"What!" roared Gasper Pold, and sprang up beside the ex-counterfeiter.
"Tom! Sam! Hans!" yelled Dick, at the top of his lungs. "Help! Quick!"
He continued to call out and at the same time did all in his power to force the hatch into place. He was sprawled on top, and no sooner did he get one end down than the other bobbed up. Then he heard Gasper Pold cry out:
"Look out! I am going to fire!"
"Don't hit me," cautioned Sack Todd.
"If you fire, so will I," answered Dick, "and you'll get the worst of it."
"Hang the luck! We didn't disarm them!" muttered Pold.
By this time Tom was coming up on deck, followed by Sam. Hans was told to remain behind, to keep his eyes on Dan Baxter.
As soon as Sam and Tom saw the situation they leaped to Dick's assistance. Tom saw Sack Todd's shoulder under the hatch and gave it a vigorous kick. This caused the man to lose his balance on the iron ladder and he went down a step. At the same time Gasper Pold fired.
"Oh, I am hit!" groaned the ex-counterfeiter, and fell in a heap on the head of Sid Jeffers. Then the hatch came into place with a thud and in a twinkling the three Rovers secured it.