“Hold on as we are. We can lose nothing by lying here, and they may find themselves in trouble if a revenue cruiser should happen along; even a merchantman might think it worth while to make it hot for them.”
Roy, having done as he was bidden, joined Ned.
“You know something about an engine, don’t you?”
“Either Vance or I can start or stop her now that she is in running order, and I reckon it won’t be a hard job to keep the steam up.”
“There’s no danger of her exploding?”
“Not a bit. The steam will blow off itself if the pressure gets too heavy.”
“Then I reckon we can stick it out as long as they can. Suppose you take a look at all the hatches and make certain I fastened them securely?”
Roy went below at once, and until he returned not a sound could be heard from the wheel-house, where the two pirates were, unless they had seen fit to sneak along the port side in the hope of getting a shot at one of the boys.
Then the whistle was heard, and Ned motioned for Roy to attend to it.
“Sing out what they say, so all hands will have a chance of deciding any question which may come up.”