m to keep away, but he kept crowding me
closer, until he rammed me. It was his fault."

"There will have to be an investigation," said the pilot. "I'm sorry
this happened."

"Ahoy the _Mermaid_!" came a hail from the other boat. "What's the
matter with you fellows, anyhow? Can't you keep on your own side of
the channel? My bows are stove in, and you've injured one of my men!"

"Who are you?" called back the pilot.

"Captain Carter, of the _Liberty Bell_."

"It was your steersman's fault," shouted Mr. Weatherby. "Are you in
any danger?"

"No, but I'm going to lay-to until morning, and then I want to know
who's going to settle for my damage."

"We'll see you in the morning, then," was the pilot's answer.

Nat passed an uneasy night. Though he knew the fault of the collision
was not his, he worried lest he might not be able to prove it. There
might be an old pilot in the other vessel--a pilot up to all sorts of
tricks, who, even if he was wrong, could so make matters appear as to
throw the blame on Nat.

"If he does, that ends my career as a pilot," thought our hero.

Soon after breakfast Captain Turton, with the pilot and Nat, went
aboard the other vessel. Her bow was quite badly damaged, but the
break did not extend below the waterline.

"Did you say some of your men were injured?" asked Captain Turton,
when he had greeted the commander of the _Liberty Bell_.

"Yes, sir, my mate, Joseph Bumstead. His leg is broken."

"What?" cried Nat and the pilot in the same breath.

"Bumstead is his name. I don't see anything peculiar in that," replied
Captain Carter, looking at the two in surprise.

"Well, as it happens, there is something peculiar about it," went on
Captain Turton. "We have a warrant for his arrest on a serious charge.
However, if his leg is broken, he isn't very likely to get away, and I
think we can proceed with the investigation. I want to find out who is
to blame for this."

"Your steersman, of course," was Captain Carter's quick answer.

"It's natural you should say that. But we'll see."

Several members of the crew of both vessels were called as witnesses.
Nat told his story, of how he had tried to warn the other vessel away,
and how the steersman of it had persisted in crowding him.

"By the way, who is your pilot?" asked Mr. Weatherby. "I haven't seen
him since I came aboard."

"I have no regular pilot," answered Captain Carter. "My mate, Mr.
Bumstead, whom I recently engaged, was st