"It strikes me that we downed ourselves pretty thoroughly. Well, are we going to get out of here to-night?"
"We are going to make an effort to do so at once. Keep hold of the rail and follow me. Look out where you step. We don't want to take any more tumbles, or——"
"Oh, that's all right. I couldn't feel any worse if I fell off from a house or the top of a mine shaft."
The two moved along cautiously, Steve feeling his way with feet and hands. They were going toward the stern of the ship, though they were not aware of the fact. The passageway, constructed for the purpose of getting about on the inside of the hull, was narrow, built of metal, but without anything on it to bar their progress.
They made their way around the stern, which, inside the ship, was next to the engine room. Rush felt the throb of the engines near him and knew then that they were near the stern. They were separated from the engine room by a bulkhead and there was no opening into the engine compartment from the cargo-carrying part of the hull.
"We shall have to work our way to the other end," Steve said.
The boys, with Steve in the lead, continued their cautious creeping around the ship until finally they had reached the forward end. Steve's hands came in contact with a door.
"Oh, pshaw, it's locked," he cried. "This is too bad."