“Yes, we do! We want to kill the Wimps if they don’t get out of the way.” It was useless to say anything to the irate major while he was so inflamed with wrath, and by general consent the students kept still; but they were disgusted with the commander of the battalion, and doubtless most of them were sorry that they had not tipped him out of both of his offices. While Tommy was still raving like an insane person, the bell rang again to go ahead, and the engineer promptly started the wheels; but only a few turns were made before the signal came to stop her. Finding I was not needed on the main deck, and that the wrathful major would cool off sooner if left to himself, I went up to the wheel-house. All on board, except the captain and one man at the wheel, had been attracted to the vicinity of the engine-room by the exciting scene. There was no one on the forward deck, for even the two men employed there were listening to the howls of Tommy. Captain Underwood had started the boat ahead again, and when I reached the wheel-house, she was gently crowding her way through the fleet of boats, a dozen in number, containing the whole force of the Wimpletonians, over ninety of them. She struck the boats as gingerly as though they had been eggs. She did them no harm, beyond scraping the fresh paint upon them, as she slowly forced her way through them. I watched the movement with interest, for I was curious to know what the Wimpletonians intended to do. The fleet lay in the deep water, so that there was no room on either side for the steamer to pass to her destination without getting aground. Captain Underwood was a prudent man, and worked his craft very carefully. He had given her headway enough to carry her through the squadron of boats; but, as they swarmed along her bow, and under her guards, the students in them fastened to her with their boat-books, so that they could not be shaken off. “Back her quick, and you will shake them off without harming any of them,” I suggested to the captain, when I saw that he was nettled by the failure of his plan. “Out of the way there! Your boats will be smashed under our wheels!” shouted he to the enemy. At that moment half a dozen of the Wimpletonians leaped over the rail of the steamer upon the forward deck, with their muskets in their hands. “What’s that for?” said the captain, quietly. “They mean mischief,” I replied, as I saw a dozen more follow the six; and among the latter was Waddie Wimpleton, glittering with gold lace, for he was in the full uniform of a major of infantry. “Stand by those two doors!” shouted he, drawing his sword and pointing to the entrances near which the Toppletonians were still listening to the howlings of Major Tommy. “Hurry up, there!” he added to those in the boats.