Hal found Sam Truax sitting moodily in a corner of the engine room, though
there was something about the fellow’s appearance that suggested the
watchfulness of a cat.

“Why don’t you go on deck a while, Truax?” asked Hal, kindly.

“Don’t want to,” snapped the fellow, irritably. So Hal turned his back on
the man.

“Doesn’t that part need loosening up a bit, sir?” asked the cadet in
charge of the engineer division.

“Yes,” replied Hastings, after watching a moment; “it does.”

“I’ll do it, then,” proposed Truax, roughly. He attempted to crowd his way
past Hal, but the latter refused to be crowded, and stood his ground until
the midshipman passed him a wrench. Then Hastings loosened up the part.

“You might let me do a little something,” growled Sam Truax, in a tone
intentionally offensive.

“Don’t forget, Truax, that I’m in command in this department,” retorted
Hal, in a quieter tone than usual, though with a direct, steady look that
made Sam Truax turn white with repressed wrath.

“You won’t let me forget it, will you?” snarled the fellow.

“No; for I don’t want you to forget it, and least of all on this cruise,”
responded Hal Hastings.