CHAPTER XXII
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING ON THE WATER
It was plainly to be seen that the first mate of the _Dogstar_ wasin no wise an agreeable person to meet, and the Rovers and Hans weresorry that he and the others had come aboard the steam yacht. Thetwo sailors from the lumber schooner were also rough men and probablyunder the thumb of the mate.
"We can give you what is on board of the _Mermaid_," said Dick, alittle stiffly. "I have not looked for liquor, so I can't say ifthere is any on the vessel or not."
"Captain, and don't know what's aboard!" exclaimed Sid Jeffers.
While he was speaking Sack Todd and Dan Baxter had been looking aroundthe deck in the semi-darkness.
"Where are the rest of the people on this boat?" demanded theex-counterfeiter.
"I don't see anybody," declared Dan Baxter. "Say, do you know whatI think?" he cried suddenly. "I think these fellows are all alone!"
"Humph!" muttered Sack Todd. "If they are--" He did not finish, butsmiled quietly to himself.
"Where can we get something to eat?" demanded the first mate, aftera rather awkward pause.
"In the galley or the cabin, as you please," said Dick. "But you willhave to prepare it yourselves. We have no cook on board."
"Oh, that's it, eh? Well, Guirk can cook pretty good and he can dothe trick for us, eh, Guirk?"
"Aye, aye!" answered one of the sailors. "Just show me the victualsan' the stove, an' I'll be after doing the rest in jig time. I'mhungry enough to eat 'most anything."
Dick led the way to the galley and the crowd from the small boatfollowed; one sailor stopping long enough to tie the rowboat astern.
"Nobody else on board, eh?" said Sid Jeffers, turning suddenly on Dick.
"No, not at present," answered the eldest Rover, boldly.
"Where are you bound?"
"For Tampa Bay."
"What vessel is this?"
"The steam yacht _Mermaid_."
"Did you charter her?"
"No, we found her," answered Dick, resolved to tell the plain truth.
"Found her?" came from the mate and also from Dan Baxter.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Out here in the gulf."
"Who was on board?" questioned Sack Todd.
"Nobody."
"Nobody!" came from all the newcomers.
"Do you mean to say there wasn't a soul on this boat when you foundher?" asked Dan Baxter, in high curiosity.
"That is the truth," said Tom. "She was drifting around, abandoned.We simply climbed on board and took possession."
"Out in the middle of the gulf?" asked the first mate, incredulously.
"Yes."
"Ve vos shipwrecked and vos mighty glad to got on board," said Hans.
"Oh, that's it!" cried Sid Jeffers and a gleam of intelligence shotfrom his eyes. "Mighty lucky you was, and no error! A ship like thisis worth a pile of money. But let us have something to eat and todrink first and then we can talk matters over. A fellow can't pow-wowwell on an empty stomach."
He spoke a few words in a low tone to his two men and they passedinto the galley, where Hans and Sam showed them the food that was onboard. In the meantime Sid Jeffers went on a hunt for liquor, andfinding a bottle took a long drink, and then passed it over to SackTodd and the others.
"Dick, I don't like this at all," whispered Tom, as soon as he couldget the chance.
"Neither do I, Tom. I never expected to meet this crowd out here."
"There are six of them, while we number only four," went on thefun-loving Rover.
"Come with me," answered Dick, softly. "Sam, you take charge for awhile," he added to his youngest brother.
Dick led the way to the main cabin of the _Mermaid_ and to a casewhich was screwed fast to the wall. Inside were several pistols, andbelow were several boxes of ammunition.
"I reckon I understand you," said Tom. "We had better arm ourselvesat once. There is no telling what those fellows will take it intotheir heads to do."
"Let us four arm ourselves, and then hide all the other pistols,"said Dick. "Then, if they are not armed, we'll have them at somethingof a disadvantage."
They took four pistols,--one for Sam and another for Hans,--with thenecessary cartridges, and then all of the remaining weapons werehidden at the bottom of one of the berths. This accomplished theywent on deck again, and called Sam and Hans.
"They are having a big time, eating and drinking," said Sam, as hetook the weapon handed to him. "I feel sure we will have troublesooner or later. Pold, Todd, and Baxter won't want to run the riskof being arrested as soon as we land, and that mate and his men mayside with them."
"That isn't the only thing," said Dick. "They know this steam yachtis valuable. The party to bring the vessel in to port will get bigmoney. Didn't the mate speak of it? That shows how his mind was running."
Our friends talked the matter over for some time, but the conversationdid not relieve their worry. They felt that there was serious troubleahead of them and that it might break out at any moment.
"You know the old school whistle," said Dick. "If anybody gets intotrouble whistle, and then the others can come to his aid." And so itwas agreed.
Not knowing what else to do, Dick went to the pilot house followedby Hans, while Tom returned to the engine room and Sam to his job asfireman. Soon the engine was started up once more, and the steamyacht headed again for the western coast of Florida. It proved to bea clear night, and though there was no moon the stars shone brightlyin the heavens.
A full hour went by, during which time the party from the _Dogstar_made themselves at home aboard the _Mermaid_. They feasted on thebest the steam yacht afforded and several of the men drank a good-dealof liquor.
"This is like falling into the softest kind of a snap," declared SackTodd, after he and Gasper Pold had been talking in a corner for sometime. "They don't own this steam yacht any more than we do."
"Right you are," answered the other.
"And if they calculate to take us to Tampa and hand us over to theofficers of the law, why--"
"Not much, Todd! I am not going to prison just yet."
"Can you trust Jeffers? You seem to know him pretty well."
"I think I can. Jeffers is close--he likes money--and he sees bigmoney in this steam yacht."
"That's an idea! Now what of the two sailors?"
"I think Guirk and the other fellow will do what the first mate tellsthem to--especially if he promises them good wages for the job."
"And what of Baxter? Remember, he used to go to school with the Rovers."
"I don't know what to make of him. Sometimes I think he is all right,and then again I don't feel like trusting him."
"That's my way of it, too. We don't want anybody we can't trust in this."
"Oh, he'll have to do as we say."
"Hello, what's up there?" shouted Sid Jeffers, from the bench wherehe was sitting, finishing some liquor before him.
"We want to talk certain things over," said Gasper Pold. "Come here."
In a cautious manner Sack Todd and Gasper Pold "sounded" the firstmate of the ill-fated _Dogstar_. They said, if they could get controlof the steam yacht, it might mean big money to all concerned.
"But what will you do with those Rover boys and the Dutch lad?" askedJeffers.
"Oh, we can either cast them adrift somewhere or else put them offon a deserted shore," answered Sack Todd. "Then I can turn this steamyacht over to a friend of mine--an utter stranger to them--and hecan get the salvage on the craft for us and we can divide up."
This plan to make money appealed strongly to the first mate, and hefinally agreed to aid the others in gaining possession of the craft.Then the two sailors were instructed by Jeffers and they agreed todo as ordered, leaving the consequences on the mate's shoulders.Finally Dan Baxter was consulted.
"I don't care what you do, so long as we can get away from the officersof the law," said the bully. "But don't kill anybody--I won't standfor t
hat," he added, showing that his hard heart had at least onesoft spot in it.