e you doing, Bob Shuffles?" demanded Wilton, angry, when he saw
that his late crony was fully in earnest.

The third lieutenant made no reply; but passing his rope through a ring
in the stern of the barge, he made it fast, and then pushed the cutter
off from her. When the line had run out about a fathom, he secured the
end he held in his hand to the after thwart of his own boat. Thus the
first cutter and the barge were lashed together, stern to stern.

"Cast off that rope!" shouted Wilton to the stroke oarsman in the barge.

"Don't you touch it, my lad," interposed Shuffles, when the boy
attempted to obey the order of his leader. "If you attempt it, you will
purchase a sore head."

[Illustration: THE ESCAPE FROM THE SHIP. Page 95.]

The third lieutenant had picked up a boat-hook, and stood ready to rap
any of the barge's crew who might attempt to cast off the line by which
the boats were fastened together. No one was disposed to cross the
purposes of so formidable a person as Shuffles, and the stroke oarsman
did not obey the order of Wilton. It would not be safe to do so.

"Now, Wilton, what do you say?" demanded Shuffles, a smile of triumph
playing upon his face, which was very aggravating to the leader of the
runaways. "Will you go back to the ship, or not?"

"No, of course I won't," replied the discomfited chief of the
malcontents.

"You had better, my dear fellow. There comes Mr. Lowington."

"I didn't think this of you, Bob Shuffles," said Wilton, reproachfully.

"I told you I should do my duty; and I shall, to the end. If you will
return, all right; if not, I shall take you back."

"No, you won't."

"I think I will," added the third lieutenant, quietly. "Stand by to give
way!" he continued, to the coxswain.

"Two can play at that game," said Wilton, as he gave the same order to
his crew.

"Give way!" shouted the coxswain of the first cutter, with energy.

"Give way!" repeated Wilton, in the barge.

The rope straightened, Shuffles stood up in the stern-sheets of the
cutter, to prevent the line from being cast off, and the contest began,
to ascertain which should drag the other. It was rather ludicrous, in
spite of the serious question of discipline involved in the affair, and
the boys in the cutter were intensely amused, as well as excited. Both
crews struggled with all their might, and each leader urged his
followers to renewed exertions.

The discipline of the first cutter was on the point of