CHAPTER VI.
THE FOURTH OF JULY.
The first cutter was manned by her regular crew, who had been trained with the utmost care to pull together, while Wilton, in the professors' barge, which was of the same size, had some very indifferent oarsmen.
The runaways had made up their force of such material as they could obtain, and though all were somewhat accustomed to rowing, they had not been drilled to work together; they were not the unit of power in pulling a boat.

Shuffles, therefore, had a manifest advantage, and he was determined to bring back the fugitives.
The second cutter, in charge of Paul Kendall, was cleared away, and, with Mr.Lowington and Mr.Fluxion on board, left the ship to take part in the pursuit.

The chase promised to be an exciting one, for Wilton and Monroe were straining every nerve to reach the shore before they were overtaken.

They were making for the nearest land, and having just the number of hands required to pull the boat, each of them was obliged to use an oar himself.

They had no coxswains, and Wilton, at the bow oar of the professors' barge, could not see what was ahead, though he kept the pursuing boats in full view.
The nearest land, not more than half a mile from the ship, was a point covered with salt marsh, above which was a cove, whose opening was about ten rods in width.