"I know who you are now," said Harry, slowly surveying his prisoner from head to foot, "and I would advise you to discard your real name and stick to your assumed one. If it will always bring you such luck as has attended you to-night, you'll be an admiral one of these days. Richardson, see that these fellows are made comfortable for the night. They came very near sending us all to the bottom, but that's no reason why we should not treat them as kindly as we can."
The midshipman took charge of the prisoners, and Harry unlocked the door of the state-room in which Tom was confined, and went in to talk to him.
"O, now, I'd like to know what you are going to do with me!" drawled the prisoner, as the lieutenant untied the ropes with which his hands and feet were bound. "I always was the most unlucky boy in the whole world, but this is the worst scrape I ever got into."
"I came in, captain, to tell you that there is a good fire in the galley, and that you may go in there and dry your clothing, if you feel so disposed," replied Harry.
"O, now, I won't do it," whined Tom. "I'd rather stay here as I am, than to go in there and have all those fellows tormenting me. I want you to quit calling me captain, for I wasn't master of the vessel, nor governor of the band, either."
"Why, didn't you tell me that you were commander of the yacht?" demanded Harry.
"O, yes, I did, but I didn't hold the office long, for the governor got mad at me, and broke me; and then I got mad at him, and let you out. But I wouldn't have done it, if I had known that you would knock me down, and then keep me here a prisoner. What are you going to do with me?"
This was a question that Harry did not like to answer. Although Tom had caused him a great deal of uneasiness, and had placed the yacht and her crew in jeopardy he was not revengeful, and, if he could have had his own way, he would have released his prisoner at once. Bad as he was, he was the son of the man who had presented the principal of the academy with the fine vessel of which he had the honor to be the executive officer, and for that, if for no other reason, Harry did not want to see him disgraced. But his orders were, to bring the attacking party to the academy as prisoners of war, and now, that he had captured them, he could not disobey.
"You are going to put me ashore now, are you not, Harry?" whined the prisoner, trying hard to choke back his tears. "I'll never do it again."
"I can't!" replied the lieutenant. "I am acting under orders."