"You had better come up, and then you can talk it over in the cabin," said Sack Todd, and whispered something to his companion the Rovers could not hear.
"Not yet," said Dick, firmly.
"All right, suit yourself. But if you won't come up, you can stay there. Throw over the hatch, fellows."
There was a hatch to fit over the opening to the engine room and without further words this was thrown into place and secured from the deck.
"Dick, we are prisoners!" cried Tom.
"It certainly looks like it," answered the eldest Rover, soberly.
"There is another door,—but it is locked from the other side, I think."
They listened and heard the men and Baxter walk away from the hatchway.
Then all became quiet, for Tom had stopped the engine.
For over half an hour the two Rover boys remained in the engine room of the Mermaid doing little but walk around. With the hatch closed it was very hot down there, and Dick, who had his coat on, was glad to discard that garment. They could get little or no fresh air, and both wondered how long they could stand the confinement.
"I wouldn't care so much, if only I knew Sam and Hans were safe," remarked Dick. "But for all we know, they may have been killed."