“Hard luck, old boy!” muttered Dick ominously. “How are you feeling?”
“None too good,” answered Bob.
“You got a crack fore and aft. It’s a wonder one of ’em didn’t bash in your skull.”
“It wasn’t the blows I received that’s hurting me now, Dick,” Bob went on, “but the fact that we were trapped when we thought we were helping a boatload of shipwrecked sailors. Have they captured the boat?”
“Well, I should say! That outfit of pirates swarmed all over her. I was down in the engine room, you know, and, while I knew by the racket that something was happening that wasn’t down on the bills, yet I didn’t dare leave the motor. After a while the racket died out a little and I called up through the speaking tube to learn what was going on. Some one laughed; then, the next I knew, Fingal came driving Gaines along. A swab trailed after Fingal, and both of ’em had guns. I was ordered up to the periscope room, and Gaines was sent to the motor, the other chap staying with him and keeping the gun aimed at him all the time. Oh, I guess you fellows have got enough of helping the don, haven’t you?” and Dick turned to Speake.
“We was a pack of fools,” answered Speake.
“What happened to you, Speake?” inquired Bob.
“The same as happened to all the rest,” was the growling response. “That was a husky lot o’ shipwrecked mariners we picked up! They didn’t seem hardly able to crawl aboard, but they woke up considerable as soon as they got their feet on the Grampus’ deck. I had it which an’ t’other with a chap for’ard o’ the connin’ tower, and I held my own until Clackett was downed and the man that was goin’ for him came at me. Then, o’ course, I had to give up. Clackett an’ me was sent below at the pistol’s p’int. Clackett’s in the tank room, and Gaines is in the motor room, both with a couple of the thieves holdin’ guns on them an’ makin’ ’em run the boat. The don’s steerin’, and we’re hikin’ right on toward Port Livingstone. Oh, what a howlin’ mess!”
Bob sat up and bowed his head in his hands for a moment. His head ached, and he was trying to think and get at the full extent of the disaster.
“It was all a put-up job,” remarked Dick.