m the dock. Tom and his friends were on their way to India, and
the last glimpse they had of Mr. Period was as he was chasing along the
pier, after Mr. Turbot.

CHAPTER X

UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT

"Well, what do you know about that, Tom?" asked Ned, as they stood on
deck watching the chase. "Isn't he the greatest ever--Mr. Period, I
mean?"

"He certainly is. I'd like to see what happens when he catches that
Turbot chap."

"Bless my pocket handkerchief!" cried Mr. Damon. "I don't believe he
will. Mr. Period's legs aren't long enough for fast running."

"Those scoundrels were after us, up to the last minute," spoke Mr.
Nestor, as the ship moved farther out from the dock. Tom and his
friends could no longer see the excitable picture man after his rival,
but there was a commotion in the crowd, and it seemed as if he had
caught the fellow.

"Well, we're free of him now," spoke the young inventor, with a breath
of relief. "That is, unless they have set some one else on our trail,"
and he looked carefully at the passengers near him, to detect, if
possible, any who might look like spies in the pay of the rival moving
picture concern, or any suspicious characters who might try to steal
the valuable camera, that was now safely locked in Tom's cabin. Our
hero, however, saw no one to worry about. He resolved to remain on his
guard.

Friends and relatives were waving farewells to one another, and the
band was playing, as the big vessel drew out into the North, or Hudson,
river, and steamed for the open sea.

Little of interest marked the first week of the voyage. All save Koku
had done much traveling before, and it was no novelty to them. The
giant, however, was amused and delighted with everything, even the most
commonplace things he saw. He was a source of wonder to all the other
passengers, and, in a way, he furnished much excitement.

One day several of the sailors were on deck, shifting one of the heavy
anchors. They went about it in their usual way, all taking hold, and
"heaving" together with a "chanty," or song, to enliven their work. But
they did not make much progress, and one of the mates got rather
excited about it.

"Here, shiver my timbers!" he cried. "Lively now! Lay about you, and
get that over to the side!"

"Yo! Heave! Ho!" called the leader of the sailor gang.

The anchor did not move, for it had either caught on some projection,
or the men were not using their strength.

"Lively! Lively!