The Last Cruise of the Spitfire Part 37

"It's an outrage," cried Captain Hannock; but evidently his heart was not in the words.

"I'll risk it."

"You'll be sorry for it," put in Lowell, who was white with rage.

Mr. Henshaw paid no attention to him.

"Where shall we place them?" he asked of Captain Flagg.

"There is no place but an empty coal locker or two."

"That is good enough."

"Put me into a coal locker!" foamed the boatswain.

"Yes, my man. And let me add that I think a coal locker plenty good enough for a man who tries to burn a boy up."

"I won't go!"

"Oh, yes, you will."

"I won't!"

Mr. Henshaw suddenly caught him by the arm. I could see that the clasp was as that of steel.

"See here, I want no more nonsense," he said sternly. "You will do just as I say. Come along."

He marched Lowell off. The rest of us stood guard over Captain Hannock and Crocker.

"You will catch it for this!" said Captain Hannock to Phil.

"Maybe I will," returned the cabin boy. "After this I'm going to look out for myself."

"I'll skin you when I get a chance!"

"But you sha'n't get the chance," I put in; "that is, not if I can help it."

"You! why, do you know who you are?"

"Yes, sir."

"You are Felix Stillwell's nephew."

"And what of that?" I asked, wis.h.i.+ng to draw him on.

"Oh, nothing, only you'll be sorry for what you've done."

"As Mr. Henshaw says, I'll risk it," I replied.

"You'll risk it?" he repeated, staring at me strangely.

"Yes, I'll risk it."

"You talk like a fool, Foster."

"Thank you."

"I can place your uncle in a very bad hole."

"How?"

"Never mind, I can, and that's enough."

"Then you'll have to go and do it, that's all."

"Don't you care?" he asked, considerably astonished at my apparent indifference.

"Yes, I care," I replied, honestly. "But if my uncle has done wrong I suppose he'll have to suffer for it."

"Perhaps you don't think much of your uncle," he said, suspiciously.

"I do and I don't. He has not treated me right at times."

"Oh!"

"Of course I hate to see him in company, in any transaction, with you,"

I added, pointedly.

"Don't crow, Foster," he fumed. "The end hasn't been reached yet."

"Not quite; but we'll be close to it when you are landed in the Boston jail."

This remark made Captain Hannock more angry than ever, and he began to use language that I would not care to remember, much less repeat.

"We'll see," he said at length. "I am not the only one to suffer, when this goes into court. Felix Stillwell will catch it, too!"

"Yes, and I reckon I can put in a word or two against this boy of his,"

put in Crocker, who had been listening to what was going on.

"You may say what you please," I returned, calmly.

"Say, Captain, didn't that uncle of his send him along to set the Spitfire on fire?" went on the sailor, suggestively.

"Why, of course he did!" burst out Captain Hannock, caught by the idea.

"How else would he happen to be on board?"

I must confess I was rather taken back by this cool a.s.sertion.