ground. When you stopped her there were two or
three feet of water under her keel."

"What did you bring her in here for? If I hadn't stopped her when I
did, you would have smashed her up."

"Perhaps I should," I answered with a sneer, when I found it was
impossible to make any headway against the general's unreasonable
speech.

"You were going at full speed; and it is lucky I happened to see the
shore and stop her when I did."

"I have nothing more to say," I replied, seating myself on the rail of
the steamer.

"I don't think there is much more to be said. Here we are, hard
aground; and anybody that has a mind to come after us can take us."

I made no reply. Vallington went to the gangway and looked over into
the shallow water. Then he walked over to the other side, and I had no
doubt our situation looked hopeless to him. After he had walked about
a while, his anger abated; and perhaps he was conscious that he had
been too fast in expressing himself.

"What's to be done? That's the next question," said he.

"I suppose nothing can be done," replied Tom Rush, who was more
disappointed than any other fellow on board. "They say the Champion
will be down after us this afternoon. Perhaps she will drag us off,
and then our tyrants will treat us as they think proper."

"You needn't disturb yourselves about the Champion," I interposed.
"She can't come within half a mile of us at least."

"Is that so?"

"That is so."

"It doesn't make much difference whether she can or not. We must stay
here till some one helps us out of the scrape," added Vallington. "It
was stupid to come in here."

"I don't think so," said Bob Hale, decidedly.

"Here we are aground, anyhow."

"Harry," continued Bob, gently and kindly, "I think Ernest was right
in what he said. If you hadn't stopped the engine, we should have gone
through well enough."

Vallington bit his lips, and he and Bob walked aft together. They were
absent a few moments; and when he returned, the general's face wore a
different expression.

"Thornton, I acknowledge that I was wrong," said he, extending his
hand to me.

The boys standing around us immediately began to clap their hands in
token of their satisfaction. In matters of navigation they were more
willing to believe in me than in Vallington; and probably most of them
were satisfied that I had been in the right.

"Don't say another word," I replied, jumping down from my seat, and
grasping his offered han