"Ahoy the Mermaid!" came a hail from the other boat. "What's the matter with you fellows, anyhow? Can't you keep on your own side of the channel? My bows are stove in, and you've injured one of my men!"
"Who are you?" called back the pilot.
"Captain Carter, of the Liberty Bell."
"It was your steersman's fault," shouted Mr. Weatherby. "Are you in any danger?"
"No, but I'm going to lay-to until morning, and then I want to know who's going to settle for my damage."
"We'll see you in the morning, then," was the pilot's answer.
Nat passed an uneasy night. Though he knew the fault of the collision was not his, he worried lest he might not be able to prove it. There might be an old pilot in the other vessel—a pilot up to all sorts of tricks, who, even if he was wrong, could so make matters appear as to throw the blame on Nat.
"If he does, that ends my career as a pilot," thought our hero.
Soon after breakfast Captain Turton, with the pilot and Nat, went aboard the other vessel. Her bow was quite badly damaged, but the break did not extend below the waterline.
"Did you say some of your men were injured?" asked Captain Turton, when he had greeted the commander of the Liberty Bell.