XI

A COURT-MARTIAL

Beechnut established a harbor for his ship under the bridge not far from Mr. Grey's house. The water there was deep and still, and just below the bridge the brook took a turn to the left between banks which were overhung with willows and other trees. The spot was thus cool, shady, and secluded.

Beechnut said he was going to appoint four lieutenants for his ship, to take the command when he was absent. They were to be called the first, second, third, and fourth lieutenants, and the highest on the list who was present was always to take command when Beechnut himself was away. The boat was never to go out unless one of the lieutenants could go and take command. Beechnut appointed three lieutenants, but said that he would postpone for a little time the appointment of the fourth.

Nearly all the boys of the village enlisted in the crew. Parker was the principal exception. Even he wished to enlist, but Beechnut would not allow him to do so, because he refused to submit to a court-martial for his disobedience at the camp in the woods. Beechnut, however, let him sail with the other boys in the Gibraltar when there was room, but always treated him as a passenger.

Parker pretended for a time to like this just as well. Really he would often have preferred to row, or to assist in hoisting or lowering the sail, or to be sent on commissions to the village as were the other boys; but while all the rest were busy in these and similar occupations he was compelled to stand idly by, or to sit listlessly in the stern of the boat. The boys called him the gentleman, and he soon began to find his position very awkward.

It would have been a great deal better for him to have yielded at the first. Instead of that he waited until just before the boys were going to set out one afternoon for a grand excursion to the Elephant. The Elephant was a small island at a remote part of the pond. It had four large trees on it, the tops of which joined and formed a mass of foliage that Beechnut imagined looked like an elephant. So he gave the island that name. It was a very pleasant island to land on and encamp.

Parker now wanted very much to join the party as one of the regular members, and he undertook to surrender on conditions. "I will agree to be tried by a court-martial," said he to Beechnut, "and then I will join your crew, if you will appoint me a lieutenant. There is one vacancy."

"Yes, there is one vacancy," said Beechnut, "and I was reserving that lieutenancy thinking it probable you might come in by and by and be the best man for it. But now I cannot appoint you. Commanders never appoint their officers by argument. Besides, I have as many men as I want. In fact I would rather not have you join, were it not that you are an efficient and capable fellow and can help so much and so well when you choose to. As it is, I care nothing about it one way or the other."

Parker was greatly perplexed at this speech. The compliments to his capacity softened the harshness of the reproaches which it contained and made him feel that Beechnut was not actuated by any since he was so ready to perceive and acknowledge his good qualities. Had it not been for the commendations, Parker would have been greatly offended and gone off in a rage. But now, after a few minutes' pause, he said that he would surrender.

"Very well," responded Beechnut; and he looked round among the boys, who during this conversation had been at work, some on the bank, and some on board the ship, making preparations to embark.

"Gilbert and Arthur, take that man," said Beechnut, pointing at Parker, "and put him in irons. Then lead him forward and keep him in close custody, and feed him on bread and water."

Beechnut said this in a very stern and commanding tone. Parker smiled. The mortification and disgrace of subjection to Beechnut's will were very much mitigated by the pleasure of playing prisoner. Some of the smaller boys who did not know how much of serious earnest there might be in this terrible command looked a little frightened. Beechnut drew from his pocket a small chain and gave it to Gilbert, saying, "Here are the fetters."

Gilbert and Arthur then went to where Parker stood, and one at each arm they led him along to the bow of the boat where they seated their prisoner on a low seat. Then directing him to put his feet together, they passed the chain around his ankles and hooked the end of it into one of the links.

By the time the prisoner was thus secured, the various articles which the boys had been putting on board were all properly stowed in their places, and then Beechnut gave orders to man the oars. He stationed one of his men at the helm while he took his own station near the center of the boat to give his orders. The boat was soon put in motion, and it glided very smoothly under the bridge. Then the mast was raised, but the sail was not spread, for the wind was contrary. The boys were therefore compelled to propel the boat by means of the oars. This was however very easy, as the oars were light and there were a great many of them.

It was a warm and pleasant summer afternoon and the boys all wore thin suits, and had taken off their jackets and placed them under the seats. Presently Beechnut gave the order to take in the oars and lay them in their places close along the gunwale of the boat. The boys did so.

"Oarsmen," said Beechnut, "shoes off."

The boys took off their shoes and put them down on the floor of the boat. As for stockings, they did not wear any.

"Oarsmen, stand up on the seats," commanded Beechnut.

The twelve oarsmen rose and stepped up on their seats.

"Overboard!" said Beechnut.

The boys were accustomed to obey Beechnut's orders in the most unhesitating manner, and they immediately leaped over into the water. It was not much more than knee deep there, and was quite warm.

"Now," said Beechnut, "take hold of the boat along the sides and walk it through the water."

The boys enjoyed this operation very much, and they went on until the water began to deepen, when Beechnut ordered the waders to get on board and resume their oars. He then gave directions to the helmsman so that the boat was steered around a rocky promontory covered with forest trees into a shady cove.

The oars were taken in, and Beechnut said he was now going to attend to the court-martial. He informed his crew that the court was to consist of the three lieutenants. He called those officers together and directed them to take seats under the canopy. Next he ordered Gilbert and Arthur to bring the prisoner. Gilbert took the chain off Parker's feet so as to enable him to walk, and fastened it instead around his arms, which Parker held folded before him for this purpose. They then led the prisoner in front of the canopy and gave him a seat on a stool.

"You are accused," said Beechnut, "of disobedience of orders and desertion on the day of our encampment in the woods. Are you guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty," responded Parker.

"I will call the witnesses," said Beechnut, "and the court will listen to the evidence."

The oarsmen and the rest of the crew had gathered near and stood crowding around in a circle to listen to the proceedings. Beechnut looked about to select his witnesses, and calling two or three boys forward directed them to state the facts.

These boys said that when they went to the woods in the early spring to form an encampment, Parker not only would not help build the fire, but took the buffalo robes they had brought and sat on them and refused to give them up when Beechnut ordered him to do so; that he would not assist in the work at the camp, nor afterwards on the march, thus deserting the service altogether.

Beechnut asked Parker if he had anything to offer in his defense.

Parker replied that he did not disobey in respect to building the fire, for Beechnut did not order him to help in that work; and that he only intended to keep the buffalo robes to himself till he had warmed his feet. He claimed that he did not desert at all, for he remained with the boys at the encampment, and was with them all the way returning, until he broke through the ice. Then he was obliged to run home as fast as he could to avoid taking cold. He was sure that was not desertion.

When Parker finished all that he had to say in his defense, Beechnut directed the three lieutenants to confer together and decide on the verdict. They did so, and in a few minutes the first lieutenant said they had agreed that the prisoner was guilty of disobeying orders, but was not guilty of desertion. Beechnut then ordered the prisoner to be taken back to the bow of the boat, saying that he would call him soon to receive his sentence.

Beechnut had the oarsmen take their places and begin to row and told the helmsman to head the boat toward a wild and rocky island not far from the Elephant, out toward the middle of the pond. After proceeding for some minutes in this direction, the boys, at Beechnut's command, stopped rowing, and Beechnut called on the keepers to bring their prisoner aft to hear his sentence.

Gilbert and Arthur accordingly led Parker to where Beechnut was standing, and then Beechnut with a very grave face and in a very solemn tone of voice told him that he had been tried by court-martial and convicted of disobedience to orders, and that his sentence was to be put ashore on an uninhabited island and abandoned there.

"You see the island," Beechnut continued, pointing in the direction the boat had been moving. "You will find no inhabitants on it but savages, and perhaps not even them. Your only chance to get away from it will be to put a white flag on a pole, and then perhaps some ship coming along may receive you.

"We shall not carry you actually to the land, but as soon as we get near it we shall throw you overboard to make your way to the place as best you can. But the keepers can take off your irons so that you can have the use of your legs."

Although Beechnut said all this in a very serious manner, yet Parker and the rest knew that his plan was to make amusement for the whole company. The prisoner, who was an excellent swimmer, would like no better sport than to be thrown overboard from a boat within any reasonable distance of the land; and as to being abandoned, he knew that Beechnut would not leave him on the island long. He, therefore, was very well satisfied with his sentence, though he pretended all the time to be in a state of extreme distress. The other boys enjoyed keenly the prospect of such a punishment and began to evince the greatest excitement and hilarity.

When Beechnut thought the boat was sufficiently near the shore he ordered the boys to stop rowing, and then directed Parker to take off his hat, his jacket, and his shoes. The clothes that remained were light and thin and would do very little to impede the motion of his limbs in swimming.

As soon as Parker was ready, Beechnut commanded him to lie down on his back near the bow of the boat, and then designated six of the biggest and strongest boys in his crew to take their places, three on each side of him.

"Now, my men," said Beechnut, "when I give my orders, thus: 'Swing once — swing twice  — swing thrice — and over'; at the word 'over,' you must pitch him head foremost into the sea."

The six boys stood in readiness while the rest of the crew gathered around, eager to see. "Clinch him," said Beechnut.

The six boys stooped down and grasped the prisoner by his limbs and by his clothes, wherever they could best get hold, and raised him into the air.

"Swing once," said Beechnut — " swing twice  — swing thrice — and over!"

And over went Parker with a tremendous plunge, and the water closed over his head. He was so good a swimmer and had such control of himself in the water that he might have avoided going much below the surface, had he been so disposed. He was, however, rather proud of his powers as a diver, and he seemed to consider this a good opportunity to make an exhibition of them. Accordingly, instead of attempting to come up, he went down to the bottom. The boys watched for him from the boat. Presently they saw him coming up from far down in the dark water. He soon appeared at the surface and lifting an arm out of the water tossed a handful of pebbles over into the boat. Then he swam off toward the shore.

"Now, my men," said Beechnut, "three cheers for the ejected mutineer."

The boys gave the three cheers with great enthusiasm. Afterward Beechnut had them go to their places and the oarsmen resumed their rowing. They saw Parker reach the shore and climb up on the rocks, where he sat down in the sun, and breaking off a branch from a little bush growing near him, he waved it in the air.

Beechnut proceeded to the Elephant and landed the stores and implements the boys had brought, and left two boys to make preparations for supper. Then, with the boat, he went to the island on which Parker had been left and took him on board. They were soon back at the Elephant where Parker signed his name on the list of the crew and thus was again one of Beechnut's men. He joined the others in helping to get supper, and then the boys sat down on the grass to eat the provisions they had brought with them and enjoy the cool breeze which came in under the trees from off the surface of the water.

At length Beechnut gave orders to embark. The boys expected that they would now hoist the sail and go directly back toward home without the fatigue of rowing. But Beechnut ordered the men to take their places at the oars. Not far from where they were was an island which contained a ledge of slaty rock. The ledge had been much broken by frost and natural decay, and a large number of flat stones could be obtained from it very easily, and quite close to the shore. Beechnut explained all this to the boys and said he was going to this ledge to get a load of stones and carry them to Mr. Grey to help him build his wall.

The boys all approved the plan and pulled at their oars with a hearty good will. Beechnut brought the boat up to the shore of the island at a place where a big flat rock at the edge of the water formed a sort of wharf. Then leaving one boy to guard the boat and keep it from floating away he and the rest went through a patch of bushes to the foot of the ledge and each took up as large a stone as he could conveniently carry. Thus loaded, they returned to the boat where they deposited their burdens. They then went back to the quarry for another load. This they did four times. The stones were piled in a compact heap along the middle of the boat, and they formed a considerable cargo.

Now the boys went to their seats, the boat was pushed off, the sail hoisted, and the Gibraltar with its heavy freight and numerous company began to move through the water toward home. The boys were glad of this opportunity to rest from their labors, and as they were wafted along by the wind they sat talking together or walked about the boat. Some of the smaller lads amused themselves by climbing up on the heap of stones.

The helmsman steered the boat directly toward the outlet of the pond, and on reaching it they followed the stream until they came opposite Mr. Grey's house. Here they stopped to deliver the stones.

Mr. Grey had seen the sail gliding along among the trees as the boat was coming. He had no idea that the craft was freighted with cargo for him, and he came down to the bank of the stream to see it as it passed. When it drew near, his eyes were attracted to the heap of flat stones in the boat. He uttered some exclamation of surprise, and said, "Boys, where do you get such stones as those?"

"On the island in the pond," replied Beechnut.

"Well," said Mr. Grey, "I wish you could find some stones like those on the mainland where I could get at them. They are exactly what I want for my wall to fill in the spaces under the large stones, when they do not fit exactly to those below them, and thus wedge them up to their proper level."

"We brought this load for you," said Beechnut, "and we will throw the stones ashore right here."

"I am sure I am much obliged to you," said Mr. Grey. "I was getting short of that kind of stone. I will give you half a dollar a load for as many such loads as you choose to bring me."

176 Adventures of a Country Boy

"We might pay for the boat with four loads," said Parker to Beechnut.

"Yes," responded Beechnut, "and that is what we will do. Boys," said he, addressing the crew, "let us unload the stones."

Mr. Grey helped them so that the cargo was soon landed. After that the boys rowed the boat to its place under the bridge, where they moored it safely, and then they went home.