“Now make yourselves at home on deck, but don’t get into mischief,” said Captain Gilsen to the boys, after the small boats were gone. “I’ve got a few things to attend to below deck. I’ll be up after a while and we can talk matters over.”
He and Ferguson went below and in the cabin held a whispered conversation lasting quite a while. In the meantime, the boys talked matters over, trying to determine what would be best for them to do.
“We are certainly in a pickle,” was the way Spouter expressed himself. “Half of the men on this boat look to be regular cutthroats.”
“They’re a bad bunch, you may be sure of that,” answered Jack. “If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be in any such business.”
“I wonder if we can’t haul the motor boat closer, drop aboard, and get away,” suggested Andy.
“We might jump overboard and swim for it,” said his brother, “but it would be mighty cold.”
When Captain Gilsen showed himself again his face wore rather a sickly smile.
“I’m sorry I have to tell you this,” he said. “But the fact of the matter is, we’re afraid to trust you to go ashore just at present. We want to give those other fellows a chance to dispose of their cargo. If you went ashore, you might spoil everything. So we’ve concluded to take you along with us until the weather clears off. Then we’ll let you go.”
“You mean that we’ve got to go with you?” cried Spouter, in dismay.
“That’s it.”