“I am sorry to inform you, Wilton, that no leave of absence will be granted to-morrow,” replied Pelham in accordance with the instructions 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 fellows want me to do so; but it won’t do any more good than it would to bark at the mainmast,” continued Wilton.  “I have an idea in my head, if the fellows will stand by me,” he added, in a lower tone, as he looked over the rail at the swinging boom, to which the boats in constant use were made fast.