be necessary for her to enter into the transaction at all, for she
believed that Clayton was amply able to cope with every emergency,
but she had to admit that so far at least he had shown no greater
promise of successfully handling the situation than any of the
others, though he had at least refrained from adding in any way
to the unpleasantness, even going so far as to give up the tin to
the sailors when they objected to its being opened by him.

The girl's words temporarily quieted the men, and finally it was
decided that the two kegs of water and the four tins of food should
be divided into two parts, one-half going forward to the three
sailors to do with as they saw best, and the balance aft to the
three passengers.

Thus was the little company divided into two camps, and when the
provisions had been apportioned each immediately set to work to
open and distribute food and water. The sailors were the first to
get one of the tins of "food" open, and their curses of rage and
disappointment caused Clayton to ask what the trouble might be.

"Trouble!" shrieked Spider. "Trouble! It's worse than trouble--it's
death! This---tin is full of coal oil!"

Hastily now Clayton and Monsieur Thuran tore open one of theirs,
only to learn the hideous truth that it also contained, not food,
but coal oil. One after another the four tins on board were opened.
And as the contents of each became known howls of anger announced
the grim truth--there was not an ounce of food upon the boat.

"Well, thank Gawd it wasn't the water," cried Thompkins. "It's