"Oh, I guess I can do as well as he did," spoke Sam quickly. "I'll not make any mistake checking up the cargo lists, and I'll not go to sleep in the hold and say a bale fell on me." For his uncle had told Sam of these two circumstances, giving his own version of them.
"That'll do you!" exclaimed Nat. "Don't you get too fresh!"
"And I'm not going to have any cigarettes, either," went on Sam, determined to do all he could to blacken Nat's character.
This last taunt was too much for Nat. Dropping his valise he sprang for Sam.
"You take that back!" he demanded.
"I'll do nothing of the kind!" was Sam's retort.
"Then I'll punch your head!"
"You don't dare! I'm not afraid of you. Get away from me, or I'll land you one on the nose!"
The two boys stood glaring at each other. Nat was thoroughly angry, something that was rare with him, and Sam felt a desire to strike the lad who had managed to get ahead of him.
"Are you going to get away from me?" demanded Sam.