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Big Pete Ellinwood, with the piles of buckets beside him, seized one and twitched it full. "Pass!" screamed the squire as it came up dripping. Ellinwood's great arm swung forward to meet the arm of the man a yard away. The bucket changed hands and went forward without losing a drop. Up it went swiftly from one to another, to the eaves, to the two men at the top.
Code maneuvered so as to pass well to leeward of the big man who, he could see plainly, was just tipsy. But somehow the eyes of the two giants met, and the Frenchman seemed to crush his way through the crowd in Ellinwood's direction. "Come on, Pete; get out of here before there's any trouble," commanded Code. He knew the mate's weakness for fighting.
But every foot the Canadians retreated brought the big Frenchman nearer, bawling with triumph. At an opportune moment, so close was the press, he slipped his foot between Ellinwood's legs and gave him a push. Pete stumbled, almost fell, and recovered himself, raging. "Get back you!" he bawled, sending half a dozen men spinning with sweeps of his great arms. "I'll fight this Frenchy.
He was just drunk enough to become obsessed with the ugly idea that Pete had laid a trap to insult him, and, regardless of Code, kept after the mate. By this time, of course, a huge crowd had gathered and was following Pete's retreat, yelling to both men to fight it out. Many of the mob knew a few English words, and their taunts reached Ellinwood's ears.
Pierre, the purchase of the bait, Pete Ellinwood's fight, the general mix-up, and the blow on the head that had finished him. He sat up suddenly. "Look here! What ship is this?" he demanded. "You'll find out soon enough when you go on deck. Hungry? I got orders to feed ye." "You bet I'm hungry; didn't have any dinner last night in St. Pierre."
"Yas, you would think so; but he didn't, the more peace to him," was Ellinwood's reply. "The poor feller!" said Code. "I'm sorry for his wife. Anything else happen while I was gone, Pete?" "Now, let me think!" The mate scratched his head. "Oh, yes! Curse me, I nearly forgot it! You know that quair schooner that chased us down one day an' asked the fool questions about you?" "Yes.
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