"And you will fall, in my opinion," said Clyde, as, taking advantage
of his antagonist's attention to the brig, he gave him a smart push,
which displaced him from the cat-head.

But Peaks, who was half man and half fish, was as much at home in the
water as on the deck, and struck out for the cable, by which the ship
was anchored, as the nearest point of support. Clyde walked along the
rail till he came to the swinging-boom, where the boats which had been
lowered for use after dinner were fastened. Climbing out on the boom,
he dropped down by the painter into the third cutter, one of the
four-oar boats. Bitts, the carpenter, who had been the only person on
board except the boatswain, was in the waist busily at work upon the
boat, and did not observe that anything unusual had transpired. Clyde
had practised gymnastics a great deal, and was an active, agile
fellow. Casting off the painter of the third cutter, he worked her
astern, so as to avoid Peaks. Then, shipping a pair of oars, he pulled
for the shore.

In the mean time, the boatswain, disdaining to call for assistance,
and not having observed the movements of Clyde, climbed up the cable
to the hawse-hole, and then, by the bowsprit guys, made his way to the
top-gallant forecastle, where he discovered the Briton in the cutter,
pulling with all his might for the shore. Shaking the water from his
clothes, he hastened to the main cabin, and informed the principal
that the new scholar had left the ship.

"Left the ship!" exclaimed Mr. Lowington. "Were you not on deck while
the students were at dinner?"

"Yes, sir, most of the time; but just at the moment when the young
sculpin left the ship, I happened to be in the water," answered Peaks,
shrugging his shoulders like a Frenchman, and glancing at his wet
garments.

"How came you in the water?"

"The little Britisher pushed me overboard, when I was sitting on the
cat-head."

"I see," added the principal. "We must get him back before his mother
arrives."

By this time most of the students had come up from the steerage, and
the order was given to pipe away the first cutter. Peaks was directed
to change his clothes, and go in her. He was ready by the time the
crew were in their seats, for, as he was not a fashionable man, his
toilet was soon made. The boats from the other vessels of the fleet,
including those of the yachts, were already on their way to the town.
The first cutter pulled to the shore; but Clyde had