The Boy Chums in the Gulf of Mexico / or, On a Dangerous Cruise with the Greek Spongers

The sponges made quite an imposing pile which the old sailor surveyed with satisfaction. "You've done well to-day," he remarked, "if every day's wor

w how to clean and cure th

usiness from A to Z. Where he comes from the

to die, 'cause dey's alive jus' like fishes. When dey's good an' dead, you puts dem in nets an' hangs dem ober de side for de water to wash dem out clean. Den you dry dem out on deck an' string dem out

men it contained. They were the captain and mate of the schooner anchored nearest to the "Beauty". Bot

with another schooner with an American aboard is like coming across a long-lost brother. This is my fifth trip and I am getting pretty well hardened to the loneliness now, but the first time I was out I nearly went crazy. After we parted from the rest of the fleet, it was worse than being alone on a desert island, for I had the misery of seeing othe

ing that fellow w

could talk their lingo," Captain W

ptain, the Greeks owned the schooner, and, because I was young and inexperienced, they got the idea they could run over me and do as they pleased. Manuel was always stirring them up and encouraging them to disobey orders. One day I had some words with him about it, and,"-the young fell

"I got him to talk their lingo but had him sign on as one of the crew.

as never made a trip yet without making trouble. He's

em the little party learned many new and interesting

of our crew is dead, another is supposed to be on the watch to make us trouble, and a third is a mystery worth solving, judging f

soon to follow close on each other's heels, he woul

vered. All day the two lads persisted in their attempt to learn the Greek names for the things about them. By night Charley was able to direct the operation of getting under way for the schooner. Of course, he was yet unable to construct sentences in Greek, but he cou

le to make them understand us well wi

regret as they climbed aboard. Her snow-white decks were filthy from the pounding out of the sponges, and bulwarks,

ere black as soot. The old sailor's face showed set and stern through its coating

s have begun," he remarked, griml

it come out?" the boy

I insisted he flew into a rage, cursed me, an' shook his fist in my face. I

here than with him mixing in wi

ight. I had to handle him alone an' we had quite a struggle before I got the best of him." He rolled up his sleeve and showed an ugly-looking cut on his arm. "He came near getting me with his knife an' I had

better keep him a close prisoner and not let any of the crew go n

d him an' carry his meals to him. It wouldn't

y man for the job-that handsome fellow the others seem to hate so.

he captain loaded a tray with food and a bottle of water and signed for

heir way to the hold, they met ang

was to guard the prisoner. He grinned with enjoyment and, seating himself a little

ith rage at sight of his guard,

their cabin. "I believe that fellow will guard him faithfully. They

to him and Manuel, but all the others seem to share in th