answered Shuffles, quietly.

"Shall I run towards them?"

"No; keep her as she is. There isn't more than a foot of water anywhere
between them and the point."

The third cutter, being a smaller boat than the professors' barge, did
not touch the bar as soon as her consort; but Monroe saw that his craft
could not land her party on the point at that stage of the tide, and he
ordered his crew first to lay on their oars, and then to back water.
Wilton's boat was aground at the bow, and when he had sent part of his
crew aft, she was easily pushed off the bar. By this delay he had lost
the chance of landing at the point, and his only alternative was to pull
up to the cove; but in doing so, it would be impossible to avoid the
first cutter, which had now secured a position off the mouth of the
little bay.

"Stand by to lay on your oars," said the coxswain of the first cutter,
as directed by the lieutenant in command. "Oars!"

The crew ceased rowing, and laying on their oars, waited the next
movement of the runaways. In the mean time the second cutter was well
away from the ship, and Mr. Lowington, promptly comprehending the
intentions of the third lieutenant, directed the officer in command to
pull towards the boats on the bar, keeping well to seaward, in order to
prevent them from escaping in that direction.

Wilton realized that he was cornered, and hoping that Shuffles would not
be over-zealous in the discharge of his duty, directed his course
towards the opening of the cove. A few strokes brought him within
hailing distance of the first cutter.

"No use, Wilton," said Shuffles, laughing. "You may as well pull for the
ship. It's all up with you."

But the leader of the runaways, instead of heeding this good advice,
attempted to push by astern of the first cutter.

"Stern, all! Give way!" shouted Shuffles, sharply. "Coxswain, stand by
with your stern line!"

It was generally understood that the third lieutenant of the Young
America was a fighting character, and that he could whip any officer or
seaman in the ship, though his prowess had not been practically
demonstrated. Shuffles took the stern line himself, instead of
intrusting the duty to the coxswain. He intended to grapple the bow of
the professors' barge, and make fast to it with the rope; but the cutter
did not gather way enough in season to do this. As she backed, she
fouled the oars of the barge, and Shuffles secured a firm hold of her
stern.

"What ar