“We seem to be just about holding our own and no more,” he said to the captain, a young man in his early twenties, as he stopped by the pilot-house. “Just about,” the latter replied, as he shifted the wheel a few points to the right. “They’ve got a bigger raft than we have, but the Comet is a faster boat.” “Hum, well, it’ll be twenty dollars in your pocket if we get there ahead,” the man said, as he again glanced toward the other boat. “Nothin’ doin,” the young captain replied quickly. “You hired this boat and it’s my duty to get your logs across as soon’s I can an’ I’m a doin’ it, but I don’t want your money.” Big Ben’s eyes snapped as he looked the boy in the face, but the latter met his glance with a steady gaze and, without saying anything more, the men soon walked away. “I hope we lose this race though I’ve got to do my best to win it,” the young captain muttered, as he too glanced at the Comet. Big Ben stopped at the door of the engine room. The fireman was leaning back in a chair in front of the furnace door, and as his eyes were closed Ben judged that he was asleep. “Hey, there,” he shouted. “What do you think this is, bed time?” The fireman, a half-breed named Joe Cooley, slowly opened his eyes. “I no sleep,” he stammered. “I jest restin’, oui.” “Well, you tend to business and get some wood on the top of that coal and see if you can’t get a little speed out of this tub,” Big Ben ordered. “She no stan’ more. She bust, you put on wood, oui,” the fireman asserted as he glanced at the steam gage. “Bust your eye,” Big Ben snorted. “Why, you’ve only got thirty pounds there.” “Cap’n, him say nev’ geet more thirty pounds, she bust sure. Dat safety valve, she no work, geet stuck, oui,” and the man shook his head. “I believe the fellow’s lying,” Big Ben muttered to himself, as he walked toward the stern. “She ought to carry forty pounds all right.” A few minutes later, as he again paused at the door of the engine room, he saw that no one was there. For a moment he hesitated as though undecided what to do; then, glancing quickly and seeing the coast was clear, he stepped into the room and threw open the furnace door. “Hump, that’s not half a fire,” he muttered, as he glanced about him. In a small bin to one side of the furnace he saw a few sticks of wood, and moving with great quickness he threw four of the largest pieces in on top of the coal. “There, I guess that’ll get some action out of her,” he muttered, as he closed the furnace door and quickly left the room. The action was not long in manifesting itself, but not in the way he desired. Big Ben was again up forward talking with the captain, when a dull explosion came to their ears. “There, that old engine’s blown out a cylinder head again,” the captain declared, as he left the wheel and started for the engine room, closely followed by the angry man. By the time they reached the room the engine had stopped and the room was filled with steam.