night and day, to prevent a surprise from Mr. Parasyte and his forces; and that all work should be fairly divided among the students, with the exception of those who had been elected to offices. The boys then separated; and those who had been detailed25 to pitch the tents commenced their work.
"Commodore," said Tom Rush, laughing at the title.
"Mr. Commissary," I replied.
"Good! We are even, except that you are a bigger officer than I am."[152]
"What can I do for you?"
"About the provisions—how shall we get them?"
"In the boats, of course," I replied.
"Do you think it will be quite safe for us to go back to Parkville?"
"We won't go there. It is only about six miles to Cannondale, on the other side of the lake. I think we had better go to-night, for we don't know what will happen to-morrow."
"That's a capital idea! I was thinking how awkward it would be to answer the questions that would be asked of us in Parkville. To-night it is. How many of us shall go?"
"Only you and I. The Splash will carry a good load. What are you going to buy?"
"We must live cheap," replied the commissary.
"I think we will bring off hams, potatoes, and bread or crackers26."
"Those will be good feed. I advise you to make out a list of what you will want."
"I will do so."
"But we need not buy everything we want. The lake is full of fish, and I know just where to catch them."[153]
"That's first rate," added Tom, with enthusiasm. "But it will take a heap of fish to feed all the fellows."
"I have caught a boat-load of lake bass27 and salmon28 trout29 in a day. I will agree to catch fish enough to feed the crowd for a week. But the fellows will want something besides fish to eat. Potatoes are cheap, and so are pork and bacon."
"When shall we start?"
"The sooner we go the better. We have no time to spare. There is a good wind now, and we may not have it much longer. I will land you at Cannondale in an hour; and if the breeze holds, we shall return by nine o'clock."
Tom Rush went to the treasurer to procure30 the funds he had collected, and hastened down to the Splash; but before the commissary joined me, a messenger came from Vallington to inform me that the lookouts31 on the bluff32 at the southerly end of the island had discovered a boat pulling towards the camp. I had a small spy-glass in one of the lockers33 of the Splash, with which I repaired to the bluff, to ascertain34 who the intended visitors could be.[154]
"I suppose that boat bodes35 trouble to the camp," said the leader.
"I think it does, for it contains Mr. Parasyte and Deputy Sheriff Greene," I replied, after examining the boat through the glass.
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1
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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3
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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4
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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7
cleaver
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| n.切肉刀 | |
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8
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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10
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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11
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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12
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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14
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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15
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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16
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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17
browbeaten
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| v.（以言辞或表情）威逼，恫吓( browbeat的过去分词 ) | |
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18
treasurer
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| n.司库，财务主管 | |
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nominee
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| n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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assessments
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| n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价 | |
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nomination
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| n.提名，任命，提名权 | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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crackers
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| adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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30
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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31
lookouts
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| n.寻找（ 某人/某物）( lookout的名词复数 )；是某人（自己）的问题；警戒；瞭望台 | |
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32
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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33
lockers
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| n.寄物柜( locker的名词复数 ) | |
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34
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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35
bodes
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| v.预示，预告，预言( bode的第三人称单数 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待 | |
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