"A drinkin' man," he was saying to himself, "may be hard an' fallen low, but he's sure to have a heart." "So you're the mutineer, my fine buck?" Harrigan hesitated, and this seemed to infuriate Campbell, who banged a brawny fist on a table and thundered: "Answer me, or I'll skin your worthless carcass!" The cold, blue eyes of Harrigan did not falter. They studied the face of the Campbell as a fighter gauges his opponent. "If I say 'yes,'" he responded at length, "it's as good as puttin' myself in chains; if I say 'no,' you'll be thinkin' I'm givin' in, you an' McTee, damn his eyes!" Campbell grew still redder. "You damn him, do you? McTee is Scotch; he's a gentleman too good to be named by swine!" The irrepressible Harrigan replied: "He's enough to make swine speak!" Amazement and then a gleam of laughter shone in the eyes of the chief engineer. He was seized, apparently, by a fit of violent coughing and had to turn away, hiding his face with his hand. When he faced the Irishman again, his jaw was set hard, but his eyes were moist. "Look me in the eye, laddie. Men say a good many things about me; they call me a slave driver and worse. Why? Because when I say 'move,' my men have to jump. I've asked you a question, and I'm going to get an answer. Are you a mutineer or not?" "I will not pleasure McTee by sayin' I'm not!" The ponderous hand rose over the table, but it was checked before it fell. "What the devil has McTee to do with this?" he bellowed. "He's the one that sent me here." Harrigan was thinking fast as he went on: "And you're going to keep me here for the sake of McTee." Campbell changed from red to purple and exploded: "I'll keep no man here to please another; not White Henshaw himself. He rules on deck, and I rule below. D'you hear? Tell me you're a liar! Speak up!" "You're a liar," said Harrigan instantly. The engineer's mouth opened and closed twice while he stared at Harrigan. "Get out!" he shouted, springing to his feet. "I'll have you boxed up and sweated; I'll have you pounded to a pulp! Wait! Stay here! I'll bring in some men!" Harrigan was desperate. He knew that what he had said was equivalent to a mutiny. He threw caution to the wind. Campbell had rung a bell. "Bring your men an' be damned!" he answered; and now his head tilted back and he set his shoulders to the wall. "I'll be afther lickin' your whole crew! A man do ye call yourself? Ah-h, ye're not fit to be lickin' the boots ay a man! Slave driver? No, ye're an overseer, an' Henshaw kicks you an' you pass the kick along. But lay a hand on Harrigan, an' he'll tear the rotten head off your shoulders!" The door flew open, and the second assistant engineer, a burly man, with two or three others, appeared at the entrance, drawn by the furious clamor of the bell. "What--" began the second assistant, and then stopped as he caught sight of Harrigan against the wall with his hands poised, ready for the first attack. "Who called you?" roared Campbell.