Neither Jack Woodhorn nor Phil Fessenden, the coxswain of the Racer, was disposed to get into a row with the Beech Hillers. Both of them had been in the barges the summer before in all their tilts with the Gildrock and the Winooski, and they had learned wisdom from experience. It was in vain, therefore, that Major Billcord coaxed and threatened them. With a pair of black eyes out of the battle of the day before, Walk was hardly inclined to support his father, though he was quite as anxious as the magnate to get Paul into their possession. For full a quarter of an hour the boats remained in the same relative position. The six ruffians on the shore had come to the conclusion that there was no getting out of the deadlock, and that the only way for them to earn their money was to march their prisoner to Sandy Point by land, a distance of two miles. Bissell had run the Silver Moon into the mouth of the creek, and had been waiting for some movement on the part of the combatants in which he might do something to serve his friends. The ruffians were jawing among themselves as to what it was best to do, but he could not hear enough of their talk to understand their plans, if they had any. The skipper's patience was exhausted, and, taking his painter in his hands, he went on shore. Securing the rope, he walked up the bank. "What are you trying to do?" he asked, addressing his remark to Mad Twinker. "We want to put this fellow on board of the Dasher," replied the leader, as he had been since the overthrow of Buck Lamb. "Well, why don't you do it?" asked Bissell briskly. "Because the tinkers will interfere." "I will take him in the Silver Moon if you like," added the skipper indifferently. "Will you take the rest of us too?" asked Mad. "Yes; I can carry a dozen well enough," replied Bissell. About all the students were small customers at Bissell's store, and were well acquainted with him. They had no suspicion of any treachery on his part. CHAPTER XX. THE REBELLIOUS SKIPPER OF THE SLOOP. "What are you going to do with Paul Bristol, Mad Twinker?" inquired Bissell, as they marched him down to the sloop. "We are not going to do anything with him. Major Billcord wants to see him, and we promised to take him over to Sandy Point for him," answered the chief ruffian. "Oh, that's all, is it?" added the skipper. "What is the major going to do with him?" "We don't know; and it's none of our business." "Of course it isn't," replied Bissell cheerfully, as he hauled up the bow of the boat so that the party could get on board. "How are you feeling now, Paul?" "I think I am all right. I have got some hard cracks since I saw you at your house, but I guess I shall come out of it all right," replied the prisoner, looking with interest and anxiety into the face of the store-keeper.