ce, right after
th' explosion."

"What explosion?"

"I dunno. I heard it, 'way up on th' hurricane deck, an' hustled right
down here fast as I could run. Just as I got right over there," and he
stepped forward and with his foot touched the exact spot, "that there
stateroom door come bustin' out right at me. I sorta ducked to one side,
an' plumb inter somebody that hit me on th' eye. I reckon th' fightin'
was from then on. Excuse me, sir; but you got yore pants on
upside-down--I means stern-foremost, sir."

"What's my pants got to do with this disgraceful riot, or mebby mutiny?"
blazed the reddening captain. He couldn't resist a downward glance over
his person, and hastily slipped the red-socked foot behind its booted
mate.

Somebody snickered and the sound ran along the line, gathering volume.
Glaring at the battle-scarred line-up, Captain Newell waved the pistol
and seemed at a loss for words.

Uncle Joe stepped forward with the bullwhacker. "Captain, this man says
he woke up an' found a thief reachin' under his pillow, where he keeps
his bottle. I think the thief is against the wall, there; and his
partner, who doubtless acted as his lookout, is in the hands of those
two men. The rest of th' fightin' was promiscuous, but well meant. I
reckon if you put those two thieves in irons an' let th' rest of us go
back to our berths it'll be th' right thing to do. As for Flynn, he
deserves credit for his part in it."

"That's my understanding of it, captain," said Tom, and again burst out
laughing. "Evidently they were after Mr. Cooper's money, which he has
shown recklessly, and they did not know that he had changed staterooms."

"Reckon that's it, captain!" shouted someone, laughingly. "Anyhow, it's
good enough. Come on, captain; it's time for a drink all 'round!"

In another moment a shirt-tailed picnic was in full swing, the bottles
passing rapidly.

CHAPTER V

THE INSULT

Shortly after dawn Tom awakened and became conscious of a steady
vibration and the rhythmical splash of the paddle wheel. Hurriedly
dressing he went out on deck and glanced shoreward. The
cream-and-chocolate colored water, of an opacity dense enough to hide a
piece of shell only a quarter of an inch below its surface, rioted past;
to port was a low-lying island covered with an amazing mass of piled-up
trees, logs and debris, deposited there by the racing current of the
rapidly-falling stream; and the distant shore was covered with de