o do."

I went down to the forward deck, quite as anxious as any one else to
know what was to be done, for it seemed to me that we had "drawn an
elephant" as a prize. When I reached the deck, Vallington was writing
with his pencil, and handed me the paper as I joined him.

"Here are your directions, Mr. Pilot," said he.

"I know the lake, but I never had any experience in a steamer," I
replied, in self-defence, as I read the paper, on which was written:--

_"One bell--ahead, slowly.

Two bells--stop.

Three bells--back.

Four bells--ahead, full speed."_

"There are two bell-pulls in the wheel-house," I added.

"You pulled the right one the first time; the other is for the men to
shift the chain-box," he replied. "Now, fellows, what shall we do? is
the next question."

Nobody seemed to know what we were to do; and all were quite willing
to leave the question with our bold general.

"Where is the lame man who had charge of the steamer?" he asked.

"I have fixed him," answered Tom Rush, with a significant smile.

"How have you fixed him?"

"I told him we should throw him overboard if he didn't keep quiet,
and gave him three dollars I picked up among the fellows."

Tom was fit to be a member of the diplomatic corps--bully and bribe in
the same breath! Probably the lame man, who was only a deck hand,
employed but for that day, was not disposed to make any very active
opposition to our plans. At any rate, he sat on the chain-box as
contented as though everything was going on regularly on board of the
boat. Mr. Parasyte had pressed all hands into his service, even to the
captain and engineer, in bringing off the provisions and tents. I
suppose that it never occurred to the principal, or to the officers of
the boat, that a crowd of boys would attempt such a desperate
enterprise as the capture of the Adieno, or they would have taken some
precautions to avoid such an event. It is not strange that they did
not think of such a thing, for if it had been proposed to me
beforehand, I should as soon have thought of carrying off the island
as the steamer.

Mr. Parasyte, the captain, and engineer stood on the edge of the pier.
The principal looked astonished and overwhelmed; the captain was
gesticulating violently to us; and the rest of the party looked like
so many statues. There was no remedy for their misfortune; they had no
boat, and could do nothing. Mr. Parasyte now had the same pleasant
prospect which he had s