"I understand. Our conversation was entirely academic," Murphy
admitted graciously.

"You said you learned to obey in the navy," Matt suggested. "What's
the matter with obeying my last order?"

"All right, Matt. I'll obey. But remember, I have given you fair
warning. If I move into your cabin to-day, I'll not move out when the
relief skipper comes."

"I'll take a chance," said Matt Peasley.



CHAPTER VI

WORDY WAR AT A DOLLAR A WORD


While the capable Mr. Skinner was preparing the reply to Matt
Peasley's cablegram, and dictating for Cappy Ricks' signature a letter
to Noah Kendall's widow, Cappy was busy at the telephone. First he
retailed the news to the Merchants' Exchange, to be bulletined on the
blackboard and read by Captain Noah's friends; next he called up the
secretary of the American Shipmasters' Association, of which the
deceased had been a member, and lastly he communicated the sad tidings
to the water-front reporters of all the daily papers. This detail
attended to, Cappy's active mind returned to more practical and
profitable affairs, and he took up Matt Peasley's cablegram. He was
deep in a study of it when Mr. Skinner entered with the letter to Mrs.