"Mind whom you speak to." The trustworthiness of the various students was canvassed, and it was decided what ones should be invited to join the enterprise.

The discontented boys separated, and went to work with great caution to obtain the needed recruits.

Unfortunately, in such a crowd of young men, there are always enough to engage in any mischievous plot, and it is quite likely that twice as many as were wanted could have been obtained to man the boats in the runaway expedition.
Wilton missed Shuffles very much in arranging the details of the present enterprise.

While at the Brockway Academy, they had plotted mischief so often that each seemed to be necessary to the other.

But Shuffles had reformed; he was now third lieutenant of the ship, and it was not safe to suggest a conspiracy to him, for he would attempt to gain favor with the principal by exposing or defeating it.
Yet Shuffles was so bold in thought, and so daring in execution, that Wilton could hardly abandon the hope of obtaining his assistance; besides, the third lieutenant would be officer of the deck when the professors went to supper, and might wink at their departure in the boats, if he did not actually help them off.
"Would you say anything to Shuffles ?" asked Wilton, still in doubt, of Monroe, as they happened to meet again in the waist.
"To Shuffles!" exclaimed Monroe, in an energetic whisper.
"I mean so." "Certainly not.