The boy was standing on deck with the selting-pole against his shoulders, and some feet away stood Murphy, one of the boat hands, a big, burly fellow of thirty-five, when the steamboat threw the line, and, owing to a sudden lurch of the boat, it whirled over the boy's head, and flew in the direction of the boatman.

'Look out, Murphy!' cried the boy; but the rope had anticipated him, and knocked Murphy's hat off into the river.

The boy expressed his regret, but it was of no avail.

In a towering rage the man rushed upon him, with his head down, like a maddened animal; but, stepping nimbly aside, the boy dealt him a powerful blow behind the ear, and he tumbled to the bottom of the boat among the copper ore.

Before he could rise the boy was upon him, one hand upon his throat, the other raised for another blow upon his frontispiece.
"'Pound the cussed fool, Jim!' cried Captain Letcher, who was looking on appreciatingly.