CHAPTER XXI
THE ATTACK ON THE WRECK
The appearance of Dick with the shot-gun disturbed Jack Lesher quiteas much as it did Dan Baxter, and the mate stopped rowing instantly.
"Hi! don't you fire at us!" he cried.
"Then come back here," said Dick.
"Haven't I a right to visit the wreck?"
"I am not sure that you have. Anyway, you must wait until CaptainBlossom returns."
"It seems to me that you are carrying matters with a high hand, youngfellow."
"Oh, Dick, be careful!" whispered Dora. "They may become desperate."
"Don't worry, Dora," he whispered in return. Unless I miss my guess,one is as big a coward as the other."
"I hope ye aint goin' too far, Dick," said old Jerry, in a low tone.
"Don't you intend to stand by me, Jerry?"
"To be sure I do; but the mate is the mate, ye know."
There was an uncertain pause all around.
"There is no harm in my visiting the wreck," growled Jack Lesherpresently.
"Perhaps not, but you had better wait until Captain Blossom gets back."
"I only want to get some things that belong to me."
"And I want to get my extra clothes," said Baxter. "These are inrags, as you can see."
"Then wait until after breakfast and we'll all go over," said Dick,but he had scarcely spoken when he felt sorry for the words.
"Oh, Dick, don't trust yourself with them!" cautioned Dora.
"We want to hurry, for I want to go back to where I left the sailorsbefore night," answered Lesher.
"Then we'll have breakfast at once."
Rather reluctantly the mate turned back to the shore and he and Baxterleft the boat. Then the girls prepared breakfast with all haste.Lesher ate but little, but eagerly tossed off the glass of liquorDick allowed him.
"Give me one more," he pleaded, but Dick was firm, and the matestalked away muttering under his breath.
Before Dick entered the rowboat he called Jerry aside, and handedthe old sailor a pistol.
"We had better go armed," he said. "Keep your eyes open, for theymay try to play us a foul trick. And don't let Lesher talk you intoobeying him. He has no authority whatever over you."
"All right, Dick, I'll stand by ye always from this minit on," saidJerry, and the compact was sealed by a handshake.
The girls came down to see them off, and Dora warned Dick again tobe on guard. It was decided that Lesher and old Jerry should do therowing. Baxter sat in the bow of the boat, and Dick in the stern.
The trip to the wreck was accomplished in almost utter silence.Everybody was busy with his thoughts. As they drew near Dick showedthe mate where a ladder hung from the side, and as they drew closeto this Baxter was the first to mount to the deck.
As Dick had surmised, Lesher's first hunt was for liquor, and hedrank several glasses at a gulp. Then he began to roam around thewreck, noting the damage that had been done and the amount of storesstill on board.
"Might float her, if the tide got extra high," he said. "Eleven menin our crowd and five in your own ought to be able to do something,surely."
"The captain says the ship is too deep in the sand," answered Dickbriefly.
"Blossom don't know everything," growled the mate.
Both he and Baxter soon found some comfortable clothing, and put iton. Then they made up a bundle of things they said the other sailorsneeded.
When arming themselves, the Rovers and Captain Blossom had placedall of the remaining firearms in a stateroom and locked the door.
"What did you do with all of the guns and pistols?" asked Lesherpresently, after looking in vain for them.
"They are packed away in a stateroom. Captain Blossom thought itwouldn't do to leave them lying loose. Some savages might come tothe islands and steal them, and then we'd be in a bad hole."
"We've got to have some guns and pistols, Rover."
"Well, you can see the captain about that."
"I shan't wait. Which stateroom are they in?"
Dick would not tell the mate, and Lesher went around trying thevarious doors. Coming to one that was locked he burst it open withhis shoulder.
Dick scarcely knew what to do, and while he was trying to make uphis mind Jack Lesher secured a pistol and a rifle, and also a pistolfor Dan Baxter. He would have taken more fire-arms, but Dick stopped him.
"That is enough," he said.
"I want some for the men," said the first mate.
"They can get pistols from Captain Blossom when they get here."
"Humph! You think you are in sole command, don't you?"
"I am not going to allow you to take away all the firearms that arehere, Mr. Lesher."
"We'll see:"
The mate went into the pantry and secured another glass of liquor.Then he ordered old Jerry to take the bundle of clothing and put itin the rowboat.
"I've got some money on this schooner," he said. "I want to see ifthat's safe, or if you have stolen it."
"We haven't touched any money," answered Dick, his face flushing."It would be of no use to us on these islands."
"You come with me while I take a look," said Lesher.
Behind his back he waved his hand for Baxter to follow. All threewent below again, and into a stateroom the mate had occupied.
"The money was in that chest," said the mate. He threw open the lid."It's gone!" he cried.
Interested for the moment, Dick bent forward to look in the chest.As he did so, Lesher suddenly hit him a savage blow over the headwith the butt of a pistol. The blow was a heavy one, and Dick felllike a log to the floor.
"Oh!" came from Baxter. "Have you killed him?"
"No; only knocked the senses out of him," answered Lesher, bendingover his victim.
"What did you do it for?"
"To teach him a lesson. He shan't boss me, Baxter. Come, help me puthim in the brig, and be quick, before Jerry comes back."
They lifted up the insensible form and made their way to where theship's brig was located, a dirty closet once used for oil and lanterns.Dick was thrown on the floor, and the mate shut the door on him andlocked it.
"Now he can stay there for a day or two," he snarled. "Reckon it willteach him a lesson."
"What will you do with the sailor?"
Before Lesher could answer old Jerry appeared.
"Where is Dick Rover?" he asked.
"None of your business," growled Jack Lesher. "See here, Tolman, areyou going to obey me after this?"
"I want to know where Dick is?" said old Jerry stubbornly.
"I put him in the brig to cool off. He's too hot-headed for his owngood."
"You had no right to lock him up, Mr. Lesher. You must let him outat once."
"Git out of here, quick!" roared Lesher. "On deck, or I'll flog youwell!"
"Ye won't tech me!" cried Jerry, his temper rising. "I aint underorders no more, mind that. Now you let him out, or I'll do it. Youwas a fool to lock him up in the first place."
He moved toward the brig, but Lesher caught him by the arm.
"Let's teach this chap a lesson, too!" came from Baxter, and, likea flash, he struck old Jerry in the back of the head. The first blowwas followed by a second, and down went the tar, the blood oozingfrom one of his wounds.
"Don't hit him again!" cried Lesher hastily. "He's out already."
Baxter grew pale, thinking he had gone too far. But he soon discoveredthat Jerry still breathed, and then he felt relieved.
It was decided by the pair that they should place old Jerry besideDick in the brig, and this was quickly done. Then they put into theprison a bucket of drinking water and a can of ship's biscuits, andanother of baked beans.
"They won't starve on that," said Lesher. "And when they get outthey'll understand that I am as much of a master here as anybody."
"It serves Dick Rover right," said Baxter. "He's the kind that oughtto be kept under foot all the time."