It was a weary but not at all disheartened party that lounged in the open door of the tent that night, while a big fire blazed in front, and supper was cooking. This was the first time the sail had been spread as a tent, and it answered the purpose nicely, giving plenty of room. The straw Katy had been so anxious about had to be left in the boat, so that they got no good of it. Jim chaffed his sister a good deal about this, and Tug rather encouraged him, thinking it was a fair chance for fun at Katy's expense; but when he saw that Katy really was feeling badly, not at Jim's teasing words, but for fear she had made the boys useless trouble, Aleck came to the rescue. Seizing The Youngster by the shoulder, he spun him round like a teetotum, and was going to box his ears, when Katy cried out, "Oh, don't!" and saved that young gentleman's skin for the present.
"Then I'll punish you in another way. Take your knife, go over there to the marsh"--it was perhaps a hundred yards away--"and cut as many rushes as you can carry."
"I don't want the rushes," said Katy, trying to keep the peace, but her brother paid no heed.
"Did you hear what I said?" he asked again of Jim.
"Well, that was a Captain's Order, and I advise you to obey."
"Do it yourself!" shouted the angry Jim, sitting down by the fire.
Aleck looked at him an instant, saw his sulky, set lips, and then walked over to a willow bush near by. From the centre of this bush he cut a thriving switch, and carefully trimmed off all the twigs and crumpled leaves. It was as pliant and elastic as whalebone. It whistled through the air, when it was waved, like a wire or a thin lash. It would hug the skin it was laid upon, and wrap tightly around a boy's legs, and sting at the tip like a hornet. It wouldn't raise a welt upon the skin, as an iron rod or a rawhide might do, but it would hurt just as bad while it was touching you.
Jim knew all this, and it flashed through his brain, every bit of it, as he saw Aleck trim the switch.
"Better scoot, Youngster," Tug advised, with a grin that was meant kindly, but made Jim madder than ever.
But when Aleck came back the boy still sat there, defiant of orders.
"Now, James," he said, as he stood over him, "you have been ordered by your Captain to go and get some rushes. You refuse. You are insubordinate. I'll give you just one minute to make up your mind what you will do."