s. Jack dared not move
for fear of the hatchet, and all he could hear was the loud breathing of
the terrified Monkey, who carefully began to grope for the lost lamp. The
search was vain, and Jack was slowly backing away from the vicinity toward
the ladder, intending to bar Monkey's egress when he heard a movement that
seemed to indicate that Monkey was climbing up the piled-up freight. Then
there were two loud blows with the hatchet on the deck above them which
formed the floor of the steerage quarters.

Scarcely a minute passed before a man with another electric light swarmed
down the ladder, and Jack was in the hands of the powerful Dublin. At the
same moment, Monkey dropped his hatchet and dashed past them to the
ladder, where he hung like his simian namesake, calling shrilly for the
night watchman. Jack made an effort to twist himself loose from the hands
of Dublin, but in vain.

"What are ye doin' down here, ye thief? Tryin' to get at the cargo? Call
the quartermaster there, Monkey."

Realizing the trap into which he had fallen, Jack made no further effort
to release himself until he reached the deck above, when he jerked away
from Dublin and faced the quartermaster and the watchman. There they were
joined by Rae and some of the other steerage passengers.

"Well, well; if it ain't one o' them boy Scouts; them amateur soldiers.
Where d'ye find him, Monkey?"

"I seen him hanging round this deck and when he slipped down in the hold
with a hatchet and a 'lectric light. I followed him. He jumped onto me and
I run back to the ladder and yelled for Dublin, and he come and got him."

"How about this, young feller?" asked the quartermaster. "What were you
doin' down that hold this time o' night. Ain't ye one of Colonel Snow's
party?"

"I am," said Jack, "and this man's story is a straightout falsehood. It
was I who followed this boy down into the hold on information that I
got"--

A burst of laughter from both Rae and Dublin interrupted Jack's story, and
both men swore vehemently that Monkey had been in his berth up to a few
minutes before he had called for Dublin. Jack, recognizing his folly in
not having notified Colonel Snow and the Captain of the conspiracy, and
also the way in which the tables had been turned upon him in his attempt
to "go it alone," said:

"I will explain this thing to the Captain; I think he will understand
it."

"I guess you'd better," said the puzzled quartermaster; "but we can't wake