ght into the top, where
they were made up. The fore-topmast and the lower studding sails were
taken in by a similar routine, and the Young America then moved along
less furiously through the water.

"Now about the chain," said Wilton, when the lookouts had returned
to their stations.

"Let me see; where did I leave off?" replied Shuffles.

"You said there was to be a row; which I don't believe."

"I may be mistaken about that; if I am, the job will be all the more
difficult. Lowington has got us out to sea now, and, in my opinion, he
means to shake us up. He is a tyrant at heart, and he will carry it
with a high hand. I hate the man!" added Shuffles, with savage
earnestness.

"You may, but the fellows don't generally."

"They will as soon as he begins to put the twisters on them. You won't
hear him say, 'If you please, young gentlemen,' now that we are in blue
water. You know how savage he was with me."

"Well, but you were disobedient. You told him, up and down, you wouldn't
do what he ordered you to do."

"No matter for that. You had a chance to see the spirit of the man. He
was a perfect demon. He put me in irons!" exclaimed Shuffles, still
groaning under this indignity. "I have been insulted and outraged, and I
will teach him that Bob Shuffles is not to be treated in that manner! I
will be revenged upon him, if it costs me my life."

"The fellows won't go into any such desperate game as that," replied
Wilton, cautiously.

"But there will be fun in the thing," added the malcontent, softening
his tone. "We shall have the ship all to ourselves. We needn't trouble
ourselves anything about Latin and Greek, and trigonometry and algebra.
We shall go in for a good time generally."

"It is all moonshine; it can't be done. What's the use of talking about
such a thing?" said Wilton.

"It can be done, and it shall be," replied Shuffles, stamping his foot
on the deck.

"How?"

"I am not quite ready to tell you yet."

"Very well; I don't want to know anything more about it," answered the
timid conspirator, who was almost disgusted at the foolhardiness of the
plan.

"I can get along without you," added Shuffles, with assumed
indifference.

"I would rather have you do so."

"All right; but you will want to come in when we have got along a little
farther."

"Perhaps I shall; if I do, I suppose the door will be open to me."

"It may be open; but perhaps you can't walk into the cabin then."

"Why not?"