ton's letter, the crew were allowed to go on board
of the Josephine. The sight of the signal for sailing, which had been
hoisted on board of the Young America, caused no little excitement in
the consort, as, in fact, it did on board of the ship. It looked like a
very sudden movement, for all were anticipating their departure for
Germany by the next or the following day. The principal had told them
they would leave in a few days, and not a word had been said about
going to sea in the interim.

"What's up?" asked Greenway, one of the runaways, who had been
transferred to the Josephine, as Little came on deck.

"I don't know--only that we are going to sea," replied Little. "We have
had high times on board of the ship."

"What have you been doing?"

"Hazing Shuffles," said Little, in a whisper.

"And I'll bet that is the reason why we are going to sea, instead of
going to Germany," answered Greenway, with something like disgust in
his looks and in the tones of his voice.

"No matter; we have proved that Shuffles can't handle the ship. He had
to call on old Peaks to help him before he could get the main-topsail
set."

"But if you play these games we shall be left on board while the rest
of the fellows go down the Rhine."

"Not much! Fluxion is going to Marseilles to see his grandmother, or
somebody else, and if we only make mischief enough, Lowington won't
dare to leave us on board."

Little explained the views of Howe, which he had adopted as his own, to
the effect that the more mischief they made, the better would be their
chances of joining the excursion to Germany. Greenway was foolish
enough to take the same view of the question. If the vice-principal was
obliged to go away, Mr. Lowington would not dare to leave the runaways
with any other person.

"But we don't want to go to Germany," added Little.

"Why not?"

"Simply because we have not been to Paris and Switzerland," replied the
little villain, as he led his companion to the forecastle, where no one
could overhear them. "We are going to have the time we bargained for
when we sailed in the Josephine. If we go with the rest of the fellows,
we intend to take French leave of them as soon as we find an
opportunity to do so. On the whole, I had just as lief stay if Fluxion
is not to have the care of us, for we can slip through the hands of any
other man in the squadron."

"There is some money in Paris waiting for me," said Greenway.

"There is some wait