CHAPTER XIV
MR. CRAGTHORPE IS MORE THAN TROUBLESOME
Luckily, at that moment, the Florida boy turned about, glancing into theengine room.
What he saw made Jeff stare, then gasp. Both operations were over in thespace of a second.
"Here, you infernal rascal!" shouted Jeff. "Stop it!"
Nor did he content himself with that startled roar. The Florida boycarried his fighting pluck with him at all times.
Though Cragthorpe was about half as large again as the young assistantengineer, Randolph made a direct spring for him.
Cragthorpe didn't have time to complete his mischief to the engine justthen.
Instead, he swung around, aiming the wrench at Jeff's head. But youngRandolph halted, instantly picked up another wrench, and sent itwhizzing.
Boiling with wrath, the Florida boy didn't aim particularly. He didn'tcare where his wrench landed, provided that it served the purpose.
The flying missile struck hard against the knuckles of Cragthorpe'sright hand, forcing him to let his own weapon drop.
Then Jeff fairly flew at the larger stranger.
"You won't play any tricks while I'm here on watch," panted JeffRandolph, as he clinched with his adversary. So impetuous was theFlorida boy's assault that he carried Cragthorpe down to the floor.
There, locked in each other's arms, they rolled and fought. The pit inwhich the motors stood was railed off, preventing their fighting theirway into the moving machinery.
Both combatants displayed a good deal of staying power. For the firstsixty seconds they fought without either seeming to gain any advantage.It was a grim, lonely duel, in which neither could accept less thancomplete victory.
No word was spoken. Neither cared to waste breath in speech. Jeff foughtfor a strangle hold as his best chance. Cragthorpe tried to get in ablow between the boy's eyes.
Once Randolph got briefly on top, but the stranger rolled over on him,and then the fighting went on more furiously than ever.
However, the stranger's superior weight and a considerable advantage inmuscle soon told over the Florida boy's clear, savage grit. Though hewould not yield an inch, Jeff had to admit to himself that he could nothope to hold out much longer.
After another sixty seconds of it, during which the Florida boy wasbreathing sorely, Cragthorpe managed to free one hand. Raising theclenched fist with the swiftness of lightning, he brought that fistdown, aiming the blow to land on Jeff's forehead just above his eyes.
The blow fell, though glancingly. Now there came a quick step behind thestranger.
With a brutal oath, Cragthorpe sprang up to confront the burning glanceof Captain Tom Halstead.
Halstead had just come on deck again, after his nap. Learning from Ababout the stranger, and quick to suspect, under such circumstances, theyoung motor boat skipper had hastened below.
"Caught you, you sneak, didn't I?" jeered Tom, harshly, dodging back andshedding his deck ulster with almost a single motion.
Then the young captain of the "Panther" threw himself on guard. Not aninstant too soon, for Cragthorpe had sprung forward to grapple with him.
The two fists of the young skipper, moving with lightning-like rapidity,caused Cragthorpe to retreat, throwing up his own hands as soon as hesaw it was to be a game of fisticuffs.
As Tom crouched low, Cragthorpe attempted to leap in over his guard. Itwas good tactics for one three inches taller. Yet Halstead was no novicein boxing. He threw up his left on guard, holding back his assailant,then tried to cut under and up with his right. He landed, though notwith much force, against Cragthorpe's ribs. It was enough to drive theolder combatant back until he could alter his guard.
In the meantime, Jeff lay on the floor, further forward in the engineroom. The Florida boy had not wholly lost consciousness, but he washalf-dazed, seeking to remember what had happened.
Now, at it again went Halstead and his enemy, each sparring cautiously,each alternately retreating or forcing the other all around the openpart of the engine room.
Once Cragthorpe caught Tom near the railing, and let drive hard withboth fists, seeking to push the young skipper over the railing and inamong the moving machinery.
But Tom dodged artfully as he parried and struck back, and in an instantmore was away from his perilous position.
Not once did the young skipper think of calling upon Cragthorpe to quitit and surrender. Halstead knew the fellow was there for too seriousbusiness to allow himself to be talked to a standstill.
At last, as Cragthorpe retreated past him, almost stepping on the youngassistant engineer's face, Jeff rallied his senses enough to recall whathad happened.
For a few moments Tom Halstead cleverly fought his opponent forward,putting up effective parries and raining in his blows so fast thatCragthorpe had all he could do to save himself from being floored.
In those few moments Jeff managed to crawl past both, and down towardthe engine room door.
The tide of battle turned, now, briefly at least. Cragthorpe, stung togreater fury by a glancing blow on the end of his nose, hurled himselfinto the fray with so much added energy that Halstead was compelled togive ground.
"Jeff, can you understand me!" panted Tom, as he retreated, an inch at atime, keeping his fists moving fast.
"Y-yes," stammered the Florida boy, still a bit dazed.
"Then pass the word for help, like a flash!"
But Jeff lingered by the doorway, holding to the frame for support. Onlyone thing was plain in the Florida boy's mind--that running away wasn'tin his line.
"A-a-h!" vented Cragthorpe, gleefully. He had suddenly closed in quicklyon Halstead, aiming a blow that it seemed must send the young captain tothe floor senseless.
And so it would have done--only Tom wasn't there. He ducked low, passingunder Cragthorpe's extended arm, and came up behind him, forcing thestranger to wheel about.
That left the rascal with his back turned to the Florida boy.
Jeff's mind was becoming a bit clearer every instant. Now he left thedoorway, gliding forward.
Tom saw Jeff's new move, and half-guessed the meaning of it. By cleversparring the young skipper held Cragthorpe just where he stood,until----
Jeff leaped upon the big stranger from behind. He wound his arms aroundCragthorpe's throat, then held on with all the strength he could summon.
Another oath escaped the wretch's lips. It was stopped by Halstead'sright fist landing across his mouth.
"This is a gentleman's boat--no profanity allowed," mocked Tom, sendingin another blow that struck his man in the region of the belt, causinghim to double up in torment.
Two more blows Tom drove in. Cragthorpe sank to the floor.
"Let go of him, Jeff. I can handle him," ordered Captain Tom. "Get tothe speaking tube and direct Mr. Costigan to send the extra deckhanddown here on the jump."
Cragthorpe lay on the floor. The fight was not by any means driven outof him, but the wind was, for the moment, at least. Then steps wereheard. Mr. Costigan himself came in, followed by the extra deck-hand,for Ab had relieved the third mate on the bridge.
"So that's what our new gentleman has been doing, is it, sir?" demandedMr. Costigan, his Irish quickness enabling him to guess much at thefirst glance.
"Have you handcuffs with you, Mr. Costigan?" asked Tom.
"I have, sir."
"Then put them on this fellow."
With a right good will Mr. Costigan and the sailor rolled Cragthorpeover, not very gently at that, and forced his wrists together, manaclingthe wretch. Then they dragged him to his feet.
"Jupiter!" muttered Tom, staring hard. "I've seen this fellow somewherebefore. And now I have it! By Jove, he's the gallant fellow I had toknock from the observation platform on the Overland Mail!"
"You needn't be quite so glad. We haven't quite evened our account yet,"snarled the fellow. "But I'm not the man you think I am."
"Do you deny you're the fellow I struck on the observation platform of acar of the Ove
rland Mail the other day?" Tom Halstead snorted.
"I can't be. I've just come from Auckland," leered the fellow.
"We picked him up from a small boat that bore the name of the liner,'Dolbear,'" interjected Mr. Costigan. "The 'Dolbear' is due about nowfrom Auckland."
"Then the boat was painted, as to her name, on board the 'Victor,'" saidTom. "I understand we ran behind her a bit at one time this afternoon."
"Yes, sir."
"It's from the 'Victor' this fellow came, then, boat and all," declaredCaptain Halstead, positively. "Now, bring the fellow up on deck and leteveryone have a look at him."
As it was time to call the new watch up, anyway, this was now done.Cragthorpe tried to make a fight against being taken to the deck, but,manacled as he was, he could put up no effective resistance.
The cabin passengers, too, were called. Tom and Jeff stated the caseagainst the fellow.
"Of course you're justified in locking this man up in the brig, if thereis one aboard," observed Mr. Jephson.
"Yes; there's a brig on board," Tom nodded, "and that's where a man goesafter trying to tamper with our engines on a chase like this."
The "brig" is a ship's prison. On the "Panther" it was a small room, notmore than five by seven feet, with two berths and two stools in it. Thedoor was an iron grating. Even on a yacht a brig is often needed, as aplace of confinement for a drunken or crazy sailor.
Dick Davis ascended to the bridge to stand the new watch.
"Take the fellow to the brig, Mr. Costigan, and see that he's securelylocked in. Collins, see that the man gets his meals three times a day."
"I'll make you mighty sorry for this, you boy skipper!" growledCragthorpe, as he was led away.
"That's the fellow I knocked from the train, isn't it, Joe?" demandedHalstead, turning to his chum.
"He's not dressed as well, and he has a few days' growth of beard on hisface, but I'm positive he's the same fellow," answered Joe Dawson,quietly.