intuition got the upper hand of his judgment, and he
followed.

CHAPTER V

An ominous murmur of voices, with a deep growling undertone, floated up
from the improvised gymnasium in the basement as Captain Pott entered
the swinging doors of Willow-Tree Inn. This was followed by a more
ominous silence. The seaman bounded down the steps. The sight that met
his gaze caused him to stop short. On each side of the low room men and
boys were drawn up in lines, and the division was as clean cut as though
chosen for a tug of war. The doors at the far end of the gymnasium swung
back, and a stranger, stripped to the waist, stepped gingerly into the
room. Sim Hicks met the man, and began to tie a pair of boxing gloves to
his hands. While the Captain looked on in utter amazement, the doors
again swung back, and Mack McGowan entered. He did not appear surprised
at sight of the crowd, as large audiences had become quite the common
thing during his boxing lessons. Hank Simpson came from out the shadows
and reluctantly tied another pair of gloves to the hands of Mr.
McGowan.

"What in tarnation is the meaning of this damn exhibition?" demanded the
Captain, turning to Jud Johnson, the plumber.

"It means there's dirty work on."

"You mean there's been a crooked deal put over on Mack?"

The plumber nodded.

"Who in hell----"

"Swearing ain't going to do no good, Cap'n. The parson don't stand for
it down here," cut in Jud.

"Whose doing is this?"

"We've got a pretty good idea who the cur is, but we ain't exactly
sure."

"Where'd he come from?"

"The city."

"Who brung him in here?"

"We ain't just sure of that, yet."

"What in h---- What's he cal'lating to do?"

"He figures to lick the tar out of the parson. And by the blazes of the
inferno, if he does----"

It was plain that civil war was to ensue if the contest went against Mr.
McGowan.

"How'd he git into such a scrape?"

"It looks like the work of that d--I wish the parson would let me swear
for once--Sim Hicks."

"You mean Hicks brought him in?"

"He come in here more'n a week ago and asked Mr. McGowan to give him
some lessons. Now the devil's to pay, and if we ain't 'way off Hicks
happens to be that devil."

"How----"

"For God's sake stop asking me questions or I'll cut loose and turn the
air blue round here."

"There ain't a feller living that can fight Mack on a week of training,"
declared the seaman.

"No one said he'd had no more'n a