d Grimme had stowed
themselves away, out of the reach of the stream that was flowing along
the water-ways, and of the spray which was dashing over the weather
bows.

The party from aloft, with the messenger, increased the group to five,
which was the total number of "our fellows" that could be mustered in
the first part of the port watch.

"What's up?" demanded Shuffles, when he had seated himself by the
skylight.

"We intend to pipe to mischief, to-night, Shuffles and we want some help
from you," said Sanborn, in reply.

"We have been robbed of our money, and we are going to have
satisfaction, somehow or other," added Grimme, in explanation. "We are
not going to stand this sort of thing. We must teach Lowington and the
professors that they can't put our noses to the grindstone."

"Exactly so!" exclaimed Shuffles. "And you intend to put them there
yourselves. In other words, you mean to get into some scrape, and be
punished for it, as I was."

"No, we don't. We are going to work man-of-war style. Old Peaks told us
how to do it, when we were on watch last night," replied Grimme.

"Peaks?"

"Yes, he spun us a yarn about man-of-war life, and told us how the men
serve out the officers when they don't behave themselves."

"Peaks told you this--did he?" demanded Shuffles.

"Of course he didn't mean to have us do anything of the kind."

"Well, how did he tell you to serve out the officers?"

"Make them uncomfortable; keep them in a hornet's nest all the time."

"How? How?" asked Shuffles, impatiently.

"Why, if the unpopular officer went forward, a belaying pin was sure to
drop on his head or his feet; a tar can or a paint pot would be upset on
his back; or, if he went below, a cannon ball was liable to roll out of
a shot case upon him. Of course no one ever knew the author of this
mischief."

"Do you propose to play off any of these tricks on Lowington?" demanded
Shuffles.

"We have got a rod in pickle for him," replied Grimme, chuckling.

"What is it?"

"We intend to give him a dose of kerosene oil, to begin with," laughed
Sanborn.

"One of the stewards left his oil can on the fore scuttle ladder, after
the hatch was put on to keep the spray out, and I took possession of
it," added Grimme, hardly able to keep his mirth within the limits of
prudence.

"What are you going to do with it?" asked Shuffles.

"We are going to give Lowington the contents of the can, and then throw
it overboard."

"Inde