Part 11 (1/2)
”Nine o'clock.”
”Tell them to report to me after they get fixed up.”
”Very good, sir.”
Captain Simms went to his cabin, where he related to the first mate the story of the fire room row. Both officers laughed heartily.
”I would have given a month's wages to have seen that fuss,” laughed the mate. ”I guess the black-face gang has come to the conclusion that it has picked up a couple of Tartars. Evidently it isn't the first time those lads have been called upon to take care of themselves.”
Before the stoke hole watch knocked off the captain made it his business to go below and look over the men. Every man save the Iron Boys wore a sullen, revengeful look on his face. But this was not all. There was blood on several of the faces, and the men's clothes and hair still bore traces of the shower bath that Steve Rush had given them.
Neither lad paid any attention to the captain. They went on with their work as steadily as though he were not present, or nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
The captain turned away rather hastily and left the compartment. He felt that, if he remained a second longer, he would have to laugh. That would not do at all. And laugh he did, after he had gotten far enough away from the fire room to make wise such a proceeding.
”I'll get even with you for that!” snarled Smith in Rush's ear, after the departure of the master.
Steve made no reply.
”You'll wake up one of these fine mornings wetter than I was after you turned the hose on me, you whelp!”
Smith drove his elbow into the Iron Boy's side with considerable force.
Rush slowly faced him.
”Look here, you loafer, I'll knock you down if you do that again. Or, if you prefer it, I'll give you another bath. You are trying to pick a fight with me. I am not looking for it, but if you insist I'll give you what you want. Fight or stop!”
Smith glanced uneasily at the door leading from the fire room, muttered something unintelligible to the others and began shoveling coal into his furnace.
Shortly after that the watch ended. Steve hurried through his bath.
After putting on his clean clothes he called on the captain. The latter looked over the slim, well set-up young lad quizzically.
”I didn't think it of you, Rush.”
Steve flushed painfully.
”You wish to see me, sir?”
”Yes. Be careful. In this instance let me say very frankly that I am glad you cleaned out that lot. The only trouble is that you ought to have thrown the whole gang overboard. We can't spare them, or I might have done it myself before this. I'm going to take you two boys off the stoke hole watch.”
”What do you wish us to do, sir?”
”I will promote you to the deck.”
CHAPTER VII
THE IRON BOYS ON DECK