“Going to get back my rights. I know all about that paper your crowd gave to my second mate. That paper was a mess of lies and I’m not going to stand for it.”
“We simply put down the truth, Captain Sudlip,” answered Sam, firmly. “And if you don’t let us go at once you’ll get yourself into a worse situation than ever.”
“I can’t get into a much worse fix,” growled the ex-ship’s captain. “I’ve lost my position and without a recommendation, too. If I can’t get it back through your crowd I’m going to make you pay for it. Reckon that professor of yours has considerable money, hasn’t he?” went on Jason Sudlip, craftily.
“If he has you’ll never get any of it,” answered Darry, quickly. “I’d rot here first before I’d let him give you any on my account.”
“And I say the same,” came from Sam.
“Reckon you’ll both sing a different tune when you are good and hungry,” retorted the captain, but it was plain to tell by this tone that this was not exactly the reply he had anticipated.
“Will you tell us where Hockley is?” went on Sam, after a painful pause.
“He is not a million miles from here.”
“Is he a prisoner, too?”
“I won’t tell you.”