A Millionaire at Sixteen by Oliver Optic

"This is Captain Scoble's stateroom, mother," said Louis, as he seated himself.

"Then I must move," she added.

"No, you shall not move, mother; there is another room in the cabin, and he may sleep there, for I will not permit you to be turned out of this one," replied Louis, as he began to make a careful survey of his surroundings.

"You talk as though you were the captain, my son. Do not quarrel with Scoble if you can help it," she pleaded.

"I will not; but I shall not submit, or bow my head to him."

Louis had not asked for the captain's room without a purpose, which he was now carrying out. Under the berth he saw a trunk; he drew it out and opened it. He found nothing but a thin package of letters which he cared to possess, and he slid it into his pocket.

"What are you doing, Louis? " asked Mrs. Belgrave, whose attention had been attracted to his operations.

"Preparing for the future, mother; nothing more. But don't ask me any questions. Scoble must soon come down into the cabin, and I wish to be prepared for him."

She said nothing more, though she watched him closely till they were disturbed by a knock at the door. It was Bickling with the tea, which Louis handed to his mother, and closed the door. While she was drinking the contents of the cup, her son busied himself in ransacking a case of drawers in front of the berth. In one of them he found two revolvers of twice the size of the one he carried, and two boxes of cartridges. He took possession of these, and closed the drawer from which he had taken them.

"Do you think it is right for you to look into the drawers of other people, Louis? " asked Mrs. Belgrave, as she finished drinking her tea.

"Here is what I found in one of them, mother; do you think I had better put them back? " he replied, showing her the pistols and the ammunition. "Shall I leave them for Scoble to use when he wants to get nearer to the missing million? as probably he still regards it; for I am confident Frinks brought him no report of the finding of it."

"No; throw them overboard! " exclaimed she, as she sank back in the berth.

"I will not throw them overboard; but I must leave you."

The cook had left the cabin; and he carried the revolvers to Captain Ringgold, giving him no explanation in regard to them. When he returned to the first cabin, Captain Scoble was just coming down the stairs. He looked better-natured than when the passenger had last seen him, possibly because he did not find himself in the presence of a rebellious subject.

"How is your mother, Louis? " asked Captain Scoble, halting at the foot of the steps, and looking the young man full in the face, as though he had nothing to blush for.

"She is better," replied the passenger, gently enough; for he had resolved to be as firm as a rock, even while he was conciliatory. "She would have left her berth, but the vessel began to roll worse than ever, and she had to remain where she was."

"The Maud rolled worse while we were reefing, for we had to throw her up into the wind," added the captain; and the listener thought he had never seen him in a pleasanter frame of mind; and he was sure he must have given himself a severe course of training before he came below.

"I noticed that she rolled very badly at one time."

"My stupid mate ought to have reefed her before," said Scoble. "He is not much of a sailor when called upon to act on his own responsibility, though he does very well under the direction of one who knows his business."

"I supposed Mr. Fobbington was a very skilful seaman," replied Louis.