GHAPTER V.

DISCOVERIES.

EOPLE on board a

_ steamer easily be-
come acquainted, and
Ralph and Rick were
disposed to know
everybody. Recover-
ing from their “ touch
of seasickness,” as Un-
cle Nat termed it (“a
touch heavy enough

 

to knock a feller over,” Rick thought) they were continually mak-
ing exploring expeditions. They would take a peep at the engineer, then
look at the furnaces, then at the cook’s quarters, finally mounting to
the saloon. After a while, back they would go, nodding once more
at the engineer, and then fetching up near the furnaces. The third
afternoon out, Ralph had circumnavigated the steamer several times,
and finally stopped 40 watch the furnaces. Only one person seemed
to be at work there, and he was shoveling up the big lumps of
coal preparatory to a feeding of the red, angry furnace-mouths.
The shoveling ceased, and now from a dusty corner, Ralph heard a
series of noises, a rat squealing, a cat mewing as if hungry for the rat,
and then a dog growling as if hungry for cat and rat both. At the

same time, what did he see? A lump of coal that had flashing
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