Richards stood in the engine-room at the head of the steps, watching the progress of events. When the Frenchman knocked the Prince over, the engineer called Shakings and Rimmer, both of whom tumbled down the steps in season to defend the captain from a violent assault on the part of the Italians, who were disposed to make common cause with their fellow-laborers. Raymond, hearing the noise in the fire-room, hastened below, followed by Tom Speers. These ample re-enforcements caused the firemen to fall back, and place themselves on the defensive. “I am ready to fight if need be, though I am a man of peace,” said the Prince, puffing with his exertions. “But I should like to know what I am fighting for. What’s the matter? What has caused this row?” “The men won’t work,” replied O’Hara. “What’s the reason they won’t work?” demanded Mr. Frisbone, who was sufficiently familiar with labor difficulties to be competent to meet any emergency of this kind. “Aren’t they satisfied with their wages?” “They want a portion of wine served out to each man while they are at work,” replied O’Hara, to whom Alfonzo had explained the desire of the men, and the reason why they had stopped work. “Wine!” exclaimed the Prince, in utter disgust. Mr. Frisbone, as shown in a preceding volume of this series, was a very fierce temperance man, and did not believe that intoxicating drinks of any kind, not even wine and beer of the mildest type, were proper for use under any circumstances. He did not tolerate the drinking customs of any nation he visited. He never tasted the cup in any form himself, never gave it to his neighbor, or permitted it to be given to him if he had the power to prevent it. “Alfonzo says they asked for wine on board of the Josephine, and were told there was none on board. He did not believe a statement so absurd as this one seemed to him; and he and his associates considered the reply as a refusal to grant their reasonable request. He thought it was no use to ask for wine again; and they have struck for it as the only way they are likely to get it,” explained the captain. “Struck for wine, have they?” demanded the Prince, gazing with contempt at the firemen. “But, while we are settling this question, the fires are going out; and soon we shall have no steam at all.” The Prince closed one of the furnace-doors, and Shakings another. All the draughts were adjusted so that the fires began to roar. Alfonzo spoke a few sharp words to his companions; and they began to arm themselves with such weapons as were at hand,--pokers, shovels, hammers, iron bars. Shakings wanted the party to “clean them out” without any delay. While things were in this attitude, the cook and one of the stewards came down into the fire-room, and intimated that they were ready to do duty as the occasion might require.