Having learned a valuable lesson from the daily discipline of the ship, the mischief was certainly well planned.

Each boy was assigned to a particular position in the boats, and knew on what thwart he was to sit, and which oar he was to pull.
Wilton and Monroe, as the master spirits of the enterprise were to run out first on the swinging boom, and slide down the painters, each into the boat he was to command.

The others were to follow in the same way, descending from the boom, for it was not considered prudent to run the boats up to the gangway, where some enthusiastic officer might easily interfere with the plan, which was to depend for its success upon the celerity of its execution.
When four bells struck, the professors went down to their evening meal, as usual, and the boatswain piped the port watch to supper, the starboard watch having taken theirs at three bells, or half past five.
Wilton gave a low whistle, when Shuffles, officer of the deck, was abaft the mizzenmast, with his back to the runaways who had gathered in the waist, and were waiting for the signal.
"Be lively, fellows," said the leader of the enterprise, as he sprang over the rail, and ran out on the boom, followed by Monroe.
The others, in the order in which they had been instructed, did the same.

About half of them were on the boom, when the movement was reported to the officer of the deck by the midshipman on duty in the waist.

Shuffles rushed forward, now understanding, for the first time, the intentions of Wilton; and true to the inspiration of fidelity, he set about defeating the object of "our fellows." The studding-sail boom, to which the boats were fastened, was supported by a topping-lift from above, and kept in position, at right angles with the side of the ship, by guys extending forward and aft.
"Stand by that fore guy!" shouted Shuffles, as he sprang upon the rail.
"Cast off!" "Lively, fellows!" said Wilton, when he saw that the third lieutenant intended to swing in the boom to the ship's side.
"Stand by the after guy of the studding-sail boom!" continued Shuffles, with becoming energy.
Both his orders were promptly obeyed; but seeing that his movement would be too late, he rushed to the topping-lift, and cast it off, causing the swinging boom to drop into the water, just as the last boy was about to slide down into the professors' boat.