Marshall if
you want to."

"I don't do things like that," replied Nat quietly, though he felt
like punching Sam for his sneering tone. "But I'm advising you for
your own good."

He turned away, and as he did so his coat, with an outside pocket
showing conveniently open, was close to Sam's hand. Then a daring and
mean scheme came into the mind of the red-haired youth.

"If I get into trouble, I'll make trouble for him, too," he thought,
and with a quick motion he dropped into Nat's pocket a partly-filled
box of cigarettes. "If he squeals on me I'll have something to tell
on him," he continued.

Hardly had he done this than he was startled by an angry voice
exclaiming:

"Throw that cigarette overboard! How dare you smoke on this deck?
Don't you know it's against the rules? Go below at once and I'll
attend to your case!"

Sam started guiltily, and turned to behold Captain Marshall glaring at
him and at the lighted cigarette which the youth still held between
his fingers. Nat, who had passed on only a few steps, turned likewise.
One look at the commander's face told him Captain Marshall was very
angry indeed.

"I told you that you'd better stop," Nat whispered to Sam.

"Aw, dry up!" was the ungracious retort. "I guess I can look out for
myself."

"Look here," went on the captain, striding up to Sam, "didn't you know
it was against the rules to smoke up here? I don't like cigarettes in
any part of the ship, least of all up on this deck. Didn't your uncle
tell you about it?"

"No--no, sir," replied Sam, who, in spite of his bravado, was startled
by the angry manner of the commander.

"And didn't any one tell you that it was forbidden here? Didn't you
tell him?" he asked, turning to Nat. "You've been here long enough to
know that rule."

"I did know it, sir," replied Nat respectfully, "and I told----"

"He didn't tell me!" burst out Sam quickly. "He didn't say anything
about it. In fact, Captain Marshall, he asked me to smoke here. He
gave me the cigarette!"

"What!" exclaimed Nat, astonished beyond measure. "I never----"

"Yes, you did!" went on Sam quickly. "You gave me a cigarette out of a
box you had in your pocket, I--I thought it was all right to smoke
when he gave it to me."

"Is this true?" demanded the captain sternly.

"No, sir!" exclaimed Nat. "I haven't any cigarettes, and if I had I
wouldn't give him any. I haven't smoked in over a year."

"He says you have a box in your pocket now," cont