The man struggled furiously and would have shouted, but was only able to grunt and snort, so well had the plaster done its work. The struggle went on with little noise. Jack contrived to pass the end of the line through the loop and draw it until it was ready for a final pull. Then he hurled the man to the deck, jerked the line tight and sat on the prisoner’s legs. He bound him tightly and then sat quiet a moment, listening.
Finally he arose and slid his helpless prisoner through the skylight into the cabin and then lowered himself by the way he had emerged.
Here he seized the captive, dragged him across the cabin, and thrust him through the bulkhead, followed him through and removed the plaster from the man’s mouth.
“Now,” he said to his prisoner, “if you know what is good for you, you will keep quiet.”
Evidently the man knew. He signified his intention of keeping quiet, and Jack returned to the cabin.
“Well, that’s one of them out of the way,” he told his new friends.
“Yes,” replied Hetherington, “but there are five or six more up there.”
“Five,” said Frank.
“We’ll see what can be done,” remarked Jack, and again climbed on the table and peered forth from the skylight.
But now there was no one to capture. The wheel jerked to and fro in its lashings. Suddenly the vessel heeled over crazily. At the same time a voice called: