ould think of that just now. The sailor (or
whatever he was) gave Tom a shove to get him out of the way so that he
could crawl under the berth.

And still Tom watched them dazedly. He was thinking of something that
Mr. Ellsworth, his scoutmaster, had once said--that blood is thicker
than water. As nearly as he could make out, that meant that after all a
fellow's own people came first--before anything else. He had great
respect for Mr. Ellsworth.

The man in the sailor suit picked up the plate of food from the berth
and slung the whole business into the basin. The jangle of the dish
startled Tom and roused him. The others didn't seem to mind it. They had
more important things to think of than a mess plate.

And Tom Slade, captain's mess boy and former scout, went on thinking.

CHAPTER XIII

HE PONDERS AND DECIDES BETWEEN TWO NEAR RELATIONS

When Tom at length did speak his own voice sounded strange to him; but
he said what he had to say with a simple straightforwardness which in
ordinary circumstances would have carried conviction.

"If you'd let me say something," he said, trying to keep his throat
clear, "I'd like to tell you----"

"It's the best thing, sonny," said the man in the sailor suit; "you
needn't be afraid of squealing. How old are you?"

"Seventeen," said Tom, "but it wasn't squealing I was thinking about. I
ain't a-scared, if that's what you think."

He avoided looking at his brother, who tried to catch his eye, and the
men, perhaps seeing this and thinking it might be fruitful to let him
say what he would in his own way, relaxed a trifle toward him.

"While you were searching," Tom went on, hesitating, but still showing
something of his old stolid manner, "I wasn't a-scared, but I was
thinking--I had to think about something--before I could decide what I
ought to do."

"All right, sonny," said the man in the sailor clothes. "I'm glad you
know what's best for you. Out with it. You've got a key to that
porthole, eh? Now where is it?"

"You had a flashlight and threw it out, didn't you?" added the officer.
"Come now."

Tom looked from one to the other. His brother began to speak but was
peremptorily silenced.

"It ain't knowin' what's good for me," Tom managed to say, "'cause as
soon as I--as soon as I--made up my mind about that--then right away I
knew what I ought to do----"

He gulped and looked straight at the officer so as not to meet his
brother's threatening look.

"I had