"if you ask for my opinion," said bob hale, "i say we had better return to parkville at once, and not wait to be driven back."

"it is easy enough for you to say that," replied tom rush, who had joined us. "you live there, and all you have to do is to go home; but what are the fellows who reside a hundred miles from there to do?"

"they will not be any worse off there than they will be here. the question is only between going back and being driven back," added bob.

"i suppose that we are to acknowledge that breaking away has been a failure," said vallington.

"not at all; i, for one, won't have any more to do with mr. parasyte," answered bob. "what do you say, ernest?"[267]

"i probably shall not go back to the institute, whatever happens," i replied. "my breaking away is not from school only, but from all the home i ever knew. i have been thrown out upon the world, to take care of myself."

for a moment my friends seemed to forget that we were in council to determine what should be done for the rebels in their sympathy for me; but i assured them i was not at all concerned about myself, and felt abundantly able to make my way without any help.

"but what an old humbug your uncle is!" said tom.

"he is a strange man. he seemed to have turned me out because i displeased him in resisting mr. parasyte's injustice. he is afraid my conduct will lessen the value of his mortgage on the parkville liberal institute."

"i think mr. parasyte's conduct has lessened it," said vallington. "but all this is neither here nor there. what shall we do with this steamer?"

"take her back to parkville, and leave her there," answered bob.[268]

"what are the fellows to do?" asked tom.

"let them go back to the institute, and lie back till something happens."

"i don't believe anything will happen this year," laughed tom, who was always light-hearted in any emergency.

"now, i think something will happen within a few days. i know that certain persons in parkville, who have long been dissatisfied with mr. parasyte, intended to have a change months ago; and if i mistake not, this affair of ours will bring matters to a head," said bob.

"what can they do? mr. parasyte is as obstinate as a mule, and owns the institute himself," added vallington.

"not quite; my uncle will own the most of it if his note isn't paid," i interposed.

"i am not at liberty to tell even what i know, which is not much; but i believe something will turn up which will put things right at the institute. all we have to do is to go back to parkville and make our peace with the steamboat folks the best way we can," continued bob.[269]

we all agreed that the steamboat enterprise was a bad affair for us; but we were just as unanimous in the opinion that we could not have done otherwise than take her as we did. it was mean of her captain to lend himself and his boat to such a man as mr. parasyte. we could not stay on pine island without food and without shelter. but we hoped to return the adieno uninjured, and, through the powerful influence of bob hale's father, who was the wealthiest man in the county, to escape without any serious consequences. it was decided, therefore, to return to parkville just as soon as we had eaten our dinner.

tom rush's cooks were either very dilatory, or they had not got the hang of the steamer's kitchen, for we had to wait an hour for the meal. we dined in the cabin, where we found everything we needed to set the table; and in spite of the desperate condition of our affairs, we enjoyed ourselves very much. some one ventured to inquire if we could not charter the adieno for a week, and finish our breaking away in her, it would be so pleasant to live on board, and cruise up and down the beau[270]tiful lake. but it was satisfactorily shown that our finances, however they might be improved by letters from home, would not warrant such a piece of extravagance.

this was the last day of the breaking away, at least on the lake and in camp, and we were disposed to make the most of it. as soon as it was announced that we were to return to parkville, though some of the students murmured, and wished to make a trip down the lake before we went back, the plan was accepted, and the boys were disposed to improve the remainder of the cruise. they persisted in enjoying it; and before the boat left the wood pier, they were skylarking and training as though the future would require no account to be rendered of their past conduct.

vallington went to the engine-room, and directed the boys below to start up the fires. with bob hale i went to the wheel-house; while tom rush, as he had been directed by our chief, had all the dishes washed, and everything put in order in the cabin and kitchen, for we wished to leave the boat in as good condition in every respect as we found her.[271]

"cast off the fasts!" i called to the boys on the forward deck, when vallington informed me that he had steam enough.

"all clear!" replied those who were doing duty as deck hands.

i rang to back her; and when the bow of the adieno was clear of the wharf, i started her forward slowly; and keeping her in the middle of the channel, she passed in safety out into the broad lake.

"we are too late; we ought to have gone before," said bob, impatiently. "there comes the champion. i was certain she would be after us—as certain as you were. what shall we do?"

i headed the adieno down the lake when i saw the champion—that is, away from parkville.

"we must take our chances; we can't do anything else," i replied to bob, as i threw the wheel over.

"but you are not headed for parkville."

"not yet; for i don't mean to be captured."

"how can you help it?"

"perhaps i can't help it; but i can try."

i notified vallington through the speaking-tube that the champion was in sight, and headed towards us.[272]

"we mustn't let her overtake us, if we can help it. i will put on the steam," he replied.

"all right; i can keep out of her way," i answered.

"why not surrender?" said bob, who stood at my side watching the champion.

"surrender!" i exclaimed.

"why not? what harm will it do?"

"i have no idea of throwing myself into the hands of those steamboat men. don't you see the champion is full of men?"

"do you suppose they would harm us?"

"i do. no doubt mr. parasyte is on board, and he will give them liberty to maul us as much as they please."

"perhaps you are right; i didn't think of mr. parasyte's being with them."

"of course he is; and i think we can make better terms by fighting it out. for my own part, i would run the steamer ashore and take to the woods, rather than give myself up to mr. parasyte and such a gang as he has now."

bob did not fully agree with me, though he thought[273] we had better get back to parkville, if we could. this was not an easy matter, for the champion lay between us and our destination, and could cut us off if we attempted to pass her. she could run up alongside of the adieno, if we attempted to dodge her, and throw her men on our decks.

the sisters lay near the middle of the lake, and the champion must go to the north or to the south of them. i made a blunder; i ought to have waited at the end of the channel until our pursuer had reached his most southern or most northern point in coming round the shoal, and then gone off in the opposite direction; but even then he might have put about, and headed us off. it was hard to decide what to do, and i continued to go to the westward until the champion, which had chosen the southern passage, was due south of the sisters, when i stood away to the northward.

but the pursuer "had me;" and finding it was useless to attempt to get by her, i headed the boat down the lake again. the champion then crowded on all steam and chased us. this was exactly what i wished her to do, and i led her five miles down the lake.[274]

"i don't know about it, ernest," said bob, shaking his head. "i think she will catch us. this boat is the fastest, but we don't understand her well enough to make her do her best."

"i am afraid of that; but don't talk to me, if you please, now," i replied.

i led the champion to the northward of an island at this point; and here her captain made a blunder, which restored to me the advantage i had lost before. when the champion was well by the island, i turned the adieno to the southward, and went round the island, which prevented our pursuer from cutting us off, and saving any of the distance, as he might have done, in the open lake.

"there, bob, i have done it now, and i am satisfied," i said. "she can't cut us off, and it will be a square race up the lake."

"the champion is gaining on us every moment," replied bob.

the race between the adieno and the champion.—page 275. the race between the adieno and the champion.—page 275.

the other steamer was certainly overhauling us. the superior skill of the men in charge of her gave them the advantage. i told vallington of the fact, and soon the roaring of the furnaces and the creak[275]ing of the boat assured me he was in earnest. but in spite of his renewed exertions, the champion was gaining a little, and i was sure that she would overtake us long before we could reach parkville. i headed her for the sisters, therefore, determined to put in force the plan i had devised before dinner. i ran directly for the channel, and the champion followed.

the pursuer was almost upon us when we came within a quarter of a mile of the end of the channel. both boats were shaking and trembling under the high pressure of steam, and every fellow on board the adieno was in a fever of excitement.

"crowd her, vallington!" i shouted through the tube.

"the champion's bow is within ten feet of us!" exclaimed bob.

"stop her, you villains!" cried the captain of the boat from the bow of the champion.

"give it to her, vallington! in two minutes more we are safe!" i yelled through the tube.

"she is almost upon us!" said bob, tremulously.

at that moment we heard the engine bell of the[276] champion ring, as the adieno approached the narrow channel. her wheels stopped, and she began to back vigorously.

"give them three cheers!" i called to the students, as the pursuer backed out; and they were given with a will.