they still avoided their late leader, Howe.
Perth was regarded as lost to them, for he wore a white ribbon on his
breast, and had done his duty as an officer.

"We will all be pious for a day or two, till Carboy closes his eyes,"
said Little. "You, and Ibbotson, and I will look out for ourselves, and
the rest of the fellows must do the same. I have an idea."

"Have you? What is it?" demanded Herman.

"We shall all be sent on board the Josephine as soon as the lambs get
ready to start for Germany."

"Yes, I suppose so," added Herman, eagerly.

"Then it will be an easy matter. But I don't want to talk about it yet.
Too many cooks spoil the soup," continued Little, with his air of
mysterious assurance.

"Tell us what it is. We won't mention it."

"I've got it all arranged; and if the rest of our fellows are smart,
they can take advantage of it. We all know this harbor pretty well,"
added the little villain.

"Why don't you tell us what the idea is?"

Little rose from his seat in the main-top, and looked over to see that
no inquisitive person was concealed on the cat-harpings.

"You are not to mention it to any one, you understand, or hint at it.
We three, I repeat, are to look out for ourselves only. Ibbotson is to
find the money to get to Paris, and I furnish the brains."

"What am I to find?"

"Find your way to Paris, if you can. You are a good fellow, Herman, and
I will take you in because you are some punkins."

"But you haven't told us the plan," said Ibbotson, not particularly
pleased with the self-sufficiency of his little companion.

"I will tell you," whispered Little, throwing an arm around the neck of
each of his friends, and drawing their heads together near his mouth.
"At night, when everything is quiet, one of us will just unbit the
cable, and let it run out. Then another shall sing out that the vessel
is going adrift. That will make a row. Then we will try to do
something. You, Herman, and I, will offer to carry a line to another
vessel--the ship, for instance. Carboy--who don't know any more about a
vessel than a kitten does of the ten commandments--will tell you to do
it. Then we three will jump into a boat, and carry off the line. We can
carry it to the ship, or not, just as we think best; but you may bet
your life we don't return to the Josephine! How does that strike you?"

"Yes; but where are Cleats and Gage all this time? They know all about
a vessel, if Carboy don't," suggested Her