"I mean to have our clothes!" answered Dory.
"Let them have the clothes!" yelled one of the terrified crew.
"Let them have them! We can't do anything more," added another.
Mad said nothing more, but he picked up such of the clothes as were within his reach, and held them out in the direction of the Winooski. His crew followed his example, and Dory ran the barge near enough to receive them.
"That's all there are in this boat," said Mad Twinker.
"If you all move a little farther aft, the water won't run into your boat," said Dory in a quiet tone. "Here are five oars that belong to your boats. I have no further business with you to-day, unless we find some of our clothes are missing; and we wish you good evening."
"We shall have further business with you, and you won't see the end of this affair for one while," growled Mad Twinker, as he crawled to the stern-sheets of his barge.
While this scene was transpiring, the Dasher had succeeded in getting about, and her crew were pulling for the shore, though they lay upon their oars when they saw the catastrophe to her consort. Dory followed the other barge without any delay, and was soon in position to "ram" the bow, as he had that of the Racer; but the Dashers decided not to be wrecked, as their consort had been. Jeff Monroe shouted that they would give up the clothes and they were delivered. The Winooski went to the shore, and the crew clothed themselves. None of the clothes were missing, and the coxswain was glad he had no further demand to make upon the Chesterfields. Before the boys were half clothed the Gildrock joined them.
"What in the world have you fellows been about?" asked Matt Randolph. "We thought you were in a row out there with the Chesterfields, and we were hurrying up to help you out."
"We were in a row, and we have smashed in the bow of one of their boats," replied Dory. "Our fellows have behaved first-rate, and I think we have come out of the scrape with clean hands."