boat-hooks in their hands.

"Way enough!" added the coxswain; and the rest of the crew tossed their
oars.

At the gangway of the ship stairs had been rigged, at the foot of which
there was a platform, for the convenience of those boarding or leaving
the ship by the boats. The bowmen fastened their boat-hooks upon the
platform, in readiness to haul the boat alongside, so that the passenger
could step out without inconvenience. But the current was strong, and
some delay ensued.

"There! let me get out!" exclaimed Mr. Hamblin, rising in the boat, and
walking between the oarsmen to the bow.

"Steady, sir!" said Humphreys, the officer, as he took the arm of the
professor, to prevent him from falling.

"Pull the boat up, so I can step out!" said Mr. Hamblin, impatiently, to
the bowmen.

They were hauling her up closer to the platform, against the strong
current, which, being in a direction contrary to the wind, made
considerable sea, causing the boat to roll and jerk uneasily. When she
was within a couple of feet of the platform, the professor attempted to
step out.

"Steady, sir!" said Morgan, one of the bowmen, as Mr. Hamblin was about
to take the step; but at that instant the boat receded from the
platform, and the learned gentleman, with one foot on the plank and the
other on the bow of the boat, made a very long straddle, toppled over
into the water, and disappeared in the eddies.

"My boat-hook broke!" protested Morgan, holding up the implement, from
which the iron had drawn out; and after what had occurred on board of
the consort, he probably deemed it necessary to make an immediate
defence.

"Man overboard!" shouted several students in the ship; and immediately
there was an immense commotion on board of her.

Mr. Hamblin rose to the surface an instant later, and shouted for help.
The accident was observed from the Josephine, and the gig piped away in
double quick time.

"Up oars! Let fall! Give way!" shouted Robinson, in the first cutter, as
she drifted away from the gangway of the ship, without waiting for the
orders to be repeated by the coxswain.

A few vigorous strokes of the oars brought the cutter to the spot where
the professor was struggling with the dirty current. The bowmen seized
him by the collar, and the crew, after no little labor, owing to the
excitement of the unfortunate gentleman, succeeded in getting him into
the boat. He was placed in the stern sheets, and Robinson afforded him
suc