CHAPTER XVII.
FRANK MAKES AN ENEMY.
"You little whipper snapper! What do you mean by making remarks aboutme?"
A hand was laid on Frank's shoulder and he was jerked roughly around, tofind the angry face of Lieutenant Taylor confronting him.
Frank shook himself loose.
"I have been making no remarks about you," he said quietly.
"Yes, you have," was the angry reply. "Trying to shine up to the littleGerman girl, are you?" and the lieutenant laughed sneeringly.
"Look here," said Frank, his face turning red, "you leave Miss Beulowout of this. If you have anything to say to me, say it and get out of myway."
"You dare to talk like that to your superior officer?"
"Yes, I dare; and I'll say a whole lot more if you don't get away fromme."
"You will, eh? Do you know what I have a mind to do?"
"No; and I don't care."
"Well, you will care. I have a mind to give you a good trimming," andthe lieutenant advanced threateningly.
"I wouldn't try it if I were you," said Frank quietly. "You might getmore than you bargained for."
"What! Do you think you are any match for me?"
"I don't think anything about it."
"I guess not. But let me tell you something: You keep away from MissBeulow, or I'll hand you the worst thrashing you ever heard of."
"You attend to your business, and I'll attend to mine," was Frank'sreply. "I'll walk with whom I choose," and he turned and started away.
"Oh, you will, will you," shouted the now enraged lieutenant. "Well,I'll show you!"
He sprang forward, and with his open palm struck Frank a stinging blowon the side of the face.
Frank in turn leaped forward, and the lieutenant stepped back and placedhimself in an attitude of defense.
"You'll have to pay for that blow," exclaimed Frank, "I don't care ifyou are my superior officer."
"Don't let that stand in the way," said the lieutenant with a sneer. "Iwon't hide behind that."
Frank sprang forward to deliver a blow at his persecutor, when his armwas seized suddenly from behind. In vain he struggled to free himself.He was lifted from his feet as though he had been a child, and a voiceexclaimed:
"Here! here! what are you fellows fighting about?"
The newcomer was Jack.
"Let me alone!" shouted Frank, now thoroughly aroused. "He struck me!"
"And what if I did," sneered the lieutenant, "what are you doing to doabout it?"
"I'll show you what I am going to do!" cried Frank. "Let me go, Jack!"
"Not much I won't. What chance have you with this big bully? If he wantsa row let him pitch into me."
"This is my affair," cried Frank, still struggling to free himself. "Letme go."
"Well," said Jack, "if you must fight, all right. But not here. LordHastings or Lieutenant Edwards is liable to see you and you would bothbe put under arrest." He turned to Lieutenant Taylor. "Are you willingto fight?" he asked.
"Any place and any time," was the reply.
"All right. I'll take charge of this fight and see that it is pulled offship-shape. Both of you be forward on the gun deck in half an hour."
The lieutenant bowed ironically and departed.
"What's the meaning of this, anyhow?" demanded Jack, when the two ladswere alone.
Frank explained his encounter with the lieutenant.
"And you are determined to fight him?" asked Jack.
"Yes," replied Frank. "No man can hit me and get away without my hittingback."
"But he is a great deal larger and stronger than you are; and he isprobably more proficient in the use of his fists."
"He may be and he may not," replied Frank. "I have taken boxing lessonsand am not a novice."
"Well," said Jack, "it's your funeral. But I would rather take him onmyself."
"You may have a chance at some other date," said Frank, and the two madetheir way to the spot designated for the fight.
Word that there was going to be a fistic battle spread quickly among thecrew, and there was a stampede forward on the gun deck. The Britishsailor loves nothing better than a fist fight, and the news that theencounter was to be between officers added to the enthusiasm.
Since coming aboard Frank and Jack had come to be great favorites withthe men, while Lieutenant Taylor, because of his arrogant attitude, wascordially disliked.
Less than twenty minutes later, Lieutenant Taylor, still with a sneer onhis face, arrived.
"Now, listen! I am going to run this show," declared Jack. "And what Isay goes. Is that right, men?"
Cries of "Right you are," and "You bet," came from all sides.
"This thing has got to be pulled off without noise," Jack continued; "soI must ask you to refrain from applauding. Is that satisfactory?"
"O. K. Jack," came the reply from some. "You're the boy!" and "Run it tosuit yourself" from others.
"All right, then," said Jack.
With a piece of chalk he drew a square on the deck, twenty feet eachway.
"Fighting must be done in this ring," he declared, "Marquis ofQueensbury rules, and no hitting in the clinches. Ten three-minuterounds, with a minute's rest between rounds. This is going to be asquare fight, because I am going to referee it. The first man to breakone of these rules will have me to contend with, and he will have a bigjob on his hands."
A subdued laugh ran along the line of sailor spectators.
"Good for you, Jack," came the cries. "You're the boy! Tell 'em what'swhat!"
"Now for seconds," continued Jack. "Thomas, you will go to Chadwick'scorner. I don't like to impose upon anyone, so I shall call forvolunteers. Who will second the lieutenant?"
There was a moment's silence, then an old sailor in the rear of thecrowd pushed his way forward.
"I don't think much of the job," he said, "but somebody has got to doit. I guess I'm the victim."
"All right," said Jack. "Now get your men to their corners."
As the two combatants divested themselves of their coats and vests, andturned up their shirt sleeves to the elbow, it seemed to the spectatorsthat the battle was bound to be one-sided.
Lieutenant Taylor, tall and broad, topped his opponent by severalinches. His hands were big and his arms muscular. Beside him Franklooked frail indeed.
However, Frank's light weight gave him some advantage over thelieutenant, for the latter's size greatly impeded his activity, whileFrank was as quick on his feet as a cat.
At length the combatants stood ready in their corners. Jack advanced tothe center of the ring, and called the two to him. Standing betweenthem, he repeated his instructions; then, not asking them to shakehands, he skipped nimbly from between them, and shouted:
"Time!"