and the creaking of
the boat assured me he was in earnest. But in spite of his renewed
exertions, the Champion was gaining a little, and I was sure that she
would overtake us long before we could reach Parkville. I headed her
for The Sisters, therefore, determined to put in force the plan I had
devised before dinner. I ran directly for the channel, and the
Champion followed.

The pursuer was almost upon us when we came within a quarter of a mile
of the end of the channel. Both boats were shaking and trembling under
the high pressure of steam, and every fellow on board the Adieno was
in a fever of excitement.

"Crowd her, Vallington!" I shouted through the tube.

"The Champion's bow is within ten feet of us!" exclaimed Bob.

"Stop her, you villains!" cried the captain of the boat from the bow
of the Champion.

"Give it to her, Vallington! In two minutes more we are safe!" I
yelled through the tube.

"She is almost upon us!" said Bob, tremulously.

At that moment we heard the engine bell of the Champion ring, as the
Adieno approached the narrow channel. Her wheels stopped, and she
began to back vigorously.

"Give them three cheers!" I called to the students, as the pursuer
backed out; and they were given with a will.

CHAPTER XXV.

IN WHICH ERNEST PILOTS THE ADIENO TO PARKVILLE.

The Champion could not pass through the narrow and shoal channel
between The Sisters, and my calculation had been correct. I was so
elated at the victory that I could not refrain from calling for the
cheers, though it was bad policy for us to crow over such rivals. A
moment before, the nerves of all on board of the Adieno had been
strained to their utmost tension by the exciting peril of the moment.
The bow of our pursuer had actually lapped over the stern of our
steamer, and we expected the captain of the Adieno, who stood on the
rail, holding on to an awning stanchion, would leap on board of us,
after he had bawled himself hoarse in ordering us to stop.

The pilot of the Champion was evidently the coolest man in the
steamer, and he had run her to the very mouth of The Sisters
Channel; but he knew that she could not go through, and at the last
practicable instant, he had "stopped" and "backed," leaving the
victory with us. It was a tremendous relief when the pressure was
removed from our overstrained nerves; and never were cheers given
more enthusiastically, even madly, than those which saluted the
people of the Champio