to know we were moving, that's all."

"Humph! There was no use of alarming them. We'll be back long before
they want to come aboard again."

"In that case I'll have nothing more to say."

"Don't you believe it?"

"I'm bound to believe it, if you say so."

"Don't get impudent, young man!"

"I am not impudent, and you needn't get impudent either!" cried Fred,
his anger rising. "You are in command here, but this boat is under
charter and just now I represent the man who owns that charter. If you
have got to cruise around to test the engine and shaft well and good,
but if you are merely cruising around for the fun of it I say go back
to where we came from--none of us want to do any cruising today."

At this plain speech the mate grew purple in the face. He raised his
hand as if to strike the youth, but just then Aleck came on deck,
carrying a pitcher of ice water in his hand.

"Stop dat! Don't yo' go fo' to hit dat boy!" cried the colored man.
"If yo' do I'll fling dis watah pitcher at yo' head!"

"You shut up, you rascally nigger!" shouted the mate. "You have
nothing to say here!"

"I'se got somet'ing to say if yo' hit Massa Fred," answered Aleck, and
held the water pitcher as if ready to launch it at the mate's head.

There was a moment of excitement and several crowded around, but then
the mate waved the crowd away.

"I shall report this to Captain Barforth as soon as he comes back," he
said, and turning on his heel, he walked off. Fred went down into the
cabin, and Aleck followed him. A few minutes later Norton joined the
youth and the others, who had gathered to talk the matter over.

"We must be on the watch," said the chief engineer. "I am certain now
that Carey is up to some game."

A long discussion followed, but nothing came of it. The steam yacht
kept on its way and rounded the eastern point of Treasure Isle. Then
it stood to the north westward.

"I hope he knows his course," said Norton, to the boys. "If he doesn't
he stands a good chance of running us on some key or reef."

If the boys were excited, the girls and ladies were more so. Nobody
knew exactly what to do, and each minute added to the general anxiety.

At last the vessel rounded another point of the isle and came in sight
of the sea beyond. There in the distance was a steamer at rest on the
waves, and Fred and Hans felt certain she must be the _Josephine_.

The two vessels were soon close together. As the _Rainbow_ came up to
the