friends, saying "Look here,
fellers! Pipe the jellyfish! I never see one of these here animals
that was worth a cuss; they plays football an' smokes cigareets at
school; then when they're weaned they come off up here an' jump our
claims 'cause we can't write a location notice proper. They ain't no
good. I guess I'll stop it."

Captain moved toward the door, but the whaler threw his bulky frame
against it and scowlingly blocked the way.

"No, you don't. You ain't goin' to run away till I've had the next
dance, Mister Eddication! Humph! I ain't begun to tell ye yet what
a useless little barnacle you are."

Red interfered, saying: "Look 'ere, George, this guy ain't no
playmate of yourn. We'll all have a jolt of this disturbance
promoter, an' call it off." Then, as the others approached he winked
at Captain, and jerked his head slightly toward the door.

The latter, heeding the signal, started out, but George leaped after
him and, seizing an arm, whirled him back, roaring:

"Well, of all the cussed impidence I ever see! You're too high-toned
to drink with us, are you? You don't get out of here now till you
take a lickin' like a man."

He reached over his head and, grasping the hood of his fur shirt,
with one movement he stripped it from him, exposing a massive naked
body, whose muscles swelled and knotted beneath a skin as clear as a
maiden's, while a map of angry scars strayed across the heavy chest.

As the shirt sailed through the air. Red lightly vaulted to the bar
and, diving at George's naked middle, tackled beautifully, crying to
Captain: "Get out quick; we'll hold him."

Others rushed forward and grasped the bulky sailor, but Captain's
voice replied: "I sort of like this place, and I guess I'll stay a
while. Turn him loose."

"Why, man, he'll kill ye," excitedly cried Slim. "Get out!"

The captive hurled his peacemakers from him and, shaking off the
clinging arms, drove furiously at the insolent stranger.

In the cramped limits of the corner where he stood. Captain was
unable to avoid the big man, who swept him with a crash against the
plank door at his back, grasping hungrily at his throat. As his
shoulders struck, however, he dropped to his knees and, before the
raging George could seize him, he avoided a blow which would have
strained the rivets of a strength-tester and ducked under the other's
arms, leaping to the cleared centre of the floor.

Seldom had the big man's rush been avo