Vance was at the top of the stairs instantly pounding on the wood-work, but no attention was paid to him for several moments.
“Unlock this door!” he shouted. “What do you mean by shutting us in here?”
The party on the outside appeared to be making the fastenings secure, and not until this had been done to his satisfaction did he condescend to reply; then the prisoners heard the voice of Manuel as he said loudly:
“We have taken a notion to learn where those old coins come from and think you may have a good supply on board, consequently found it necessary to take possession. It won’t do any good to shout and rave, for we are well out of the harbor. So try to make the best of a bad matter.”
Ned took careful aim in the direction of the voice and discharged one barrel of his revolver, the bullet plowing its way through the thin barrier; but, so far as could be ascertained, doing no further damage.
“I’ll soon show you how to do that sort of thing, my bantam,” Manuel replied angrily, and then the sound of his footsteps on the roof of the cabin told that he had gone forward.
“It is just as I feared,” Ned said with a sigh. “That fellow had all the opportunity he needed and has taken advantage of it. The sight of the money told him almost as plainly as words could have done that we had found a treasure on the key where the yacht went ashore.”
“And I was such a fool as to arrange everything for them in the best possible shape!” Roy moaned. “It doesn’t seem as if a fellow could make such a fool of himself as I have succeeded in doing.”
“It’s no use crying over what can’t be helped,” Ned said cheerily as he mentally braced himself to appear cheerful lest his companions should lose all courage. “We must try to get the best of those fellows.”
“And we stand a mighty good chance, don’t we? Four of them against three who are locked into a place where they not only can’t help themselves, but are shut out from every other portion of the steamer!” Vance said bitterly. “Now they are convinced there is treasure on board, it won’t take more than ten minutes to discover it, and most likely the yacht is being headed this very minute where they can trust to finding friends.”