"Yep," said the nigger, showing his fine teeth in a grin at the others.
"There, then, you ugly swine," said Sailor.
In an instant he had whipped out one of the cabin table knives, which he had hidden against the next attack, and struck at the nigger with all his strength. If the point of the knife had not been blunt the nigger would never have thrown another boot at anybody.
There was a fine to-do. The nigger, a thorough coward, began to howl and declared he was done. The second mate was fetched, and he reported the matter at once to the Old Man.
In a great fury the Old Man came in person to investigate. But he very soon had the rights of the matter; the boy's cheek was bleeding freely, and the nigger was more frightened than hurt.
"Get below you," said the Old Man savagely to the nigger. "I'll have you in irons. I'll larn you to throw boots."
That was all the satisfaction the nigger got out of the affair, but from then boots were not thrown lightheartedly at Sailor.
XVII
After many days of ocean tramping with an occasional discharge of cargo at an out of the way port, the ship put in at Frisco. Here, after a clean up, a new cargo was taken aboard, also a new crew. This was a pretty scratch lot; the usual complement of Yankees, Dutchmen, dagoes, and an occasional Britisher.