"Never mind, Captain; I can take care of him," urged Steve.
"Stand back! This is my circus. What was he going to hit you for?"
"I was to blame. I goaded him into it. I——"
"Wait a minute. He hasn't got enough yet. He's coming for me."
The captain suspended conversation long enough to give Smith a right and left swing on either side of the head that sent the fellow to the deck with all the fight knocked out of him, and which put him out of business for the next ten minutes.
Captain Simms turned calmly to Rush.
"Now, what was it you were saying, my lad?"
Rush could not repress a smile.
"Nothing very much. You know Smith and myself had some trouble on the last cruise?"