Part 6 (1/2)

”Have you been in Bermuda?” asked Ned, eagerly.

”Lots of times,” boasted the other. ”Two or three times the s.h.i.+ps I was on were sent there on cruises. It's a great life. Are you boys stopping in New York?”

”For a while, yes,” a.s.sented Frank, not wis.h.i.+ng to give too much information about themselves to a stranger. He well knew the wiles of some of the unprincipled men of New York.

”I took you for strangers,” the fellow went on, and there came a queer gleam in his eyes.

”We're Columbia students,” put in Ned, who was very proud of the fact.

And then, like a pang, it came to him, that he and his brother would have to give up their places at the university. No longer would they be able to keep on with their studies there. Well, there was no use in vain regrets.

”I thought youse looked like college boys,” went on the man who claimed to be a sailor. ”But what's the trouble? Flunked in your studies that you want to get on a battles.h.i.+p? You can't be officers first crack after you enlist, you know.”

”Oh, that talk of battles.h.i.+ps didn't amount to anything,” Frank said, wis.h.i.+ng the fellow would take himself off. ”And we don't expect to be officers. Ned, come along,” he said, ”it's time we were going.”

They started for the exit, but their new acquaintance persisted in following them. And when Ned, who was an ardent fisherman, stopped at another tank, the stranger halted also.

”I wouldn't like one of those chaps to get after me,” the man said, indicating two big green morays. The eel-like fish were swimming about and tearing to shreds a smaller fish that had been put into their tank for food.

”They are fierce,” agreed Ned, pressing close to the tank.

”And they'll attack a man, too,” went on the sailor. ”I knowed a feller once-he was on the same s.h.i.+p with me-he went swimming overboard when we was in the tropics, though he was told not to on account of sharks and these morays; but he did, and he got his all right.”

”How?” asked Frank, interested in spite of himself.

”He was all chawed up. We just managed to get him out of the water alive. If youse go on a battles.h.i.+p, look out about swimming over the side when you're in tropical waters.”

”I guess there isn't much chance for us,” remarked Frank. ”Come, Ned,”

he went on, ”we really must be going!”

At that moment another man came up, evidently in something of a hurry, and he pressed eagerly forward to look at the morays. He shoved against Frank with some force, and Frank, in turn, collided with the stranger who claimed to be from one of the United States battles.h.i.+ps.

”Here, look where you're shovin' to!” the sailor called to the newcomer.

”What do youse mean by bunkin' inter my friend here in that way?”

The other did not answer for a moment, but looked the speaker over from head to foot, and an angry look came over his face.

”What's gittin' inter youse?” the second man demanded. ”I didn't step on your corns, did I?”

”No, but you shoved my friend here,” and the sailor indicated Frank, ”and I won't stand for anythin' like that. Not for a minute, no sir!”

”Aw, ain't your friend got a tongue of his own?” roughly demanded the newcomer. ”I didn't hear him kickin' none!”

There was contempt in his tone, and anger also.

”It really doesn't matter,” Frank said. ”I have no doubt it was an accident.”

”Of course it was,” insisted the man who had offended. ”Youse is a gentleman, youse is, an' I apologizes.”