The moon shone brightly on the deserted deck of the Josephine after the runaways had departed in the four boats,—deserted by all save Bitts, who was endeavoring to free himself from the rope by which he had been secured. Before the conspirators had gone a cable's length, he succeeded. Reaching the rope over his head, he went up, hand over hand, till he had slack enough to make a bight for one of his feet. Then, holding on with one hand, he loosed the rope from his neck with the other, and descended to the deck.

Rogues always overreach themselves. Phillips had intended to secure the arms of his prisoner by winding a line around his body, but, considering him safe without it, he had neglected to do so. If he had done this, the runaways might have reached the shore before any one could come to the aid of the sufferer. He was free in three minutes after Phillips left him. The boats were pulling for the shore, and those below were laboring to release themselves from their imprisonment. He went to the companion way, and tried to open it; but the nail held it fast. Descending to the steerage, he removed the handspike with which the cabin door was fastened.

"What does all this mean?" demanded Mr. Fluxion, as he hastened on deck.

"The boys have taken all the boats, and left the vessel," replied Bitts.

"Left the vessel!" exclaimed Mr. Fluxion. "Were you asleep on deck?"

"No, sir. Half a dozen of them hung me by the neck till I was nearly choked to death," pleaded the carpenter.

"Where was Cleats?"

"I stepped below for half a minute, and they clapped the slide on over me," answered Cleats, very sheepishly.

"You stepped below! I ordered you not to leave the deck," added the vice-principal, angrily. "You are responsible for this."

"I did not think the young rascals would do such a thing as this," pleaded the culprit.

"I did; and I told you they would do anything. You have disobeyed my orders. Take the helm, Gage."

Mr. Fluxion glanced at the boats, and gave a few hasty orders, by which the Josephine was headed towards the shore. The cooks and stewards in the forecastle were released, and the chase commenced.

"I did not think they were quite so bold as this," said Dr. Carboy.

"They will do anything. Cleats thinks more of his stomach than of his duty, or it would not have happened," replied Mr. Fluxion. "I have seen the boys talking together a great deal on this cruise, and I was sure something was brewing. I charged all the officers not to leave the deck for a single instant. Probably the young rascals have been watching for this opportunity during the whole cruise."

"It is a very foolish movement on their part," added Dr. Carboy.

"Yet if they had kept us in the cabin half an hour longer, it might have succeeded, for the boats would have been out of sight. If they had tied Bitts's arms behind him, it might have been half an hour before we could have broken out of the cabin."

Mr. Fluxion questioned the watch officers very closely in regard to the conduct of the crew on deck, and he soon understood the whole matter. He was very severe upon Cleats for leaving the deck, declared that he could not be trusted, and that he should be discharged. The latter was very humble, acknowledged his error, and made no attempt to palliate it. He had always been faithful, so far as was known, and probably had never been guilty of any graver offence than that of leaving the deck for a few minutes during his watch. But he had been expressly cautioned not to do this, and had sent a hand below for his lunch, until the present time.

In the boats the runaways were pulling with all their might to get out of sight of the Josephine before the officers should set themselves at liberty. Perth urged the oarsmen in the captain's gig to the most tremendous exertion. But in less than ten minutes, and before they had made a single mile, they saw the Josephine fill away, and stand towards them.

"Did you fasten Bitts?" said Perth, to Phillips, who was in the gig with him.

"I did. He couldn't get away, I know," replied Phillips.

"They are after us, and I'm afraid the game is up," added Perth. "The Josephine can make two knots to our one in this breeze."

The leader was very anxious for the result. The plan had really failed because the officers had released themselves so much sooner than was expected. But Perth hoped to make it partially successful. Standing up in the gig, he ordered the other boats to separate, so that the Josephine could not capture them all at once. He directed the first cutter to pull to the north-west, while the gig went to the south-west, and the second and third cutters were to take intermediate points. The Josephine was headed to the north-west, with the evident intention of getting between the boats and the shore. The second cutter would therefore be her first victim; and Perth hoped that, by the time she had picked up the other three boats, his own would be in shoal water, where a schooner of her tonnage could not come.

Little was in command of the first cutter. He obeyed the order of Perth, though he saw it would be a losing game for his boat. In less than half an hour the Josephine came up with him. The wind was due east, which gave the vessel every advantage, and she came about under the lee of the cutter.

"Hold water! Back her!" shouted Little, who had prepared his plan of operations, and intended to pull dead to windward of her, so that she would have to go in stays before she could come up with the boat again.

Peaks spoiled his plan by throwing a boat grapnel into the fore-sheets of the cutter, and hauling her alongside of the Josephine as her sails shook in the wind. Cleats dropped into the boat, and, leaping aft, seized Little by the collar. Gage followed him, and ten of the runaways were captured. Mr. Fluxion ordered them on board the vessel, and the two men in the boat expedited their movements by some rather rough usage.

The vice-principal said nothing to the discomfited crew of the first cutter, but gave his orders to chase the second cutter. As the Josephine approached her, Peaks and Gage, with two of the stewards, were sent off in the first cutter as the vessel lay to. They grappled the boat, and as no one thought of resisting Peaks, they were readily captured, and driven upon the deck of the schooner. The third cutter was taken with no more difficulty. A few moments later, the Josephine luffed up under the lee of the gig, having towed the first cutter, in which the four men were seated, to this position. The boat pulled towards the runaways. Perth was desperate when he saw how easily he was to be captured.

"Bat them over the head with your oars, fellows!" shouted he. "Don't let them take you!"

The oarsmen attempted to obey this order, and to beat off their pursuers. A brief struggle ensued, in which Perth and Phillips fought with desperation; but Peaks succeeded in getting into the gig, and the strife was ended. With a blow of his fist the stalwart boatswain justified the traditions of himself, and Perth was knocked senseless in the bottom of the boat, while Phillips, with a bleeding face, yielded the day. The runaways in the gig were driven to the deck, as their companions had been, while Perth was handed up by the grim Peaks, put in his berth, and attended by Dr. Carboy.

T............