nged the course of my boat, and that jerked the rope;
but I did not intend to throw you into the water."

"Yes, you did! It is worse than folly for you to deny it!" replied he,
angrily.

"If you had not been very careless, you could not have been thrown
out!" I added.

"Don't tell me I was careless!"

"People acquainted with boats don't often stand up in them in such a
sea as this, when they are towed."

"Let me hear no more of your impudence."

Discretion lay in silence, and we said no more. I ran the Splash up
alongside the boat, from which Pearl and his companions had by this
time dipped out all the water.

"Here is your boat, Mr. Parasyte," said Bob Hale. "Will you get into
her, sir?"

"No, I will not," he replied.

"May I ask what you intend to do, sir?" I demanded, out of patience
with him, in his unreasoning malice.

"You will take me to the shore."

"I will not," I replied, bluntly.

"You won't!"

"No, sir."

"We'll see," said he, rising to his feet.

"Better sit down, sir, or you will be overboard again," interposed
Bob, as I drew the heavy tiller from its socket, intending to defend
myself from assault.

The Splash lay with her sails shaking, and her position was a very
uneasy one. Mr. Parasyte concluded to sit down, simply because he
could not stand up, and I restored the tiller to the rudder.

"If you don't choose to get into that boat, Mr. Parasyte, I will land
you at Cleaver Island," I added, as I filled away again, and headed
the Splash towards the point indicated.

"Thornton, I want you to understand, that for all you have done you
shall be brought to a strict account," said the principal, sternly,
but vexed that he had failed to have his own way.

"I am ready to face the music, sir."

"No slang to me!"

"Will you land on Cleaver Island, or will you get into that boat?"

"I will get into the boat, but only that I may the sooner bring you to
justice," said he, desperately.

I came about again, and ran alongside of Pearl's boat. Mr. Parasyte,
still dripping from his bath, embarked with his toadies.

"The end is not yet," said he, shaking his head, as the Splash filled
away once more. "You will soon hear from me again."

We made no reply; and I was profoundly grateful that his life had been
saved. My high hopes that what we had done for him might enable him to
yield with better grace, and thus end the "breaking away," were dashed
to the ground. With the wind on the beam, w