Shuffles took the stern line himself, instead of intrusting the duty to the coxswain.

He intended to grapple the bow of the professors' barge, and make fast to it with the rope; but the cutter did not gather way enough in season to do this.

As she backed, she fouled the oars of the barge, and Shuffles secured a firm hold of her stern.
"What are you doing, Bob Shuffles ?" demanded Wilton, angry, when he saw that his late crony was fully in earnest.
The third lieutenant made no reply; but passing his rope through a ring in the stern of the barge, he made it fast, and then pushed the cutter off from her.

When the line had run out about a fathom, he secured the end he held in his hand to the after thwart of his own boat.

Thus the first cutter and the barge were lashed together, stern to stern.
"Cast off that rope!" shouted Wilton to the stroke oarsman in the barge.
"Don't you touch it, my lad," interposed Shuffles, when the boy attempted to obey the order of his leader.