CHAPTER X.

KEEPING THE PEACE.

“Hadn’t we better let our boys out before we go ahead?” asked Captain Underwood, in a low tone, as the engineer disappeared with his prisoner.

“There will be a fight if we do,” I replied. “We can land the Wimps in ten or fifteen minutes.”

“What will Tommy say?” added Captain Underwood.

“No matter what he says. It is better to keep the peace than to let them out.”

Doubtless he fully agreed with me; but he dreaded the wrath of his employer’s son even more than the violence of the Wimpletonians. He went up to the wheel-house, and rang the bell to go ahead. The discomfited enemy on the hurricane deck were discussing the exciting topic very earnestly. It was humiliating for all of them to lay down their arms, practically, on account of the capture of their leader. Ben Pinkerton was in favor of fighting it out, and rescuing Waddie from the gripe of his persecutor by force and arms; but timid counsels finally prevailed, and the battalion kept quiet.

I had gone up the ladder when the boat started, so that I could see what they were doing, and hear what they were saying; but I kept my line of retreat open, so that I could make for the forward deck if a storm appeared. It was only a short run to North Point, and we soon made the landing at a rude pier, erected for passengers going to an interior town. As soon as the steamer was made fast, Forbush appeared on the forward deck, dragging Waddie by the collar, and carrying the sword in his hand. Taking position in the bow of the boat, where he could not be assaulted in the rear, the engineer planted his prisoner in front of him, while the deck hands, reënforced by the fireman and myself, formed a line between him and the gangway.

“Now, Feathers, if your men are good soldiers they will obey you,” Forbush began. “Just give them the order to march down in single file, and go ashore!”

Waddie was humiliated by his defeat. He was ashamed to confess, practically, that the battalion had been defeated by his regard for his own safety. But he was still in the power of the fierce engineer, whose bloody hand was upon his throat. He hesitated; but every instant of delay caused Forbush to tighten his hold, and it was painfully apparent to him that he must give the order, or be choked by his unrelenting tyrant.

“Speak, Feathers, speak!” said the engineer. “Give your orders, and speak up like a man, so that they can hear you!”

“Don’t! Don’t! You hurt me!” whined the major.

“That’s nothing to what will come if you don’t do as I tell you.”

“March them down, Dick Bayard,” howled Waddie, as Forbush emphasized his determination by a fierce twist at the neck of his victim.

“In single file,” added the engineer.

“Single file, Dick!” repeated Waddie.

“Single file--forward, march!” said Captain Dick Bayard, who was plainly disgusted with the proceedings.

The column of valiant warriors, grand even in their misfortunes, descended the ladder on the port side, and stepped on shore. They looked as sheepish as the lambs on the neighboring hills; but they were full of bottled-up rage, and as soon as Waddie was out of trouble, it was probable that something would be done.

“Now let me go!” snapped Waddie, when the last of the file had left the boat.

“Not yet, Feathers,” replied Forbush, as he glanced at the two companies on the pier. “Order your troops to march up to the grove on the shore.”

“What for?” groaned Waddie.

“Good soldiers never ask questions,” laughed the engineer, as he twisted the major’s collar again.

Waddie gave the order as he was required, and Dick Bayard, who appeared to be on the watch for a chance to redeem the fortunes of the day, doggedly led the battalion away from the steamer.

“Now it is all right, Feathers,” said Forbush. “Next time, when you want a steamer, you had better apply at the captain’s office.”

“I didn’t want your old steamer,” snarled the gallant major.

“What did you take her for, then?”

“Because you were going to run down our boats. I heard Tommy Toppleton tell the captain to do so.”

“Why didn’t you get out of the way?”

“We never get out of the way for Toppleton humbugs,” sneered Waddie. “You haven’t seen the end of this.”

“We shall probably see the end of it together. Here is your cheese knife, Feathers; but behave yourself, or you haven’t seen the worst of it yet. Mind that, Feathers!”

Waddie took his sword, and looked daggers; but he dared not use any, or even the weapon he held in his hand. Sullenly, he walked across the deck to the pier. He wanted to do something, but he was prudent when his own person was in peril.

“Cast off the fasts, Moses,” said Forbush, as he hastened to the engine-room.

“Come down here!” shouted Major Waddie to his forces in the grove. “Come! Double quick!”

I do not know what the valiant major intended to do next; but probably, if his forces had not been sent to the grove by the forethought of the engineer, he would have ordered an assault upon the Middleport, and endeavored to recapture her. He would have directed his troops to charge upon anything, so long as he could keep behind them, and make good his own escape in case of disaster. He was reckless enough to do anything; but as soon as the fasts were cast off, Captain Underwood rang to back her, and the boat was clear of the pier long before Waddie could bring up his forces.

“We are well out of that,” said the captain, as he rang to go ahead. “Now you can let our boys out of the cabin.”

I was not exactly satisfied with the situation in which I found myself, for though I was very happy in having escaped the wrath of Waddie Wimpleton, I had still to encounter the ire of the other “scion of a noble house.” I had expected to be broiled on a gridiron, or subjected to some fearful punishment, for my sins against the house of Wimpleton; and probably I should have been a sufferer, if Forbush had not taken the matter in hand, and brought it to an issue. Now Tommy would berate me for refusing to obey his order, when the engineer had declined to do so; but I was willing to meet this charge, if I could escape the responsibility of advising the captain to keep “our boys” prisoners after we had subdued the enemy.

I went to the cabin door to discharge my mission. It had been fastened with a piece of wood, placed in the staple over the hasp, for the padlock with which it was usually secured was lost. I threw the door wide open, and announced to the prisoners below that they were free.

“The door is open, Major Toppleton,” called one of the students to his chief.

“Where are the Wimps?” demanded Major Tommy, as he led the way out of the cabin.

“We put them on shore here, at North Point, where they intended to land you,” I replied.

“Why didn’t you obey my order when I told you to take charge of the engine?” continued Tommy, his face beginning to kindle up with anger again.

“I couldn’t take the engine out of Mr. Forbush’s hands,” I replied with becoming meekness.

“Forbush shall be discharged when the boat returns,” said Tommy, shaking his head.

“Perhaps you will change your mind when you learn what he has done,” I suggested. “He recaptured the boat, after he had been driven at the point of the bayonet from the engine-room. He was wounded in the hand, too, in the scrape. I don’t know how we should have got out of it if it hadn’t been for him. He is a plucky fellow, and stood up against the bayonets of the whole crowd of Wimps.”

“What did he do?” asked Tommy, curiously.

“He captured Waddie Wimpleton, took his sword away from him, and made him order his command to the hurricane deck.”

“When was that?”

“Well, a short time ago,” I replied, cautiously.

“Why didn’t you let us out then?” he demanded.

“All the Wimps were here on deck. We let you out just as soon as we got rid of them.”

“What did you let them go for, if you had Waddie?”

“There were two companies of them, and they were armed with bayonets. We were glad enough to get rid of them.”

Tommy thought, if he had been called with his force, he could have taken care of the Wimpletonians; but he behaved better than I expected. I turned his attention back to Forbush, and minutely described to the major and his men the operations of the engineer, and the conduct of Waddie under the torture. Tommy laughed, and the soldiers laughed. It was a good joke, and they were sorry they had not seen the fun.

“I hope you won’t find fault with Mr. Forbush, after the good service he has rendered, and the cut he received in the hand in doing his duty,” I ventured to suggest.

“No! No! No!” murmured the boys.

“I am willing to forgive him,” replied Tommy, magnanimously. “But if he had obeyed my order, there would have been no trouble.”

“What do you think the consequences would have been if he had obeyed your order?” I mildly inquired.

“No matter what they were; both he and you ought to have done as I told you to do.”

“The fellows in the boats would have been smashed up under the wheels of the steamer.”

“No, they wouldn’t. I only meant to duck them a little. I should have stopped the wheels in a minute.”

I was very glad to hear Tommy acknowledge that he did not mean to annihilate the Wimpletonians, for I had a very good opinion of him, on the whole. Though he did not mean seriously to injure the enemy, I have no doubt some of them would have been sacrificed if he could have had his own way. It is a blessed thing that boys can’t always have their own way.

I walked with Tommy to the engine-room, where Forbush was binding up the wound on his hand. The little major kindly inquired about the injury, and thanked the engineer for the service he had rendered; but he could not help adding that it would have been better if the order he gave had been obeyed. He then went up to the wheel-house to see the captain; and as it did not appear that he had done anything worthy of especial commendation, Tommy wanted to know why he had not let him out of the cabin sooner.

“We didn’t think it was best to open the doors till we had landed the Wimpletonians,” replied Captain Underwood, with more candor than prudence.

“You didn’t, eh?” said Tommy, waxing angry.

“Wolf thought you wouldn’t care to see the other boys.”

“Then he advised you not to let us out--did he?”

“He thought it wasn’t best; and I thought so too,” added the captain, willing to share the blame with me.

“What did you mean, Wolf?” demanded the major, turning to me.

“The Wimps had two companies, and you had only one,” I replied; but it was in vain that I tried to smooth the matter over.

He was mad with me, because, in my capacity as a messenger of peace, I had prevented a fight; but I was satisfied. The boat ran up to the landing-place on the Horse Shoe, and the “troops” and their baggage were disembarked.

“Wolf, you may go back to Middleport in the steamer; I don’t want you here,” said Tommy.

But I was the ambassador of peace!