stretched their long
legs out on the deck, with their backs against the hatch, while Tom
started to make himself content and at ease by using Jo's stomach for
a pillow. This, however, did not agree with Jo's idea of comfort, or
perhaps it was his stomach that it did not agree with. However that
may be, there was a cat fight on the hatch, Jo and Tom grappling with
each other and struggling over and over. Jim was about to jump in and
separate them, when he saw that they were likely to roll off the hatch
on to the deck, and then he would not have interfered for anything.

The two combatants were so interested that they did not see or care.
Then they poised on the edge and, as the ship gave a roll, over they
went, just missing Jeems' shepherd dog, who was peacefully lying, nose
over paws, upon the deck. This unexpected avalanche sent him howling
for'ard for safety.

Then still clutching each other they rolled into the scuppers, Tom
striving to get a strangle hold on brother Jo, and the latter chugging
Tom in the side with his free fist. At this juncture Jim took a hand,
not in the interest of peace, but because he wanted to hear the
shepherd's yarn. So he yanked them apart, none too gently.

"Ain't you ashamed of yourselves?" exclaimed Jim severely, "mussing up
my clean deck and scaring Jeems' dog into a fit."

"I'm no sofa pillow," panted Jo. "Tom will find that out."

"I'll put you children on either side of the hatch if you don't
behave," advised Jim, "and make you sit there."

"Like to see you try it," replied Tom belligerently.

"Send 'em to bed without any supper," put in Juarez jocosely.

"I'd give 'em a taste of the rope's end."

It was the old captain's voice rumbling down from the quarter deck.
He, too, had been aroused by the sound of the scuffle. Tom glanced up
at him with an apprehensive eye, for he stood in considerable awe of
the old sailor, and quieted right down.

"They will be good boys now, Captain," grinned Jim. "Their feelings
were temporarily upset."

"It seemed to be an upset of some kind," replied the captain with a
grim smile, and went back to his chair.

Peace being restored, Jeems began his narrative in the slow,
drawling manner characteristic of his mode of speech. He was leaning
forward with his elbows on his knees, and his gray eyes--large and
open--seemed to be looking dreamily over the dusky sea, that was
rolling languidly through the warm darkness of the night.

"It was a som