Oliver Optic

“ There's no law to compel you to do so," laughed Sheridan.
"Of course the captain will reward some one of his friends," said Beckwith.
"Yes, I suppose he will."
"Would you appoint a fellow that had worked against you?" asked Sheridan.
"I should try to be fair," answered the first purser, with a struggle to look dignified.
"Precisely so! Just as you nominated yourself over the heads of Judson and Norwood, and tried to cut them out."
"They worked for themselves, and I only did the same."
"If every fellow works for himself, we shall not come out anywhere." ”

“ They argued, talked, and begged for our votes at the meeting. By and by they will get up a plan by which no fellow shall be promoted from the steerage to the cabin. Cantwell and Victory! That's my motto."
"I say, Scott, don't you think it is absurd for us to vote for the most unpopular fellow in the ship?" asked Wainwright.
"No, I don't. He's the only fellow in the cabin that is not in the ring, and therefore the only one we can vote for. Don't you see it?"
"I don't want to vote against Captain Lincoln," another objected. "He is a first-rate fellow, and a good sailor." ”

“ From each story of the tower a view of the city is obtained, but in the highest beneath the dome, the most sublime panorama is presented. There is no such city as Moscow in the world, and the sight is therefore as unique as it is beautiful. For half an hour the students gazed with wonder and admiration upon the beautiful picture.
The party descended, and hastened to the Great Bell, called the Czar Kolokol, or Czar of Bells. Some say that it was never hung, though a Polish traveller, in 1611, speaks of a bell he saw that required twenty-four men to swing the clapper in ringing it. ”

“ Why did you get up an opposition to the plan?" demanded Beckwith, rather warmly.
"What do I care for the plan? You nobs in the cabin got up a ring, and all you wanted of the steerage fellows was to give up their rights. I have just as good a right to be a lieutenant next month as you have, if my marks give me the place. It is only a game of the ring to keep the best places among yourselves; that's all."
"Do you want Cantwell for your captain?" demanded Beckwith. ”

“ Kinnaird," laughed the pretty maiden. "We have been travelling with two of your officers for more than a week, and my interest in your ship is greater than ever. You are one of the lieutenants, if I remember rightly."
"I was third lieutenant at the time I met you, but I am not now," replied Lincoln.
"He is commodore of the squadron—the highest office," interposed [313] Cumberland.
"What a great man you must be!" exclaimed Julia. "And you were captain when I saw you," she added to Cumberland.
"Yes; but I have fallen to the rank of first lieutenant." ”

“ These women were of all ages; but none of them were handsome enough to excite the sympathy of cold-blooded foreigners. They wore calico dresses, with the belt or waist directly under the arms. The wood was carried on two poles, forming a hand-barrow, and the women bore loads which would have strained the backs of ordinary men.
"That's mean," said Scott. "I don't see how those men can stand by, and not lend a helping hand."
"You are in Russia," replied Lincoln.
"Don't men have souls in Russia?"
"Yes; and customs too. This seems to be one of them," laughed the commodore. ”

“ Now, I expect to be captain on the first of next month, and you cabin nobs are getting up a conspiracy to deprive me of my rights. I won't stand it, Mr. Beckwith. I am an American citizen in embryo. My fathers and mothers all fought, bled, and died for the dearest rights of man. ”

“ What do you say to that?"
"If any of the fellows want to vote for me, tell them to fire away; I can stand it as long as they can. If they want to vote for you, I have no doubt they will do it."
"But won't you do something to help the ticket along?"
"No, sir!" replied Scott, decidedly. "I won't nominate myself or any other fellow. Let the crowd do that."
"They will do it, of course; but every fellow has some influence, you know. It will be a fair thing to take one from the cabin, and one from the steerage."
"Yes; but whom from the cabin, and whom from the steerage?" ”

“ I worked hard to be captain, but never got higher than third lieutenant; now I'm only a purser."
"You didn't work very hard last month," suggested Beckwith.
"I didn't think it was any use when I saw such fellows as Cantwell, Sheridan, and Murray getting in ahead of me, in spite of all I could do. No matter for that; Russia is a big country."
"That's so."
"A fellow could easily get lost in it, for none of us speak a word of Russian, and most of us not much French or German," added De Forrest, dropping his voice down to a whisper. ”

“ Don't you see that he has a Finn on his back, and Finns each side of him?" returned Scott.
"You get out!" shouted Jones. "A fellow that will deliberately make a pun isn't fit to live in polite society."
"Then I'm finished for polite society," added Scott; "though I don't see how you know anything about it, for you never were there, or your manners belie you. By the way, did you know that our government had sent over to this country for a fortune-teller, or seer—one of those fellows they used to have in Scotland?"
"What for?" asked Laybold. ”

“ The boat started, and the students in the cabin continued to gaze at their singular companions. They called for tea, and produced their own provisions, consisting of bread and caviar, upon which they made their breakfast. It would be considered rather shabby for first-class passengers in America to carry their own provisions, but it is all right on the Volga. At noon these Tartars attended to their devotions on the bridge without any regard to the bystanders. They spread a robe on the top of the paddle-box, and taking off their overshoes, knelt upon it. ”

“ Along the rivers are the coarser articles of merchandise—iron in bars and sheets, and manufactured into kettles and household utensils, millstones, vast quantities of wheat, rolls of leather from Kazan, boxes of candles from Asia, copper and platinum from the Ural Mountains, and bells of all sizes, hung so that their tone can be tested.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the fair to an American or Englishman is the people that gather there, especially the Asiatics. ”

“ But the unexpected election of Lincoln as commodore had deranged the plans of all but the opposition. All others, however, voted for Cumberland for captain, for the ballots had nothing upon them but the name of the candidate, and "Regular," "Independent," or "Equal Rights" ticket, the last being the rallying cry of the opposition. The votes were deposited in silence, and it was a very anxious period for the cabin officers, for the present ballot would effectually prove where the strength lay. The committee retired, and all hands nervously awaited the result. ”

“ Don't say anything."
"Of course not; but you don't mean to run away—do you?"
"Dry up!"
"Nobody is near us."
"I never was so disgusted with anything in my life as I am with this election business. If I say anything, the fellows tell me it is a chicken of my own hatching. Now, Cantwell pretends to be one of the chaplain's lambs, affects a gentlemanly bearing, and studies seamanship when all of us are on shore. Then he gave that Billy Bobstay a hundred rubles, and the fellows all cheered him for it. I am so mad, I can hardly hold in. I would rather be in a slave ship than here. I'm nobody now." ”

“ One cannot walk far without coming to a church, either small or large, and at least a dozen domes are always in sight—gold, green, and blue. The signs in the streets, too, are peculiar, and more intelligible than in most Russian cities, for pictorial effects seem to be the fashion, and the butcher, baker, grocer, and other merchants cover all the available space in front of their shops with representations of their various wares. ”

“ They did; but I never asked them to do it, or electioneered with any of them," responded Sheridan.
"But can't we do something?" suggested Beckwith. "The vote for captain stood forty-eight to forty; and Cantwell's vote was the strength of the opposition. If we can change five votes, we can elect our men."
"Very true; but can you unite your forty votes on two candidates."
"Yes; why not?" asked De Forrest, encouraged by this presentation of the subject.
"Who shall the candidates be?" inquired Sheridan, with a twinkle of the eye. "You want the two most popular fellows in the ship." ”

“ If the cabin officers give the crew fair play, I have no doubt the seamen will exhibit the same spirit. If you wish to do the business just right, have a fair caucus, and you will nullify all the influence of the secret society. ”

“ I have a plan in my head, which, I think, would work first rate, and be a fair thing for all."
"What is it?" asked Beckwith.
"I'll tell you. As the matter now stands, a fellow may jump from the steerage into the captain's cabin without any experience at all in commanding, especially, as during the last month, when we are running about on shore, and we don't do much in seamanship."
"But you know that this struggle for rank puts the fellows on their good behavior; and the principal would lose his sheet anchor if the present system were abandoned." ”

“ You see we fellows throw seventy-two votes in the steerage, and forty-five is a majority of the whole ship's company. If any fourth-rate politician on shore can only get himself persecuted, he can be elected to Congress, for sympathy will do more than merit."
"You needn't tell me that the fellows in the steerage are going to elect Cantwell to any office. He couldn't be chosen fourth lieutenant, to say nothing of captain," protested Beckwith. "I believe you have lost your wits, Scott." ”

“ I can tell you one thing, De Forrest: these fellows that work for themselves don't accomplish much."
"The ballot for the other two will be taken in half an hour," said the principal, who had been studying the effect of the captain's choice upon the students.
"I congratulate you, Scott," said Sheridan. "You are sure of going, for one."
"Thank you. I am sure, and I hope I shall have good fellows to go with me," replied Scott.
"How about the caucus?"
"I have talked with some of the fellows forward, and they prefer to have every fellow vote as he likes." ”

“ Then the highest office lies between you and me," replied Scott, rubbing his chin. "The conspiracy is against us. If you should get in ahead of me, I never have any hard feelings. I am willing to abide by the regulations, and take whatever place belongs to me, even if it should be that of captain or first lieutenant. I never complain of my lot when there is fair play."
"And so the students are trying to have the highest officers chosen by ballot," mused Cantwell. ”

“ The government of Russia is an absolute hereditary monarchy; in other words, the Czar or Emperor, is the legislative, executive, and judicial power of the empire, which is the same thing as saying that his will is the law of the land. But it ought to be added, that certain traditions and rules are considered of binding force by the sovereigns; as the [149] law of succession to the crown, established by the Emperor Paul; otherwise the Czar might select the next ruler; every sovereign, his wife and children, must be of the Greek church. ”

“ They walked to the Lustgarten, an open space at the end of Unter den Linden, on the three sides of which are the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, and the Museum. The first is a vast structure, owing more of its grandeur to its size than to its beauty. At the gate are some bronze horses, held by grooms, like those on Monte Cavallo, at Rome, presented by Nicholas of Russia. The ascent to the second story is by a winding inclined plane, up which a carriage can be driven. ”

“ At eleven o'clock, the steamer arrived at Kazan, in just twenty-four hours from Nijni. The city is seven versts from the river, though there is a small village on the bluff. The shore is lined with steamers and boats, loading and unloading. There was nothing attractive in the locality, and nothing interesting except the Tartar teamsters, on shore, who wore white felt hats, and sheep-skin coats; some of them with their feet and legs tied up in rags, others in boots or straw sandals. Four droskies were hired at three rubles apiece for the day, to go up to the city and return. ”

“ Wainwright hastened to Scott with the pleasant news he had to tell, and the main cabin was obtained for that evening. As the instructors spent most of their unoccupied time on deck, this was no hardship to them. The lodge opened again, with those present who had taken the second degree. In older to make the thing more ludicrous than before, the officers enveloped themselves in blankets, sheets, and such other fantastic apparel as they could lay hands upon, and each one placed his small tin wash-bowl on his head, the handle of which stuck out like a queue behind. ”

“ Even politicians will acknowledge that the ablest and best statesmen in our country are very seldom elected to the highest offices; but in the army and navy, [112] in time of war, the ablest men are almost certain to find their proper sphere."
"I hope the old plan will be restored, sir; for I don't like the idea of a secret society jumping the lowest officer over all our heads, simply because he is a member. It doesn't look right to me."
"It isn't right; but I expect to see the same spirit of fairness at the next election which was displayed at the last one. ”