sts, and I'll not go to sleep
in the hold and say a bale fell on me." For his uncle had told Sam of
these two circumstances, giving his own version of them.

"That'll do you!" exclaimed Nat. "Don't you get too fresh!"

"And I'm not going to have any cigarettes, either," went on Sam,
determined to do all he could to blacken Nat's character.

This last taunt was too much for Nat. Dropping his valise he sprang
for Sam.

"You take that back!" he demanded.

"I'll do nothing of the kind!" was Sam's retort.

"Then I'll punch your head!"

"You don't dare! I'm not afraid of you. Get away from me, or I'll land
you one on the nose!"

The two boys stood glaring at each other. Nat was thoroughly angry,
something that was rare with him, and Sam felt a desire to strike the
lad who had managed to get ahead of him.

"Are you going to get away from me?" demanded Sam.

"Not until I get ready."

"Come, Nat, don't have anything to do with him," advised Mr.
Weatherby, for he did not want to see a fight.

At the sound of his friend's voice Nat involuntarily turned his head.
Sam meanly took advantage of this, and drew back his arm for a blow.
His fist shot out, but Nat turned aside in time so that he only
received a light blow on the shoulder. He had been hit, however, and
he was not the lad to stand that without taking some action.

"There! If you want to fight!" he cried, and his left shot out,
straight for Sam's face. Sam tried to dodge, but he was too late. The
blow caught him full on the chin, and so powerful was it that he
reeled backward, vainly clutching the air for support.

He had been standing with his back to the little space between the
ship's rail and the rail of the gangplank. Nat's blow sent him reeling
backward, and a moment later Sam fell into the water between the
vessel and the dock.

"Man overboard!" sang out a sailor who had witnessed the fight and its
outcome. "Man overboard!"

He ran to the rail, and threw a life-preserver down into the narrow
space. But with the realization of what he had done Nat was in action.

He threw off his coat and vest with a quick motion, and with his knife
cut the laces of his shoes, kicking them off in a trice. Then, running
to the rail, he peered down to where a swirl in the water indicated
Sam's position. Over the rail leaped Nat, to rescue the boy whom he
had knocked into the water.

At the sailor's cry Captain Marshall and the mate came running out on
deck. They w