f course we will," replied several, very mildly.

"Will you agree, upon your word and honor, to stick as long as any one
does?"

"That depends upon circumstances," interposed Lindsley.

"I suppose it does," sneered Howe. "It isn't fair to leave us to bear
the brunt of the whole."

"All we ever proposed to do was simply to refuse to do duty till we had
explained our position to the principal," added Raymond.

"And kiss the rod, whether you get fair play or not," replied Howe.

"We can't do anything more than that. When the principal understands
that over forty of us are dissatisfied, we have gained our point."

"Have you indeed!" flouted Howe. "Then I fancy you have already gained
it, for he has found out that you are dissatisfied by this time."

"Well, what do you want to do?" demanded Raymond.

"It's no use to mince the matter. We have made a failure of it so far.
The lambs on deck are having a good time, laughing, cheering, and
carrying on--making game of us, no doubt, while we are shut up here as
prisoners," replied Howe, rolling up his sleeves, as though he intended
to do something savage. "We ought to make ourselves felt, which we
haven't done yet, for the rest of the ship's company seem to regard our
movement as a good joke, and to think we are having the worst of it.
Well, I think we are; and we must make ourselves felt."

"Do you call it making yourselves felt when you are pounded on the head
with belaying pins, as you were in the Josephine?" inquired Lindsley,
dryly.

"We raised a breeze there, and we are bound to do it here."

"A breeze that first knocks you down yourself. I would rather have the
wind blow another way," added Raymond.

"I don't mean to get up a fight, or anything of that sort."

"Well, what do you mean?" asked Raymond, impatiently.

"We have plans of our own; but we are not going to disclose them till
we have some assurance that the other fellows will stand by us,"
answered the cautious leader of the intense party. "We are going to
make ourselves felt."

"We are not going to agree to anything without knowing what it is,"
said Lindsley.

"And we are not going to let on to fellows that may go to the
principal, and blow the whole thing. I will say this: If your fellows
will pledge themselves, word and honor, to stand by us to the end, I
will agree that the ship shall return to Havre, or some other port in
France, within twenty-four hours, and that the tables shall be turned
i