CHAPTER XVII. THE CHESTERFIELDS AND THEIR ALLIES RENEW THE BATTLE.
Commodore Topover was bewildered by the sharp practice of the skipper of the Goldwing. While he was expecting an assault in another direction, he had been suddenly dragged out of the Winooski into the water, and then on board of the schooner. The painter of the barge was made fast astern, and Dory relieved the prisoner from the noose with which he had been captured.
Kidd Digfield and his companions in the boat seemed to be almost as much astonished as the commodore. They were paralyzed by the unexpected onslaught, and the successor of Tom needed a little time to enable him to determine what to do. Both craft had come to a standstill, the sails of the Goldwing shaking in the wind.
Tom Topover was the first to recover his wits. He had been thoroughly ducked, but he had not been injured in the operation of taking him out of the Winooski. He looked about him, and it did not require much time to enable him to take in the situation. He was a prisoner in the hands of the students. He was in the same boat with Dory, who had knocked him over with a single blow of his fist; and the remembrance of this fact was the first idea that came to him.
Before Kidd had decided to do anything the wind had driven the barge astern of the schooner, and whirled her about. In this position there were only two things Tom's successor could do; one was to haul the boat alongside the yacht by the painter, board her, and fight it out; and the other was to cut the painter, and thus recover possession of the barge. But Tom Topover considered himself as still the commodore of the fleet, even in the misfortunes which had befallen it, and he proceeded to use his authority.
"Kidd Digfield!" called Tom, as soon as he comprehended the situation. "Haul in on the painter, and fetch her alongside!"
"I think your fellows had better not try to do that," interposed Dory.
"I give you two minutes to put me back in that boat," replied Tom, with a savage glance at the skipper.