ns
given him by the captain, who, in turn, had received his orders from the
principal.

"No leave!" exclaimed Wilton, his jaw dropping down.

"Such are the orders."

"I have always been in the habit of celebrating the Fourth of July,"
replied Wilton. "Are we to stay on board the ship, and mope all day?"

"I presume the day will be celebrated on board in a proper manner,"
added the first lieutenant.

"On board! What can a fellow do here? We might as well go to bed, and
sleep off the day."

"No words are necessary, Wilton," replied Pelham as he turned and walked
away.

"That's a good one!" added Wilton, to the group of boys who had come
with him to the mainmast, to request the same favor, if the spokesman
was permitted to go on shore and celebrate the day.

"Not to celebrate!" exclaimed Monroe, with something like horror in his
tones and looks.

"Work on the Fourth of July!" chimed in Adler.

"I won't stand it, for one!" said Wilton.

"Nor I, for another," added Monroe.

So said half a dozen others.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" demanded Adler. "Here we are,
and we can't get ashore."

"Perhaps we can," said Wilton, as he led the way to a retired part of
the deck, where they could talk without being overheard. "Did any one
ever hear of such a thing as keeping the fellows on board on the Fourth
of July? Why, every little Greek in the city yonder has his liberty on
that day; and we are to be cooped up here like a parcel of sick
chickens! I suppose we shall have to recite history and French, and
shake out topsails, as usual."

"It's outrageous. I don't believe the fellows will stand it," added
Adler, who did not know how bad the case was, until it had been
rehearsed by Wilton, who, in the absence of Shuffles, had become the
leader of a certain clique on board, given to taking opposite views.

"But I don't see what we can do," said Monroe.

"We will do something. I won't stand it. If I stay on board the ship
to-morrow, it will be as a prisoner," answered Wilton.

"It's a hard case; but what can we do about it?" asked Sanborn.

"Suppose we go to Lowington, and state the case to him," suggested
Adler.

"What's the use of that? Of course the first lieutenant spoke by the
card. He had his orders to say what he did, and I'm sure they came from
Lowington."

"There can be no doubt of that; but it would be better to have it from
him."

"I'm willing to ask Lowington for the day, if the fello