"That's why they attacked me!" he cried. "Wonder where they are now? Perhaps they ran away from the ship!"
Leaping up again he stepped to the door, and finding it locked, began to pound away lustily, at the same time yelling at the top of his lungs. In a few minutes this brought down Captain Ponsberry, followed by Luke, who had been told to come along, the captain fearing that something had gone wrong.
"What's up here?" demanded Captain Ponsberry as he flung open the door.
"Where are they?" came the counter-question from Larry.
"They? Who?"
"Peterson and Shamhaven?"
"Gone—slid away in the fog."
"They have robbed me!"
"You don't say!" ejaculated the master of the Columbia. "You are sure?" he went on.
"Yes. My money belt is gone. They came while I was asleep, and when I woke up both hit me,—and I don't know what happened after that. I just came to my senses and found myself locked in."