“Lowington has found out what is going on in the rooms.”

“He hasn’t, though!”

“Yes, he has.”

“How do you know?”

“What odds does it make how I know?” answered Shuffles, impatiently, for Wilton was much too inquisitive to suit his purposes.  “I talked with the chaplain half an hour to-night.  When he went to my berth after the wine, I rather think he heard the rattle of the props.  At any rate the whole thing will be broken up to-morrow or next day.”

“I don’t see how that will make a row.  Not more than a dozen fellows have played any; and they won’t think of making a row about that.”

“You see!” added Shuffles, confidently.

“Ugh!” exclaimed Wilton, as a cloud of spray dashed over the bow, and drenched the lookout; but they wore their pea-jackets, and such an occurrence was to be expected at sea.

“Stand by to take in studding sails!” shouted Paul Kendall, who was the officer of the deck; and the order was repeated by his subordinates in the waist and on the forecastle.

“We must go,” said Wilton; and they descended from their position.

The wind had continued to freshen, until the ship labored somewhat under her heavy press of canvas.  It was the policy of the principal to go as easily and comfortably as possible, and he had directed Mr. Fluxion, if the wind continued to increase, to have the sail reduced, though neither the safety of the ship nor of the spars absolutely required such a step.  The quarter watch on deck was sufficient to perform this labor.

“Lay aloft, foretopmen!” said the second lieutenant; and those of the watch who had their stations in the fore rigging sprang up the shrouds.  “Stand by the halyard of the top-gallant studding sails!  Man the tacks and sheets!”

“All ready, sir,” reported the second midshipman, who was in the foretop, superintending the operation.

“Lower on the halyards!  Ease off the tacks, and haul on the sheet!”

The two top-gallant studding-sails were thus brought into the top, where they were made up.  The fore-topmast and the lower studding sails were taken in by a similar routine, and the Young America then moved along less furiously through the water.

“Now about the chain,” said Wilton, when the lookouts had returned to their stations.

“Let me see; where did I leave off?” replied Shuffles.

“You said there was to be a row; which I don’t believe.”

“I may be mistaken about that; if I am, the job will be all the more difficult.  Lowington has got us out to sea now, and, in my opinion, he means to shake us up.  He is a tyrant at heart, and he will carry it with a high hand.  I hate the man!” added Shuffles, with savage earnestness.

“You may, but the fellows don’t generally.”

“They will as soon as he begins to put the twisters on them.  You won’t hear him say, ‘If you please, young gentlemen,’ now that we are in blue water.  You know how savage he was with me.”