folks."

"I am sorry," answered Madge distantly, her eyes growing stormy at the
young man's peremptory tone. "Mr. Curtis explained to you why we are
in a hurry to land. As long as he took you aboard our boat with us as
a favor, you have no right to ask us to change our course."

The stranger clenched his fists and glanced angrily at Tom.

"Ain't you going to land me somewhere else first?" he demanded in a
snarling voice.

Tom quietly shook his head. The sailboat was now only a little more
than half a mile from the pier. The wind was fair, blowing them almost
straight to the pier.

Tom Curtis was not looking. Suddenly the fellow sprang up and threw
the tiller over. The boat jibed sharply. Madge cried out in quick
alarm. Her cry saved Tom Curtis from being knocked overboard by the
boom as it swung over to the other side of the boat.

"Keep away from this tiller," Tom called out angrily, seeing that their
boat had now entirely changed its course. "I am sailing this boat."

"You are not sailing her, if you don't take her in where I say," the
intruder declared fiercely. His eyes were bloodshot and his teeth
closed together with a snap. He stood by as if he were going to spring
at Tom Curtis.

Madge's cheeks were burning. She was so angry that her throat felt dry
and parched. "Don't pay any attention to him," she called indignantly.
Tom Curtis hesitated.

"I don't fight when I have a woman guest on board the boat," he
declared doggedly. "Once I run my boat in to the pier, you will answer
for this."

"Never mind threatening me: I'm not afraid of you. You know you have
got to land me where I say. What do you care about where you land? It
is where _I_ land that is important." Again the stranger made a rush
for the tiller.

Tom sprang upon him. The two were evenly matched, and Madge held her
breath as she watched them struggle. Brownie, Tom's setter dog, sprang
for the stranger's leg, then retreated to one end of the boat howling
with pain. The intruder had swung back his foot and dealt the dog a
savage kick.

The rain had now begun to fall heavily, and the deck soon became
slippery as glass. The two young men continued to struggle. Tom
realized that he was endangering Madge's life, as well as his own, in
this reckless battle on the deck of a small boat. He thought he now
had the advantage. If he could only settle his hateful passenger with
one swift blow all would he well. With this thou