rightly," and the mate shuffled awkwardly. "He--he ain't
said to be a lucky shipmate, Cap'n. They tell queer yarns about him;
I've heard say as he was off his head a bit. Is he the one what's
bringing the crew abroad, sir!"

"Yes--why? This talk is all nonsense, Swanson. Smith is as sound in his
head as you or I, and he certainly knows the sea."

"Yes, sir," agreed the mate quickly--a little too quickly, thought Mart,
who was watching him keenly. "Yes, sir. He does that. And he'll bring a
crew, Cap'n Hollinger, as'll take handlin'. I was thinkin', sir, that
mebbe we'd have quite a ruction to-night--"

The financier laughed. He, as well as the boys, saw now what was on the
mate's mind. Swanson believed that old Jerry would pick up a scoundrelly
crew, most of them drunk when they came aboard, and that the millionaire
might get drawn into a fight with them. Much as he disliked the big
mate, Mart gave him credit for being true to his salt, as indeed he was.

"Look here," smiled the captain, getting to his feet and facing the
mate, who was an inch shorter than he. "I wouldn't be captain of this
yacht unless I could take care of myself, Mr. Swanson. If you doubt it,
I'll put on the gloves with you now!"

Swanson grinned. "No, sir, not me! I'm satisfied if you are, Cap'n
Hollinger. I just wanted to ease off steam a bit--"

"I understand," laughed the financier. "But I guess you and Peters can
handle the crew right enough. Now, you come down and mess with us, and
Mr. Peters can take the deck when he comes."

All four descended into the mess cabin as Ah Sing rang the bell, and
during the meal Mart revised his opinion of the mate to some extent. He
saw that Swanson did not like him because he considered the wireless job
a sinecure, and wanted to keep all the crew hard at work all the time.
It was the usage of the sea, and the big mate himself was blunt and
well-meaning. But Mart Judson had no mind to be ordered about by anyone,
and he determined that if Swanson tried it, the mate would find out
something.

Peters, the second mate, came aboard before dark, and put the
engine-room crew to work, so that after mess the boys went on deck to
find steam up and the lines ready to be flung off at a moment's notice.
By ten o'clock no crew had come aboard, however, and Captain Hollinger
finally ordered the boys to their cabins, in order to get to sleep
early.

"Holly!" said Mart softly, when they had left the main cabin. "You goi