nd "Make a break, now, bullies!" In short, before the frigate
left the harbor, the young sailors had made great improvement in all
the minor branches of their profession, and often told one another that
their rivals at the academy had a good deal to learn before they could
make the crew of the yacht take back seats.

Harry Green was still executive officer of the Storm King. The Court of
Inquiry, which he had requested in his report of the attack made on the
yacht by the Crusoe band, had been held, and the lieutenant came off
with flying colors. The only particular in which he had failed to carry
out the orders of his superior officer was in permitting the governor to
escape: but that was something he could not prevent. Sam, in his
desperation, had jumped overboard before the students could get near
enough to seize him; and Harry had but little difficulty in proving, to
the satisfaction of the Court, that not only was it impossible to pick
him up, but that the attempt to do so would have endangered the vessel
and the lives of his crew. Of course, when Harry was cleared, his
officers and men were cleared also, and allowed to retain their
positions on board the yacht, much to the disappointment of their
rivals, who wanted to man the vessel themselves. But, after all, the
escape from disgrace had been a very narrow one--so much so, in fact,
that the only thing that restrained the students from venting their
spite upon the projector of the attack--Tom Newcombe--was the fear of a
court-martial, and dismissal from the navy. They were all highly enraged
at Tom, and, one day, two of the seamen stopped him on the street, and
told him that if he ever got another idea into his head about that
yacht and attempted to carry it out, they would certainly duck him in
the harbor. The interview took place in front of Mr. Newcombe's
residence. Tom wisely held his peace, and made no reply to the young
sailors' threats until he was safe inside the gate, when he drawled out:

"Didn't I tell you that, if I did not own and sail that yacht, nobody
should? Well, I meant it. I've got another idea."

The young tars, being well acquainted with Tom, understood the meaning
of this declaration, and hurried off to report the matter to the first
lieutenant. Harry listened with evident uneasiness, and, after taking a
few turns across the deck, went ashore to consult Captain Steele.

"If it was any body else in the world," said the executive, after he ha