the evening before. When both had reached the
deck and stepped out of the rain the clergyman shook his head stubbornly
and continued his argument.

"I was told to come up on this packet and examine her carefully on the
way," he asserted, doggedly. "Liquor in vast quantities has been getting
past both Fort Leavenworth and Bellevue; and while the military
inspectors may be lax, or worse, that is an accusation which cannot
truthfully be brought against us at the upper agency. If I am not given
honest assistance in the prosecution of my search, your captain may
experience a delay at our levee that will not be to his liking. It's all
the same to me, for if it isn't found on our way up, it _will_ be found
after we reach the agency."

"But, my reverend sir!" replied the pilot, in poorly hidden anger,
"you've been from one end of th' hold to th' other! You've crawled
'round like a worm, stuck yore nose an' fingers inter everythin' thar
war to stick 'em in; you've sounded th' flour barrels with a
wipin'-stick, an' jabbed it inter bags an' bales. Bein' a government
inspector we've had ter let ye do it, whether we liked it or not. I've
got no doubts th' captain will be glad ter take down th' engines, rip
open th' bilers, slit th' stacks an' mebby remove th' plankin' of th'
hull; but--air ye listenin' close, my reverend sir? If ye try ter git me
ter guide ye around in that thar hold ag'in, I'll prove ter ye that th'
life o' a perfect Christian leads ter martyrdom. Jest ram that down yore
skinny neck, an' be damned ter ye!"

"I will not tolerate such language!" exclaimed the indignant shepherd.
"I shall report you, sir!"

"You kin report an' be damned!" retorted the angry pilot. "Yo're too
cussed pious to be real. What's that a-stickin' outer yer pocket?"

The inspector felt quickly of the pocket indicated and pulled out a
half-pint flask of liquor, and stared at it in stupefaction.
"Why--I----"

"Yer a better actor than ye air a preacher," sneered the pilot, glancing
knowingly from the planted bottle around the faces of the crowd which
had quickly assembled. "O' course, you deal in precepts; but they'd be a
cussed sight more convincin' fer a few examples along with 'em. Good
day, my reverend sir!"

The frocked inspector, tearing his eyes from the accusing bottle and
trying to close his mouth, gazed after the swaggering pilot and then
around the circle of grinning faces. A soft laugh from above made him
glance up to where P