ne end and some of the contents
fell on the deck. It was a lady's trunk, filled with feminine wearing
apparel, and a good many passengers laughed.

"What do you mean by running into me, you blockhead!" cried the purser,
in a loud voice. "Why don't you look where you are going!"

"It was not my fault," answered Randy, warmly, not liking the man's
manner of address. "You made me drop that trunk."

"I did not. It was your own clumsiness."

"No, sir," said our hero, firmly; and a crowd began to collect.

"Don't dare to contradict me!" fumed the purser. "It was your fault,
and the damage shall come out of your wages."

"Mr. Polk, it was not my fault and I shall not stand for the damage
done."

"Ha! you defy me, eh, you cub! Go on about your work and I'll settle
with you later."

"What is the trouble here?" asked Captain Hadley, coming up through the
crowd.

"The blockhead of a boy dropped that trunk and broke it open."

"He ran into me and made me drop it," retorted our hero. He felt just
reckless enough to stand up for his rights, be the consequences what
they might.

"Put the trunk to one side, along with the other baggage," said the
captain. "We have no time to waste on this just now. Get that other
baggage ashore."

"My trunk!" shrieked the maiden lady, rushing forward. "Oh, who broke
my trunk?"

"It was an accident, madam."

"And all my dresses spilt out, too! I shall sue the steamboat company
for damages."

"We will settle with you, madam. I am sorry it happened," went on the
captain, soothingly.

"It was a mean thing to do," said the maiden lady and began to weep.
"Two of those dresses are brand-new."

"I guess they are not injured much."

Randy and the others had gone to work again. Our hero's thoughts were
busy.

"I believe Polk ran into me on purpose," he whispered to Jones.

"Maybe he wants to get you discharged," answered the other deckhand.

"I don't see why."

"He's down on you because of that Clare affair."

"Do you think so?"

"Sure. He hated it worse than poison, for the captain now knows just
how meanly he acted towards the widow."

The damaged trunk was passed over to a man on the dock and after some
excited talk the maiden lady accepted ten dollars, with which to have
the box repaired and her things put in proper order. It was more than
was actually coming to her and she went off secretly pleased.

In the meantime one of the passengers, an elderly man who traveled on
t