the boats, with their oars up, ready to pull as soon as the
order was given.

"Let fall!" said Wilton; and the eight oars of the professors' barge
dropped into the water, and the rowers placed them in readiness for the
first stroke.

Monroe, in the third cutter, followed the example of his principal, and
was hardly a second behind him.

"Give way!" added Wilton.

"Give way!" repeated Monroe; and the two boats gathered way and darted
off towards the nearest point of the shore.

Thus far the enterprise of "our fellows" was entirely successful, and
Shuffles stood on the gangway, chagrined at the defeat which had
attended his efforts to prevent the escape of the runaways.

"Stand by to clear away the first cutter!" shouted he, suddenly and with
energy, as he made his way to the davits, where the boat indicated was
suspended.

"Cast off the gripes, and man the falls!" he continued when the watch
were collected at the scene of action. "Mr. Kendall, you will inform
the captain what has happened."

Within three minutes, the first cutter was in the water, for the crew
had been frequently exercised in the evolution of lowering boats, and
performed it with remarkable facility for boys. Before the first cutter
touched the water, the captain, the principal, and all the professors,
came on deck.

Mr. Lowington was entirely cool, though everybody else appeared to be
intensely excited. The crew of the first cutter were piped away, and at
the principal's suggestion, the third lieutenant was sent off in the
boat to prevent the landing of the rebellious pupils.

"Up oars! Let fall! Give way!" said Shuffles, in the boat, delivering
his orders in rapid succession; and the first cutter darted off in chase
of the runaways.

CHAPTER VI.

THE FOURTH OF JULY.

The first cutter was manned by her regular crew, who had been trained
with the utmost care to pull together, while Wilton, in the professors'
barge, which was of the same size, had some very indifferent oarsmen.
The runaways had made up their force of such material as they could
obtain, and though all were somewhat accustomed to rowing, they had not
been drilled to work together; they were not the unit of power in
pulling a boat. Shuffles, therefore, had a manifest advantage, and he
was determined to bring back the fugitives.

The second cutter, in charge of Paul Kendall, was cleared away, and,
with Mr. Lowington and Mr. Fluxion on board, left the ship to take pa