ipping tar and paint on the deck, marched in military style up to the
skipper, and halted in front of him, smiling wickedly.

Then the heart of the skipper waxed sore faint within him, and, with a
wild yell, he summoned the trusty crew to his side.

The crew came on deck slowly, and casting furtive glances at the scene,
pushed Ephraim Biddle to the front.

"Take those mops away from 'em," said the skipper haughtily.

"Don't you interfere," said Miss Evans, looking at them over her
shoulder.

"Else we'll give you some," said Miss Williams bloodthirstily.

"Take those mops away from 'em!" bawled the skipper, instinctively
drawing back as Miss Evans made a pass at him.

"I don't see as 'ow we can interfere, sir," said Biddle with deep
respect.

"_What!_" said the astonished skipper.

"It would be agin the lor for us to interfere with people," said Biddle,
turning to his mates, "dead agin the lor."

"Don't you talk rubbish," said the skipper anxiously. "Take 'em away
from 'em. It's my tar and my paint, and----"

"You shall have it," said Miss Evans reassuringly.

"If we touched 'em," said Biddle impressively, "it'd be an assault at
lor. 'Sides which, they'd probably muss us up with 'em All we can do,
sir, is to stand by and see fair play."

"Fair play!" cried the skipper dancing with rage, and turning hastily
to the mate, who had just come on the scene. "Take those things away
from 'em, Jack."

"Well, if it's all the same to you," said the mate, "I'd rather not be
drawn into it."

"But I'd rather you were," said the skipper sharply. "Take 'em away."

"How?" inquired the mate pertinently.

"I order you to take 'em away," said the skipper. "How, is your affair."

"I'm not goin' to raise my hand against a woman for anybody," said the
mate with decision. "It's no part o' my work to get messed up with tar
and paint from lady passengers."

"It's part of your work to obey me, though," said the skipper, raising
his voice; "all of you. There's five of you, with the mate, and only
three gells. What are you afraid of?"

"Are you going to take us back?" demanded Jenny Evans.

"Run away," said the skipper with dignity. "Run away."

"I shall ask you three times," said Miss Evans sternly. "One--are you
going back? Two--are you going back? Three------"

In the midst of a breathless silence she drew within striking distance,
while her allies taking up a position on either flank of the enemy,
listened attentively