into the
forward hold, and check over those bales we took on at the last port.
We've got to deliver them at the next stop, and I Want to be sure the
shipping marks on them correspond to the marks on my list. I had to
put them down in a hurry."

"All right," answered the boy. "Here are the manifest slips all
written up, Mr. Dunn," and he handed the purser some blanks, filled in
with figures.

"That's good. You are doing very well, Nat Keep at it and you'll get a
better job soon."

Taking a lantern Nat went down into the forward hold, to examine some
bales of goods, in accordance with the purser's instructions. The
bales were heavy ones, but they had been stowed away in such a manner
that the shipping marks were in sight.

As Nat left the purser's office a man, who had been standing near a
window that opened into it, moved away. The man was the mate, Mr.
Bumstead, and as he saw Nat disappear below the deck he muttered:

"I think this is just the chance I want. We'll see how that
whipper-snapper will like his job after to-day."

While Nat was checking off the bales, finding only one or two slight
errors in the list the purser had given him, he heard a noise forward
in the dark hold.

"Who's there?" he asked, for it was against the rules for any one to
enter the cargo hold, unless authorized by the captain, mate or
purser.

No answer was returned, and Nat was beginning to think the noise was
made by rats, for there were very large ones in the ship. Then he
heard a sound he knew could not have been made by a rodent. It was the
sound of some one breathing heavily.

"Is any one here?" asked Nat. "I shall report this to the purser if
you don't answer," he threatened.

Still no reply came to him.

"Perhaps it is one of the sailors who has crawled in here to get a
sleep," Nat thought. "Maybe I'd better not say anything, for he might
be punished."

He listened, but the sound, whatever it was, did not come again. The
hold was quiet, save for the slight shifting of the cargo, as the
vessel rocked to and fro under the action of the waves.

"There, all done but one bale," said Nat, half aloud, "and that one is
turned wrong so I can't see the marks. Never mind, it's a top one, and
I can easily shift it, as it's small."

He climbed up on a tier of the cargo, first setting his lantern down
in a safe place, and then he proceeded to move the bale around.

Hardly had he touched it when the big package seemed to tumble