eans torpedoing."

But against this was the glad news that for the round trip of presumably
a month, he would receive one hundred and sixty dollars, forty dollars
payable on arrival in a "foreign port," the balance "on return to an
American port."

There would be no call upon this stupendous sum, save what he chose to
spend in the mysterious, unknown foreign port, and as Tom reflected on
this he felt like the regular story-book hero who goes away under a
cloud of suspicion and comes back loaded with wealth and glory.

CHAPTER XV

THE EXCITED PASSENGER

"They'll turn you down if you have a German-silver watch in your
pocket," commented Archer, as they descended another companionway; "or
if you had the German measles. Didn't I tell you I'd get you through all
right? You stick on the job, and they'll sign you up for transport
service--then you'll see some fun."

"I got to thank you," said Tom.

"You notice _I'm_ not afraid of any of them?" Archer boasted; "I know
how to handle them--I've got them all eating out of my hand--all but the
captain. We're like a big family here; that's on account of the danger
and there not being many passengers. I understand," he whispered
significantly, "that there's some soldiers on board--a few of Pershing's
men, I guess."

The butcher's domain seemed to be a long way below decks. It had all the
appurtenances of a regular store--chopping block, hangers, etc.--and the
butcher himself was a genial soul, who took Tom in hand without any
ceremony after the usual banter with the flippant young Archibald, who
here took his departure, leaving Tom to his fate.

"Come up to five-ninety-two on the promenade deck and you can bunk with
me--I'll fix it with the deck steward," said Archer; and he was as good
as his word, for later Tom joined him in an airy stateroom, opening on
the main deck, where they enjoyed a sumptuousness of accommodation quite
unusual in the ordinary state of things, but made possible by the very
small passenger list.

Indeed, Tom was soon to find that, while discipline was strict and
uncompromising, as it always is at sea, there was a kind of spirit of
fraternity among the ship's people, high and low, caused no doubt, as
Archer had said, by their participation in a common peril and by the
barnlike emptiness of the great vessel with freight piled on all the
passenger decks and in the most inappropriate places. There was a
suggestion of camping about all this mak