"Are you all deaf there?" demanded Wash Barker angrily, when he discovered that his opponent had the power of speech; "I have been yelling at you for half an hour."
"We don't answer to the name of Tinkers, Greasers, Chip-makers, or anything of that sort," returned the coxswain of the Winooski.
"Oh, you don't!" sneered Wash, when Dory had, with a couple of strokes of the oars, placed the stern of the barge within a few feet of that of the Racer.
"We do not. You have our clothes in your boat, and I will trouble you to return them to us," added Dory.
"Don't give them up!" yelled a fellow in the bow of the Dasher.
"No, no!" shouted half a dozen others; "don't give them up!"
This looked like war, and things had a stormy aspect ahead. But Dory decided to pay no attention to anyone but the officer of the boat.
"Hold on to the clothes!" shouted the students in the Racer, when they understood what was going on.
The commodore of the squadron was thus fully informed in regard to the state of feeling in both his boats. Whatever his own view, he seemed to be unable to stand up against his companions.