The orders were given to start again, and the Winooski dashed out into the heavy waves. Dory discovered two more oars which had been lost by the Racer. The two bowmen were directed to pick them up when they came to them, and the five were quickly secured. They were stowed away under the thwarts.
By this time the Chesterfield barges were in condition to make another effort to reach the shore, or to get into smooth water. Wash Barker was yelling at his crew, and striving to bring order out of confusion. Mad Twinker was doing the same in the Racer; though neither of them had any brilliant success. But at last they got the remnant of their oars into the water. Then it was found that the three oars had all been lost from the starboard side of the Dasher, and Wash proceeded to bring about an equilibrium in his propelling force.
When the Winooski had picked up the oars, Dory took her to a position between the barges and the shore. He did not regard the battle as ended; in fact it had hardly begun, though the coxswain considered his tactics a success thus far. After a great deal of loud talk on the part of the coxswains, and a great deal of "talking back" on the part of the crews, the Chesterfields were in condition to resume their effort to reach the shore.
Just as soon as the Dasher began to move through the water, Wash found the sharp bow of the Winooski pointed towards his boat. He was afraid of it, and he allowed himself to be crowded off his course precisely as he had before. It took but a few minutes to put his boat into the trough of the sea again, and she began to roll in a manner very trying to the nerves of the inexperienced boatmen.
The Chesterfields held on to their oars this time, though they stopped rowing. But they did not stop rowing by order of the coxswain. In fact there was a mutiny in the Dasher. The crew ceased to pull of their own accord, and proceeded to pitch into the coxswain for getting them into a scrape a second time. But Wash was a gentleman of energy and decision, and in the matter of "jaw" he soon overcame his refractory crew, and got his boat headed to the shore again.
By this time he comprehended the tactics of the Beech Hill boat, and realized that Dory's purpose was to drive him into the rough water. He appeared to be in an angry frame of mind, and he cast savage glances at the Winooski. Dory continued to ply his strategy of crowding the Racer off her course. But her coxswain had evidently decided not to be shoved off again, though it looked as though the Winooski would dash into her bow the next instant.
"Halloo, Tinkers!" shouted Wash; "If you don't keep out of my way I'll run into you."
Dory made no reply to this threat, though it was uttered in a very savage tone, as though the speaker meant all that he said. The Winooski continued on her course towards the Dasher, her naked crew pulling their steady stroke, but not one of them looking behind him to see when the crash was coming.
"Oars!" said the coxswain, in a low but very decided tone. "Hold water!"