“You look as though you meant something.  What were you and Ike Monroe talking about just now?” continued Shuffles.  “About me, I’ll be bound, for you kept looking at me, as though you meant something.”

“What makes you think so?  Have you heard anything?” asked Wilton, fearful that the plot had leaked out.

“Not a word?  I only judged by your looks.”

“I suppose if anything was up, you wouldn’t have anything to do with it now.”

“Most decidedly, I should not.  I like my present position too well to fall out of it.  I’m going to be captain next term, if I can fetch it any way in the world.”

“You mean to be a flunky, just like the rest of them.  You are not the same fellow you used to be.”

“Yes, I am.”

“You are getting too big for your boots.”

“You wrong me, Wilton.  I’m just as good a fellow as I ever was.  I think I’m the best fellow in the ship, and for that reason I want to be captain.  I’m ahead of Carnes so far on marks this month.”

“Well, if you want to be the head flunky, I hope you’ll get it.  We are not going ashore to-morrow, they say,” added Wilton, changing the topic to get nearer to the business of the hour.

“So Pelham told me.”

“Are you willing to stay on board and study, and do ship’s duty, on the Fourth of July?”

“We are going to celebrate.”

“How?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.”

“We shall celebrate to-morrow just as we do every day—­as close prisoners on board the ship.  I, for one, don’t like it, and I won’t stand it.”

“Won’t you?” laughed Shuffles.

“When I say I won’t, I mean so.”

“O, you do—­do you?”

“You better believe I do,” added Wilton, shaking his head resolutely.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going ashore, by hook or by crook.”

“Better not get into any scrape.”

“You say that as one of the flunkies.”

“Well, you had better not say anything to me, for I shall have to do my duty as an officer.  Don’t say anything to me, and then I shall not know anything about it.”

“Humph!” sneered Wilton, not pleased with this non-committal policy.

“I don’t want to do anything mean with any of our fellows; so don’t say a word to me.  I shall do my duty as an officer, as I promised to do when I was made third lieutenant.”

“Do you mean to say you will stop me, Shuffles, if you see me going?” demanded Wilton.

“I do mean so; I promised faithfully to do my duty as an officer, and I shall do it.”

“See here, Bob Shuffles; you needn’t talk to me in that manner.  I knew the ship’s cable from a pint of milk, and you can’t come the flunky over me.”

“I’m going to do just as you would do if you were in my place.  I won’t hear a word about any of your plans.”

“But will you interfere with them?”