the means, I would
have resisted even then, and avoided capture; for I could easily have
swum ashore. But it would have been childish for me to hold out any
longer; and when one of the men held out his oar to me, I grasped it,
and was assisted into the boat.

"Are you satisfied, Thornton?" said Mr. Parasyte, with a sneer, as I
shook myself like a water dog, and took my seat in the boat.

"No, sir; I am not satisfied," I replied.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know about that; I will see in due time."

"You will see in due time, I trust, that the discipline of the
Parkville Liberal Institute is not to be set at defiance with
impunity."

"I have not set the discipline at defiance. I submitted myself, and
did what I could to make others do so. You can't say that I did
anything wrong while I was a member of the academy. You turned me out,
and I was going quietly and in order, when you began to browbeat me."

"I ordered you to come to me, and you did not come. That was downright
disobedience."

"It was after you had turned me out; and all I had to do was to go."

"You were still on my premises, and were subject to my orders."

"I don't think I was."

"I shall not argue the matter with you. I am going to teach you the
duty of obedience."

"Perhaps you will; but I don't believe you will," I replied, in a tone
of defiance.

"We'll see."

"There's another thing we'll see, while we are about it; and that is,
you will pay for smashing my boat."

"Pay for it!" exclaimed he.

"I think so."

"I think not."

"You will, if there is any law in the land."

"Law!" ejaculated he; but his lips actually quivered with anger at the
idea of such an outrage upon his magnificent dignity, as being sued,
and compelled in a court of justice to pay for the boat he had
destroyed.

"You had no right to run into my boat--no more right than I had to set
your house on fire."

"We will see."

He relapsed into a dignified silence; but he was thinking, I fancy,
how very pleasant it would be for him to pay three or four hundred
dollars for the Splash; not that he would care much for the money, but
it would make him appear so ridiculous in the eyes of the students.

The men were pulling for the shore; but I observed that Mr. Parasyte
did not head the boat towards the pier, where the boys were waiting
our return. Probably he feared that they would attempt to resist his
mighty will, and deliver me from his hands