"Avast, there! You won't raise no fuss until Ben and I say the word. If you do, you will spoil everything."
"I don't see that you need to fix anything," said Bob, forgetting in his excitement that there were men below him. "My father was kidnapped and taken aboard this vessel—"
"And Ben wouldn't let you say anything about him? That shows that his head is level. He was afraid you would say something before the captain. Here, hold fast to the end of the rope, for you must do something while you are up here or you'll be ordered down again," said the sailor, speaking hurriedly, as if he wished to say as much as possible in the shortest space of time. "We've got things all fixed, and you mustn't go to spoiling them for us. The cargo will be aboard at sundown, and we sail at the turn of the tide; but when we do sail your father will be in command."
"Then he is aboard, isn't he?" exclaimed Bob, almost overcome by excitement and delight. "I was sure of it."
"Of course he's here, but we foremast hands ain't supposed to know it. And we didn't find it out until we reached Cape Town, and then we found it out by accident. He's got five good friends—seven, now that you and Ben have come—"
"Eight," interrupted Bob, "counting in the darky that came with us. He will do anything for Ben."
"That will be enough," said the sailor. "We're going to shake out the sails when the last boat goes off this afternoon, and as soon as that is done we'll be ready to begin operations."
"But, Sweet, you have not yet told me how my father came here and what the captain is going to do with him," said Bob.
"I can't tell you what he means to do with him. Mebbe he intends to leave him to starve on some desert island, and mebbe he's going to watch his chance to knock him overboard. But he has waited too long to carry out his plans, whatever they are. He won't allow him on deck, for he says he's crazy."
"That's just what I was afraid of," said Bob, in a despairing tone.