“Have me arrested! You must be joking.”

“I am not.”

“What for?”

“You know well enough.”

“Honestly I don’t. You have made some mistake.”

“Are you going to stop and let me come on board, or not?” went on Dick, as calmly as he could. “If you don’t, it’s arrest and nothing less. You can take your choice.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” growled the captain. “But I suppose I’ll have to let you come aboard, to avoid worse trouble.”

The schooner was brought around, and not without difficulty Dick leaped aboard, followed by Tom and Sam. The captain of the schooner when he saw that they were only young men, glared savagely at them.

“Now then, explain yourselves!” he snapped, shortly.

“I want to know what you have done with Mrs. Stanhope?” said Dick, thinking it best to come directly to the point.