They heard him in silence, with a cool, phlegmatic indifference most exasperating to one in his present mood.

Drawing his revolver, “Speak!” he shouted, “tell me which one it was, or I’ll—­I’ll shoot every mother’s son of you!”

His arms were suddenly pinioned from behind while a deep voice grunted, “You vill, vill you?  I dinks not; you ish mine brisoner.  Dere ish nopody here as did gall you names, and you vill put up dat leetle gun.”

A man of giant size and herculean strength, had laid aside his pipe and slowly rising to his feet, seized the scoundrel in his powerful grasp.

“Let me go!” yelled Ward, making a desperate effort to free his arms.

“Ha, ha! man mit de proken nose, you ish vake up de wrong bassenger again,” came mockingly from above.  “It ish me as galls you von pig sheat; and I dells you it again.”

“There, the villain’s up on the deck now!” cried Ward, grinding his teeth in impotent rage.  “Let go my arms I let go, I say, and I’ll teach him a lesson.”

“I dinks no; I dinks I deach you von lesson,” returned his captor, not relaxing his grasp in the least.

But the captain’s voice was heard asking in stern tones, “What’s the cause of all this disturbance? what are you doing down here, Ward?  I’ll have no fighting aboard.”

The German released his prisoner, and the latter slunk away with muttered threats and imprecations upon the head of his tormentor.

Both that night and the next day there was much speculation among the passengers in regard to the occurrence; but our friends kept their own counsel, and the children, cautioned not to divulge Cousin Ronald’s secret, guarded it carefully, for all had been trained to obedience, and besides were anxious not to lose the fun he made for them.

Mr. Lilburn and Mr. Daly each at a different time, sought out the young man, Ward’s intended victim, and tried to influence him for good.

He thought he had been rescued by the interposition of some supernatural agency, and solemnly declared his fixed determination never again to approach a gaming table, and throughout the voyage adhered to his resolution, spite of every influence Ward could bring to bear upon him to break it.

Yet there was gambling again the second night, between Ward and several others of his profession.

They kept it up till after midnight.  Then Mr. Lilburn, waking from his first sleep, in a stateroom near by, thought he would break it up once more.

A deep stillness reigned in the cabin:  it would seem that every one on board the vessel, except themselves and the watch on deck, was wrapped in profound slumber.

An intense voiceless excitement possessed the players, for the game was a close one, and the stakes were very heavy.  They bent eagerly over the board, each watching with feverish anxiety his companion’s movements, each casting, now and again, a gloating eye upon the heap of gold and greenbacks that lay between them, and at times half stretching out his hand to clutch it.