al with 'em. We don't want trouble. We're peaceable
citizens. But if that boat doesn't belong to us, it doesn't belong to
anybody." And he threatened, to the Fremont man and Charley's father:
"In about five minutes we'll settle _your_ hash."

With that he turned, and he and his two companions shouldered their way
brusquely through the crowd.

The Fremont man laughed again.

"Fists are the only weapons needed with gentry of that class," he said,
contemptuously. "Bah! I think more of Digger Injuns."

Some of the onlookers nodded and murmured assent. The half circle that
had been attracted by the dispute broke up. Nobody had tried to
interfere, even when the knife had been drawn. Charley soon found that
similar contests for sleeping places were occurring everywhere aboard.
It was a grand free-for-all rush.

Mr. Adams gave Charley an assuring nod, as if to say: "Here's a man who
knows what to do and how to do it"; and he remarked, quietly, to their
friend: "Thanks to you, I guess we're rid of that trouble."

"And easily rid, too," answered the Fremont man; he composedly reached
for his rifle, leaned it against the rail, and standing on the bench
running inside the rail began to rearrange the baggage on the canvas
covering of the boat.

But he was interrupted, for there came in a hurry a ship's officer, as
if sent by the long-nosed man.

"Here! Take your things off that boat," he ordered. "You can't use
that boat. It's a life-boat."

"Where are we to stow ourselves, then?" queried Mr. Adams, at once.

"I don't know. But you can't use that boat."

"Will you give us a berth in place of it?"

"No, sir," informed the officer, crisply.

"We've got to have some place for ourselves and our personal baggage,
sir," declared Mr. Adams. "Our tickets entitle us to a berth. We're
doing the best we can, to keep from littering the deck; but if you
insist on imposing further we'll carry the matter to Government
authority and see whether we were not sold tickets under false
pretenses."

The officer hesitated. Clearly, these three passengers knew how to
stand up for themselves. He decided to let well enough alone.

"You occupy the boat at your own risk, then," he snapped. "The company
does not hold itself liable. Understand that?"

"Perfectly."

The officer turned on his heel, and left them in possession.

"That settles _us_, I reckon," quoth the Fremont man, springing lightly
down. "It's our claim."