pread out before us--that of staying on Pine
Island without food till some one came to his assistance. We hoped he
enjoyed it; and in the mean time we turned our attention to our own
immediate future.

"Fellows, I am afraid we have got into a bad scrape," said Vallington,
again wiping his heated brow; and we could not help seeing that he did
not feel just right in view of what he had done.

"All right; we will take our chances," replied one of the students;
and this was the prevailing sentiment.

"Although I think we were right in the beginning, I am afraid we are
overdoing the matter. But what could we do?" continued our general,
with energy. "We couldn't stay on that island and be starved out. We
paid for the provisions with our own money, and they had no right to
take them from us."

"No!" shouted the boys, indignantly.

"Now we have the steamer; what shall we do with her?"

"Let us go on a cruise," suggested Fred Mason.

"I did not take possession of the boat with the intention of making
any use of her only to get away from the island while it was possible
to do so," replied Vallington.

"O, let's have some fun in her, now we have got her," added Mason.

"We are drifting over to Cannondale pretty rapidly, general," I
interposed. "We must go ahead, or we shall run ashore."

"I don't exactly know what to do, or where to go," continued our
perplexed leader.

"We must go ahead now, and settle that question by and by," I added.

"Can you steer her, commodore?" he asked.

"Certainly I can. I understand the wheel now, and I know all about the
lake. If you can manage the engine, I can take care of the steering."

"My brother is an engineer on a Hudson River boat, and I have spent
many a day with him in the engine-room. I think I understand the
engine pretty well," he replied.

"Let us go ahead then," said one of the impatient fellows.

"We will start her again, commodore; and I wish you would take her to
some place where we can lie to, and decide upon our future course."

"I will do so, general; but I don't think it will hurt those on the
island to wait a while," I answered.

"Very well; we will go where you pilot us, commodore," added
Vallington, as he returned to the engine-room.

Three of the students were sent down into the fire-room, after being
instructed in their duty by the general, who was careful to tell them
not to put too much wood in the furnaces. By this time the Splash had
come alongsi