Dikes and Ditches; Or, Young America in Holland and Belgium - A Story of Travel and Adventure. Oliver 1822-1897 Optic
groaned Mr. Lowington, striking his bewildered head with both hands. “Good Heaven! I am responsible for this!”
“What is the matter, Mr. Lowington?” demanded the astonished professor.
“What did you say about Captain Kendall?” asked the principal, catching at the straw which the learned gentleman’s question seemed to hold out to him.
“I prefer to speak to you alone about it, Mr. Lowington,” added the professor, glancing at the group of officers and instructors that were gathering around him. “I will endeavor to control my emotions in stating this unpleasant business.”
Mr. Lowington, apparently happy to have even a moment’s respite from the grief and gloom which must follow the sad intelligence of the loss of Captain Kendall, led the way to the professors’ cabin.
“Now, sir, what is it? Let me know the worst!” exclaimed the principal, dropping upon the sofa like a man whose strength had all been taken from him. “I have been dreading it for many long and weary hours.”
“Dreading it?” repeated the confused professor. “Dreading what, sir?”
“That the Josephine had suffered severely in the storm,” replied the principal, impatiently. “You have come to tell me that Captain Kendall was lost overboard?” And Mr. Lowington heaved a long sigh.
“No, sir,” protested Mr. Hamblin.
“Didn’t you say that a very unpleasant affair had happened on board?” demanded the principal, eagerly.
“I did; but it was not the loss of the captain.”
“Who was it?” asked Mr. Lowington, catching his breath, in the heaviness of his anxiety.
“I really don’t understand you, sir,” said the learned gentleman, astonished and confounded by what he regarded as the singular conduct of the principal.
“Has any one been lost overboard from the Josephine?” demanded Mr. Lowington, in a loud tone, for he was impatient under the shuffling manner of the professor.
“No, sir; no one, that I am aware of.”
“That you are aware of!” exclaimed Mr. Lowington, sternly.
“Of course, if any one had been lost, I should have heard of it,” answered Mr. Hamblin, who did not quite like the tone of the principal.
“Then the officers and crew are all safe—are they?”
“They are, sir—all safe.”
“Thank God!” ejaculated Mr. Lowington, heartily, an awfully heavy load removed from his mind.
“I have come on board, sir, to make a complaint against the captain of the Josephine. This is the unpleasant business which brings me here,” added the learned gentleman, decidedly.
“Indeed!”
But even this, disagreeable as it was, came as a relief to the overcharged heart of Paul’s best friend, who had received a terrible shock from the confused state-ment of the professor. Yet it was very strange that any one should have a complaint to make against Paul Kendall, who had always been noble and manly, gentle and conciliating.
“Yesterday, just before the storm came on, Mr. Kendall was reciting with the Greek class,” continued Mr. Hamblin. “Word came to him that his presence was required on deck. He asked my permission to go on deck. As I could not see the necessity of his leaving the class before the lesson was finished, I refused to give him permission.”
“Did he leave then?”
“Not then; but half an hour later another message came to him, and he left, contrary to my orders, and contrary to my protest,” added the professor, waxing indignant as he recounted his wrongs.
“What was the message that came the second time?” asked Mr. Lowington, mildly.
“I do not remember precisely what it was—I am not versed in sea terms; but I do remember that Mr. Kendall left the class contrary to my express order. Not contented with this, he called all hands, and broke up the school, when there was no need of it. Such conduct is utterly subversive of school discipline, and—”
“Excuse me, Mr. Hamblin, but as to-day is Sunday, I must defer hearing any more of your complaint until to-morrow,” continued Mr. Lowington, rising from his chair.
“I desire to have this question settled before I resume my position in the Josephine,” said the professor, cut by the apparent coolness of the principal.
“I will hear what Captain Kendall has to say about it.”
“Sir,” exclaimed the learned gentleman, “am I to understand that you are not satisfied with the truth of my statement?”
“By no means. I wish to hear from Captain Kendall his excuse for leaving the class. I am not able to determine whether it was satisfactory.”
“I have already determined that question myself. I think I observed to you that there was not a sufficient excuse for his leaving the class.”
“I will defer the discussion of the matter till to-morrow,” replied Mr. Lowington.
“I do not object to the delay, sir; but I do object to having any of the statements of the pupil counterbalance those I have made.”
“Do you wish me to condemn him without a hearing?”
“I do not wish you to condemn him at all. I simply ask to be sustained in the discharge of my duty as a teacher.”
“I will hear what more you have to say to-morrow, Mr. Hamblin.”
“Very well, sir; but you must allow me to remain on board of the ship until to-morrow, for I cannot return to the Josephine till this unpleasant matter has been adjusted.”
“As you please,” replied the principal, as he hastened on deck, where a cheer, half suppressed in deference to the day, had a few moments before been heard.
As Paul came down from the rail of the ship, he was greeted with applause; for, without knowing what had occurred after they lost sight of the consort, the students in the ship realized that Paul had taken his vessel safely through the storm. He bowed and blushed at this demonstration, and hastened to meet Mr. Lowington, who was just coming up from his interview with the professor. He had purposely delayed his passage to the ship, in order to afford Mr. Hamblin time to make his charges. It was plain that he had done so now, and Paul was not a little anxious for the result.
“Captain Kendall, I am very glad to see you,” said Mr. Lowington, warmly, as he extended his hand to the young commander.
“Thank you, sir; I am just as glad to see you,” replied Paul, taking the proffered hand, and concluding that the professor had not materially prejudiced the principal against him.
“I have been very anxious about you, Captain Kendall,” added Mr. Lowington. “I have imagined that all sorts of terrible things had happened to you and the Josephine. Is all well on board?”
“Yes, sir; but we are all very tired. We were up all night, and the crew had to work very hard.”
“All night?”
“We went to the assistance of that galiot, sir. We saved four persons, and brought the vessel in, as you see her now. She was knocked down in the squall, and lost two men. We found her on her beam-ends.”
“Indeed, Captain Kendall, you have had your hands full,” replied Mr. Lowington, pleased with the gallant conduct of his young friend.
“The captain of the galiot,—he has a name as long as the main royal-mast backstay, and I can’t remember it,—the captain is on board of the Josephine, and wishes to see you very much. I referred the whole matter to you, sir.”
“I will see him at once.”
“He don’t speak a word of English—only