Since the beginning of the voyage Al had not had much occasion to mingle with the crew of the _Island City_. The cargo of the steamboat consisted chiefly of corn for the use of the cavalry horses in the Indian country and, once it was on board, required little attention. He therefore seldom had any reason for going to the lower deck except to while away the time, which, indeed, was the principal occupation of the army officers on board. As might naturally be supposed, he was usually with some of them. But one day he was standing on the main deck near the boilers when one of the deck hands, a young fellow a few years older than himself, came by carrying a couple of heavy sticks of cordwood to the furnaces. Al had once or twice in the past noticed this fellow staring at him in a disagreeable way and felt instinctively that it must be because the deck hand was envious of the apparently easy and pleasant time which he was having. Al's back was turned toward him and neither saw the other until one of the sticks collided heavily with Al's shoulder, almost throwing him down. Al turned and though bruised, was on the point of apologizing for being in the way, when the fellow, an ugly, red flush overspreading his face, shouted, with a plentiful sprinkling of oaths between his words, "Get out of my road, you little Yankee snipe! What are you loafing around here for, anyhow?" "I'm sorry I got in your way," replied Al, controlling his temper, "but I didn't see you." "Well, you'd better stay upstairs with your blue-bellied Yankee officers. They oughtn't to let their little pet run around this way." Hearing loud words, several other deck hands gathered round, grinning at the excitement, their sympathies evidently with their companion. "As for my being down here," Al answered, feeling that it would not do to let such language pass unnoticed, especially before the other men, "I have as much business here as you have. As for being a Yankee, I suppose everybody on a United States ship is a Yankee. If they're not, they'd better go ashore." "It would take a mighty big lot of such spindle-legged doll babies as you to put me ashore," shouted the young ruffian, flinging down his wood and advancing on Al with clenched fists. "Down South we don't use anything but boats we've kicked the Yankees off of." Several of the other deck hands crowded closer, exclaiming, "Aw, let the kid alone, Jimmy. He ain't done nothin' to you." "Look out, Jimmy; you'll get in trouble, talkin' that way." "So you're a rebel deserter, are you?" asked Al, his eyes flashing. "I thought so. If you're so much attached to them, why didn't you stay down there and take some more Yankee boats?"