"do you know how to play 'don't know beans'?" asked pelham, as he seated himself by the side of the second lieutenant.
"yes; i know how to play it, but it's a stupid game. shuffles told me how."
"did he, indeed?"
"there was some fun in it the first time i tried it; but the second time was enough to satisfy me. i don't think there is any sense in it."
"of course there isn't, kendall," laughed pelham. "it was no game at all."
"what are you laughing at?"
"you were sold on that game," added the conspirator indulging in more laughter than the occasion seemed to require.
"how was i sold? i don't see anything so very funny about it."
"i do."
"tell me about it; if there is any joke i think i shall enjoy it. you say i was sold."
"you were; and so was i."
"well, what was it?" asked paul, impatiently. {300}
"when you gave those fellows the beans that day, you were voting!"
"voting! voting for what, or whom?" exclaimed the second lieutenant.
"for shuffles."
"did my vote count?"
"to be sure it did; and he was elected to a certain position by your vote and those of seven or eight others who did not understand the trick," replied pelham laughing all the time.
"what was the position? i don't understand what you are talking about, and therefore i can't appreciate the joke."
"i'll tell you, kendall; but you must keep still about it for the present."
"it looks to me, on the face of it, like a dishonest trick. it seems that shuffles lied to us when he made us believe that we were playing a game. i like a joke well enough, but i don't believe in a fellow's lying for the sake of any fun."
"you are right, kendall. it was not only a dishonest trick, but it was a mean one."
"what was the position?" repeated paul.
"some of the fellows are going to make mr. lowington a present of a silver pitcher as soon as we get to some port where we can obtain one."
"why didn't you tell of it?" demanded paul. "i should like to join in the presentation, for i don't think there is a fellow on board who likes mr. lowington better than i do."
"yes; but, you see, there's something peculiar about this thing. the contribution is to be confined {301} to those fellows who have been disciplined in one way or another. a good many of us, you know, were mad when mr. lowington took our money away; we are satisfied now that he was right. we made him feel rather uncomfortable by our looks and actions, and some of us were positively impudent to him. we purpose to show that our feelings are all right."
"precisely so!" replied paul, with enthusiasm. "that's splendid! mr. lowington will appreciate the gift when he sees the names of the subscribers."
"certainly he will."
"but you have no money," laughed the second lieutenant.
"we have put our names down for ten shillings apiece—about thirty of us. when we get into port, we shall tell mr. lowington that we wish to present a silver pitcher to a gentleman on board, in token of our appreciation of his kindness, &c., and ask him for half a sovereign each from our funds."
"he will wish to know who the gentleman is."
"we can ask to be excused from telling him."
"i can manage that part of the business for you. each of the fellows shall give me an order on the principal for ten shillings, to be paid to dr. winstock, who will buy the pitcher for you, if you like. he is acquainted in cork. i will give all the orders to the doctor, and he will get the present without saying a word to mr. lowington until after the presentation. then he will have no chance to object, on the suspicion that the gift is intended for him—don't you see?"
paul kendall entered into the project with a degree {302} of enthusiasm which was rather embarrassing to the conspirator.
"the fellows have been very secret about the thing," added pelham.
"they must have been, or i should have heard something about it," replied paul, innocently.
"no one but ourselves has known a thing about it till now. they have formed a kind of secret society, and know each other by certain signs."
"but what was the voting for?"
"for orator of the day."
"for the fellow who is to present the pitcher and make the speech?" added paul.
"yes."
"and shuffles was chosen?"
"yes, by a trick."
"you mean that no one but subscribers ought to have voted?"
"precisely so."
"it was a mean trick."
"it was a sort of practical joke upon me, i suppose"
"i don't believe in practical jokes which need a lie to carry them through."
"well, shuffles has the position, unless some of you fellows will help me out. i wanted to make the speech, and without the nine votes which you and other outsiders put in, i should have been chosen."
"what can we do?"
"i have a right to consider all the fellows that voted as members of the society. the fact of their voting makes them members." {303}
"i don't know anything about that."
"it's clear enough to me, and in a talk i had with shuffles just now, he didn't pretend to deny the correctness of my position."
"if he agrees, it must be all right," laughed paul.
"if you had understood the matter, for whom should you have voted?"
"i don't know? but after the trick shuffles played off upon you, i should not vote for him."
"very well; then you can change your vote."
"how shall i change it?"
"go to shuffles; and the other eight fellows who voted in the dark must do the same."
"what shall i say to him?"
"you must go to him as a member of the society, and salute him as such."
"i don't know how."
"i'll tell you. when you meet him, scratch the tip end of your nose with the nail of your second finger on the right hand; in this manner," continued pelham giving the first sign.
"that's it—is it?" said paul, as he imitated the action of pelham.
"yes; that's right he will reply by taking the lower part of his left ear between the thumb and first finger of the left hand—so," added pelham.
"i have it," answered paul, as he made the motions.
"then you will scratch your chin with the thumb nail of the left hand, and he will reply by blowing his nose."
"let's see if i can do all that," laughed paul, very {304} much amused at the mystic indications of membership in the secret association.
he made the signs to pelham, who replied to them, several times, until he was perfect in his part.
"all right. i will remember them," said paul.
"but you haven't got the whole of it yet. when you have made the signs, and he has answered them, he will say, 'is that so?' with strong emphasis on the first word."
"is that so?" repeated paul.
"then you will reply, 'that is so,' with the stress on that."
"that is so," added paul.
"then you must place yourself so as to look directly forward or aft. if you look forward, he must look aft."
"i understand you."
"now i want to know who the other fellows were that played 'don't know beans' that day."
"captain gordon was one."
"will you post him up in what i have told you?"
"i will, and the other fellows who voted for shuffles, if you say so."
"thank you. i wish you would. let them all tell him they desire to change their votes; but have them do it one at a time."
paul kendall promised to do what was required of him; and in the course of the following forenoon he initiated "the outsiders who had voted for shuffles" in the secret machinery of the supposed society, but in fact of the chain league. being off duty during {305} the second part of the afternoon watch, he encountered shuffles in the lee side of the waist.
"well, shuffles, we are almost up with the coast of ireland," said paul, as he scratched the tip of his nose with the second finger of his right hand, agreeably to the instructions given him by pelham.
"yes; and i suppose by saturday, if the wind holds fair, we shall be off cape clear," replied the captain-elect, as he took the lower part of his left ear between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.
shuffles did not suppose that the second lieutenant was a member of the league, and pledged to assist in the capture of the ship; but as he had made the sign, probably accidentally, he replied to it.
"there is a prospect of fair weather for some days to come," continued paul, as he scratched his chin with his left hand, which was the second step towards a recognition in the "chain."
shuffles was duly and properly astonished at this exhibition of intelligence on the part of the officer; and it was now quite certain that paul had joined the league, or that he had obtained its tremendous secrets.
"i hope it will be good weather now during the rest of the passage," added the captain-elect, as he took his handkerchief from his breast pocket and blew his nose, for he was determined to satisfy himself whether or not the second lieutenant was a member of the league.
"is that so?" demanded shuffles.
"that is so," answered paul.
shuffles was almost overwhelmed with astonish {306}ment to find that one who was a model of fidelity and propriety had actually joined the chain.
"shuffles, i voted for you the other day," added paul.
"i know you did."
"i wish to change my vote."
"change it!" exclaimed shuffles.
"yes? i voted in the dark. i wish now to vote for the other candidate."
"for whom?"
"for pelham, of course."
"you are too late."
"i think, under the circumstances, that my vote ought to be counted on the other side, even if it reverses the result," said paul, earnestly.
"why do you wish to vote for pelham?" demanded shuffles, rather because he had nothing else to say than because he was interested in the anticipated reply.
"i don't think it was quite fair for you to obtain my vote as you did."
"no matter for that. do you think pelham would make a better captain than i should?"
"a better what?"
"do you think he will command the ship any better than i shall."
"command the ship!" repeated paul, bewildered by this extraordinary question. "i wasn't aware that either of you were to command the ship."
shuffles, in his turn, was confounded when he found that the second lieutenant was a member of the "chain" without any knowledge of its objects. {307} though he had used all the precautions required by the league, a hint had unwittingly been given to paul, whose simple integrity rendered him the most dangerous person on board to the interests of such an institution as the chain.
"mr. kendall, may i ask what you now suppose you were voting for?" asked shuffles, with easy assurance.
"for the orator of the day, of course," replied paul, who was too free from wiles or arts to make any use of the advantage gained.
indeed, he was so true himself that he was not suspicious of others; and he did not even perceive that he had obtained an advantage.
"exactly so," added shuffles; "for orator of the day? but we don't speak the idea out loud, or call it by its proper name."
"what did you mean by commanding the ship, shuffles?" laughed kendall.
"i meant orator of the day. we keep this thing to ourselves," added shuffles, who had no idea what was meant by his companion.
"of course; i understand all about that," said paul, knowingly. "i don't think i had any right to vote; and in my opinion the trick you played on pelham was decidedly wrong."
"it was merely a joke," answered shuffles.
"but do you intend to use the advantage you gained by this trick?"
"certainly not."
"i'm very glad of that." {308}
"it was only for the fun of the thing," added shuffles at a venture.
"it may have been funny; but i don't think it was honest."
"i didn't intend to make any use of it," continued shuffles. "what did mr. pelham say to you, mr. kendall?"
"he told me all about it," replied paul.
"did he, indeed?"
"he said that you, by causing me to vote, had made me a member."
"just so."
shuffles did not dare to say much, though it was evident, from the words and the manner of the second lieutenant, that pelham had not yet betrayed the real object of the chain. if he had, the captain elect was satisfied he would have been in irons, confined in the brig, before that time.
"i told mr. pelham i fully approved the purpose, and would help him out with it."
"what purpose?" asked shuffles, anxious to know what paul meant.
"why, don't you know?"
"of course i do; but i wish to know precisely what mr. pelham told you."
"he will tell you himself," laughed paul, as he walked aft, in order to afford the other "outsiders" who had voted an opportunity to communicate with shuffles, for he perceived that they were waiting their turns.
as the second lieutenant went aft, the captain went forward on the lee side of the deck. {309}
"shuffles!" called captain gordon, as the chief conspirator was going forward.
the captain elect turned and walked towards the commander, and touched his cap with becoming respect.
"what do you think of the weather?" demanded captain gordon, scratching the tip of his nose.
paul had instructed the "outsiders" to talk about the weather while they went through with the mystic routine of the signs.
"i think we shall have good weather," replied shuffles, who, though he was confounded and amazed to be saluted from this quarter with the language of the "chain," dared not refuse to give the signs, after he had done so with the second lieutenant.
"i wish to change my vote? for i don't think it was fairly given before," said the captain, when he had gone through all the forms of the recognition.
"certainly, captain gordon, if you desire to do so."
fortunately for shuffles, the captain did not prolong the conversation; for others were waiting an opportunity to make themselves known to the conspirator. one after another, they saluted shuffles in the waist, inquiring about the weather, and making the requisite signs. the captain elect was filled with indignation and rage against pelham, who had played off this trick upon him; but he was compelled to meet all who came, and go through the signs with them, while the "outsiders," scattered about the deck, stood watching the motions with intense delight. he would fain have fled, but he could not leave the deck; and he was afraid that any impatience, or a refusal to {310} answer the signs, would involve him in a worse difficulty.
at last the nine illegal voters had "made themselves known," and having requested that their votes might be changed, shuffles was released from torture. he was both alarmed and indignant. he had not been able to ascertain what was meant by "the orator of the day;" and he began to fear that pelham had exposed the whole, or a part, of the real purposes of the league. he was enraged that he had revealed anything. even the captain and the second lieutenant had made all the signs, and they could not have done so without the assistance of a traitor.
"it's all up with us, wilton," said shuffles, as they met near the foremast.
"what is?"
"pelham has blowed the whole thing."
"no!" exclaimed wilton, almost paralyzed by the information.
"he has. the captain and several of the officers made all the signs to me just now. we shall spend our time in the brig for the next month."
"did pelham do it?"
"yes."
"that was mean," added wilton, his face pale with terror.
"he will fall overboard accidentally some day," added shuffles, shaking his head.
"don't do that, shuffles," protested the frightened confederate.
"i will, if i get a chance." {311}
"you will only make the matter ten times worse than it is."
monroe joined them, and was informed of the desperate situation of the league.
"it's all your fault, shuffles," said monroe, indignantly "i don't blame pelham."
"you don't! he has told a dozen outsiders how to make the signs, and let them into the secrets of the chain, for all i know."
"if he has, we may thank you for it, shuffles. you cheated him, and played a mean trick upon him," replied monroe. "i wouldn't have stood it if i had been he."
"pelham is a traitor, and you are another."
"no matter what he is, or what i am. you got all those fellows to vote for you, and cheated him out of the place that belonged to him."
"did you think i was going to have him captain, after i had got up the chain, and done all the work?"
"you agreed to leave it out to the fellows who should be captain. they voted, and you cheated," added monroe. "i've had enough of the chain; and if any fellow makes the signs again, i shall not notice them."
"humph! it's a pretty time to talk so, after the whole thing is let out."
"well, i will face the music, and get out of it the best way i can. i was a fool to join the chain."
"so was i," said wilton.
there was no difficulty in arriving at such a conclusion after the affair had been exposed; and the sentiments of wilton and monroe were, or would {312} soon be, the sentiments of all the members of the league. shuffles realized the truth of the old adage, that rats desert a sinking ship, and he began to feel lonely in his guilt and his fear of exposure. but he could not forgive pelham for his perfidy, forgetting that each had been treacherous to the other.
in the first dog watch on that day, while shuffles' heart was still rankling with hatred towards the alleged traitor, the rivals met in the waist, which was common ground to officers off duty and seamen.
"i want to see you, pelham," said shuffles, in a low tone.
"well, you do see me—don't you?" laughed pelham who, feeling that he was now even with his rival, was in excellent humor.
"things are going wrong with us."
"o, no; i think not."
"will you meet me on the top-gallant forecastle, where we shall not be disturbed?" asked shuffles.
"that is not exactly the place for an officer."
"you are off duty, and you can go where you please."
"what do you want of me?"
"i want to have an understanding."
"i suppose you think we have too many members—don't you?" asked pelham, lightly.
"the more the better."
"i'll meet you there."
shuffles went to the place designated at once, where he was soon followed by the fourth lieutenant.
"well, shuffles, what is it?" demanded pelham, as, with one hand on the sheet of the fore-topmast {313} staysail, he looked over the bow at the bone in the teeth of the ship.
"what is it? don't you know what it is?" replied shuffles, angrily.
"upon my life, i don't know."
"you have been a traitor," exclaimed shuffles, with savage earnestness.
"o! have i?"
"you know you have."
"perhaps you would be willing to tell me wherein i have been a traitor," added pelham, laughing; for he was enjoying the scene he had witnessed in the waist, when, one after another, the "outsiders" had made the signs to his rival.
"you have betrayed the secrets of the chain."
"have i?"
"didn't you give the signs to paul kendall, the captain, and half a dozen others?"
"but, my dear fellow, they are members," replied pelham, chuckling.
"they are not? and you know they are not."
"but, shuffles, just consider that all of them voted for you."
"i don't care for that."
"i do. you recognized them as members first, and i couldn't do less than you did."
"you are a traitor!" said shuffles, red in the face with passion; and the word hissed through his closed teeth.
"well, just as you like: we won't quarrel about the meaning of words," replied pelham, gayly; for he enjoyed the discomfiture of his rival, and felt that {314} shuffles deserved all he got, for the foul play of which he had been guilty on the ballot.
"you pledged yourself to be honest, and stand by the vote, fair or foul."
"very true, my dear fellow? and i do so. give me your orders, and i will obey them."
"but you have exposed the whole thing," retorted shuffles. "what can we do now, when kendall and the captain know all about it?"
"they don't know any more than the law allows. besides, they are members. didn't they vote for you? didn't they know beans?" continued pelham, in the most tantalizing of tones.
"do you mean to insult me?" demanded shuffles, unable to control his rage.
"not i. i respect you too much. you are the captain—that is to be—of the ship," laughed pelham. "the captain, the second lieutenant, and all the flunkies, voted for you? and, of course, i couldn't be so deficient in politeness as to insult one who——"
at that moment pelham removed his hand from the sheet, and shuffles, irritated beyond control at the badinage of his companion, gave him a sudden push, and the fourth lieutenant went down into the surges, under the bow of the ship.
as pelham disappeared beneath the waves, shuffles was appalled at his own act; for even he had not sunk so low as to contemplate murder. the deed was not premeditated. it was done on the spur of angry excitement, which dethroned his reason. the chief conspirator had so often and so lightly used the language of the league, about "falling overboard acci {315}dentally," that he had become familiar with the idea; and, perhaps, the deed seemed less terrible to him than it really was. when the act was done, on the impulse of the moment, he realized his own situation, and that of his victim. he would have given anything at that instant, as he looked down upon the dark waves, to have recalled the deed; but it was too late. self-reproach and terror overwhelmed him.
"man overboard!" he shouted with desperation, as he threw off his pea-jacket, and dived, head foremost, from the forecastle into the sea.
his first impulse had been to do a foul deed; his next, to undo it. shuffles was a powerful swimmer. the ocean was his element. he struck the water hardly an instant after pelham; and the ship, which was under all sail, making nine knots, hurried on her course, leaving the rivals to buffet the waves unaided.
"man overboard!" cried officers and seamen, on all parts of the ship's deck.
"hard down the helm, quartermaster! let go the life-buoys!" shouted kendall, who was the officer of the deck.
"hard down, sir. buoy overboard," replied bennington the quartermaster at the helm.
"clear away the third cutter!" added kendall.
the orders were rapidly given for backing the main-topsail, while the courses were clewed up; but the ship went on a considerable distance before her headway could be arrested.
when pelham went down into the water, he had been injured by the fall; and though he struck out to save himself, it was not with his usual skill and vigor; {316} for, like his companion in the water, he was a good swimmer. shuffles had struck the waves in proper attitude, and was in condition to exert all his powers when he came to the surface. he swam towards pelham, intent upon rendering him the assistance he might require.
"do you mean to drown me?" gasped pelham, who supposed his rival had followed him overboard for the purpose of completing his work.
"i mean to save you, pelham," replied shuffles. "can you swim?"
"i'm hurt."
"give me your hand, and i will support you."
shuffles took the offered hand of pelham, who was able to swim a little, and supported him till they could reach the life-buoy, which had been dropped from the stern of the ship when the alarming cry was given.
"where are you hurt?" asked shuffles, as soon as they had grasped the buoy.
"my stomach struck the water," replied pelham, faintly.
the third cutter had been lowered into the water as soon as the ship's headway was stopped, and was now within a few yards of the buoy.
"will you forgive me, pelham? i was beside myself," said shuffles, when his companion had recovered breath after his exertions.
"you have saved me, shuffles. i should have gone down without you."
"will you forgive me?" pleaded the penitent. "i did not mean to injure you." {317}
"never mind it; we won't say a word about it," answered pelham, as the boat came up.
they were assisted into the cutter, and the oarsmen pulled back to the ship. when the party reached the deck, a cheer burst from a portion of the crew; but wilton, monroe, and a few others, believing that pelham had "fallen overboard accidentally," were appalled at the probable consequences of the event.
pelham was assisted to the after cabin, where dr. winstock immediately attended him. he was not seriously injured; and the next day he was able to be on deck, and do duty.
"how was that?" asked wilton, when shuffles had changed his clothes, and warmed himself at the stove, as they met in the waist.
shuffles looked sad and solemn. he made no reply.
"did he fall overboard accidentally?" demanded wilton.
"don't ask me."
"you jumped in after him, and saved him, they say," added wilton; "so, i suppose, it was really an accident."
shuffles still made no reply.
