"But I will," retorted Dick, and struck out once more. This time his fist landed on the bully's left eye, and once again Baxter went down, this time with a thud. The sailors were collecting, and soon Jack Lesher rushed up. He stepped between Dick and the bully. "Stop it!" he ordered harshly. "We don't allow fighting on board of this craft." "I wasn't fighting," answered Dick coolly. "I was just teaching a rascal a lesson." "It amounts to the same thing. If you have any fault to find tell the captain, or tell me." "Well, I'll go to the captain, not you," retorted Dick. "All right," growled the first mate. "But just remember you can't boss things when I'm around." When Captain Blossom understood the situation he was thoroughly angry. "Baxter certainly ought to be in prison," he said. "I'll clap him in the brig and feed him on bread and water for three days and see how he likes that." "He ought not to be left at large," said Dora, with a shudder. "He may try to murder somebody next." "We'll watch him after this," said the captain. He kept his word about putting Baxter in the ship's jail. But through Lesher the bully, got much better fare than bread and water. Strange as it may seem, a warm friendship sprang up between the bully and the first mate. "I aint got nothing against you, Baxter," said Jack Lesher. "When we get to Australia perhaps we can work together, eh?" and he closed one eye suggestively. Baxter had told him of his rich relative, and the mate thought there might be a chance to get money from Baxter. "He'd rather give me money than have me tell his relation what sort of a duck he is," said Lesher to himself. After this incident the time passed pleasantly enough for over a week. When Baxter came from the brig he went to work without a word. Whenever he passed the Rovers or the girls he acted as if he did not know they were there, and they ignored him just as thoroughly. But the boys watched every move the bully made. As mentioned before, Jack Lesher was a drinking man, and as the weather grew warmer the mate increased his potions until there was scarcely a day when he was thoroughly sober. Captain Blossom remonstrated with him, but this did little good. "I'm attending to my duties," said Lesher. "And if I do that you can't expect more from me." "I thought I hired a man that was sober," said Captain Blossom. "I won't place my vessel in charge of a man who gets drunk." Yet he was not willing to do the mate's work, or put that work onto others, so Jack Lesher had to take his turn on deck, no matter in what condition. "I must say I don't like that first mate at all," said Tom to Sam. "He is very friendly with Baxter." "I have noticed that," replied the youngest Rover. "Such a friendship doesn't count in the mate's favor." "Last night he was thoroughly drunk, and wasn't fit to command." "Well, that is Captain Blossom's lookout. The captain can't be on deck all of the time."