The Night I Flunked My Field Trip #5 by Henry Winkler Read Free Book Online Page B

Collin, who was standing right across from me, answered, “Aye, aye, Captain.” It figured he’d know the right thing to say.
    â€œGo below and stow your bags,” Captain Barker shouted. “And step lively. I want all hands on deck in five minutes. Anyone who’s late will pay dearly.”
    We all hurried down a little flight of stairs and put our duffels away. There wasn’t much time to look around, but I could see two big rooms filled with bunk beds. I assumed one was for the boys and the other was for the girls.
    â€œYou’ll each be assigned a job,” said the captain as we gathered up on the deck. It was cold, and a nippy breeze was kicking up from the river. “Mr. Gladson, take over. See if you can shape this ragged crew up.”
    The first mate stepped forward. He wasn’t nearly as scary.
    â€œWe’ll be traveling round the Cape to pick up a load of hides from California,” he said.
    â€œIt’s going to be a rough voyage. Every man and woman aboard needs to work in order for us to complete the voyage.”
    Luke Whitman put his hand up.
    â€œI don’t like to work,” he said. “It makes me gag. I thought this was supposed to be fun.”
    â€œMr. Gladson, put that man on first watch,” the captain bellowed. “We’ll teach him a lesson about working on a tall ship. Fun does not live on my ship.”
    â€œYou there!” Mr. Gladson said, pointing at Frankie. “You’ll join this man in the first watch. He looks like he needs a strong hand next to him. Watch out for pirates and looters who may come aboard and raid us in the middle of the night.”
    Pirates and looters! This was fun. It was like a movie, but for real.
    â€œEach of you will stand watch,” said the first mate. “We work in two-hour shifts. When you’re not on watch or asleep, you’ll be working on a crew. We’ll need galley crew, bilge crew, hide gatherers, deck swabbers, and line handlers.”
    â€œAny of you rats and dogs have a problem with that?” the captain interrupted. He flashed us a crazed smile and I noticed that his teeth were yellowish brown, the same color as the sand at Jones Beach.
    I saw a hand shoot up in the air. It was Nick McKelty.
    â€œSir, what about the job of captain’s assistant?” he asked.
    â€œAye,” said the captain. “I’ll be needing assistants.”
    â€œThis is the man we’ve chosen from our class,” Nick said, giving me a little shove.
    â€œLet me see your face,” the captain growled.
    I strutted over to him, trying out my most confident walk.
    â€œPleased to be of service to you, sir,” I said, saluting at the same time.
    â€œDid I speak to you, maggot?” he roared. “No one speaks on this vessel unless I give him permission. Is that clear?”
    I didn’t know whether I had permission to answer or not, so I just nodded like a bobble-head doll. This was getting a little less fun.
    â€œAny other volunteers?” said the captain.
    â€œI have been chosen from my class, sir.” It was Collin Sebastian Rich the Fourth.
    Oh, no. Of all the assistants in the world, I had to get partnered with Collin.
    I mean, if you were the captain, who would you like better—Mr. Perfect or me?

CHAPTER 12
    THE FIRST MATE SAW TO IT that everybody got to work right away. Frankie and Luke had to stand at the bow of the ship, looking for pirates. They didn’t see any of those, but they did see a New York City garbage barge going by. Luke said it smelled like pizza, which makes you wonder what he gets on his pizza. Orange peels and flies? Or maybe potato skins and candy wrappers?
    Ashley and her new best friend Chelsea Soccer Camp had to lower buckets into the river to get water to swab the decks. A couple other kids had to polish all the brass on the ship. The first mate took four kids in a rowboat and they paddled over to the next dock to