ll it in few words," replied Sam: "If the fellers promise to go
with us, we must find a vessel somewhere. We want a good one, fur
there's no knowin' how many storms we may get into before we reach our
island. I'd like to have that yacht, 'cause she's a good sea-boat, an'
sails like lightnin'; but them 'cademy swells will always be on the
watch now, an' when you see Governor Barton within reach of them
bayonets ag'in, you'll see a weasel asleep. Our best plan would be to
take the Sweepstakes. 'Squire Thompson leaves her in the harbor, with no
one to watch her, an' it'll be the easiest thing in the world to board
her, some dark night, an' make off with her. That part of the business
don't trouble me none, but the grub does. I s'pose the few crackers we
had on hand when we made the attack on the yacht are lost, or eat up;
an' Atkins said there was not much more'n twenty dollars in the
treasury. That wouldn't be enough to buy grub fur us six fellers, even
if we had it; but I know it's been fooled away fur peanuts an' candy
long before this time. Of course, we can't go to sea without something
to eat, an' the only way we can get it is to hook it."

"Steal it!" drawled Tom. "O, now, if that's the way you are going to get
your supplies, you needn't ask me to help, for I won't do it."

"Mebbe you'll be willin' enough to eat the grub when we get it,"
returned Sam.

"That's a different matter. Of course, I'll not starve if there's is any
thing on board the vessel to eat, but I won't steal. Where are you going
to get your provisions?"

"At Mr. Henry's store."

"O, now, suppose you should be caught? That would kill the expedition at
once. Johnny Harding sleeps in the store every night."

"Does he?" exclaimed the governor. "That's something I didn't calculate
on; but I guess we aint much afraid of him. If we can only get inside
the store without awaking him, we can manage him easy enough. I'll have
a club, or something, an' the sight of it will keep him quiet while the
other fellers are securin' the provisions."

Tom was amazed at the coolness with which the governor discussed this
villainous plan for supplying the commissary of the Crusoe band. He was
hardly prepared for so desperate an undertaking, and yet, at the same
time, he had determined upon the perpetration of an offense which was
even more atrocious in the eyes of the law than the one Sam had
proposed. When it first entered his mind, he had been terrified at the
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