u say you'll
work."

"What does it matter what you do," sauced Franz; "we'll be in port in
four days ... and then you'll see what I'll do!"

* * * * *

"What's that?" cried the captain. Then catching an inkling of Franz's
scheme, he hit the man a quick, hard blow in the mouth with his clenched
fist.

"Give him another!" urged the mate.

But the captain's rage was over, though Franz sent him a bold, mocking
laugh, even as the blood trickled down in a tiny red stream from where
his mouth had, been struck.

I never saw such courage of its kind.

They left him there for ten hours. But he stood without a sign of
exhaustion or giving in. And they untied him. And let him loose.

And, till we hove to at Dalghety's Wharf, in Sydney Harbour, unnoticed,
Franz, the Alsace-Lorrainer, roamed the boat at will, like a passenger.

"Wait till I get on shore ... this little shanghaiing party of the
captain's will cost him a lot of hard money," he said, in a low voice,
to me,--standing idly by, his hands in his pockets, while I was bending
over the brass on the bridge railing, polishing away.

"But they've nearly killed you, Franz ... will it be worth it?"

"All I can say is I wish they'd use me rougher."

"You know, Franz, I'm not a bit sorry for you now ... I was at first."

"That so?... I don't need anybody to be sorry for me. In a week or so,
when I have won my suit against the captain through the Sailors' Aid
Society, I'll be rolling in money ... then you can be sorry for the
captain."

* * * * *

Sydney Harbour ... the air alive with sunlight and white flutterings of
sea gulls a-wing ... alive with pleasure boats that leaned here and yon
on white sails.

* * * * *

Now that we were safe in harbour, I hesitated whether to run away or
continue with the ship. For I had signed on to complete the voyage, via
Iqueque, on the West Coast of South America, to Hamburg ... I hesitated,
I say, because, on shipboard, you're at least sure of food and a place
to sleep....

Karl and I had been set to work at giving the cabin a thorough
overhauling. We fooled away much of our time looking into the captain's
collections of erotic pictures and photographs ... and his obscene books
in every language.

And we discovered under the sofa-seat that was built against the side, a
great quantity of French syrups and soda waters. So we spent quit