CHAPTER XIII. 

DEFIANCE. 

It was some moments before the little party could discuss the apparently serious turn which affairs had taken, for Harry remained as he had fallen, and all their thoughts were centered on restoring him to consciousness. 

A vigorous application of cold water soon had the desired effect, however, and in ten minutes after the self-invited guests went on deck he was apparently as well as ever, save for a big red lump under his left ear. 

"Do you feel all right, now?" Bob asked as the boy recovered from the bewilderment caused by the blow and began hunting for the coffee-pot, which had rolled under one of the lockers. 

"My ear aches pretty bad; but the rest of my body is sound enough, though it's hard to tell how long we fellers will be able to keep on our feet if those starving sailors stay aboard." 

"They'll go ashore mighty quick if this kind of work is kept up. Tell us what you did that started 'em?" 

"I don't know anything about it." And Harry rubbed his sore ear gently to soothe the pain. "Jim and I came when Walter screamed, and saw the red-nosed fellow pounding him. I was going to take his part with the coffee-pot, but before there was time to strike a blow one of them knocked me down." 

Then Walter gave a truthful account of all that had been said and done in the cabin, and Bob thought over the matter in silence several moments before speaking. 
What was Harry going to use?
I was going to take his part with the coffee-pot