Billy Whiskers Adventures | Page 9

the stairs that led down into that part of the
boat where the kitchen was located, but just as he was about to venture
down, he saw a sailor coming up. He dodged out on deck, and ran
toward the prow of the boat. Here he spied another flight of stairs going
down into the boat he knew not where. But what cared he? He would
go down and see. They led down into the dining saloon and at the
further end he could see a swinging door through which came the smell
of frying bacon.
"I know the kitchen must be behind those doors. I'll just stick my nose
against one of them and peek in."
Billy was just about to push one of the doors open when bang! came
one of them against his head with such force that it knocked him over.
It also rebounded with such force that it knocked over a sailor who was
carrying a tray of glass tumblers to set on the table. Over went the man,
rolling over and over amidst the broken glass and rattling tin tray.
[Illustration]
Of course all this racket brought the cook and all the other deck hands
who heard it. The cook still carried the frying pan in his hand, being too
much surprised to set it down when he heard the noise. The man with
mop and pail who had been scrubbing the deck came and also two or
three other deck hands. There they all stood, staring with open mouths
and bulging eyes at Billy, who had risen to his forefeet and stood
surveying the wreck he had made. He still felt a little dazed but came to
his senses in a hurry when he saw the man with the pail and mop raise
the mop to come after him. Before the fellow had taken two steps, Billy
had risen to his hind feet, gave a spring and butted him straight into his
pail, where he stuck fast and could not get up without the pail sticking
to him. Then Billy whirled and hooked the pan of bacon out of the
cook's hands, which sent it flying out the open window onto the deck.
Then he turned and started for the other two men who were standing
there, but they had seen enough and disappeared while there was yet
time. Seeing the coast was clear, Billy wheeled around and ran out on

deck, where he saw Stubby and Button eating up the bacon that had
spilled out of the frying pan as it went through the window.
"Leave me a slice of that bacon and then run, for we shall have to get
off this boat in double quick time if we expect to save our bacon," said
Billy, thinking the slang expression very fitting indeed.
"Why, what is up?" asked Stubby.
"Didn't you hear a racket going on in there?"
"No. We just came down from the upper deck."
"Well, take my word for it and vanish before you are hit with a club or
thrown overboard. I'll be with you as soon as I lick up this grease. Since
you have eaten all the bacon I had so much trouble to get, I am not
going to lose this grease anyway."
Splash bang! came water, bucket and all down on Billy's head. Quick
as lightning, Billy jumped through the window through which it had
come, and found himself standing face to face with the cook, who had
the most astonished expression on his face you ever saw when he
beheld Billy coming through the high, small window.
Billy stood on his hind legs and knocked the jaunty little white cook's
cap off the man's head with one of his fore legs before the cook could
defend himself or turn to run. They were in very close quarters as a
ship's kitchen is not the largest room in the world. At last the cook got
up enough courage to strike out at Billy. He intended to hit the goat in
the stomach as he stood towering before him, but alas! his knuckles
hardly touched Billy's stomach when he found himself flying
backwards across the long, narrow room, out through the opposite door
and hit the railing of the boat so hard it broke and let him fall splash
into the water.
[Illustration]
On perceiving this, Billy turned and ran off the boat, and soon found

Stubby and Button, who were waiting for him. When they had gotten
far enough away for safety, they stopped under a large shade tree and
had a good laugh at Billy's recital of how he butted the cook overboard.
"It will do him good," said Button. "I bet it will be the first bath he has
had in weeks."
"Bet