The fore-hatch had just been chipped, and was resplendent in bright patches of red lead. The fates were rapidly arranging a holocaust for poor puss, for, as if obeying some unseen hand, he suddenly roused and stretched himself where he had been coiled up asleep on the foc's'le head; then, with the slow, graceful movement of his tribe, he descended the ladder and deliberately went up and rubbed himself against the fore-hatch. But alas! the eagle eye of Black Davis was upon him, and the red lead betrayed him, for it had left its marks upon his brindled coat; too late he tried to lick it off. "Terantulars, yew dirty sneakin' beast. Rub my paint off, would yew?" roared the mate. With remarkable swiftness he clutched poor puss in his iron fist, and a second later the cat was adrift on the swell and hidden from sight. With a scream of fury and distress, the kid, who had been at work on the fore fife-rail, flung himself upon the bully, biting, kicking, and scratching. Broken words burst from his mouth in a torrent, and, Jack's lecture forgotten, he raved and swore as only a boy bred to the sea can swear, raining a very shower of blows with his little fists upon the big mate. Catching him by the scruff of his neck, Black Davis flung him aside. The poor boy was hurled across the deck, to be brought up by the iron combing of the hatch, which caught him upon the left brow as he fell. Jim dropped stunned, and lay motionless, bleeding copiously, whilst the fatal red lead with sardonic irony smeared itself in mockery upon his cheek and shoulder. There was a low growl of suppressed anger from the watch, and if looks could have killed, Black Davis would not have lived long. "Git on with your work, yew scrapin's o' hell, or I'll soon knock the bile out o' your gizzards," he roared; then, walking up to the senseless body of the boy, he kicked it twice heavily on the ribs. "No shamming, yew little devil! Up yew get, or I'll make yew smell hell." But before he could lift his foot again the stalwart form of the rolling-stone stood between the mate and his victim. "Drop that, you d----d child-murderer! Come on and hit a man your own size." The words fairly hissed from Jack's firm mouth, and there was a devil in his flashing eyes no one on board had ever seen there before. Planted lightly but firmly on his legs, he squared up to the bucko with clenched fists and furious, quivering lips. "Come on!" he raged, taking a step forward. "Come on, you devil!" The port watch stared, open-mouthed, half expecting the heavens to fall in their amazement at Jack's daring. Black Davis's glance fell before the fury of Jack's eyes. His big fist, half-raised, dropped to his side again; he took a step backward, then, muttering something indistinctly between his teeth, he slowly turned on his heel and walked aft. Jack stared, the anger in his eyes changing to a look of blank surprise. "Well, I'm blowed!" he muttered.