usually bob burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning. by an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze. bob heard it, and so did clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.

"i hope massa bob won't hear dat," thought clip.

but bob did hear it.

"what's that?" he asked, half rising in bed.

"it's me!" answered clip, preferring to admit the sneeze rather than have bob suspect that there was any one else on the boat.

"do you mean to say you sneezed, clip?" asked bob, in amazement.[pg 225]

"yes, massa bob."

"you must be dreaming. the sneeze came from another part of the boat."

"are you sure?" asked clip.

"yes. what made you tell me that it was you who sneezed?"

"i t'ought i did, massa bob."

"when did you wake up?"

"just now."

"the sneeze must have waked you up."

"i dunno," answered clip, dubiously.

"there must be some one on board, unless we both dreamed about the sneeze."

"mebbe it's a cat!" remarked clip, ingenuously.

bob laughed. "it must be a very remarkable cat that would sneeze like that," he said.

"jus' so, massa bob," assented clip, meekly, hoping that bob would drop the subject.

"i think, clip, i shall get up and search for that cat."

"don't you do it, massa bob. he—he might bite you."[pg 226]

"i hope i am not such a coward as to be afraid of a cat."

bob rose and lighted a candle which he had with him. then, followed by clip, he advanced to the other end of the deck. but the passenger had warning, having heard the conversation which had taken place between bob and clip, and had hurriedly retreated to his former hiding-place. it did not occur to bob to look there, and he returned from his fruitless search more mystified than ever.

but, clip being close beside him, he caught the aroma of the single swallow of whisky which clip had taken, and he immediately began to suspect poor clip of having indulged in much deeper potations than he was guilty of.

"clip," he said, suddenly, "i smell whisky."

"does you, massa bob?" asked clip, feeling that he was getting into a scrape.

"yes, i do, clip; and where do you think it comes from?"

"don't know, massa bob; 'deed i don't."

"it comes from your mouth, clip. you've been drinking!"[pg 227]

drops of perspiration stood on clip's forehead. he could not excuse himself, or explain matters, without betraying his secret. not thinking of anything to say, he said nothing.

"tell me the truth, clip; have you been drinking?"

"i jes' took a little swaller."

"where did you take it?"

"on sho'."

"what made you do such a thing? i didn't dream that you were getting intemperate, clip."

"you see, massa bob, a gen'leman asked me to bring him a drink of whisky, and i t'ought i'd jest see how it tasted."

"who asked you to bring him some whisky?" asked bob, who believed this to be a pure fiction on the part of his young companion.

"a gen'leman."

"what gentleman?"

"he didn't tell me his name."

"i think you are telling me a lie, clip."

"no i ain't, massa bob; it's as true as de bible."[pg 228]

"i don't think you know much about the bible, clip."

"it's all true what i told you, massa bob. if i find de gen'leman, i'll bring him here to tell you."

the witness referred to smiled to himself grimly when he heard this statement.

"that little nigger's a brick!" he said to himself. "as to that other boy, i'd like to throw him overboard. he's too fond of meddling with other people's business."

it may occur to the reader that this was hardly a fair way of stating the case. as the boat belonged to bob, and he was the commander, it might safely be assumed that he had a right to inquire into anything that excited his suspicion.

"are you goin' back to bed, massa bob?" asked clip, uneasily.

"wait a minute, clip; i want to get a drink of water."

again poor clip was in bad luck. the tin dipper had been used to procure the whisky, and of course it still smelled strongly of that liquor.[pg 229]

"clip," said bob, as soon as he had raised it to his lips, "you got some whisky in this cup."

"ye'es," admitted clip.

"and you drank it yourself instead of giving it to any gentleman."

"no, i didn't, massa bob," stoutly, and as we know truly, asserted clip.

"i'm ashamed of you, clip. if you are going to act in this way, i shall have to send you home. you have been acting very queerly this evening. sam and i both noticed it, but i didn't think you had formed a taste for whisky."

"i don't love it, massa bob. i hate it. it's awful nasty stuff."

"and you didn't drink this dipper full, then?"

"no, i didn't."

"what did you do with it?"

"throwed it away, massa bob. i only took one swaller. i couldn't drink it if you gave me half a dollar; 'deed i couldn't."

"i hope this is true, clip. i shouldn't like to tell my mother that you had become intemperate."[pg 230]

"what's the matter?" was heard from sam's bed at this juncture. "where are you, bob?"

"here i am, sam."

"what made you get up?"

"i thought i heard a noise on deck; so clip and i got up."

"what was it like?"

"a sneeze. clip thought it might be a cat."

bob and sam laughed at the ludicrous idea, and clip joined in, glad that bob's embarrassing cross-examination was over.

"you'd better come to bed, both of you. very likely you dreamed it."

at that moment, and before bob had put out the candle, there was a most unlooked-for corroboration of clip's singular theory.

an immense tom-cat ran swiftly between bob's legs, from some place of concealment. both he and clip saw it, and the latter was quick to take advantage of the opportune appearance of the animal.

"dare's de cat, massa bob," he shouted, triumphantly. "didn't i tell you it was a cat?"[pg 231]

bob was temporarily nonplussed. clip seemed to have the best of the argument.

"all i can say is, it is a remarkable cat," he said. "i wish it would sneeze again."

the rest of the night passed without anything remarkable happening. all three boys slept soundly. indeed, it was later than usual, probably on account of their sleep being interrupted during the night, that they awoke.

according to custom, the boys took turns in going out to breakfast.

"clip, you and sam can go out together," said bob. "i will take my turn afterwards."

"i ain't in no hurry, massa bob," said clip. "you an' sam go first, and i'll go afterwards."

bob thought this a little strange, but did not object.

when clip was left alone he went at once to see his charge.

"hope you pass de night good," said clip, politely.

"i'm awfully cramped up," groaned the other. "but you're a trump, clip. you stood by me like a trojan."

"thank you, massa. i'm afraid massa[pg 232] bob'll find you out. how long you goin' to stay?"

"till i get a few miles from this town. then he may find me and welcome."

clip felt that it would be a great relief to him when there was no further need of concealment.