“Look! look! There’s that launch coming toward us again,” suddenly cried Ted, pointing excitedly to the boat that had fled at the action of Mr. Atwood’s guards.
Others had heard the boys’ exclamation beside his brother, however, and four quick-moving men sprang to the rail, while members of the crew did likewise, stringing all along the length of the deck.
When the launch had come within an hundred feet of the Admiral, one of the four men near the boys shouted:
“Stand clear!”
In response, the speed of the launch was cut down and the occupants raised three megaphones, through which they shouted:
“Scabs! Scabs! You’ll never get to Duluth!”
At the hated epithet several members of the crew drew back to the other side of the deck, out of sight from the launch, and only the presence of the first mate beside them held the boys, for they felt that indescribable something about the derisive word which has cowed many a burly labourer.
From the bridge, however, Captain Perkins gave answer with several groaning toots on the whistle, but as the launch continued to follow, the megaphones barking their scorn, the skipper, fearing the effect on his crew, increased the volume of the whistle, those of the other ore carriers that had steam up adding with blasts from their whistles, until the cries were lost in the pandemonium of toots.
CHAPTER VII
ANXIOUS MOMENTS