ful way. I've
heard me father tell of the press gangs on the other side, an' 't is
small business."

Yensen looked up to reply, chanced to glance aft, and dropped his
calking iron in his astonishment. "Yumping Yimminy! Luk at dat fallar!"

Hogan looked. "The deuce! That's a man after me own heat-rt! Kape yore
pagan mouth shut! If ye take a hand agin 'em I'll swab up the deck wid
yez. G'wan wor-rking like a sane man, ye ijit!"

"Ay ent ban fight wit dat fallar! Luk at the gun!"

A man had climbed out of the after hatch and was walking rapidly towards
them, a rifle in his hands, while at his thigh swung a Colt. He watched
the two seamen closely and caught sight of Hogan's twinkling blue eyes,
and a smile quivered about his mouth. Hogan shut and opened one eye and
went on working.

As soon as Hopalong caught sight of the captain, the rifle went up and
he announced his presence without loss of time. "Throw up yore hands,
you pole-cat! I'm running this ranch from now on!"

The captain wheeled with a jerk and his mouth opened, and then clicked
shut as he started forward, his rage acting galvanically. But he stopped
quickly enough when he looked down the barrel of the Winchester and
glared at the cool man behind it.

"What the blank are you doing?" he yelled.

"Well, I ain't kidnapping cow-punchers to steal my boat," replied
Hopalong. "An' you fellers stand still or I'll drop you cold!" he
ordered to the assembled and restless crew. "Johnny!" he shouted, and
his companion popped up through the hatch like a jack-in-the-box.
"Good boy, Johnny. Tie this coyote foreman like you did the others," he
ordered. While Johnny obeyed, Hopalong looked around the circle, and
his eyes rested on Hogan's face, studying it, and found something there
which warmed his heart. "Friend, do you know the back trail? Can you
find that runt of a town we left?"

"Aye, aye."

"Shore, you; who'd you think I was talking to? Can you find the way
back, the way we came?"

"Shure an' I can that, if I'm made to."

"You'll swing for mutiny if you do, you bilge-wallering pirate!" roared
the trussed captain. "Take that gun away from him, d'ye hear!" he yelled
at the crew. "I'm captain of this ship, an' I'll hang every last one of
you if you don't obey orders! This is mutiny!"

"You won't do no hanging with that load of weapons below!" retorted
Hopalong. "Uncle Sam is looking for filibusters--this here gun is
'cotton,'" he said, grinning. He turned