traveller continued his journey, and on Monday afternoon arrived
at Apalstoe, at the head of one of the inland lakes, where he intended
to sleep; but the station-house was full. Clyde was tired, and did not
feel like going any farther. While he was sending his courier to look
up a bed for him, about a dozen boys wearing the uniform of the
Academy ship flashed upon his view. He was astonished and alarmed. He
suspected that this party had been sent to the interior to head him
off. He was determined not to be an easy victim.

One of the party had a good-sized salmon in his hand, which indicated
that they had been a-fishing.

They took no notice of him, though they could not help seeing him, and
Clyde took courage from this circumstance.

The fishing squad was composed of the crew of the second cutter--the
unfortunates who had been run down by the steamer.

CHAPTER IX.

THE EXCURSION WITHOUT RUNNING AWAY.

The second cutter was a wreck on the water, and the crew saved
themselves by climbing up the bow of the steamer which had run down
the boat. They received prompt assistance from those on board, and, as
the cutter did not sink, and would not have done so, having no
ballast, even if she had been cut in two, the crew were so well
trained that not one of them was guilty of the absurdity of jumping
overboard, and therefore no one was even very wet.

It appeared to be one of those cases where both parties had struggled
to avoid the catastrophe, but the more they struggled the worse was
the situation. If the cutter, on the one hand, had continued on her
course, she would have escaped. If the steamer, on the other hand, had
not changed her course when the calamity was threatened, the boat
could have avoided her. The change of purpose in each had confused the
other, and rendered unavailing the attempt to avoid the collision. The
boat would have gone clear of the steamer if the latter had not put
her helm to starboard. But the catastrophe was accomplished so quickly
that there was not much time to philosophize; and as nothing worse
than a stove boat had resulted from it, there was not much reason to
complain. We are not aware that any one did complain; and we only
state the appearances, not the facts.

The steamer started her wheels again after the cutter had been secured
and made fast astern. The captain spoke only a few words of English,
and Sanford found it quite impossible to hold a conversation with him.
But