"Watch them while I turn out the guard."
"The dinghy is moving, sir. I think there is some one in her."
"Dinghy, there, ahoy!" bellowed the officer of the deck.
There was no reply from the men in the dinghy, who, by this time, were making more frantic efforts to free themselves.
"Dinghy, there!" shouted Dan. "What are you doing down there?"
Dan's hail, like that of the midshipman, met with no response.
"Lay forward, anchor watch!" shouted the officer of the deck.
A quartermaster came running to the quarterdeck.
"Lower away the first whaleboat. Turn out your men in a hurry. Boatswain's mate!"
"Aye, aye, sir," bellowed a deep voice somewhere down one of the corridors leading off from the quarter-deck.