of all.
Then we'll see what the mate has to say."

Fred needed no urging and soon he brought up a shotgun from the cabin
and discharged it--the signal heard by Songbird, as we already know.
Scarcely had this been accomplished when Asa Carey rushed down upon him
from the pilot house.

"Hi! what did you do that for?" roared the mate, in sudden anger.

"Just for fun," answered Fred, as coolly as he could, although his
heart beat rapidly.

"For fun?"

"Yes. Haven't I a right to fire a gun if I want to?"

"I reckon that was some sort of a signal for those on shore."

"And supposing it was, what then, Mr. Carey?" Fred put the question
boldly and looked the mate squarely in the eyes as he spoke.

"Why--er--it's most unusual. There was no need of a signal."

"I wanted them to know we were moving, that's all."

"Humph! There was no use of alarming them. We'll be back long before
they want to come aboard again."

"In that case I'll have nothing more to say."

"Don't you believe it?"

"I'm bound to believe it, if you say so."

"Don't get impudent, young man!"

"I am not impudent, and you needn't get impudent either!" cried Fred,
his anger rising. "You are in command here, but this boat is under
charter and just now I represent the man who owns that charter. If you
have got to cruise around to test the engine and shaft well and good,
but if you are merely cruising around for the fun of it I say go back
to where we came from--none of us want to do any cruising to-day."

At this plain speech the mate grew purple in the face. He raised his
hand as if to strike the youth, but just then Aleck came on deck,
carrying a pitcher of ice water in his hand.

"Stop dat! Don't yo' go fo' to hit dat boy!" cried the colored man. "If
yo' do I'll fling dis watah pitcher at yo' head!"

"You shut up, you rascally nigger!" shouted the mate. "You have nothing
to say here!"

"I'se got somet'ing to say if yo' hit Massa Fred," answered Aleck, and
held the water pitcher as if ready to launch it at the mate's head.

There was a moment of excitement and several crowded around, but then
the mate waved the crowd away.

"I shall report this to Captain Barforth as soon as he comes back," he
said, and turning on his heel, he walked off. Fred went down into the
cabin, and Aleck followed him. A few minutes later Norton joined the
youth and the others, who had gathered to talk the matter over.

"We must be on the watch," said the chief eng