Part 6 (1/2)

”Oh!” she cried. ”Stop that!”

At the sound of her voice, the burly negro turned and scowled viciously at her.

”Yo' dun keep quiet!” he said in a low, intense voice.

”I shall not,” answered Grace. ”Help, some-body!” she called.

”Hush up, yo'!” fairly hissed the burly intruder, and sprang for the doorway. In another moment he had Grace by the arm. ”Don't yo' make anudder sound, or yo'll git sumfing yo' won't lak!”

”Oh!” gasped the poor girl. She wanted to say more, but the words stuck in her throat. The negro still, held her, and his grasp was like that of steel.

”Are yo' gwine to shut up?” asked the intruder.

”Le--let me go, please!”

”Ain't gwine to let yer go. Be still now, heah?”

Grace did hear, and, as the negro glowered at her, her heart almost stopped beating. She gazed around, and so did the negro. Not another person was in sight.

”Come into de room,” went on the negro after a painful pause, and he literally dragged her forward to the door. ”If yo' be still, yo'

won't git hurt.”

Holding her with one hand, he continued to fill his carpetbag with the other. Spoons, knives and forks were rapidly stowed away, and they were followed by some napkin rings and other articles of value.

As the negro worked, Grace recovered some of her self-possession.

She did not dare to cry out, and tried to think of some other method of arousing the others on the boat. Her eyes fell upon a bell pull hanging from the wall and, on the sly, she gave it a violent jerk.

The rope connected with a bell in the cook's galley. This was close to where Aleck was sleeping, and it caused the cook to arouse with a start.

”Dis chile mus' hab done overslept hisself,” he exclaimed, and then, as the bell rang once more, he sprang up in a hurry. ”Sumt'ing wrong, dat's suah as yo're boahn!”

Throwing himself into some of his clothing, he ran out on deck and to the dining-room. One glance was enough, and he raised a shout which aroused everybody on the houseboat.

The shout told the intruder that his game was up, and, carpetbag in hand, he started to run away. But Aleck put out his foot, and the other negro went sprawling at full length.

”Yo' stay right dar!” roared Aleck Pop wrathfully. ”Don't yo' 'tempt to git away, nohow, 'less yo' want to go to yo' own funeral.”

”Yo' ain't gwine ter stop me!” yelled the thief, and sprang up, hurling the cook to one side. Then he started for the sh.o.r.e.

By this time Sam was coming out of his state-room. He saw the fleeing negro and made after him, catching the rascal just as he was about to leap ash.o.r.e.

”Not so fast!” he sang out, and caught him by the arm.

”Yo' can't hole me!” stormed the burly fellow, and tried to twist himself loose. But, before he could break away, Captain Starr was at hand, quickly followed by Tom and Hans.

”Vot's der madder, vos he a robber?” asked Hans. ”Schoot him der sphot on!”

”Git back, dar, I'se a dangerous c.o.o.n!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the burly negro, and suddenly produced a big revolver of the old civil war kind. ”Don't dare lay han's on me ag'in!”